Job stress, family pressures, health conditions, worry and negative thinking intensify childhood pain. Life becomes a tangle of painful emotions, and dieting tugs on the string of that tangle. One pull and the soul says "Ouch! Don't mess with this stuff, it hurts."

On the surface, people may see you as a successful individual, but beneath there are painful issues that have never been resolved. If these issues are causing a desperate desire to escape through food, then no diet pill or exercise program will solve the problem. Dieting may work for a time, but eventually you’ll only have to face the pain of failure.

Addictive/compulsive behavior is a desperate attempt to find peace in an emotional storm of insecurity, disappointments and childhood pain. In that storm, it is impossible to maintain the focus needed for self-discipline. Like trying to rake leaves in a windstorm, the mind changes direction with every emotion that blows through. To gain self-control, you need to calm the winds of insecurity that are driven by distorted, negative thinking. You need to calm the storm and be at peace.

Depression is a pity party, anger only hurts you, resentment seals out love, and worry fixes nothing. Distorted thoughts get distorted results. Set your mind to what you can do, and then do it. Encourage yourself. Take action and your emotions will come into line; those painful memories will fade in the light of joy.

Eating is the easy way out, a dependable source of pleasure and comfort. An aching soul is eased for a few moments, but the emptiness and pain quickly return. Face your fear, because you have nothing to fear. When depression raises its ugly head, scorn it. Feelings are unscrupulous salesmen selling you something you don't want. Don't buy it. Look only at the facts. Why are you feeling this way? Get the points written on paper and look at them objectively. Is it really as bad as it feels? Emotional issues are tiny battles you need to win. Make your decision, then stand by it. 

Run from fear and it will become more frightening. Run from a problem and it will grow into a Goliath. You are ready for the challenge. Face your Goliath with courage. Face it and overcome it. Face your fears and insecurities and your pain will turn to freedom and joy.

The past is unchangeable. Accept what has happened to you. Forgive, then make the decision not to let the past control your life. Yes, people have hurt you. Be glad that you are not like those people. We each reap the seeds that we sow. They will reap their seed, and you will reap yours. Be glad you are a kind person in spite of the abuse. You have become a better person, deeper, more compassionate, with more understanding. Encourage yourself, for you have come a long way!

Change how you think, and you will change how you feel. Events are not destroying your happiness, but the negative thoughts about you are destroying it. You have a distorted image of yourself. You may believe that you deserved being hurt because you were so bad. Because you were treated like garbage, you believe that you were garbage. That is a lie. You are worthy of love. There is so much good inside you. You are a kind, loving person, and if people reject that, they have lost a good friend.

You have built walls to hide behind. Walls that scream, "stay away, do not hurt me." It is time to take those walls down. You do not have to be ashamed of who you are. You don't have to defend yourself any more. You have the power to say no, to make your own decisions. You are in control of your life.

Your past is not your future. Each day is a brand new page. Take a chance. Live dangerously. Risk failure. Risk being you. Risk living life to its fullest. Haven't you had enough of being controlled, beaten and disheartened? How many more years do you want to endure defeat? The decision is yours. Time to download new information into the subconscious and run a program that gets results.