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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tImagine our ancient ancestors out on the long grass of the wild plain.\xa0Their senses fixed upon their predators.\xa0Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!\xa0Meanwhile, the beasts that sustained our predecessors could bepassing them by without them noticing at all.\xa0Making their situation that much more dire.\xa0Why?\xa0We\u2019re Wired to Focus on the Bad.\xa0After all, to survive, life has to win every day. Death has to win just once.\xa0That\u2019s why we pay more attention to our enemies than our friends.\xa0Our friends won\u2019t do us in!\xa0Now transport yourself off the fruited plain and picture yourself in the jungle.The jungle that is most office spaces.\xa0Your brain closes off from the outside world and focuses on the negative, preventing you from seeing other options and choices that surround you.\xa0After infinite generations of evolution, we\u2019re still steered by our fears.\xa0Welcome to Episode #48 of Navigating the Fustercluck\u2026a snackable podcast that addresses the aggravatingly awesome world of creativity and marketing, where our focus today is to explore the power of negativity, and how we can put it to service to make things better.\xa0Or as Helen Fisher, the author of Anatomy of Love, says\u2026By conquering the brain\u2019s impulse to focus on the bad, we can all build stronger relationships and enjoy happier lives.\xa0Let\u2019s see how that translates in the environment we so often find ourselves in. Let\u2019s explore the office jungle. And what we fear most there\u2026\xa0Trauma \xa0Just like our own childhoods, we can be scarred for years by a single event. That\u2019s the textbook definition of trauma. As the New York Times points out, Bad emotions, bad parents and bad feedback have more impact than good ones.\xa0No matter how well we do at our jobs, we still feel that it can all be wiped away in one fell swoop:\xa0By a new boss.A big mistake we may have made.Budget cuts.A vindictive client.Office politics.Unforeseen forces.\xa0Any and all of them can wipe away an otherwise superb record.\xa0So, we find ourselves in a constant state of anxiety.\xa0Oddly enough, there is no positive opposite of trauma. One big success or moment cannot counterbalance the fear of a traumatic event.\xa0How can they when we so often here, What have you done for me lately?\xa0No wonder negativity consumes so many of us.\xa0And when it does, your brain closes off from the outside world and focuses on the negative, preventing you from seeing other options and choices that surround you.\xa0Doomed!\xa0That\u2019s how negativity can make us feel. Placing us in utter despair. So deep we may wonder how the Hell we can escape it?\xa0How do we combat negativity when the negative has a greater impact on us than the positive. In fact, negative thoughts are 5X more powerful than positive thoughts.\xa05X!!!\xa0Back to the Future\xa0Well, just like negative thoughts served our ancestors, they can help us, too.\xa0Contentment\xa0Contentment has its place, but staying too long in one place can be damaging.\xa0According to the Harvard Business Review..Negative feedback guards you against complacency and groupthink. \xa0Negative thoughts can keep you on your toes. Keep you searching. Moving on from one place where your competitors may catch up to or even pass you.\xa0If you embrace it, fear can help you keep your edge.\xa0As the legendary leader of Intel, Andy Grove once said, Only the paranoid survive.\xa0Furthermore\u2026\xa0If you\u2019re wrong, you will die. But most companies don\u2019t die because they are wrong; most die because they don\u2019t commit themselves. They fritter away their valuable resources while attempting to make a decision. The greatest danger is standing still.\xa0Just don\u2019t let paranoia destroy ya\u2019.\xa0Criticism\xa0Criticism is hard to take form anyone. Friend, family or co-worker.\xa0The key is understanding the intent of the criticism. Is it constructive or negative?\xa0I must admit, I\u2019ve had reviews where 99 out of 100 things were positive. Even glowing. Yet, coming out of that session the only thing I could hold onto...