I have a very pessamistic and bleak outlook on life, not suacideale (the idea has cropped up once or twice before) just bleak and I want to change because it is getting me no were fast. And I want to be a 1/2 full kind of guy.
Start by paying attention to good things. Make an effort to notice when you're happy, when you encounter something beautiful, when someone expresses love towards you (not necessarily romantic, I get my love fix from my friends and family), when you feel connected to the divine.... Pay attention. Another thing you can do is every night write down five things you are grateful for.
Love and live life to the fullest, enjoy everything you enjoy and also feel at peace with yourself and you should feel great. Nothing more to say apart from that.
I have had (or in some people's opinion have) that look on life. I believe in realism. Sure things are pretty shitty sometimes, but good things happen too and that need to be recognised just as much as the bad. With all the world being connected the way it is these days news spreads fast, and unfortunatly the bad seems to be what the media focuses on. You just need to try and see things from both angles the bad and the good. The glass is only 1/2 empty if it was full and then got emptied, the glass is 1/2 full if it was empty and someone poured something into it. If we don't know wether the glass was empty or not to begin with then can just assume it was full to begin with.
you are in control of your own life. Only you can truly change the outlook of it! We can give you advice and tips. But we cant change your life for the better FOR you! That is something you have to do on your own my friend. But I will give you some advice! "If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse" Find your passion! Find your calling! Be someone unique, something you've allways dreamt of! Be grateful for what you have! be ambitious! But find that fire inside of you, an pour gasoline over it!(*hug*)
Like said above me, you are in control of your life. We can't tell you what the right way is for yourself to become more optimistic. You have to push more for things that you want, nothing worth having is easy. I had that look in life lastyear, then I decided in January that this is going to be my year. So far I've come out of the closet, gained the confidence to go out more again, found a new job that I started this week and dated 2 people which didn't work out but thats how some things go. I've also let go of those 'friends' who were bringing any negativity my way, sometimes others can be contributing factors in why people feel like that.
This really is something that you can change - and you seem to recognize that - which is the most important step!!! It isn't easy though. Our bad / negative habits are hard to break. One thing that I find helps is to work on having an 'attitude of gratitude'. While life isn't perfect, I'm sure there are lots of things that you can be thankful for if you think about it. And sometimes even when things aren't great, there is a positive aspect of something that you can be grateful for - like the 'silver lining' in the dark clouds that people talk about. Write them down. Refer to them. Add to the list when something strikes you. The positive is out there, but if you're used to be dwelling in the negative, you have to train yourself to look for it. Your thread here was a good start.