How can you thrive when the world is shit, a dumpster fire, and a complete disaster...when you find yourself surrounded by negativity, trolls, and rudeness? I spent this year reading snackable articles from Harvard Business Review and everything I could get my hands on written by Daniel Goleman on Emotional Intelligence. This is a snapshot into what I read and hope you find it helpful, inspiring, empowering, and leads you to thrive when the world is a dumpster fire.

1. THRIVING WHEN
THE WORLD IS A
DUMPSTER FIRE
MELISSA SASSI
@mentorafrika
*Adapted from Harvard Business Review

2. Just say no!
Negativity
&
Rudeness?
No bueno, right?

3. What if I told
you...
We shut down.
We stop communicating.
We are not as helpful with others.
Negativity & rudeness impact our
ability to process and recall
information & reduce our
performance

4. It impacts our feelings,
emotions, health, well-
being, happiness, and our
ability to see all the
amazing possibilities the
future has in store for us.
We do not function
as well
It can impact our self-
control, ability to regulate
our emotions and empathy
toward with others, and
can even cause us to make
impulsive decisions.
We even start
thinking negatively

5. It's our responsibility
to find productive
ways of countering
negative & rude
behaviors in others.
Our goal is to thrive even when the world or
others around us are a dumpster fire

6. Where to focus?
Be confident in your ability to solve problems & learn to trust your gut. If you're feeling you are
taking on too much, focus on what must be done now & do not be afraid to take frequent breaks.
Embrace it when you feel lousy & realize it's normal. Setbacks happen & it's ok.
02
Stay positive
Balance yourself with a positive view of
yourself & the future with a lens on
lowering stress & focusing on good
habits. Remember to be empathetic, as
we never know what someone else is
going through. Choose your squad wisely
& avoid people who are systemically
rude or negative.
01 03 Be your best self
Focus on not responding with more of the
same. Stay positive & be friendly. Being rude
is nothing new & you've seen it before. Don't
take it personally. Humor sometimes works.
Do not be afraid to call someone out, but in
the right way. Do not lose your cool. Be an
example for others to look up to with your
model behavior.
Build your resilience

7. People with high confidence &
believe in their ability to handle
rudeness & negativity are 1.2
times less likely to burnout
Be confident in
yourself & your
abilities.
1.2
times less burnout

8. To thrive, the best recipe is
to cast away our self doubt
& kick that internal bully to
the curb.

9. Step 1: Avoid negative people & don't get caught
up in media misinformation & disinformation

10. Step 2: Watch what you say & don't get caught up
in their rudeness & negativity. Be a better person.

11. Step 3: Take control of your inner bully. Analyze &
stay in the moment. Don't allow past failures to
define your future.

12. Step 4: Be thankful for life's challenges & enjoy the
journey you're on vs. the speed bumps getting in
your way.

13. Step 5: Boost your energy in more productive
ways: exercising, eating properly & sleeping. It will
increase your self-control, regulation & patience.

14. Step 6: Seek out positive relationships...people
who energize your heart, soul & mind. Smile &
laugh as much as possible to boost your spirit.

15. Step 7: Read up on emotional intelligence from Daniel
Goleman. It will help you recognize your emotions, emotions
in others & have better relationships.

16. W
Melissa Sassi
Chief Penguin, IBM Z
@mentorafrika
Thanks to the Harvard Business Review & Daniel
Goleman for empowering me with this checklist
on how to thrive when everything is shit!