[kymbirly]

I spent many years trying to use philosophy and spirituality to stop living in fear. I could intellectualize it but in the dark hours of the night the fear was always there.

two things have helped me stop living in fear.

1. Worst case scenario: what's the worst that could happen? Death? No. Torture? Yes. Then I go through this process: Right Now. I can feel the torture of my brother/sister humans. I think a lot of our fear is our unconscious oneness with others who are being treated or afflicted the way we are afraid of. It is happening right now to someone. "Worlds are being thrown away...world party" So when I feel fear, I recognize it as Real. I feel the fear, and then I survive it. I then tend to feel like I should appreciate this moment and my experience now--which is safe and well-fed. So however trivial, I try to experience a calm or creative or sensual moment. I had the best raspberry sorbet you can imagine. It felt so trivial. But just perhaps that feeling of pleasure connected to the collective unconscious.

2. Handbook for the New Paradigm absolutely transformed my fear as part of my victim-ness into responsibility for myself and empowerment. Once I decided to no longer play the part of the victim (my modus operandi for my life up to now) and take responsibility for my role and my spiritual healing, a huge amount of fear dissipated. I consider the responsibility informing myself and preparing spiritually and physically (quinoa in the closet) for change.

And for your friends devastated by the stock market crash: who cares. It was money they never really had anyway just symbols on an idea. I have never had a lot of money in the bank and have never had money invested in the stock market and have always been underemployed. I'm just fine, and that raspberry sorbet was incredible!