Good morning, Confused:

It’s okay not to have the answers right away, Confused🙂. Those are big questions.

It sounds like yesterday was overwhelming and today everything feels flat. It makes sense that those questions stirred something up for you.

What part of what your therapist asked is sticking with you the most today?

🤍 Anita

Continuing my thoughts, Thomas: I very much relate to what you said recently, “I am a practical man”. That was the last sentence you submitted in a post six days ago, I think.

I am a practical person too, and seems to me that a portion of the Non-Duality crowd has taken things to.. impractical extremes, unreal, unrealistic, using literal language where figurative would be appropriate.

I mean, saying language is of the ego.. while using language to say just that. Well, if language is of the ego, and ego is a sort of.. the devil, why are you talking (using language)?.

I understand that underneath and beyond our transient human life, there is something more, something bigger, deeper.. but as long as we are humans, we are.. not abstracts. We can’t be none I’s. We can’t die while we’re still alive.

The extreme language and/ or the abstract language of non- duality is .. well, extreme, touching on Crazy 🤪

❄️ 🐌 🤔 🌙 Anita

Dear Thomas:

It’s nothing new, me sending inquiries (“a furry of contacys”, your words 😁) to members who haven’t posted for a while. I’ve done it dozens of times over the years, particularly when it’s slow 🐌 in the forums.

I genuinely enjoy communicating with people in real-life and online.

Thank you for your support, Thomas, and I value your recent responses to members (I read each and every one). I appreciate your unique style and humor 😀.

“If there is no I, what is it that becomes enlightened?”-

Hmm.. Well, my answer: There is an I, of course there’s an I. I suppose to be enlightened means to see that the “I” (this person, me) is not the only person that exists or matters.

Maybe Enlightenment is the opposite of Narcissism..?

I thought about you when zI heard today that there’s a “parking emergency” where you live, meaning if you don’t move your car, you’re fined a 100p dollars?

🤍 ❄️ Anita

I see photos of snowmageddon. So many don’t have power. I wonder about you, hoping you’re okay ❄️

Dear Nichole:

Wow 👌 Nichole, you did so well in Chicago. No wonder you are very proud of yourself, I would be too if I was you 😊

I am glad to read you stood your grounds on what you had to give! 👏

I understand you are sad about your dad and the whole situation. Please 🙏 direct your empathy toward yourself. You suffered enough. You don’t deserve to suffer any more.

If you noticed, my message includes emojis, that’s because I am using my phone 📱 and the emojis appear automatically.

The reason I am not using my computer is that Bogart broke it 😢

Currently he is having the time of his life chewing on a real lamb bone 🍖

Don’t be a stranger, Nichole. Post anytime you want to talk.

Anita and Bogart 👩 🐕

Dear Alessa:

It makes complete sense that the last few years have shaken your sense of stability.

I used my computer to research, and indeed, Covid, Brexit, rising prices, and energy costs have all hit people in the UK hard. When challenges come one after another, it can make the whole world feel more fragile than it actually is.

When life becomes stressful on a personal level, global events start to feel much closer and more threatening. Anyone in your situation would feel unsettled.

At the same time, it can help to separate what’s real from what fear makes bigger.

Some of what you’re describing is true: the UK has faced real economic strain since Covid and Brexit. Inflation rose sharply, energy prices spiked, and many households struggled with higher living costs. Some food items were temporarily in short supply, and wages didn’t keep up with rising prices, so people understandably felt poorer.

There have also been public discussions among military officials about strengthening the armed forces because of global tensions, which can sound alarming when taken out of context. These pressures are real, and they’ve made everyday life harder for many people.

But other parts of the picture aren’t as extreme as they feel (so I read):

The UK isn’t collapsing, and the situation isn’t as severe as “rotting food,” widespread rationing, or people heating with wood as a national norm. Stores aren’t routinely selling spoiled food. The UK economy, while strained, is still functioning, diversified, and supported by strong institutions.

*Several credible UK news outlets reported on the “rotting meat” issue — but it’s important to understand the context: It was not supermarkets selling rotten food on purpose, and it was not a nationwide collapse.
It was a single rogue supplier accused of mislabeling expired pork, and the story was widely covered because it triggered a criminal investigation.

While military leaders sometimes speculate about long‑term readiness, there’s no policy, no plan, and no indication that conscription is returning. The government isn’t preparing for war or planning mandatory conscription.

* The UK government ( the Ministry of Defence.) responded very clearly to such concerns: (1) there are no plans to reintroduce conscription, (2) the UK military will remain volunteer‑based, and (3) the comments from military leaders (General Sir Patrick Sanders, former head of the British Army, who said the UK needed to be prepared for a “citizen army” in the future if a major war ever broke out, and Admiral Rob Bauer, NATO’s military chief, who said NATO countries should be ready for the possibility of large‑scale conflict in the coming years) were not U.K. government policy.

What you said at the end of your message sounds very wise to me: life does move in cycles. Hard periods come, and then they pass. Worrying too much can drain your energy and make the world look darker than it is. You’ve been through a lot, and it’s natural to feel the weight of it, but fear doesn’t mean disaster is guaranteed.

There are still many stabilizing forces at work, even if they’re quieter than the headlines.

You’re not alone in feeling this way, Alessa, and it’s okay to acknowledge the fear without letting it take over your whole view of the future.

.. I am directing these words to myself and to anyone who may be reading, not just to you 🙂

🤍 Anita