Dealing with all of these emotions and feelings is new to me.  I’ve been told to feel the emotions; embrace, relish and even appreciate them.  So, when crappy things or realizations dawn, it feels good to wallow in the quagmire.  However, once I cross the line into the abyss of self-pity, it’s time to stop feeling sorry for myself.

When I talked myself out of the wallowing, I thought maybe I was ignoring my feelings, triggering a binge, until I realized there is a fine line between feeling and self-pity.  There comes a point where remaining in the quagmire becomes counter-productive.  The feelings are still there but the focus has to shift elsewhere for a while.  Often, this is a temporary distraction because the feelings are waiting, but some “time away” gives my brain and body a break from the intensity.  I’ll go back to processing the feelings eventually.

I have decided that this is my interpretation of maintaining a “stiff upper lip.”