Brighter side of the line

Almost all the creatures on our beloved planet live a life that is very simple, that is to say, just eating, sleeping, mating and dying one fine day, and enjoying the life to the fullest with no control over one another. It is only we humans who have made our life needlessly tough and miserable. Humans have to carry out a lot of activities and even after attaining or achieving the needed one, we still feel that it is not enough and we should strive for more. The sense of satisfaction hardly touches us. We always crave for more and more. This is not only true about materialistic wealth but even about getting one's self-esteem and ego satisfaction fulfilled. There is hardly any person who may not have ego in him or her. These elements are very well missing among the other creatures and they are the happy lots. Other animals do not live or think for tomorrow or future. They live a life full of satisfaction in the present with whatever they have. We humans, on the contrary, forget today and always think, rather worry, about the future and that too, not only for oneself but our offspring and even the coming generations. The process of craze for achieving more and more is continuously going on. This craving for more and more cannot be equated with the concept of attainment of well-being.

For attainment of well-being, one needs not hoard materialistic things for future but rather feel happy with what one possesses. It is said, 'a person who is happy with nothing will be happy with everything'. So, fundamentally, well-being means a certain level of joyfulness. There are many ways of describing happiness but only those who are happy in the true sense of the term know what is happiness. Everybody is happy at some point in time but the problem is that they have not been able to maintain that happiness. All the efforts we have made, everything that we do — education, business, family, career etc. — is in pursuit of happiness. Everything that humanity has done, and been doing, on this planet is all in pursuit of happiness. But still the human lot is the most unhappy being, if compared with other living beings who have basically no possessions at all.

Apart from that, in the pursuit of happiness, we the humans continue to disturb the nature and its wealth, thereby disturbing the lives of other living beings as well. Sometimes, certain developments lead to fatal consequences for other poor creatures. It can be said that all the human comforts have not come so easy, they have come at a tremendous cost. All creatures, from plant to animal and human beings, have paid an enormous price to create this comfort and convenience.

For one's well-being, there is a mantra — always remembering the pleasant happenings and forgetting the other unpleasant incidents. This is what is advocated in Pollyanna principle. Pollyanna principle is the tendency of people to remember pleasant items more accurately than unpleasant ones. If we remember the pleasant items or happenings in life, then it will have a positive effect on our well-being. Research indicates that at the subconscious level, the mind tends to focus on the optimistic, whereas at the conscious level, it tends to focus on the negative. The Pollyanna principle originated from Eleanor H Porter's novels. The novels' main character is a little girl, Pollyanna, who has the ability to see only the positive side of things. After becoming an orphan, Pollyanna had to go to live with her bitter and strict aunt Polly. Not giving up her optimism, she insisted on applying the philosophy that her father had taught her from an early age. This philosophy was the idea that she could transform her world and only see the positive things. Thus, not giving importance to how unfortunate any situation was, Pollyanna was able to face her circumstances with optimism and cheerful determination. Likewise, this literary character used to cause a significant effect on others. Sooner or later, the girl's joyful personality would win over the most greedy, apathetic, and sad characters. That invincible and determined optimism served as an inspiration to define the bias that may actually help us live happier lives.

The game consists of finding something to be glad about in every situation. The Pollyanna principle states that while we're aware of negative facts and events in life, we must focus only on the positive ones. When involved in a negative event, we'll try to redirect the situation in the most optimistic way. It's important to realize that optimism is an attitude you build. In fact, our brain has a natural tendency to focus on potential external threats that may endanger our lives. Optimism, therefore, is something you train every day by strengthening your character, learning from setbacks and managing your emotions in tough times that, really, are inevitable for us all.

The Pollyanna principle helps in various situations. Always having a positive and joyful attitude motivates us. However, it's also important to experience negative situations and learn from them. Even the most optimistic, energetic, sunny people know what it's like to go through depression. Those of us who brighten people's lives with our smiles, openness and joy also have the need at times to vent, cry and heal our wounds and broken pieces inside. Only then will we be able to stay resilient and keep up our rational, objective, powerful optimism so we can handle whatever life throws at us. The key to this answer, as in many things in life, is balance. It's ideal to have a perspective oriented towards the brighter side that doesn't shy away from difficulties. It is true that positive psychology is always inspiring, but sometimes we can't control the things that happen to us. We must be prepared to cope with any situation and know that we have to deal with light, shadows, and all the grey shades in between, and thus, at all times, try to lead a life full of satisfaction, thereby achieving a sense of well-being.

Views expressed are personal