Stop Screwing Up

From Unleash the Power of the Female Brain
by Daniel G. Amen, p. 217

That is the key, isn’t it?  An acronym to help with this goal is HALT, a saying from the 12-step programs, which have developed some of the most successful programs for getting people to stop screwing up.

Don’t get too Hungry.

Eat good food, drink water, take supplements to help with vitamins and such. Give your brain and your body something to work with. What happens if you put kerosene in your car’s gas tank, or worse, sugar? Same thing with what passes for food at drive thrus and coffee bars. Cut out the junk–sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and other toxins.  Can’t give it up?  Give that some thought.

Don’t Get too Angry.

No one else can make someone angry. It’s what you think about that makes you angry–your own squirrel cage that spins all the blame out there. Any fighter will tell you that getting angry makes you lose focus, unless you control that energy. Negative thinking patterns can ruin life. Let them go. Turn them around and find the gift in the experience.  Forgive, for your sake, not the other person’s.

Don’t get too Lonely. 

Learn how to make friends.  Offer to help someone else. This is a squirrel cage issue too: “Nobody loves me, everyone hates me, I’ll just have to go eat worms. ” A phone call, lunch with a friend, or volunteering can help find new friends. If you are sitting at home whining about being single, how can you expect someone to find you…and if you think the people on the internet are all losers, what do they think about you?  Change your thinking, and be that person who is out there having a good time. That is why lonely singles never find the “right one” until they stop looking.

Don’t get too Tired.

Unfortunately,  this one is listed last because THLA doesn’t spell anything.  People who are sleep-deprived are not able to make good decisions, like eating good food, like being reasonable about emotional upsets. Get some rest. Get some sleep.  Take a nap on the weekends. Go to bed a half-hour earlier. Don’t watch the 11 o’clock news.
If you can begin to HALT, you will be able to stop screwing up your life, and that will give you time and energy to get up do what needs to be done…to face your goals and dreams with a clear mind, a healthy body, and a strong will.  I’m getting a lot out of this book, and I’m recommending it because it is giving me reasons to stay on my 4-hour-body eating plan. If you click on the link to the book and buy it, I’ll get a four bits.  It’ll be worth your while if you are not familiar with Dr. Amen’s brain research.