What's really frustrating though, is that sometimes we don't even realize that we're upset until a whole bag of chips has been inhaled or until we lay in our bed and night and feel totally crappy for yelling at our kids all day. Only then do we realize that we were actually upset, worried, angry or anxious about something. By then, it's too late, the damage is done... the credit card is maxed out, the ice cream tub is half eaten, the kids were yelled at or the day was wasted away on Farmville.

So what do we do? We sit in guilt and shame and think, "Gosh, I am so _____________." You can fill in the blank. You know what you say to yourself. I know I do.

But what if we took a different approach? Instead of repeating the same mistake over and over and over again, what if we did something different?

What if instead, we became an observer and a corrector? In other words, what if we kept a close watch on ourselves? What if we noticed our thoughts and our emotions? What if we noticed ourselves reaching for or turning to our negative behaviors? What if instead, we stopped ourselves and corrected ourselves by coping differently? What if we coped by actually dealing with our thoughts and feelings right then and there?

What if we actually acknowledged them, validated them and sought a solution for them right away? 

How would that impact your life?

How would it impact the lives of those around you?

What would it be like for you if you no longer ran away or masked your thoughts and your feelings?

It would be incredible wouldn't it?

Why don't you give it a try?

The next time the going gets tough... deal with it... head on!