Addendum:

This is a great TED video talk that shared great insight and wisdom that may help you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8U8Pkod2n4
I especially like what Kathleen Taylor said at 8:18, “It’s not What am I supposed to be doing with my life. It is Who am I suppose to be being in my life.”

Hi Halcyon,
On your upset with the homeless guy/gal, I can relate on feeling good and magnanimous about myself for doing such a good deed then being shot down for being so full of myself. I use to volunteer for this group that helped homeless people and one of the main tenets was to connect with them person-to-person. It was not so much anonymously giving out food and clothing but to really engage in authentic dialog to understand their lives as if they were real people. … duh. I really got a lot of that lesson of looking at these people, not as “other” but as ourselves.

Metta,
Mark

Hopeful,
I am sorry for your pain. I invite you to read your own posting and look at yourself and your relationship with your friend. How would you judge your friend’s behavior toward you? How does that feel with her treatment of you? Pay attention to that. Examine what are the real reasons why you want to be friends with someone who treats you like how you describe. Look at how you value and feel about yourself. If you were that friend, would you treat yourself that way?

I will be interested in your responses.

Take care Hopeful.

Metta,
Mark

Dee,
I am sorry about your stress about your job. Been there, done that.
I don’t know if it helps for you to know that regardless of having a job or not, you will be OK. You will survive.

If there is a HR department, I would check in with them before meeting with your boss and note your concerns about his sexual harassment (as you shared here) so that will be on record. Make your own note of the meeting as well.

What is the company policy about personal emails? If there is not a written policy then your boss may just reprimand you. If he tries to use this as leverage so he can be “closer” to you then let him know that you view that as harassment then report that back to HR (without needing to tell him so he won’t try to change the story with HR).

Usually for most large companies, they have a policy where you cannot use company resources for personal use such as email.

Let us know how it goes.

Remember Dee, you can deal with whatever happens. You are smart and strong. You will survive. Don’t let others have such power over you to stress you out or intimidate you. I know, easy to say, hard to do.

Like I said, I know from personal experiences of losing my much needed job. I can and have survived. Once you know you’ll be OK no matter what then the anxiety should lessen.

A mantra “I’ll be OK no matter what” may help.

Take care,
Mark

Hi Aga,

Why don’t you share with him what you said here? Word-for-word.

That’s direct, honest, and compassionate.

Mark

I LOVE that website Vic! I’m posting it on my Facebook. Thanks for sharing it. I am cheered and my heart got warmed.

HUGS,
Mark

Hi Eishita,
Welcome to this forum/site. I suspect mood swings are partially the product of your age and the associated changes that are happening with your body and mind.

I have learned that it takes time to change our thinking and behavior. I would say hang in there. Note and celebrate the good times. When you get your lows, go to your gratitude journal and take note of what is good about you and your life.

Be gentle with yourself and acknowledge what is special about you.

Metta,
Mark