In this week's episode, I talk about a book I'm almost finished reading by Susan Cain (author of Quiet) called "Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make us Whole." For me, the thesis of this book is that sadness and "negative" emotions are not bad/to be avoided and can actually make our lives more meaningful and better. I talk about some ways our "negative" emotions help us (creativity, connection) and some examples of things we can do to help us feel these negative emotions. From writing our emotions in a journal to just giving ourselves time for a good cry, with sad movies or sad songs (or whatever works for you), we can help by giving ourselves space and time to process our negative emotions a bit more. Action item: if you are going through a hard time, give yourself some time to cry and feel those negative feelings. If you are not having a hard time right now, the next time someone tells you THEY are having a hard time, instead of using toxic positivity to shut them down with "at leasts" (ex: you lost your job but at least you have a lot of marketable skills) instead just sit with them and give them space and time to be upset by saying "that really sucks. Can I sit with you for a while?"