21 Comments
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Eddie Graham's avatar

Thank you for the clarifications, Joan. I'm very curious about your "being pulled in two different (seemingly opposite) directions in my spiritual life and work." I look forward to reading about these directions when the time is right for you to say more. Love & blessings as you continue to grow, learn, love and share! - Eddie

Stas Azarya Rozet's avatar

Garrison Botts's avatar

And I am grateful for you!

Peter Tekelenburg's avatar

Joan, whatever happens to you I know you'll always find a way to put in the right perspective. One look around you and outside the window with everything that's going on out there, there's a fresh breath of air, a fresh start...all those trillions of details, yeah life is truly amazing.

John Tyrrell's avatar

Thanks Joan. Looking forward to your next post

heydave56's avatar

Feeling happy to wait.

Selene's avatar

Sending love 🙏🏻❤️

Rocky's avatar

Joan, compulsions and periods of depressions come and go as you have written about. As a psychotherapist, I appreciate your candid descriptions of the things you have gone through and how you have handled them. Sometimes people deal with these things quietly and others believe the person has no problem and is just sailing through life. That is rarely the case and your honesty and ability to describe how you went through rough times is why why I have been reading everything you've written since my friend gave me your book, waking up in the heartland in 2006. I appreciate you so much.

Pat Fitzmaurice's avatar

I love you Joan, be well!

Rey De Lupos's avatar

I am exceedingly grateful for all you’ve shared and continue to bring into my awareness and mind.

Love you!

Robert A. Dalgleish's avatar

Sri Nisargadata’s poem on silence has spoken deeply - very deeply- to me. The spirit of Dakshinamurti is calling me into deeper and deeper silence and stillness … exquisite peace. Ah! Thank you dear sister.

Gaye's avatar

"We all need each other..." Oh yes Joan, so true. Thank you for your presence❤️

Manuel's avatar

I thank you very much your openness and frankness.

Tina_4Love's avatar

Thank you Joan for your most recent book — “Death: The end of self improvement “. It has opened my eyes to how reactive I can be to small hardships. I’m so inspired by your strength and gratitude. 🙏🏻

Ruth Tarajyoti Rudd's avatar

Doesn’t it all just roll along. I hear your silence. 👉🏻🌷

wes's avatar

Hi Joan. For whatever it's worth, I'm old, and have also been chewing my fingers in the same way since I was a kid. I don't look at it as anything serious. It's just a nervous habit. Hell, I'm doing it right now!...

Joan Tollifson's avatar

Since i first began writing about it back in the 90s, I've heard from finger biters and nail biters worldwide. Some people do it quite mildly, just around the cuticles, but I have done it much more severely, so it is serious, although certainly less so than some far more life-threatening compulsions and addictions. I also only have one hand, so when I'm doing it, I can't do much of anything else, so it's more of a disability. But, I no longer feel shame about it or give it meaning, and I'm at peace with it if it never goes away. I've learned a great deal from it, so in many ways, I'm grateful for it.

wes's avatar

You probably won't believe this Joan, but my left arm is paralyzed (happened 40 years ago in a car accident), so, in effect I have one hand as well. I chew the living shit out of my right hand though! I get what you're saying. Disabilities happen. No shame. No meaning. It's just what is...

Joan Tollifson's avatar

That's wild. You're the second or maybe third one-handed finger chewer I've heard from in all these many years. We should start a club. We could meet and chew together. 😎

wes's avatar

lol...

Robert Saltzman's avatar

<3