“If we focus on the front end, interpreting and understanding our emotions, we have the potential to impact everything downstream—from where our attention goes, to our inner dialogue, to our behavioral response. We give ourselves a better shot at delaying the jump from feeling stressed to a full-blown freak-out. The ability to read and understand our inner world determines whether we are at a loss, guessing what alarm is going off, or know what message our body is trying to send. If we know the message, choosing the correct solution becomes much easier.”