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Ellen (not DeGeneres, just another wonderful Ellen from somewhere in North America) recently sent this in: “Thank you so much for the Daily Q & A…I am a mental health therapist and I have begun forwarding them to my clients. They are exactly the type of questions I want them to ponder.”

When you see a chance, take it.

So I said: “Hey Ellen, WHY do you think these questions are worth pondering in terms of mental health?”

And Ellen said: Many, many women come into my office and say “I don’t know who I am”. They have been defined by family, friends, social situation, lovers, husbands, children…never by themselves. These are women from all segments of society who are baffled by that closest to them – their own essence.

In my opinion, your questions help us to begin to clarify and define who we are. Many of the questions are so very clever and layered with meaning (for example, your biggest complaint and the secret desire behind it…I admit I have asked several clients that in sessions since you posed it on the board!)  You ask the questions in a gentle, playful way and give a forum for uncritical sharing. It’s perfect.

In my personal arena, on April 5, a client with whom I had worked intensively for 18 months took her own life. Although I knew this had been a lifelong struggle for her, I was stunned by her death. I took a week off to get my feet back on the ground. Among other things (yoga, planting my herb garden, therapy, cooking) I worked through your [Style Statement] book. It was a balm that both soothed my spirit and allowed me to, very gently, bring the focus of my life back to myself.

So, thank you Danielle and Carrie. You wish to effect change in the world, and you are doing so in a very kind, noninvasive, loving way.

To which we say: Thank You. We humbly bow to you with respect and admiration for the work you do in the world. Namaste. We will never stop asking questions. Never.