How to Deal with Potentially Bad News

Scenario: "Dude, just believe that everything will turn out in our favor. Just believe. Because, when you believe, it will happen. Yay!" Sure, being optimistic about stuff rocks; but when you're confronted with situations that you can't control, you need another defensive mechanism.

It's the whole "Good news or bad news?" dilemma.

Some examples:

• "Will I get this sale?"
• "Will I get a lower price?"
• "Will superstar Sally join my business?"
• "Will the local newspaper write about my business?"

Most of us think we need to be optimistic. That's only partially true.

Sure, you can -- and should; but you also need to brace yourself for the bad news. At Trizzy, when we confront those good/bad news dilemmas, we imagine if the bad stuff occurred:

1. Could we live with it?
2. How will we deal with it?
3. What will we do next?

Always, we'll have those questions answered -- and always, we're okay with whatever happens because we know we'll move on regardless of the outcome. According to University of Florida Psychology Professor James Shepperd: "A bad outcome can actually feel good if you expected something worse, and a good outcome can feel bad if you expected something better." Bracing for the worst maintains your confidence levels to kick ass whenever something bad actually happens. It's cliche, but it's so ridiculously true:

"Hope for the best, but brace for the worst."

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