Dear Tricia, with all this news about our economy and unstable stock market, job losses and foreclosures, I feel depressed about the state of our nation. I find that I’m consoling myself with food and wine at night and it’s hard to break the cycle. How can I avoid letting all this bad news get to me?

That’s from Panic in Detroit.

Dear Panic,

I want you to know that there are always going to be bad, hard, unhappy things going on in the world.

Lots of troubles everywhere and you can bet the media is going to tell you all about it, so what you need to know is that there’s not a lot we can do about what’s going on in the world.

I don’t mean do nothing. I mean you can donate to charitable causes. You can lend a hand. You can vote, but apart from that chances are you’re going to have to tend your own rat killing.

What that means is that you really need to just pay attention to what’s going on in your own life; create harmony right in your own world. I don’t even listen to the news because there are so negative and I don’t need any more negativity. You should avoid listening to negative news.

Listening to negative news doesn’t help your emotional state. – Tweet this!

I try to concentrate on positive messages. I read positive literature. I try to fill my mind and my environment with happy, positive things. I don’t pretend to be a prima donna or a Pollyanna. What I strive to do is have the most nurturing environment for my mind and my soul.

The second most important thing to do is just practice being grateful. Concentrate on what’s good about your life and what’s good about the world. There are amazing things in the world. I love living in the time of the internet. The internet is so amazing in all the good ways it connects us. It’s connecting us right now.

Think about all the good things. Fill your mind with positive thoughts and I guarantee you it will have a positive effect on you and even on the way you eat.

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