Dear Jay:

Regarding the first recent post: you said (typed) that the be-assertive/to-thine-own-self-be-true works for you. Wikipedia has an entry on “stiff upper lip”- “….traditionally been used to describe an attribute of British people in  remaining resolute and unemotional in the face of adversity. A sign of weakness is trembling of the upper lip, hence the saying keep a stiff upper lip…”

The practice of self discipline in face of adversity, when one feels anxiety and depression and in so doing, not passing on the suffering has its place, for example parents should practice such discipline so to not harm their vulnerable children, but this is not your situation.

You had a series of heartbreaks lately. You wrote that you feel  that you should be making some effort to get on with your life- this is you being true to yourself, making your own decision: “That decision is mine alone”- this is Jay being true to Jay.

Regarding your second recent post: an authentic email to your friend. Be prepared, by the way, for more people- if you share about this or other topics- to express to you the Stiff-upper-Lip attitude and not the To-thine-own-self-be-True attitude, as the first is very common and people feel uncomfortable with the second.

“So I will simply ignore them, should we ever meet again. “- done deal then.

* I like reading your replies in other threads, sensible and wise, if I may say so.

anita

Dear Jay:

You are very welcome! Like I wrote before, it is a pleasure.

If you feel the need to start a new thread in the future, please do.

anita