as an inconvenience that needs to be removed from your life; instead, view them as helpful signposts leading you in the direction of positive change. Use your negative emotions as an incentive to construct a plan of action to get you out of the mess you are in. Most of us do everything we can to avoid and ignore negative feelings and hope that they will disappear or resolve themselves. Unfortunately, this will never happen! Let’s take a look at some of the most common negative emotions and how we can channel them in the right direction. How To UsE ANGER AND RAGE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE Many of us find it difficult to deal with feelings of anger and rage, and when we dig a little deeper, we will find that this is because of how we were raised as children. Some of us were taught from a young age that getting angry is not a nice thing to do and that we should control our feelings of anger because they could lead us to do something we will end up regretting. As a result, we stuff our feelings of anger deep down inside ourselves, even if these feelings are justified, and we end up walking around with a chip on our shoulder. The other extreme of this is that some people are taught to use anger as a way to manipulate people into getting them to do what they want. People who live like this are always involved in screaming matches. There is nothing healthy about any of these approaches. When you think about it, anger makes you feel alive, and so you can use that physical charge that it gives you to channel more energy into your gym routine. You can also use it as a powerful motivator to push you toward your long-term goals. For example, you might feel anger toward your sister for making fun of your weight; instead of lashing out and getting upset about these comments, use your rage as the foundation for positive change. And no, you are not basing your life decisions on the words and actions of others, but what you are doing is using them to your advantage when they are sent in your direction. A desire to prove to the people who mocked and taunted you when you were younger that you are capable of doing something worthwhile and making a positive impact on the world will provide the necessary fuel to propel you forward. How To UsE ENvy To YouR ADVANTAGE Envy is another emotion you can use to your advantage. Think about it, what do most people do when they experience feelings of jealousy? They waste their time and energy tearing the other person down. When you are envious, it is an