I know a person with dementia. When he had his sanity he was very money conscious and would stress out about money [and other things too]. Now - he couldn't care less about money. Like - not at all!!
How did this happen???
When he was sane - his rational mind told him to worry and stress out about money. Now his rational mind isn't working so nothing is telling him to stress out. [Mussar - Your rational mind can be to your detriment a times!!!]
Now here is the moifes: He lacks NOTHING. He is taken care of 24-7 all expenses paid.
So I learn that one can have what he needs w/o stressing out about it.
I was having a conversation with someone recently and they told me how stressed out they are about a certain situation in life. I tried to suggest [humbly, as humble as an arrogant guy like me can be] that no, you need not stress out. Why? BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HELP!!!! It just makes you MISERABLE. So why do something that causes you harm with any attendant benefits [unlike, say, root canal which is causing oneself pain at great financial expense, but for a concrete benefit]? The person INSISTED that I don't understand and then explained to me why the situation is stressful.
Yes, there are situations in life that could potentially cause stress but WE DECIDE whether or not we stress out. If we follow our nature we might well stress out. But if we SHIFT OUR CONSCIOUSNESS we can be QUITE AT EASE.
A myseh from one of my prime heroes HaGaon HaGadol Rebbe Avraham Genchovski: There was a fire in his apartment. He had written EIGHT THOUSAND NOTEBOOKS [!!!!!!!!!!!!] filled with INCREDIBLE Chiddushei Torah. MUCH BETTER that what almost everyone is saying. If the fire comes into contact with the notebooks - goodby. No computer backup. Nothing. Just handwritten.
He was COMPLETELY calm. I know a Talmid who spoke to him as this was going on. No anxiety to speak of. Whatever will be, will be. [Baruch Hashem they were not burned].
Another story about R' Avraham. The doctor told him that he had a terminal illness and his days are numbered. He didn't react. The doctor thought that he didn't understand so he repeated it. No tension. No crying. Nothing. Then he patted the doctor on his shoulder and told him that he does GREAT work.
When you live with Hashem - you realize that there is NOTHING to worry about. EVER!!!!
And if you are not on the level of Rav Avraham - remember that stressing out doesn't help [unless it gets you to do something positive].
