"Depressing" and "Stressing"

Our reactions are a choice.  Very simply put, we cannot control what happens to us nor can we control how others feel or respond to a situation, but we DO have the ability to control our own reactions.  When someone says they "suffer from depression" or a certain situation may be "stressing them out", they are believing that these things are happening to them, and they are using that oh so common victim mentality, rather than understanding that they have a choice in the matter.  The reality is, they DO have a choice.  An interesting way of looking at this theory would be to start replacing adjectives like "depressed" and "stressed" with verbs like "depress" or "stress", as in "stress myself out".  When you make this shift in your language and overall outlook, you are now aware of your choices.  You are selling yourself short when you think that most things are choices except for your behavior and emotions.....because you are better than that, and you have the ability to achieve happiness if you choose it.