For as long as I can remember, I have possessed a very specific set of survival skills. But no, not quite like Liam Neeson.

I don't hunt people down. But I can walk into a boardroom, or any room, and without anyone saying a single word, I can sense the exact emotional state of the room. Just. Like. That.

As a consultant (and more generally just as a human!), this is an incredible superpower. I know exactly how to remove tension to avoid an argument, or provide light relief to boost creativity. I create an environment where people feel so psychologically safe that they literally hand me their truths, their secrets, and their burdens.

On Day 3 of my personal 100-day challenge, I had to deliver an in-person presentation. And I was faced with a choice I had navigated for 20 years: I could hide my hand behind the podium, or I could roll my sleeves up.

My suspicion tells me that you already know the answer to this… and you’d be right. I didn’t roll them up.

No, I absolutely did roll them up, I’m just kidding.

This might look like a moment of 'courage' or 'authenticity,' but as a Positive Psychologist, I want to show you the math behind that choice.

On Day 9 of my 100-day challenge, I found myself sitting in a quiet cafe - in a place called Cullercoats with views of the North-East Coastline. Across the room, an elderly couple stared at me. In an instant, my pulse quickened. My skin felt hot. I felt that familiar urge to hide - to put on that mask of 'busy-ness' or 'importance.'

In scientific terms, I was experiencing something called threat prediction.