Developing an optimistic outlook can be good for both your physical and mental health. Here are some ways to make thinking positive thoughts easy.

●Spend time with positive people

If you surround yourself with constant complainers, their negativity is likely to rub off on you. Spend time with positive friends and family members to increase the likelihood that their positive thinking habits will become yours too.【小题1】

●Recognize and replace negative thoughts

You won’t be successful at positive thinking, if you’re still stuck in frequent negative thoughts.【小题2】If you find yourself thinking something such as, “I always mess everything up”, replace it with something more realistic such as, “Sometimes I make mistakes but I learn from them.”

●Consider the consequences of negativity

Spend some time thinking about the consequences of negative thinking.【小题3】 For example, a person who thinks, “I probably won’t get this job interview,” may put less effort into the interview. As a result, he may decrease his chances of getting the job.

●Create a daily gratitude list

If you start keeping a daily gratitude list, you’ll start noticing exactly how much you have to be thankful for.【小题4】 And you focus on the positive in your life instead of thinking about all the bad things that have happened in the day.

●Look for silver lining

When something bad happens, look for the silver lining. 【小题5】 While it may be difficult to find good in a tough situation, it is always there if you look hard enough. Focusing on the positive helps you to stay hopeful and optimistic even when things are tough.

When you set a foot outside of your door to drop trash, go to a social event or go for a walk, thoughts like “I hope I don’t see anyone I know” or “please don’t talk to me” may run through your mind. I’ve also said such things to myself. Sometimes the last thing you want to do is to talk with someone, especially someone new.

Why do we go out of our ways to avoid people? Do we think meeting new people is a waste of time? Or are we just lazy, thinking that meeting someone new really is a trouble?

Communication is the key to life. We have been told that many times. Take the past generations, like our parents, for example. They seem to take full advantage of that whole “communication” idea because they grew up talking face to face while Generation-Y grew up staring at screens. We spend hours of our days sitting on Facebook. We send messages to our friends and think about all of the things we want to say to certain people that we don’t have the courage to do in reality.

Nowadays, we are so caught up in our little circle of friends—our comfort zone. We love it that they laugh at our jokes, understand our feelings and can read our minds. Most importantly, they know when we want to be alone. They just get us.

Holding a conversation with someone new means agreeing with things that you don’t really believe and being someone you think they want you to be—it is, as I said before, a trouble. It takes up so much energy, and at some point or another, it is too tiring.

But meeting new people is important. Life is too short, so meet all the people you can meet, make the effort to go out and laugh. Remember, every “hello” leads to a smile—and a smile is worth a lot.

One key to getting along well with people is knowing when to say you’re sorry. But it’s hard to apologize. 【小题1】 Sometimes we just don’t know how to do it. Here are some tips that may make it easier to say you’re sorry.

【小题2】 The first step in apologizing is to admit to (承认) yourself that you have made someone angry. And then it’s important to let the person you hurt know that you didn’t mean to do harm. At the same time, you must show that you take your mistakes seriously. Recognize that your actions caused a problem for the other person.

Show your regret. The other person needs to see that you have suffered, too. 【小题3】 For example, “I felt bad the minute I told your secret. I’m ashamed of myself.”

Repair the damage. 【小题4】. If you damaged someone’s property (财产), offer to fix it. If the damage isn’t so obvious, ask, “What can I do to make it up to you?” There may be nothing concrete (具体的) you can do, but the offer must be sincere: “I’ll try to keep my mouth shut in the future. Meantime, let me buy you a cup of coffee.” Another way to repair the damage is to send a note or a small gift.

Use good timing. 【小题5】. For example, if you bump (碰撞) into someone, say you’re sorry right away. Don’t wait until the next day to apologize. However, if you have done something more serious, like insulting (侮辱) a friend, your apology should be more thoughtful. A quick apology might seem insincere. Take the time to sit down, look the person in the eye, and apologize honestly.

Remember, it’ s not about who “won” or “lost”. It’ s about keeping a strong friendship.