It is amazing how much of a difference small positive responses can make in place of some instinctive reactions.
Replacing a reaction of annoyance or an irritable look at being interrupted with a half-smile may seem small. But, such negative micro-reactions often provoke more unpleasant reactions which, in time, spark a chain of events that are significantly more negative.
John Gottman’s research team found that couples in successful marriages shared at least 5 positive interactions for every negative one.
I would posit this idea applies well beyond marriages.
And, turning the tide on our interactions by habitually replacing small negative reactions with small positive ones has an outsized effect on the positivity of our days.
