I sympathize with those that truly have no choice. I've been poor most of my life and found that money does buy freedom, but you know, most of the time it's all just an excuse. It's fear of change that holds us back. If one truly has to stay in a job because they have no other options, I suggest you find a way to make the job more interesting and fun.

What do you really love about your job? What COULD you love about it? What's your plan? Is your plan on paper? What can you do today to make your day more enjoyable?

One of my daughters works for a government agency and they are allowed to go to the bathroom twice a day and only at certain times. They are not allowed to have water at their desk nor eat at their desk. Those are just a few of the high lights. She has complained about the job for months. Finally I said, "Sweetie, it's time to get your resume out there, even if it means making less money." Her response was, "Less money!!!"

What is the price of happiness in your neighborhood?

By Cricky I'll miss you Steve,
Carolyn
 

I have always had an incredible memory. In most cases that is a wonderful and helpful thing. In one very large circumstance it was my worst enemy. "What if it happens again?" was my favorite question. And, "what if" were the most common words in my language.

April Ebert & Children

As soon as I started a sentence with "what if," my senses would kick into overdrive. Smells, sounds, tastes, sights and feelings would come back to me so clearly. I would re-live the past over and over again, and never be completely in the present moment. My sense memory was so strong and sensitive that I could clearly remember everything about every situation that I had ever felt anxiety in.

As you may have guessed, that made my world very small and I became housebound so as not to have to feel the sensations anymore. When they began to happen in my own home and in every waking moment I knew I had to change things.

I developed a technique to bring me back to the present moment so I wouldn't have the memories of my bad experiences so fresh in my mind. I call it the - snowflake.

All through school you were always taught that no two snowflakes would ever be alike. No matter how many snowflakes were ever created over time there would never be a duplicate. Even people who don't remember anything else about snowflakes remember this. So I started picturing a snowflake anytime there were similar feelings or senses around me that could trigger my anxiety. In my mind no two moments can ever be duplicated. There are so many elements in any given moment that it is impossible for any two to be the same.

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