Home › Magazine › Summer 2003 › The "Helper" Syndrome

The "Helper" Syndrome

Ezra Bayda cautions us to take a closer look at our true motivations.

Ezra Bayda

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When our cover identity starts breaking down because the hole isn’t being filled—for example, when we don’t get the recognition that we want or the results that we hope for—we react emotionally, with some form of disappointment or anxiety. This reaction is an infallible practice reminder that we’re still attached in some way. We’ve gone from being a helper to experiencing the core hole of helplessness. But we must reside in and practice with this helplessness in order to become free.

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