What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0172

8551.  Avoid buying jewelry in big-name stores or at the mall;

8552.  Consider buying diamonds from a good online source (where they are certified by a gemologist);

8553.  Gemstones other than diamonds are becoming more popular in wedding rings so that’s an option;

8554.  The cost of movie popcorn is inflated by a ridiculous 1,000%;

8555.  Theater popcorn is chock-full of chemicals and additives that are bad for you, but taste oh-so-good;

8556.  There is a clear difference between accepting something and agreeing or approving of the way in which it is proceeding;

8557.  If you find yourself in a situation with a trigger that you simply cannot abide and your only option seems to be having a panic or anxiety attack then you may find it useful to distract yourself with alternative stimuli in order to short circuit the attack and help yourself self-correct;

8558.  The specifics of what you do to take yourself out of the moment doesn’t matter as along as it serves to take your mind off of the negative emotion that is threatening to spill out;

8559.  Before your next (panic or anxiety) attack hits, consider a variety of activities that you could have on hand that will require your full concentration to complete successfully.  Focusing your concentration away from the inciting issue will help to make whatever your issue is that much more manageable;

8560.  Helping others is a great way to get your mind off of the issue that is causing the problems.  While not always available, you may find that community service makes it easier to put your problems into perspective overall;

8561.  Regardless of how you feel about your current situation, it is likely that you have made it through worse in the past and have lived to tell the tale.  As long as you can find a positive variation of the situation in question then whatever you are facing at the moment should suddenly feel that much more manageable;

8562.  While not applicable in every situation, if you can find a way to force yourself to feel an emotion that is opposite of whatever emotion the situation is causing you to feel, you can cancel out the panic or anxiety attack with ease;

8563.  If you are familiar with mindfulness meditation then you are familiar with the concept of perceiving thoughts without interacting with them is a great way to show your negative thoughts the door;

8564.  If you feel your thoughts starting to take over, you may find it helpful to count backwards from 100 or recite something you have memorized for just such an occasion.  If you can ensure you keep control of your thoughts then you can be sure they won’t be taken over by emotions;

8565.  It is important to always remember that having thoughts of all types is perfectly normal; the thing that matters most is the way in which you react to them.  If you force yourself to refrain from making negative judgments about yourself when these negative thoughts do appear, you will find that they are much easier to dismiss out of hand;

8566.  To get profit without risk, experience without danger and reward without work is as impossible as it is to live without being born;

8567.  (It’s official,) I don’t have a milk allergy;

8568.  Family does not mean a consistent sacrifice in your mental or emotional well-being;

8569.  You heal by releasing not by suppressing;

8570.  The caterpillar grows wings during a season of isolation.  Remember that the next time you’re alone;

8571.  You can have it all, but, if your soul is not nurtured, you will feel empty even at the most extravagant celebration;

8572.  The rich invest their money and spend what is left over.  The poor spend their money and invest what is left over;

8573.  Apparently, deadbolt keys are longer than other keys;

8574.  Everyone uses the same basic eye patterns when it comes to remembering trauma, either real or imagined, which means that by changing the movements of the eyes during this period the intensity of the experience in question can change as well;

8575.  Elizabeth likes lilies;

8576.  Apparently, fragrant lilies are more expensive;

8577.  Elizabeth’s favorite color is cobalt blue;

8578.  Blowing your load onto her breasts and/or neck . . . check;

8579.  Ideas are cheap execution is valuable;

8580.  Getting married isn't a goal, but being married is;

8581.  Being vulnerable opens relationships to possibility;

8582.  “Maybes” are usually procrastinated “no’s;”

8583.  “This too shall pass;”

8584.  Nothing and no feeling is permanent.  As night changes to day so moments of joy and despair replace each other.  Accept them as the nature of things; as part of life;

8585.  You’re never as good as everyone tells you when you win and you’re never as bad as they say when you lose;

8586.  Using food as a source of comfort is something most people struggle with at some point in their lives;

8587.  Be aware of your “trigger” times.  The most common emotional eating times are after work, mid to late afternoon and after 8:00 PM;

8588.  During periods of stress, trigger times, strong cravings or emotions, stop and ask yourself before you reach for food: Am I hungry?  Am I angry?  Am I lonely?  Am I tired?  If you feel angry, lonely or tired, acknowledge these without judgment.  Being angry, lonely and/or tired are some of the most common non-hunger related food triggers;

8589.  Physical hunger hits below the neck, builds gradually, is easily satisfied and energizes you;

8590.  Emotional hunger hits above the neck, has a sudden onset, is not easily satisfied and leaves us feeling tired, sluggish and sometimes guilty;

8591.  If you’re unsure what kind of hunger you’re experiencing, ask yourself where you feel it in your body and eat a healthy snack or a small portion of the food you crave.  Note what happens 15-20 minutes after.  If you feel satisfied, you are likely experiencing physical hunger.  If the craving strengthens or now you want something else, it may be emotion related;

8592.  Angry?  Work towards a resolution of the issue by calmly addressing it.  If this is not possible or you aren’t ready, express yourself in another way.  Run, do jumping jacks, climb stairs or get on a bicycle or elliptical.  Find a way to regain control of your heart rate through activity.  Need to settle down?  Paint, write or use another relaxation practice.  Attempting to regulate this emotion with an endorphin release from food not only fails to resolve the problem, but can compound it by later causing increased feelings of guilt and, in some cases, more anger;

8593.  Dost thou love life?  Then do not squander time for that is the stuff life is made of;

8594.  Be mindful of the tendency to overemphasize the negative while overlooking the positive;

8595.  Negative thinking stops us from seeing and experiencing positive outcomes even when they happen often.  It’s a mental block that filters out all of the positive and only letting in the negative;

8596.  Try not to focus on extremes.  We have a tendency to want to see things in black and white, all or nothing.  And, most of the time, we view anything less than perfect as being extremely bad.  The truth is there’s a lot of grey area in between and just because something isn’t perfect doesn’t mean it’s a failure or a worst-case scenario;

8597.  Stop seeking negative signs from others.  We are often hasty to jump to negative conclusions especially when it comes to interpreting signs and communications (or lack thereof) from others;

8598.  Jumping to negative conclusions causes us unnecessary worry, pain, frustration and stress;

8599.  We can’t assume anything about others especially what they’re doing or thinking;

8600.  Identify underlying triggers to negative self-talk.  To change the way you think, you have to be mindful of your thoughts.  Instead of ignoring negative self-talk or blindly being a slave to it, pay closer attention to it and document it.  Write down the thoughts, when they come to you and identify what triggered them;