Taking better control of my mind. Over the past 10-12 years I have tried and have had some success with controlling my thoughts, emotions, anxiety and how I respond to people and situations. I work to be a better listener when in conversations with others. I try to only give my opinions when asked and to respond respectfully. I simply take a beat, sometimes 2, but before I speak I consider the affect of my opinion and words will impact the person or people I’m speaking with. It’s not foolproof and I have struggled with it constantly, but then I realized what I needed to do was surround myself with like minded individuals and avoid the negativity of others. I have found myself walking away from many situations where I didn’t want to be in, which turned into a great way to manage my weight due to all the walking I’ve been doing.