Filtering

One small thing colors your perspective

Filtering is what happens in your brain when you let a single drop of ink color your entire perspective.

Filtering is giving an amazing presentation with effusive praise and only remembering that one person's criticism.

Filtering magnifies our negative feelings, because it numbs or blocks out any of the positive.

One of the best tools I've found for dealing with filtering is an intentional focus on what your brain is trying to draw you away from.

"That presentation was terrible!" Was it though? What were the good parts?

"I can't stand how horrible everything is!" Yeah, I know. Things aren't great in the world. But instead of magnifying the hopelessness, try to find one piece of opposite evidence. And then maybe one more.