Interviewer: I’m visiting with Vernon Howard this afternoon. He has some very important answers for us all. We’ll probably have time to pick up about two more calls before the end of our show, so bear with us. We have an important answer waiting on anxiety.
Vernon: Yes … all right. Follow this please.
Anxiety always … always … always exists on the level of the intellect, on the level of the mind.  I’m speaking of what you call your ordinary mind, even the mind that buys groceries and builds buildings, and which includes memory, imagination, and connects with feelings, emotions.
    When you see that you cannot do a single thing on the intellectual level about your anxiety, except to  continue it, except to find false answers to it — when you SEE this, you’ll see it with a shock! You’ll see it with a shock because you’re getting an identity that you can do something about your anxiety. But the “you” who’s going to dissolve it is on the same level as the anxiety itself! Two men sinking in the marsh can’t save each other. Something outside of the two men, something outside of the marsh, has to do it for them. And the last thing our vanity — our sickness — wants to see is this simple fact!
    Now — when I cease, when I completely give up trying to put an end to my anxiety — it ends! Because I, in my ignorance and vanity, wanted to be my own savior — and it just can’t be done!
    When I dissolve the idea that I can save myself, I also dissolve false personality. When THAT dissolves, the problem dissolves — and something higher than “me” is there!

Interviewer: I think that would help the caller a great deal. Thank you. Hello … you’re on the air with The Good Life.
Caller: Yes. I’m going to ask something pertaining to many single people. Uh … I just wondered — it’s a twofold question, really — but … uh … if you follow the precepts of your wonderful books, do you become so complete within yourself that you really don’t need other relationships, or do you still  feel that this is necessary for a total life?
Vernon: You can be in the world, be related to it rightly, and still be a quite free human being! Didn’t Christ walk among the publicans and the sinners? Didn’t he live right in the middle of everything?
    You see, we have so many false ideas as to what it means to be spiritual. And we have so many imaginations that it means we’re going to be so spiritual that we’re going to walk three feet above the ground — or something like that! Do you know the way to become really spiritual? I’ll tell you how. Would you like to know? (Laughter) Better find out!

Caller: Yes, very much!
Vernon: You go right out into that mad, raging, sick world — not foolishly … don’t do anything dumb! (Well, we already do that anyway, don’t we!) (Laughter) You go right out in the middle of that raging world — and dare it to do its worst to you! When you do THAT you’ll so scare it, it will tremble and run away from you! Then you’ll be truly  spiritual. To hide from the world, you’ll simply have an idea that you’re now above it, and quote books and stuff like that.
    But listen! Here’s the difference —You go out and begin to understand what it means to take every  event and every meeting with another human being CONSCIOUSLY — instead of mechanically, instead of in a state of sleep. Take it consciously — and if you don’t understand what that means, start out anyway! It doesn’t make any difference!
    Go out and observe whatever happens to you — what you call “good” or “bad”. Observe it and see that it can’t hurt who you really are — or — it can’t even reward who you really are! We want the rewards without the punishment, don’t we? They can’t be separated. If I want your applause and seek it, tomorrow I’ll be afraid you won’t applaud me again, won’t I?

Caller: That’s right!
Vernon: You understand so far?

Caller: Yes. Yes, I do.
Vernon: So go right out into the middle of the world! Don’t be afraid of it! OR … if you are afraid of it, GO ANYWAY!

Caller: I wonder if you answered the second part of my question …
Vernon: Ah-h!

Caller: And that was going to be that if you meet someone who has no interest in metaphysics as I do (because I have a tremendous aspiration in this direction)—in fact, they even repudiate it, and yet they represent very nice qualities …
Vernon: I understand … yes …

Caller: Would you suggest that it would be possible to have a satisfactory close relationship with such a person?
Vernon: Yes, I understand. Well, first, let me tell you that someone that is not interested in metaphysics may be far more spiritual than you are!

Caller: Oh, that’s very nice! That’s very reassuring, in fact. So that’s …
Vernon: Now … now look!

Caller: Yes?
Vernon: You’re going to meet a man, are you? You want to meet a man, do you?

Caller: (Laughing) Of course!
Vernon: You’re giggling. I think you do! (Laughter)

Caller: Yes, it sounds like a pleasant idea …
Vernon: All right! Now you listen to me! You look … very, very carefully at that man. You watch his behavior! And when you see that he’s very, very polite to you for the first date — you watch how it may gradually fade out. I don’t want you to be deceived by him because you want him to be as you want him to be. See him as he IS! And don’t be afraid if he goes away when you see him as he is!
(Interviewer laughs) You’re far better off!

Caller: That’s true!
Vernon: And then you’ll be … listen! Would you like to be in charge of every man you ever meet from now on?

Caller: Yes!
Vernon: In the RIGHT WAY?

Caller: Yes! I’d love to hear it!
Vernon: All right! Continued this Saturday! (Laughter)

Caller: You’ve got thousands of women that are … ah …
Interviewer: (Laughing) Yes, they’re going to throw themselves at your feet! (Vernon laughs) Thanks for calling.

Caller: Thank you so much. Bye-bye.
Interviewer: Bye-bye.
I’m sorry, those of you that wanted to speak to Vernon Howard today. Our time is up. It has just been a SUPER hour, Vernon. Thanks a million!
Vernon: Thank you.

Interviewer: Thank you all for joining us today. Take the ideas we’ve used today and talked about today. Put them to work in your life. And I know that you’ll find yourself walking a beautiful new path.