Jennifer Lee Mollen

Capstone Annotated Bibliography

Akradi, B. (2011). The Power of Optimism. Retrieved from: https://experiencelife.com/article/the
-power-of-optimism/
In this article, Bahram Akradi states that the most important step in achieving a goal or
changing a life is believing that it will happen. Akradi brings in personal examples as
well as amusing examples such as Yoda in Star Wars in order to show that wanting to try
and believing that everything will work out for the best is key to success. He is also
realistic when determining that optimism does not always guarantee success in all things,
which is an important part of being a balanced optimist as stated by Sasson. I can use
this source in supporting the idea of balanced optimist as well as the idea that in order
to achieve a goal and have a successful future, one must believe that it is going to happen;
that belief is a source from optimism.
Boniwell, I. (n.d.). Optimism and Hope. Retrieved from: http://positivepsychology.org.uk/pp
theory/optimism/32-optimism-and-hope.html
This website tailors directly to my essential topic, the power of optimism, as the first
section is entitled "Why it is good to be an optimist." This source lists advantages of
having an optimistic lifestyle and reasoning behind if optimism can be learned. It also has
a section about realism and how one can be optimistic but still needs to keep things in
perspective. This is like the idea of balanced optimism as outlined by Sasson. This

source is more than likely reliable considering the web address ends in .org, so I will
definitely incorporate it into my argument, though I am not sure how yet.
Carlson, R. (1992). You can be Happy No Matter What. New York: MJF Books.
Ph.D. Richard Carlson establishes the five principles for keeping life in perspective and
how one can choose happiness, much like I believe one can choose optimism which
ultimately leads to happiness. The five core principles Carlson writes about involve ones
thoughts, moods, realities, feelings, and present moment. Keeping life in perspective is
one of the many important things for being a balanced optimist as Sasson states in a
source below, because one should not lose touch with reality when demonstrating
optimism. Though it is important to be positive and look on the bright side of things, one
should not believe that nothing bad is ever going to happen. I will use this source in order
to more reliably explain Sassons idea of being a balanced optimist.
Paulson, T. (n.d.). Reclaim the Optimism Advantage. Retrieved from: www.terrypaulson.com/cru
ise/Optimism_Article.doc
Ph.D. Terry Paulson outlines how one can use optimism to their best advantage. One of
my favorite parts of this source and what caught my eye was the use of the quotation
This too shall pass, from Abraham Lincoln. Optimists always have the best in mind and
know that terrible things are only temporary. I really hope to incorporate that quotation
by President Lincoln into my paper, and note that the idea came from Paulson.
Additionally, Paulson explains the importance of seeing mistakes as valued lessons on
the way to success. As put by Sharot in a source below, optimists are inherently more

successful and probably because of this point made by Paulson they take away lessons
from everything they do and learn from their mistakes.
Sasson, R. (2001). How to be Optimistic. Retrieved from: http://www.successconsciousness.com/
how-to-be-optimistic.htm
This article written by Remez Sasson illustrates twelve tips on how to be optimistic
including avoiding negativity and trying to smile more often. It also briefly outlines the
difference between and optimist and a pessimist, stating that an optimist expects the best
in every situation whereas a pessimist expects the worst. He claims that it is important to
be a balanced optimist, because this allows for the facing of reality without being
discouraged. Additionally, he states that being optimistic motivates an individual, allows
them to pursue wants with ambition, and obtain confidence and happiness. I can use this
article in order to help prove my idea that optimism leads to a better life filled with
happiness. However, I should not fully rely on it since I do not know Sassons credentials
and experience. I should only reference it briefly.
Seligman, M. E. P. (1991). Learned Optimism. New York: A.A. Knopf.
In this book, Martin Seligman illustrates the power of optimism and how it can improve
ones life. He also demonstrates how an individual can learn to become an optimist. He
states that living a life in optimism can break up depression, boost ones immune
system, better develop ones potential, and make one happier, demonstrating my thesis
that optimism can improve many aspects of an individuals life. Additionally, Seligman
shows that optimism can be a positive effect on school, work, and home life. This book

will be the basis of my argument as it is reliable and proves all parts of my working thesis
and belief in the power of optimism.
Seligman, M. E. P. (2002). Authentic Happiness. New York: Free Press.
This national bestseller by Martin Seligman, he further explains his positive psychology
theories and how certain traits including kindness, originality, humor, optimism, and
generosity can lead to a better life and overall happiness. The book is split into fourteen
chapters, six of which I will be focusing on and using aspects from. These include chapter
one (positive feeling and positive character), chapter four (can you make yourself
lastingly happier?), chapter six (optimism about the future), chapter seven (happiness in
the present), chapter ten (work and personal satisfaction), and chapter eleven (love). Each
of these chapters contain aspects that further develop my idea of the importance and
power of optimism.
Seligman, M.E.P. (2004) TED Talk: The New Era of Positive Psychology. Retrieved from:
http://www.ted.com/talks/martin_seligman_on_the_state_of_psychology?language=en#t422468
In this TED talk, Seligman tells the audience the main ideals behind the section of
psychology called positive psychology including that psychologists should focus on a
persons strengths just as much as their weaknesses, should focus on building up a person
and their best qualities just as much as repairing their damage, and should focus on
people wanting to live a more fulfilling life. He also explains how psychologists can now
measure happiness in people and how people who are more positive and optimistic
ultimately are correlated with happiness. Instead of concentrating on miserable people

and how they are different, Seligman and other positive psychologists focus on happy
people and how they are different. This source is good as it is the father of psychology
himself, Martin Seligman, explicitly defining what exactly positive psychology is and
how optimism ultimately leads to happiness.
Sharot, T. (2012). TED Talk: The Optimism Bias. Retrieved from: http://www.ted.com/talks/tali_
sharot_the_optimism_bias?language=en
In this TED talk, cognitive neuroscientist examines the bias that exists in optimism. She
states that sometimes when people are optimistic, they confuse this optimism with
realism and often give themselves the benefit of the doubt. However, she says that people
who are not optimistic often live in depression rather than anticipation and ultimately are
less successful. She states that optimism is not only related to success, it leads to
success, because when one expects a great future they try harder in order to achieve that
outcome. She states that optimism is a like a self-fulfilling prophecy, because it causes
individuals to work hard in order to meet their expectations of the future. This source is
awesome in proving my point about the importance of optimism and how it leads to a
better life in many aspects, because as Sharot stated, optimism leads to success which
ultimately leads to happiness.
Sokol, J. (2011). 3 Things that Optimistic People Do Differently. Retrieved from: http://sensophy
.com/3-things-optimistic-people-do-differently/
This blog post by Jacob Sokol exhibits three positive benefits of being an optimist:
permanence, pervasiveness, and personalization. It also mentions the famous positive
psychologist Martin Seligman and his concept of learned optimism. He shows how

optimists respond when good things happen as well as when bad things happen. My only
caution in using this source is that it is a blog post so I am not sure how reliable and
researched it is. I think it could be used for quick references and ideas, but not a part of
my hard-core and well-adapted research.