Negative "hits" of emotion are stronger than positive ones. But-- and this is a big "but"-- negative feelings have less impact and you feel them for a shorter period of time when you have a reservoir of positive feelings. Negative hits do just that; they "hit" in a way that kind of knocks the emotional air out of us. They are quick or they are sudden and then they grow. They are the bullies in your emotional playground. Dependent upon the degree of the threat which the negative represents, the hit varies, but negative emotion is stronger in its immediacy than is positive feeling. However, here is the good news! Positive feeling is non-linear. This means that the more your reservoir of emotion is filled with the positive, the more it will appear, especially when you need it. If you will make positive feelings a low-grade, chronic, ambient background, a sound track of your life, it will take over the negative more quickly and the negative will last less and less time. The antidote to the toxin of negative feelings and thoughts that are unwanted, and the "hit" that seems to broadside us out of nowhere at times, is to practice positive feelings. Rehearse them, live in them, say them, think them, journal about them. Make a list everyday of what you're grateful for.