It is no surprise that a diagnosis of cancer brings with it quite a bit of fearfulness and anxiety. You are now facing a great threat to your whole experience of yourself and the world, as well as a threat to your survival. You may experience a new existence of uncertainties and insecurities. In facing the anxiety of cancer, it is important to know that this is a very typical feeling, and that however unpleasant it is, it helps to accept that you are anxious. When we panic about our anxiety, we create more anxiety, and this fearfulness becomes self-perpetuating. Once you accept that you are anxious, and see it only as a state of mind, one of many possible states of mind, you can allow it to manifest itself and be dealt with. One way of gaining control over your anxiety is to gain more control over your life. One of the many facets of a cancer
Continue reading
Wisdom for Teens (and Adults too)!
Brain science shows us that in teenagers, the prefrontal cortex is not yet well integrated with other brain functions, and therefore they have difficulty with judgment, impulse control and reasoning. They tend to act without thinking, and are motivated by more primitive impulses– reactive and seeking out easy solutions.
Continue reading
reflected passion
Authentic Living, Part 1
“It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not.” (André Gide)
This statement feels painful and confusing to me. I know deeply, though, how apt it is and how becoming your true self involves wearing these words everyday. Hopefully, to accept and live who we are doesn’t involve being hated very often, but it does involve facing our fears of being hated and abandoned. We are born to be attached and connected to others. Loving and being loved is what we live for. But this love often comes at a price. As babies, attachment is what keeps us safe and cared for. One of our greatest fears in life is being
Continue reading
living
Facing the Anxiety of Cancer
It is no surprise that a diagnosis of cancer brings with it quite a bit of fearfulness and anxiety. You are now facing a great threat to your whole experience of yourself and the world, as well as a threat to your survival. You may experience a new existence of uncertainties and insecurities. In facing the anxiety of cancer, it is important to know that this is a very typical feeling, and that however unpleasant it is, it helps to accept that you are anxious. When we panic about our anxiety, we create more anxiety, and this fearfulness becomes self-perpetuating. Once you accept that you are anxious, and see it only as a state of mind, one of many possible states of mind, you can allow it to manifest itself and be dealt with. One way of gaining control over your anxiety is to gain more control over your life. One of the many facets of a cancer
Continue reading