I like to think of myself as a relatively positive person.

I do my best to see the glass as half full and look for the good in most situations.

But it’s not easy.

Sometimes, no matter how well my life is going, one tiny bit of bad news can wreck my entire day (or even week).

Science has a name for this challenge. It’s called the “negativity bias,” and it refers to our brain’s tendency to give more weight to the negative experiences/information in our lives than the positive.  

The next time it happens to you, I have a simple piece of advice – sit with it.

Don’t try to make the feeling disappear.

Let the frustration run its course. It will go away.

Recognize that you’re human, and that these feelings are a consequence of your wiring.

Thanks for letting me be a part of your journey! 

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—CJ McClanahan

Speaker | Advisor | Recovering Overachiever

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