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I have been reading about the concept of living in " bad faith " , and your story

seems to be similar.

We live in " bad faith " when we deny our own realities. These realities can be

denying our need to seek medical treatment or diagnosis for illness, like in

your case, or even simply like wanting to be someone else somewhere else, like

wishing i had a better job , or a better partner, or wishing i didn't have this

or that.

In my case, i have been kinda ho hum about my own job for awhile, not being able

to find any meaning or motivation in it, I felt I was stuck in my job because i

had to keep going to support my family and bills. And so i would coast through

it but without any real passion in it. In a way i was living in " bad faith "

because i was denying my own reality, wishing i was someone else someplace else.

Everything i did professionally seemed so little compared to the big things in

life.

Then i thought, what kinda role model would I be offering up, to say my own

children about the nature of work? Was work something that was a necessary evil?

Simply to pay our bills? Or should it be more like an expression of who you are

and your interests.

And so, after some thoughts, i decided to stop pretending i rather be someone

else someplace else, and throw myself into what i did, taking more seminars to

increase my skills. My thinking was that (1) i wanted to show my own sons a good

role model about the value of work as an expression of one's own professional

interests, and (2) also to stop living in " bad faith " ... to accept my own

reality as it is but to choose how i would move forward from exactly where i am

rather than pretending that i rather be somewhere else.

I think we all wish for something better, a better job, a better career, a

better ... more money... In a perfect world we would have the perfect job or

career, perfect partners, and perfect children. Of course none of this ever

works out that way, and so we must accept our true reality and be able to deal w

it the best that we can with what we got.

Hope this made sense.

Tom

>

> Life has recently given me a huge Reality Slap, one that forced me to move ACT

out of my head and into my heart.

>

> The situation is this. About a year ago, I noticed that I had a small lump in

my left testicle. Stupidly (and being a typical male, I guess), I did nothing

about it. I told myself that I'd get it checked, but I kept putting it off.

>

> How dumb is that?

>

> As the months passed, it got bigger. But still l did nothing about it. I

continued putting off going to see a doctor. Talk about avoidance and denying

reality!

>

> My dumb behaviour became dumber.

>

> The Slap happened last Sunday when I visited my brother and his family for the

first time in several months. I was shocked to discover that my sister-in-law

has breast cancer and has been through surgery and chemotherapy.

>

> As I talked with her about it, I told her about the lumps I had. She told me

to get them checked as soon as possible. I told her I would, knowing that she'd

nag me until I did.

>

> It took a couple of days, but I went to my local clinic and made an

appointment to see a GP.

>

> Finally taking action made me really scared and anxious for the first time

about what might lie ahead of me. Last night, my stomach was churning and my

mind was racing. I had thoughts like: is it cancer? is it benign? have I left it

too late? what's next? will be able to cope? will I die in a few months?

>

> What helped get me through this chaos was knowing that the anxiety and fear

and racing thoughts I had was entirely normal. I wouldn't be human if I didn't.

I practiced noticing my feelings and thanking my mind's efforts to solve what it

saw as a threat to its survival. They didn't go away (I didn't expect them to)

but neither did they escalate.

>

> A couple of hours before I went to bed, I distracted myself by playing Batman:

Arkham City on my Playstation (a great game btw). Giving myself a break by

stepping outside the real world into a fantasy one is good from time to time!

>

> After an intimate examination by my GP, he said that I have something called

an epididymal cyst. It's benign and doesn't require treatment unless it becomes

painful. I need to have an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis, but so far it's

looking good.

>

> Whew!

>

> So, what did I learn from all this?

>

> A few things, but the biggest lesson for me is that it's important to find out

the truth about what reality throws our way, and as soon as we can. Without

facts to guide us, our minds will spin all kinds of fantasies. The truth may set

us free or it may not, but either way, it gives us a realistic place from which

to move forward.

>

> As the old saying goes, you can't get from one end of life to the other

without treading in something. It's what you do when something is sticking to

your feet and how you deal with it that matters.

>

> Thank you Russ and for writing your wonderful books. Without them I'd

have been caught in a whirlpool of nightmares.

>

> Cheers,

> Stan

>

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This makes sense to me. I struggle in exactly the way that you describe. Were you actually able to make a decision to value your work and put your old attitudes aside? I would dearly love to do that but have not been able to. My conditioning to bad faith is so strong. I am working now with trying to change my attitudes but it's just so darn hard. I really admire your making this change.Where have you been reading about living in bad faith? I'd be interested in learning further about this concept.Bruce I have been reading about the concept of living in "bad faith", and your story seems to be similar. We live in "bad faith" when we deny our own realities. These realities can be denying our need to seek medical treatment or diagnosis for illness, like in your case, or even simply like wanting to be someone else somewhere else, like wishing i had a better job , or a better partner, or wishing i didn't have this or that. In my case, i have been kinda ho hum about my own job for awhile, not being able to find any meaning or motivation in it, I felt I was stuck in my job because i had to keep going to support my family and bills. And so i would coast through it but without any real passion in it. In a way i was living in "bad faith" because i was denying my own reality, wishing i was someone else someplace else. Everything i did professionally seemed so little compared to the big things in life. Then i thought, what kinda role model would I be offering up, to say my own children about the nature of work? Was work something that was a necessary evil? Simply to pay our bills? Or should it be more like an expression of who you are and your interests. And so, after some thoughts, i decided to stop pretending i rather be someone else someplace else, and throw myself into what i did, taking more seminars to increase my skills. My thinking was that (1) i wanted to show my own sons a good role model about the value of work as an expression of one's own professional interests, and (2) also to stop living in "bad faith"... to accept my own reality as it is but to choose how i would move forward from exactly where i am rather than pretending that i rather be somewhere else. I think we all wish for something better, a better job, a better career, a better ... more money... In a perfect world we would have the perfect job or career, perfect partners, and perfect children. Of course none of this ever works out that way, and so we must accept our true reality and be able to deal w it the best that we can with what we got. Hope this made sense. Tom > > Life has recently given me a huge Reality Slap, one that forced me to move ACT out of my head and into my heart. > > The situation is this. About a year ago, I noticed that I had a small lump in my left testicle. Stupidly (and being a typical male, I guess), I did nothing about it. I told myself that I'd get it checked, but I kept putting it off. > > How dumb is that? > > As the months passed, it got bigger. But still l did nothing about it. I continued putting off going to see a doctor. Talk about avoidance and denying reality! > > My dumb behaviour became dumber. > > The Slap happened last Sunday when I visited my brother and his family for the first time in several months. I was shocked to discover that my sister-in-law has breast cancer and has been through surgery and chemotherapy. > > As I talked with her about it, I told her about the lumps I had. She told me to get them checked as soon as possible. I told her I would, knowing that she'd nag me until I did. > > It took a couple of days, but I went to my local clinic and made an appointment to see a GP. > > Finally taking action made me really scared and anxious for the first time about what might lie ahead of me. Last night, my stomach was churning and my mind was racing. I had thoughts like: is it cancer? is it benign? have I left it too late? what's next? will be able to cope? will I die in a few months? > > What helped get me through this chaos was knowing that the anxiety and fear and racing thoughts I had was entirely normal. I wouldn't be human if I didn't. I practiced noticing my feelings and thanking my mind's efforts to solve what it saw as a threat to its survival. They didn't go away (I didn't expect them to) but neither did they escalate. > > A couple of hours before I went to bed, I distracted myself by playing Batman: Arkham City on my Playstation (a great game btw). Giving myself a break by stepping outside the real world into a fantasy one is good from time to time! > > After an intimate examination by my GP, he said that I have something called an epididymal cyst. It's benign and doesn't require treatment unless it becomes painful. I need to have an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis, but so far it's looking good. > > Whew! > > So, what did I learn from all this? > > A few things, but the biggest lesson for me is that it's important to find out the truth about what reality throws our way, and as soon as we can. Without facts to guide us, our minds will spin all kinds of fantasies. The truth may set us free or it may not, but either way, it gives us a realistic place from which to move forward. > > As the old saying goes, you can't get from one end of life to the other without treading in something. It's what you do when something is sticking to your feet and how you deal with it that matters. > > Thank you Russ and for writing your wonderful books. Without them I'd have been caught in a whirlpool of nightmares. > > Cheers, > Stan >

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Hi Tom - Thank you. I like this. I think "living in bad faith" = not doing our values work or not taking committed action towards those values. It is a great story about clarifying values (being a good role model) and then doing what needs to be done. I find it's much easier to live a valued life than try to defuse from/accept the crap that results from not having clear values and keeping moving towards them. You got moving! BillTo: ACT_for_the_Public From: thc2000ca@...Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:31:17 +0000Subject: Re: Cancer Scare

I have been reading about the concept of living in "bad faith", and your story seems to be similar.

We live in "bad faith" when we deny our own realities. These realities can be denying our need to seek medical treatment or diagnosis for illness, like in your case, or even simply like wanting to be someone else somewhere else, like wishing i had a better job , or a better partner, or wishing i didn't have this or that.

In my case, i have been kinda ho hum about my own job for awhile, not being able to find any meaning or motivation in it, I felt I was stuck in my job because i had to keep going to support my family and bills. And so i would coast through it but without any real passion in it. In a way i was living in "bad faith" because i was denying my own reality, wishing i was someone else someplace else. Everything i did professionally seemed so little compared to the big things in life.

Then i thought, what kinda role model would I be offering up, to say my own children about the nature of work? Was work something that was a necessary evil? Simply to pay our bills? Or should it be more like an expression of who you are and your interests.

And so, after some thoughts, i decided to stop pretending i rather be someone else someplace else, and throw myself into what i did, taking more seminars to increase my skills. My thinking was that (1) i wanted to show my own sons a good role model about the value of work as an expression of one's own professional interests, and (2) also to stop living in "bad faith"... to accept my own reality as it is but to choose how i would move forward from exactly where i am rather than pretending that i rather be somewhere else.

I think we all wish for something better, a better job, a better career, a better ... more money... In a perfect world we would have the perfect job or career, perfect partners, and perfect children. Of course none of this ever works out that way, and so we must accept our true reality and be able to deal w it the best that we can with what we got.

Hope this made sense.

Tom

>

> Life has recently given me a huge Reality Slap, one that forced me to move ACT out of my head and into my heart.

>

> The situation is this. About a year ago, I noticed that I had a small lump in my left testicle. Stupidly (and being a typical male, I guess), I did nothing about it. I told myself that I'd get it checked, but I kept putting it off.

>

> How dumb is that?

>

> As the months passed, it got bigger. But still l did nothing about it. I continued putting off going to see a doctor. Talk about avoidance and denying reality!

>

> My dumb behaviour became dumber.

>

> The Slap happened last Sunday when I visited my brother and his family for the first time in several months. I was shocked to discover that my sister-in-law has breast cancer and has been through surgery and chemotherapy.

>

> As I talked with her about it, I told her about the lumps I had. She told me to get them checked as soon as possible. I told her I would, knowing that she'd nag me until I did.

>

> It took a couple of days, but I went to my local clinic and made an appointment to see a GP.

>

> Finally taking action made me really scared and anxious for the first time about what might lie ahead of me. Last night, my stomach was churning and my mind was racing. I had thoughts like: is it cancer? is it benign? have I left it too late? what's next? will be able to cope? will I die in a few months?

>

> What helped get me through this chaos was knowing that the anxiety and fear and racing thoughts I had was entirely normal. I wouldn't be human if I didn't. I practiced noticing my feelings and thanking my mind's efforts to solve what it saw as a threat to its survival. They didn't go away (I didn't expect them to) but neither did they escalate.

>

> A couple of hours before I went to bed, I distracted myself by playing Batman: Arkham City on my Playstation (a great game btw). Giving myself a break by stepping outside the real world into a fantasy one is good from time to time!

>

> After an intimate examination by my GP, he said that I have something called an epididymal cyst. It's benign and doesn't require treatment unless it becomes painful. I need to have an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis, but so far it's looking good.

>

> Whew!

>

> So, what did I learn from all this?

>

> A few things, but the biggest lesson for me is that it's important to find out the truth about what reality throws our way, and as soon as we can. Without facts to guide us, our minds will spin all kinds of fantasies. The truth may set us free or it may not, but either way, it gives us a realistic place from which to move forward.

>

> As the old saying goes, you can't get from one end of life to the other without treading in something. It's what you do when something is sticking to your feet and how you deal with it that matters.

>

> Thank you Russ and for writing your wonderful books. Without them I'd have been caught in a whirlpool of nightmares.

>

> Cheers,

> Stan

>

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hi, the term " bad faith " is from the work of Sartre, an existential

philosopher from post WWII France.

Tom

> > >

> > > Life has recently given me a huge Reality Slap, one that forced me

> > to move ACT out of my head and into my heart.

> > >

> > > The situation is this. About a year ago, I noticed that I had a

> > small lump in my left testicle. Stupidly (and being a typical male,

> > I guess), I did nothing about it. I told myself that I'd get it

> > checked, but I kept putting it off.

> > >

> > > How dumb is that?

> > >

> > > As the months passed, it got bigger. But still l did nothing about

> > it. I continued putting off going to see a doctor. Talk about

> > avoidance and denying reality!

> > >

> > > My dumb behaviour became dumber.

> > >

> > > The Slap happened last Sunday when I visited my brother and his

> > family for the first time in several months. I was shocked to

> > discover that my sister-in-law has breast cancer and has been

> > through surgery and chemotherapy.

> > >

> > > As I talked with her about it, I told her about the lumps I had.

> > She told me to get them checked as soon as possible. I told her I

> > would, knowing that she'd nag me until I did.

> > >

> > > It took a couple of days, but I went to my local clinic and made

> > an appointment to see a GP.

> > >

> > > Finally taking action made me really scared and anxious for the

> > first time about what might lie ahead of me. Last night, my stomach

> > was churning and my mind was racing. I had thoughts like: is it

> > cancer? is it benign? have I left it too late? what's next? will be

> > able to cope? will I die in a few months?

> > >

> > > What helped get me through this chaos was knowing that the anxiety

> > and fear and racing thoughts I had was entirely normal. I wouldn't

> > be human if I didn't. I practiced noticing my feelings and thanking

> > my mind's efforts to solve what it saw as a threat to its survival.

> > They didn't go away (I didn't expect them to) but neither did they

> > escalate.

> > >

> > > A couple of hours before I went to bed, I distracted myself by

> > playing Batman: Arkham City on my Playstation (a great game btw).

> > Giving myself a break by stepping outside the real world into a

> > fantasy one is good from time to time!

> > >

> > > After an intimate examination by my GP, he said that I have

> > something called an epididymal cyst. It's benign and doesn't require

> > treatment unless it becomes painful. I need to have an ultrasound to

> > confirm the diagnosis, but so far it's looking good.

> > >

> > > Whew!

> > >

> > > So, what did I learn from all this?

> > >

> > > A few things, but the biggest lesson for me is that it's important

> > to find out the truth about what reality throws our way, and as soon

> > as we can. Without facts to guide us, our minds will spin all kinds

> > of fantasies. The truth may set us free or it may not, but either

> > way, it gives us a realistic place from which to move forward.

> > >

> > > As the old saying goes, you can't get from one end of life to the

> > other without treading in something. It's what you do when something

> > is sticking to your feet and how you deal with it that matters.

> > >

> > > Thank you Russ and for writing your wonderful books.

> > Without them I'd have been caught in a whirlpool of nightmares.

> > >

> > > Cheers,

> > > Stan

> > >

> >

> >

>

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I had a recent cancer health issue also. I had a colonoscopy done 2 weeks ago. I

waited for 2 ½ years after I turned 50 and I've been having some stomach issues

for quite a few years. And my main thought wasn't that it was foolish of me to

have ignored this issue for so long but rather that I was happy that I was

dealing with it now instead of continuing to put it off. Polyps were found and

the waiting began to find out the results. 2 years ago my reaction would have

been to worry in the interim and allow my mind to dwell on the worst that could

happen. Know what? This didn't happen. I stayed present with what was going on

in my life. After not hearing from the doctor, I called them yesterday and was

told that they had results and they put me on hold as they read the file. While

I was on hold I was driving west with the snow covered mountains of the

Continental Divide in front of me and very dramatic classical music being played

on the phone. My first and only thought was " in the next few seconds I will find

out the results which could change significantly my life. " That's as far as it

went though, no panic or fusing. I was told the results which was that the

growths were precancerous cysts which would have developed into cancer if not

removed. Immediately upon getting off the phone, I talked to God and told Him

thanks that I didn't have cancer and thanks if I did as I knew that He is there

alongside me either way.

Why this change in behavior?

A combination of God, medications that I am taking, my work with ACT therapy?

Or perhaps I don't need to know why and just keep moving towards my values with

committed action.

Blessings!

Life has recently given me a huge Reality Slap, one that forced me to move ACT

out of my head and into my heart.

The situation is this. About a year ago, I noticed that I had a small lump in my

left testicle. Stupidly (and being a typical male, I guess), I did nothing about

it. I told myself that I'd get it checked, but I kept putting it off.

How dumb is that?

As the months passed, it got bigger. But still l did nothing about it. I

continued putting off going to see a doctor. Talk about avoidance and denying

reality!

My dumb behaviour became dumber.

The Slap happened last Sunday when I visited my brother and his family for the

first time in several months. I was shocked to discover that my sister-in-law

has breast cancer and has been through surgery and chemotherapy.

As I talked with her about it, I told her about the lumps I had. She told me to

get them checked as soon as possible. I told her I would, knowing that she'd nag

me until I did.

It took a couple of days, but I went to my local clinic and made an appointment

to see a GP.

Finally taking action made me really scared and anxious for the first time about

what might lie ahead of me. Last night, my stomach was churning and my mind was

racing. I had thoughts like: is it cancer? is it benign? have I left it too

late? what's next? will be able to cope? will I die in a few months?

What helped get me through this chaos was knowing that the anxiety and fear and

racing thoughts I had was entirely normal. I wouldn't be human if I didn't. I

practiced noticing my feelings and thanking my mind's efforts to solve what it

saw as a threat to its survival. They didn't go away (I didn't expect them to)

but neither did they escalate.

A couple of hours before I went to bed, I distracted myself by playing Batman:

Arkham City on my Playstation (a great game btw). Giving myself a break by

stepping outside the real world into a fantasy one is good from time to time!

After an intimate examination by my GP, he said that I have something called an

epididymal cyst. It's benign and doesn't require treatment unless it becomes

painful. I need to have an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis, but so far it's

looking good.

Whew!

So, what did I learn from all this?

A few things, but the biggest lesson for me is that it's important to find out

the truth about what reality throws our way, and as soon as we can. Without

facts to guide us, our minds will spin all kinds of fantasies. The truth may set

us free or it may not, but either way, it gives us a realistic place from which

to move forward.

As the old saying goes, you can't get from one end of life to the other without

treading in something. It's what you do when something is sticking to your feet

and how you deal with it that matters.

Thank you Russ and for writing your wonderful books. Without them I'd

have been caught in a whirlpool of nightmares.

Cheers,

Stan

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Hi - Take a bow. Your committed action did it. BillTo: ACT_for_the_Public From: susandck@...Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2011 16:58:09 +0000Subject: Re: Cancer Scare

I had a recent cancer health issue also. I had a colonoscopy done 2 weeks ago. I waited for 2 ½ years after I turned 50 and I've been having some stomach issues for quite a few years. And my main thought wasn't that it was foolish of me to have ignored this issue for so long but rather that I was happy that I was dealing with it now instead of continuing to put it off. Polyps were found and the waiting began to find out the results. 2 years ago my reaction would have been to worry in the interim and allow my mind to dwell on the worst that could happen. Know what? This didn't happen. I stayed present with what was going on in my life. After not hearing from the doctor, I called them yesterday and was told that they had results and they put me on hold as they read the file. While I was on hold I was driving west with the snow covered mountains of the Continental Divide in front of me and very dramatic classical music being played on the phone. My first and only thought was "in the next few seconds I will find out the results which could change significantly my life." That's as far as it went though, no panic or fusing. I was told the results which was that the growths were precancerous cysts which would have developed into cancer if not removed. Immediately upon getting off the phone, I talked to God and told Him thanks that I didn't have cancer and thanks if I did as I knew that He is there alongside me either way.

Why this change in behavior?

A combination of God, medications that I am taking, my work with ACT therapy?

Or perhaps I don't need to know why and just keep moving towards my values with committed action.

Blessings!

Life has recently given me a huge Reality Slap, one that forced me to move ACT out of my head and into my heart.

The situation is this. About a year ago, I noticed that I had a small lump in my left testicle. Stupidly (and being a typical male, I guess), I did nothing about it. I told myself that I'd get it checked, but I kept putting it off.

How dumb is that?

As the months passed, it got bigger. But still l did nothing about it. I continued putting off going to see a doctor. Talk about avoidance and denying reality!

My dumb behaviour became dumber.

The Slap happened last Sunday when I visited my brother and his family for the first time in several months. I was shocked to discover that my sister-in-law has breast cancer and has been through surgery and chemotherapy.

As I talked with her about it, I told her about the lumps I had. She told me to get them checked as soon as possible. I told her I would, knowing that she'd nag me until I did.

It took a couple of days, but I went to my local clinic and made an appointment to see a GP.

Finally taking action made me really scared and anxious for the first time about what might lie ahead of me. Last night, my stomach was churning and my mind was racing. I had thoughts like: is it cancer? is it benign? have I left it too late? what's next? will be able to cope? will I die in a few months?

What helped get me through this chaos was knowing that the anxiety and fear and racing thoughts I had was entirely normal. I wouldn't be human if I didn't. I practiced noticing my feelings and thanking my mind's efforts to solve what it saw as a threat to its survival. They didn't go away (I didn't expect them to) but neither did they escalate.

A couple of hours before I went to bed, I distracted myself by playing Batman: Arkham City on my Playstation (a great game btw). Giving myself a break by stepping outside the real world into a fantasy one is good from time to time!

After an intimate examination by my GP, he said that I have something called an epididymal cyst. It's benign and doesn't require treatment unless it becomes painful. I need to have an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis, but so far it's looking good.

Whew!

So, what did I learn from all this?

A few things, but the biggest lesson for me is that it's important to find out the truth about what reality throws our way, and as soon as we can. Without facts to guide us, our minds will spin all kinds of fantasies. The truth may set us free or it may not, but either way, it gives us a realistic place from which to move forward.

As the old saying goes, you can't get from one end of life to the other without treading in something. It's what you do when something is sticking to your feet and how you deal with it that matters.

Thank you Russ and for writing your wonderful books. Without them I'd have been caught in a whirlpool of nightmares.

Cheers,

Stan

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- you are lovely.

xx

To: ACT_for_the_Public Sent: Thursday, 1 December 2011, 16:58Subject: Re: Cancer Scare

I had a recent cancer health issue also. I had a colonoscopy done 2 weeks ago. I waited for 2 ½ years after I turned 50 and I've been having some stomach issues for quite a few years. And my main thought wasn't that it was foolish of me to have ignored this issue for so long but rather that I was happy that I was dealing with it now instead of continuing to put it off. Polyps were found and the waiting began to find out the results. 2 years ago my reaction would have been to worry in the interim and allow my mind to dwell on the worst that could happen. Know what? This didn't happen. I stayed present with what was going on in my life. After not hearing from the doctor, I called them yesterday and was told that they had results and they put me on hold as they read the file. While I was on hold I was driving west with the snow covered mountains of the Continental Divide in front of me and very dramatic classical music being played on the phone. My

first and only thought was "in the next few seconds I will find out the results which could change significantly my life." That's as far as it went though, no panic or fusing. I was told the results which was that the growths were precancerous cysts which would have developed into cancer if not removed. Immediately upon getting off the phone, I talked to God and told Him thanks that I didn't have cancer and thanks if I did as I knew that He is there alongside me either way. Why this change in behavior? A combination of God, medications that I am taking, my work with ACT therapy?Or perhaps I don't need to know why and just keep moving towards my values with committed action.Blessings!Life has

recently given me a huge Reality Slap, one that forced me to move ACT out of my head and into my heart.The situation is this. About a year ago, I noticed that I had a small lump in my left testicle. Stupidly (and being a typical male, I guess), I did nothing about it. I told myself that I'd get it checked, but I kept putting it off.How dumb is that?As the months passed, it got bigger. But still l did nothing about it. I continued putting off going to see a doctor. Talk about avoidance and denying reality!My dumb behaviour became dumber.The Slap happened last Sunday when I visited my brother and his family for the first time in several months. I was shocked to discover that my sister-in-law has breast cancer and has been through surgery and chemotherapy.As I talked with her about it, I told her about the lumps I had. She told me to get them checked as soon as possible. I told her I would, knowing that she'd nag me until I

did.It took a couple of days, but I went to my local clinic and made an appointment to see a GP.Finally taking action made me really scared and anxious for the first time about what might lie ahead of me. Last night, my stomach was churning and my mind was racing. I had thoughts like: is it cancer? is it benign? have I left it too late? what's next? will be able to cope? will I die in a few months?What helped get me through this chaos was knowing that the anxiety and fear and racing thoughts I had was entirely normal. I wouldn't be human if I didn't. I practiced noticing my feelings and thanking my mind's efforts to solve what it saw as a threat to its survival. They didn't go away (I didn't expect them to) but neither did they escalate.A couple of hours before I went to bed, I distracted myself by playing Batman: Arkham City on my Playstation (a great game btw). Giving myself a break by stepping outside the real world into a fantasy one

is good from time to time!After an intimate examination by my GP, he said that I have something called an epididymal cyst. It's benign and doesn't require treatment unless it becomes painful. I need to have an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis, but so far it's looking good.Whew!So, what did I learn from all this?A few things, but the biggest lesson for me is that it's important to find out the truth about what reality throws our way, and as soon as we can. Without facts to guide us, our minds will spin all kinds of fantasies. The truth may set us free or it may not, but either way, it gives us a realistic place from which to move forward.As the old saying goes, you can't get from one end of life to the other without treading in something. It's what you do when something is sticking to your feet and how you deal with it that matters.Thank you Russ and for writing your wonderful books. Without them I'd

have been caught in a whirlpool of nightmares.Cheers,Stan

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That's a very inspiring story, . To me, the most impressive part is that you were willing to be OK with the outcome whatever it turned out to be. That God was there beside you either way is very comforting.Thanks for a good post,Bruce I had a recent cancer health issue also. I had a colonoscopy done 2 weeks ago. I waited for 2 ½ years after I turned 50 and I've been having some stomach issues for quite a few years. And my main thought wasn't that it was foolish of me to have ignored this issue for so long but rather that I was happy that I was dealing with it now instead of continuing to put it off. Polyps were found and the waiting began to find out the results. 2 years ago my reaction would have been to worry in the interim and allow my mind to dwell on the worst that could happen. Know what? This didn't happen. I stayed present with what was going on in my life. After not hearing from the doctor, I called them yesterday and was told that they had results and they put me on hold as they read the file. While I was on hold I was driving west with the snow covered mountains of the Continental Divide in front of me and very dramatic classical music being played on the phone. My first and only thought was "in the next few seconds I will find out the results which could change significantly my life." That's as far as it went though, no panic or fusing. I was told the results which was that the growths were precancerous cysts which would have developed into cancer if not removed. Immediately upon getting off the phone, I talked to God and told Him thanks that I didn't have cancer and thanks if I did as I knew that He is there alongside me either way. Why this change in behavior? A combination of God, medications that I am taking, my work with ACT therapy? Or perhaps I don't need to know why and just keep moving towards my values with committed action. Blessings! Life has recently given me a huge Reality Slap, one that forced me to move ACT out of my head and into my heart. The situation is this. About a year ago, I noticed that I had a small lump in my left testicle. Stupidly (and being a typical male, I guess), I did nothing about it. I told myself that I'd get it checked, but I kept putting it off. How dumb is that? As the months passed, it got bigger. But still l did nothing about it. I continued putting off going to see a doctor. Talk about avoidance and denying reality! My dumb behaviour became dumber. The Slap happened last Sunday when I visited my brother and his family for the first time in several months. I was shocked to discover that my sister-in-law has breast cancer and has been through surgery and chemotherapy. As I talked with her about it, I told her about the lumps I had. She told me to get them checked as soon as possible. I told her I would, knowing that she'd nag me until I did. It took a couple of days, but I went to my local clinic and made an appointment to see a GP. Finally taking action made me really scared and anxious for the first time about what might lie ahead of me. Last night, my stomach was churning and my mind was racing. I had thoughts like: is it cancer? is it benign? have I left it too late? what's next? will be able to cope? will I die in a few months? What helped get me through this chaos was knowing that the anxiety and fear and racing thoughts I had was entirely normal. I wouldn't be human if I didn't. I practiced noticing my feelings and thanking my mind's efforts to solve what it saw as a threat to its survival. They didn't go away (I didn't expect them to) but neither did they escalate. A couple of hours before I went to bed, I distracted myself by playing Batman: Arkham City on my Playstation (a great game btw). Giving myself a break by stepping outside the real world into a fantasy one is good from time to time! After an intimate examination by my GP, he said that I have something called an epididymal cyst. It's benign and doesn't require treatment unless it becomes painful. I need to have an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis, but so far it's looking good. Whew! So, what did I learn from all this? A few things, but the biggest lesson for me is that it's important to find out the truth about what reality throws our way, and as soon as we can. Without facts to guide us, our minds will spin all kinds of fantasies. The truth may set us free or it may not, but either way, it gives us a realistic place from which to move forward. As the old saying goes, you can't get from one end of life to the other without treading in something. It's what you do when something is sticking to your feet and how you deal with it that matters. Thank you Russ and for writing your wonderful books. Without them I'd have been caught in a whirlpool of nightmares. Cheers, Stan

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