Seeing the glass half full not only makes you happier, it makes you healthier and wealthier.

Research has found that seeing the glass half full not only makes you happier, it makes you healthier and wealthier. A study by Psychologist Susan Segerstrom found that ten years after graduation, law students who were optimistic earned an average of $32,667 more than their glass-half-empty peers.

Expecting good things to happen will lead to taking actions that produce positive results. Expecting only more bad stuff to come your way will keep you from doing the very things that might have minimized or avoided just that!

Below are 7 strategies for filling up your cup of optimism.

1. SET YOUR INTENTION

Before you step out of bed (and if you forget, before you leave your home) take one minute to set your intention for the day by coming up with one word that resonates with you about the attitude or spirit you want to bring to the day.

2. DO SOMETHING OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE

Often the very thing we need to improve our circumstances requires courage. That is, closing the gap between where you are now and where you would like to be in life will require stepping outside your comfort zone and doing something that scares you in some way.

3. REFRAME A PROBLEM INTO AN OPPORTUNITY

You can’t solve your problems by complaining about them. But you can solve them (or at least learn to accept them) by reframing them so that you can approach them from a new angle. To quote Einstein: “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of thinking at which they were created.”

4. AVOID ENERGY DRAINERS

Optimism is contagious. So too is pessimism. If you are struggling to feel more positive, don’t spend your time hanging out with “emotional vampires” – those people who suck the life out of you with their complaints and commentary about everything that is wrong with both the world and the people in it. Choose your company wisely and limit the time you spend with people who don’t fill your cup of optimism and “can do” self-confidence.

5. CARRY YOURSELF LIKE AN OPTIMIST

Scientists have already proven that how you present and carry yourself on the outside has a huge impact on how you feel on the inside. Harvard researcher Amy Cuddy has gone a step further, discovering that specific adjustments in your body language make you feel more powerful and confident – which in turn can positively affect the quality and outcome of your most important interactions (think meetings, interviews, and other potentially stressful conversations).

6. LIGHTEN UP

Why is it that comedians tend to live very long lives? It’s because they have become so masterful at finding the humor in even the most unfunny situations. While it’s not always easy to see the lighter side of things, it’s always helpful. Humor is a highly effective antidote to almost every ailment, anxiety or adversity. Watching a funny movie or spending time with a friend who really makes you laugh is literally medicinal.

7. EXERCISE

If you are one of those people who never exercises, then I’m sorry, I know you hate to hear it again, but EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR YOU. Not only is it great for you physically, it’s a very potent drug for making you feel better psychologically.