65. Anxiety

We may lose business, a career or even a close friend; but never allow anything to make you lose your spiritual integrity and honor.

seems most anxiety has to do with money? and, in reading the comments, it does cause some anxiety to me -- particurlarly about the people with money having an advantage to escape europe. personally, i've always lived below my means, happily - why? because it's always been enough. more than enough. will that help to control anxiety? hope so. praying that G-d watches over all of us and keeps us safe this new year!

I have learnt recently that one must not waste their energy on craving to win a big prize on the lottery. Sure it would be lovely to clear an unaffordable mortgage and credit card bills and bank overdrafts. The Almighty has more important things to do than get six balls out to match my selection. He has to keep the Universe Together. This is a full time job. Just a slight distraction and an earthquake rocks the planet or a flood sweeps a village away. We are made in the Almighty's image. When I am distracted from my work craving for a jackpot win my productivity drops. You see there are parallels.

I suffer from anxiety and when I allow this to take hold it leads on to depression. The fact is if one goes over their overdraft limit one is bitten by the snake. It hurts and if one misses a mortgage repayment things can get very bad.

I have a big mortgage and large balances on my credit cards and overdrafts. I can not help the fact that this position is eroding my inner self.

Thank you. You have saved me for another day by allowing me to "take hold" of myself. Yes, money can and should be used for good. Yes, many (I am included) are in situations where meeting the bills is a major problem. Today, while I await the plumber in the hopes of not flooding the piano, and my bank account to which I have made several deposits is reading negative (which is up to me to prove the errors), and still recovering from the knowledge that my husband dropped me off for an appointment and neglected to turn on his cell phone and left me stranded for a couple of hours, I am reminded by your posting that "anxiety" is what WE make of each moment and negativity must not take control of us. We must remove the chaos based on how and why the chaos seems to exist in our life at this time. To me, negativity is a major opponent which will and can take us off course of our purpose, if we fail to recognize it. That is how I understood the initial posting. Thank you, I hope it helps.

Thanks for the advice! I will always keep this in mind.

Regards.

Guess who got out of Europe before and during WW II? The Jews with money. Not that some well off Jews didn't perish. Rather that the ones without money did not get out. And yes some poor Jews did survive and were liberated by the Allies. Bottom line, money is not everything, but it sure helps. Given a choice between rich and poor, likely 95 % pick rich. How they give charity can range from 0% to 20%.
Success and blessings to those that are presently struggling.

Good afternoon Rabbi Zvi,

Your article makes it sound as though a purpose in making money is a negative. But why? Money is important and when you have a lot of it you can give a lot away.

I think the key word you used is purpose. But if my purpose is making a lot of money in the best way I can..isn't that OK?

Amen.

Good message, bad timing. Many of us are in a situation in which we don't get to decide whether to make a lot of money or just sufficient money. Meeting the bills is becoming a major problem.

I guess it depends on how you define anxiety. If i am a civil servant and have a cheque rolling in every two weeks, why worry. I don't know how it works with rabbis, but they must be on some type of payroll and not self-employed, so why worry. If i am a business owner, there is certainly anxiety to keep a roof over the heads of my family, food and clothing etc.