SM: How can negative energy from other people affect you?
Lisa Nichols: Positivity is contagious and negativity is contagious as well. Be mindful that when you’re around that negative energy, it’s contagious and it’s your job to protect yourself. I treat myself like I’m impregnated with a great dream or a great idea, so I don’t want negative energy around me because it’s going to block the blessings that are coming through me.

SM: What if a friend is carrying negative energy because she's having a hard time with life’s challenges? Are you not to be a good friend and listen or should you shield yourself from her too?
Lisa Nichols: A good friend is someone that will listen to you. A great friend will let you know that you’re stuck. What you do is ask, “Do I have your permission to tell you the truth?” A great friend will say, “Okay, we had three conversations like this and each conversation you’ve been at the same space and my fear is you’re going to stay here.” When you start raising the game with your relationships, all of a sudden you’ll be in these high-integrity relays where you’ve made it okay to hear the truth, to speak the truth, to be the truth. When asking permission to tell them the truth even though it doesn’t feel comfortable, you’re saying, “Wait, can I give you a platform to stand on to look down and see you’re swimming in mud?” And guess what? If they say “yes,” you move forward. If they say “no,” then you know who you’re working with.

SM: Why is it harder for some to embrace positive thinking than it is for others?
Lisa Nichols: It’s not an easy pill to swallow on all different levels. If you use that old statement, “I’m always at the wrong place at the wrong time” then it frees you from having to be responsible of which you’ve created. It’s a hard pill to swallow to say, “I’ve never been at the wrong place at the wrong time. I’ve designed everywhere I was going and everything I was doing.” It’s a hard pill to swallow when you’re not ready to be that responsible. You need to grow to that level of ownership.