A companion volume to "Positive Thinking", this text aims to show readers how their outlook on life can be transformed by learning how to stay optimistic, despite life's inevitable ups and downs. Part I: are we free agents or determined?; individual and society; development as an ongoing process; optimism versus pessimism; some fairy tales and their sequels. Part II: the myth of "the right time"; the myth of "security"; the myth of "modesty"; the myth of "dependency"; probems ar present; the Peter Pan syndrome. Part III: aims of personal development; strategies of optimism; strategies as tools; if all else fails.