"When the clock strikes the hour, that look will be permanent," so warned my mom whenever I made a face.

We seem to think something similar holds true when we are feeling badly - that we are forever frozen in the tundra of anxiety, sadness or low self-esteem. Those feelings create white-out conditions, so that we don't clearly see the scene. If we did, we'd realize that we have more control over how we feel than we think we do.

I've spent many Canadian winters in temperatures that would routinely average between -20 and -40 Fahrenheit. The winds would blow, the snow would drift.  Remaining on snow-blown roads would be a challenge. Sometimes, the best option would be to stay put and wait for better weather, which would surely come, even if it wasn't until the calendar was turned to the next page!

With respect to stressful feelings, you have a greater deal of control with them than you do the weather.

Do you remember when you were experiencing "foul weather" and someone or something brought some "sunshine" into your life? Suddenly, the day was looking brighter and you were feeling better. Changing your perceptions elicits a change in the chemical cascade that occurs. Slowly and subtly, the darkness lifts and you begin to feel better. You may find you even forget what it was that was troubling you. This is the remarkable healing power of the body.

Isn't that a desirable forecast?