In life, you are always filled with choices. You may opt to have a pessimist's view and live a self-defeated life or you may decide to take the optimist's route and take a challenging and fulfilling life.

Try placing Frog A in a pot of boiling water. What happens? He twerps! He jumps off! Why? because he is not able to tolerate sudden change in his environment - the water's temperature. Then try Frog B: place him in the lake warm water then turn the gas stove on. Wait till the water reaches a certain boiling point. Frog B then thinks "Ooh it's a bit warm in here".

Optimists expect the best. The defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe bad events, which will last a long time and undermine everything they do, are their own fault.

People respond positively to optimists. Optimists are proactive and less dependent on others for their happiness. They find no need to control or manipulate people. They usually draw people towards them. Their optimistic view of the world can be contagious and influence those they are with.

When the going gets tough, optimists get tougher. Optimists typically maintain higher levels of subjective well-being during times of stress than do people who are less optimistic. In contrast, pessimists are likely to react to stressful events by denying that they exist or by avoiding dealing with problems. Pessimists are more likely to quit trying when difficulties arise.

Optimists' health is unusually good. They age well, much freer than most people from the usual physical ills of middle age. And they get to outlive those prone to negative thoughts.

When you learn to accept yourself and your own faults, you pass step 1 in the project "how to become genuinely happy". For as long as you know how to accept others, you will also be accepted. For as long as you love and know how to love, you will receive love ten folds back.

The creative notions

So how do you unleash your creative thinking? Well, the first thing is to become a human leech. No, we're not talking about just sucking the blood out of every living being available, we're saying that you should take in as much knowledge and learning you can find. Read everything available -- good and bad, and keep your mind open to the infinite possibilities of the universe. The more you know, the more you'll want to know, and the more your faculty of wonder will be exercised. Prepare to be amazed at little facts that add a bit of color into your life.

Think out of the box -- or don't. Sometimes, constraints are actually a good thing. Limitations discipline you to work within your means. It enables you to be more resourceful. Creative freedom is great, but limitations enforce discipline.