Dear joanna:

You are welcome. It is inconvenient and distressing to think what is true, but the more our thinking is congruent with the truth, with reality, that is, the better our mental health. At first realizing this or that is distressing and we close our eyes to it, but long term we suffer when we don’t see reality for what it is.

Why do I help people you asked. Well, I think that I help very little. Most often I don’t help at all. For the same reason in my first three lines above, what you have mentioned as well in your recent post, if I understood you correctly: suggesting what is true to reality is inconvenient and distressing. There is no way for me to reach out to anyone’s brain and calm down that anxiety, that distress… and so, I am of no help or of very little help, overall.

Which brings me to your question, why do I try to help people- because I am trying to help myself. Communicating with people make it possible for me to see more and more of reality, of what life really is, of what is really happening. The more I see of reality, the better my mental health.

Not only can I not reach into another’s brain and calm that anxiety, I cannot reach my own and do that. It takes a whole lot of time, and practice, incredible amount of patience and learning to do that, to calm that anxiety long term.

I don’t think I have enough life in front of me to eliminate my anxiety, or to minimize it to the absolute minimum possible for a human being, but healing has been and is taking place as I type these words. Little by little … by little.

Thank you for your appreciation. Post anytime. I like replying to you.

anita