Mark – Thank you for your response. I will have to check out Wings (having a browser issue with site at the moment). I agree, I think being present, mindful, and living consciously are keys to maintaining a good life balance. I practice these myself. So far Tom hasn’t been able to “get” the meditation, but I have hope he will at some point.

Annie – Thank you also for your response. I have a feeling you are right, that he will have to find something that inspires him as I don’t seem to be able to do that. I do struggle with expressing just how deeply it pains me to see him accept his existence as I don’t wish to add more self-depreciating feelings to his negative internal dialog. Thank you for your well wishes. I’d love to someday have him experience the levels of joy that I do, and to know he can be that happy anytime all on his own.

Neil – Thank you for sharing. I think you are on something there with figuring out past negative thoughts. I’ve tried to talk with him and let him know that those negative thoughts didn’t just appear there on their own, that somewhere he received that message whether verbatim or just interacting with someone in his life that for whatever reason caused him to feel stupid and that maybe figuring that out, when and where he picked up the message, could help.