Learned Optimism is one of the best books I've read in a while. Psychologist Martin Seligman explores how optimists — those who believe that life's setbacks are only temporary — can avoid depression, improve their health, and enjoy an overall better quality of life.

Now a new scientific study, which shows that optimistic women have a lower risk of heart disease and death, supports Seligman's argument. Taking risk factors into account, the study concluded that an optimistic attitude alone can significantly lower the risk of dying of heart disease. The research suggests that optimistic women are better at dealing with adversity and are more likely to take care of themselves when they get ill.

One of the most important lessons I took away from Seligman's book is that we can escape pessimism and, you guessed it, learn optimism. So it's never to late to embrace the idea that there's always something better around the corner. Doing so might just help you live longer!