Dear Tom:

Your first post on tiny buddha was on Dec 20, 2016, and I replied to you on that same day (34 minutes after you submitted your first post). In your various threads we communicated in 2017, 2018, 2019, and (following a break of 5 years), most recently, in 2024.

On May 19, 2019, I submitted a post for you that is still relevant today: “Dear Tom: Fear is a powerful emotion and it stops a whole lot of people from making progress toward a better life, a better job, a better relationship, a better anything. When we are too scared, we freeze and stay where we are. You shared about your tendency to overthink in previous threads in the context of relationships. Anxiety and overthinking is often not specific to one context in life but extends to many contexts…”.

As I went over your threads this morning, I noticed that we never discussed your childhood, where I assume your anxiety took hold, and that such a discussion may be helpful. I am guessing that one or both of your parents were often disapproving, critical, and that as a child, you walked on eggshells, so to speak: anxious as a child, anxious as an adult.. any truth to this?

anita