Holding Hands with the Page of Swords.

It's this simple: Don't allow yourself to duplicate the burdens or negativity of those around you.

Oh, I know that when you are struggling with a negative viewpoint, focused on what could go wrong and where someone might fail you, it is easy to fall into a truly defensive attitude. But, if you allow challenging people around you to influence your state of mind, you may well begin to resemble the very people you feel threatened by.

And do you really want that?

All I can say is don't allow this streak of suspicion and watchfulness to become hyper-vigilance. If you begin to be edgy, feeling that at any moment a disaster could arise, put some distance between yourself and the situation. Indulge in experiences that don't produce fight or flight reactions. Just because we are sometimes in stressful and uncomfortable company doesn't mean we must become stressful, uncomfortable people.

The best way to cope with those circumstances? Refuse to mirror them.