Do you ever have one of those wall-kicking days, when nothing seems to go right, people are mean to you, and it seems like your mission is destined to fail?

I know I do. That’s when my Sunshine File kicks into action. It cheers me up, reminds me that what I do brings value to the world, and that most people are actually kind and encouraging. It nourishes my soul and helps me get over those difficult moments. It helps me brush off the inevitable haters who are bound to show up if you are playing big enough.

So what is the Sunshine File?

It’s a Google doc on my computer, into which I cut and paste every time somebody says something nice about me or my work online. Every thank-you, every expression of appreciation, every reminder that what I do is helpful to actual humans – not some faceless trolls online, but real people who are grateful and appreciative.

We are all programmed to lean toward the negative – to take every criticism, every bad review, as if it is the totality of our experience. It is a well-known phenomenon – even people who are highly successful have this bad habit of obsessing over the odd 1-star review, rather than celebrating the many 5-star reviews. I’m sure you can think of situations where you have done something similar. I know I have.

So if you are doing anything that is intended to help other humans, be sure to collect every sign of their appreciation that you possibly can. It’s a great way to inoculate yourself against that tendency to sell ourselves short, lose faith in ourselves, and allow those critics in the cheap seats way more real estate in our heads than they deserve.

I’d love to know what’s in your Sunshine File – drop a comment and let me know!