Sit. Stay.

And I'm not talking to Russell, my dog.

I recently read an article in Good Housekeeping by Geneen Roth by this title which focused on "How to stop using food as an escape", but I think this is great advice for handling any temptation to escape dealing with any issue. Sit. Stay.

We are a society of avoiders in my opinion. We use food, entertainment, alcohol, the internet, shopping, arguments with others, exercise, employment and more to avoid what is real. Most of us tend to bolt if things get painful or hurtful.

Roth tells readers that ending an obsession with food is "all about the capacity to stay in the present moment - to not leave ourselves."

Our North American society has afforded us great luxury. So much so, that we rarely have to deal with any truly terrifying or painful events. When something challenging does present itself, we are seriously at a loss with how to deal with it. We run, we bolt, we get as far away as we possibly can from the source of the pain. We deny, we lie, we fabricate, we avoid. I always say the most dangerous lies are the ones you tell yourself. Those are the ones that ruin lives. Facing what is, is one way to rebuild.

Choosing to stay opens you to grief and pain, but it also opens you to joy and delight. Once you start truly feeling things, you get to feel it all. You get to revel in the greatness and you get to walk through the dark moments with strength and integrity. You get to build a life that is rich, varied and fulfilling, not one that is distracted, numb and dull. If you sit, if you stay you will notice your life is a multi-colored splendor.