Redefining Positive: How to Use Validation to Be a Positive Force in People's Lives

What happens when you try all of the advice to “be happy,” and it doesn’t work for you? Many people will tell you that being happy is as simple as choosing to think positively. But in reality, we all have a need for validation of our negative feelings. When something is wrong, the last thing anyone needs is to be pressured to be okay, and to be shamed for not being happy.

Redefining Positive is a new resource for learning how to use validation to form deeper relationships and connect to each other’s vulnerability. It shows examples of how subtle invalidations are built into our everyday speech, and how even minor changes in what we say to each other can make people feel more heard and understood. The book presents a vision for a more validating world – where people can express their real feelings instead of being afraid that society won’t accept them, and where we form better relationships based on mutual support and respect for each other’s needs.