Ella Lombardo, presenting her talk “The Reality of Toxic Positivity,” experienced it first hand. She desires to inform others about this prominent issue in society’s ideals. Ella was diagnosed with epilepsy at age eleven and has undergone multiple brain surgeries that have affected her relationships, school, and mindset. When faced with conversations about this topic, her emotions were dismissed, and she was told to be positive. This is an example of toxic positivity. Ella Lombardo wants people to see when positivity becomes negative and approach daily interactions from a new perspective with the story of her personal journey. Ella Lombardo is a current sophomore at Ransom Everglades School. Ella is a member of the dance team and the Young Researchers Program where, in simple terms, she shoots metals with a laser. In addition to working on Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Ella loves to bake, play board games with her mom and spend time with her friends and family. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx