Is optimism inherited?

I am asking this question after a recent chat with my Dad. He had just returned home after a week in an NHS hospital in London, following some complictions linked to an earlier hernia operation. During his stay in hospital, I spoke to my Mum almost every day, and she was not coping well without him. In their 40 plus years of marriage, he had never been away without her, and she was stressed to be in the house on her own.

Dad on the other hand made the most of his 'enforced' vacation. He said that he listened to the radio on his phone with earplugs, had plenty to eat (he is a notoriously fussy eater) and particularly liked the deserts - such as pear crumble that he had never had before, and was sorry to be missing the ginger sponge that was on the current night's menu, (he had ordered that before he was discharged and was wondering if he could sneak back in to eat his portion!) He also said that he was learning about people by watching how they behaved around the ward. Not once was there any hint of complaint or negativity. All in all, it was a minor set back, and he will now carry on where he left off, having benefited from some new culinary experiences.

Have I inherited Dad's optimism or Mum's pessimism? I think I have about an 80/20 split between the two. Mainly I am optimistic, but there are times when I slip into an attitude of' 'poor old me'. I have been working on dealling with those times, and think I have almost conquered them. Here's my top 5 ways of keeping my own optimism -

1. Talking to positive people every day - both Dad and my husband are great at raising my spirits and helping me keep everything in perspective;
2. Treating all five of my senses every day - I like to have scented candles or incense sticks for smell; a sensible amount of one of my favourite foods (such as chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels) for taste, to stroke my cats for touch and listen to them purr for one of my favorite sounds and to watch the wildlife out of my window for sight.
3. Appreciating everything that I have and how all my senses allow me to experience and enjoy life
4. Learning something new - reading a new book or blog, or checking what is on the Discovery or History channel
5. Doing something that I have been putting off, such as weeding or ironing. It's not the task itself that makes me feel good, it is the feeling of achievement I get once the task has been finished, and I can sit down with a cup of tea and a chocolate pretzel!