What do you do?

Fairly frequently people ask me what I do. For example, a few days ago, I was in the bank, talking to the banker about a home equity loan. He asked, “What do you do?” I said, “I am a psychotherapist,” not thinking about his question. He sat back, “It must be so depressing listening to people’s problems all day…” he said. This is a rather common response. “Actually,” I told him, “I love it. I get to be part of people’s lives. I get to see their lives get better, and I get to help them pursue their optimal life.” He thought a moment. “Wow. That sounds pretty good.” I said, “It is!” He said, “But if you put it like that, then everyone would want therapy.” I smiled. “That’s the point,” I said, “Everyone should be able to have it.” He shook his head and went back to the questionnaire. It seems that most people are unaware that you can insist on making your life the best it can be, and if you do, it will be a whole lot better.