Does so-called "positive thinking" have any real effect on a woman's mental health and physical health? Can a change in your thinking actually change your health? The answer is yes, according to a scientific study at the University of Pennsylvania.

The study found that those who responded optimistically to adversity lived longer those who responded pessimistically to adversity.

Adversity and stress visit us all on a regular basis. A quick test of your own current state of optimism is the reaction you have when reading the above paragraphs. Some people gain hope and confidence from the news. Others feel helpless and shake their heads while muttering something negative. We all see both reactions in life and unfortunately the negative thinking seems to be more common.

Parade magazine reports that in a recent survey, 250,000 women said the number one problem they face every day is stress. One way to face stressful challenges and overcome them is to think optimistic thoughts about how you plan to rise above the situation and solve the problem. Imagine yourself victorious.

Some women say "But I don't have any imagination." Sure you do. Every time you worry about something that doesn't happen you have imagined the worst. You are using your imagination to visualize your worries. Use this same process but imagine the best and visualize things going right instead of things going wrong.

As You Think, So Shall You Become

Author James Allen wrote the following poetic advice over 100 years ago:

"Strong, pure and happy thoughts build up the body in vigor and grace. The body is a delicate and pliable instrument, which responds readily to the thoughts by which it is impressed, and habits of thought will produce their own effects, good or bad, upon it.

Thought is the fount of action, life and manifestations; make the fountain pure, and all will be pure.

If you would perfect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body, beautify your mind.

As you cannot have a sweet and wholesome home unless you admit the air and sunshine freely into your rooms, so a strong body and a bright, happy, or serene face can only result from the free admittance into the mind of thoughts of joy and good will and serenity.

There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body; there is no comforter to compare with good will for dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow. To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self-made prison. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all --such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day by day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor."

What makes a healthy personality? According to Emerson, "An individual has a healthy personality to the exact degree to which they have the propensity to look for the good in every situation."

Try that for one day. Look for the good in every situation. Find the silver lining in every cloud. See if you don't have a better day than usual.

When you meet up with someone who is thinking negative, remember this little joke and smile: When a grouch was given this advice he said, "I was going to try positive thinking once... but then I figured what the heck is the use in trying."

Look for the good in every situation today and keep smiling.