Is it ever too late to turn the table around on cynicism?

Well, I have been on this site for a while now, and no doubt some of you have had enough time to realize, that I’m not exactly an optimistic kind of person.

Expecting things to go wrong, and looking at the dark side of things has become a large part of my personality at this point. I was probably as young as 8 years old or so when I first started to become cynical.

I have not really had a hard life, I’m sure there is some one out there who thinks I have, but really, growing up as a white male in western Europe is not all that bad. However, I have found that I have had enough problems in my life to expect problems.

I think I have reached a point where I need to change. A while back I met a girl that I am interested in. We both like each other and are open about it, and have plans to meet soon. The thing is, she is a very happy and optimistic person, and I know and fear that my cynical ideas could act like a poison on her.

I don’t know what I can do to try and become a more optimistic person, because I honestly think that my cynicism is validated, but if she is happy in her bubble I really don’t want to pop it.

Is there anything I can do to become more optimistic? or am I stuck like this after 20+ years or being this way?

My friend will ask me where I want to go with her, and I tell her to pick something she likes, because I know that there is a higher probability that I will enjoy her appreciation and reaction to the place/event, than I am likely to enjoy the event.

How can I learn to appreciate the birds singing in the trees, rather than worry and expect them to shit on me?