Who’s Got Talent?
You Do!
Kobe Bryant said after his last game upon retiring from Basketball
“I was blessed with a lot of talent and I worked like I had none”
Each of us was/is blessed “with a lot of talent”, although we don’t necessarily see some of them as talents. We just accept them. We also have, perhaps hidden deeper, untapped, and/or unrecognized talents.
Each of us was given, what we were given, from every single detail of your appearance, to what we normally call talents. All were given to you to make you the player you are meant to be, on the team called Humanity.
The combination of all that’s given to you, makes you a talent. All given to you as a package, so as to make you the unique person you are and are meant to be. It’s given to you so that you may fulfill your unique and needed role on Team Humanity. No one ever before has your unique talent. Only you possess that unique talent and therefore only you can fulfill that role. You are not just matter, you Matter!
Of course, within your package there might be a very outstanding talent recognized by many. Since each of our uniqueness is meant to be used to do a good for one or many, that one gets you noticed by many, so that you can do a good for many.
Recognize and acknowledge your “talent” and then “work as though you had none”, so as to constantly seek to improve what you have. Recognize that your talent is a gift given to you so that you may bring your gift to the party of life. Recognize your “talent” and wonder how it can be used for the good, which is why it was given to you in the first place.
Recognize that all others also have their talents. When we all use our talents, we can have the world we all wish for. Life is not like an individual sport, it is like a team sport
“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.” – Mikhail Baryshnikov
“Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There’s plenty of movement, but you never know if it will be forward, backwards, or sideways.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr.
“When I stand before G-d at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me.” – Erma Bombeck
When you recognize that you are a talent, when you use your talent as it’s meant to be used, you will also be talented at being happy 😊
Use Your Talent To
Be Good Do Good Think Good Be Grateful Be Healthy Be A Light Smile
When You’re Smiling…….*
Feeling depressed, anxious, angry, lonely, low energy, …..? Well now there is and there always has been a prescription to cure all of that. It may not cure the root cause, but it will change your mindset, which will allow you to move forward. It is called Smiling and Laughing.
Smiling and Laughing are the best medicines to keep you going. It begins with and/or creates a positive attitude. It also creates several healthy physiological responses. An additional benefit, is that when you smile and laugh, you make others smile and laugh, which helps others.
Side effects may include: more friends, reversal of frown wrinkles, a busier social calendar, a need to get your teeth whitened, a need to buy more clothes…….
Smiling and laughing includes the ability to laugh at yourself and the circumstances you are in, self-imposed or otherwise.
Whenever you are feeling any of the symptoms described above, try the following: laugh at something about yourself, watch or listen to a comedy or comedian, even forcing a Smile helps
So Now Sing Along With Me
When you’re smilin’, when you’re smilin’The whole world smiles with youWhen you’re laughin’, when you’re laughin’The sun comes shinin’ through
Much has been discussed and written about the Jewish sense of humor. It is often noted that there have been so many Jewish comedians over the years, long before Jerry Seinfeld. People always wonder how is it that after thousands of years of persecution, expulsions, pogroms, the Holocaust, etc., that Jews can still laugh and be funny. The Jewish sense of humor is both self and situationally deprecating. The ability to laugh is both a survival mechanism and less discussed, it is a testament to our faith that teaches us to have faith that things will get better. Smile and it will.
“Laughter prevents hardening of the attitudes.” – Dunc Muncy
“Smile – it’s the second best thing you can do with your lips.” – Don Ward
“It takes 17 muscles to smile, and 47 muscles to frown. Conserve energy.” – unknown
“If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it.” – Andy Rooney
“As long as you can laugh at yourself you will never cease to be amused.” – Unknown
“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” – Yakov Smirnoff
“A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.” – Phyllis Diller
Watch this video and Smile
Most Important
Always Laugh At My Jokes
I hope this post put a Smile on your face and I’ll be Smiling with you
Be Good Do Good Think Good Be Grateful Be Healthy Be A Light Smile
*A popular song written by Larry Shay, Mark Fisher and Joe Goodwin in 1928
Make 2023 A Year Of Good
As we begin another new year, another new, another beginning, we look forward to all that we wish for. The good that we wish for ourselves, is the good that we wish for others and vice-versa.
For this New Year, let’s do more than just wish. Let’s make this a “Happy New Year”, a year of good. Let’s make this the year where our deeds make our wishes reality. A year where we tap into “all of our possibilities” and potential to become the human we were destined and created to be. A year where we each do our unique part to make our world a better one. A year where we each “Shine A Little Light”! No matter what the circumstances are. We can get there by constantly striving to make all of our actions directed to a purpose higher than just ourselves. All that we need and the world we all wish for is in our hands.
Many years ago there was this great old wise man, a seer, who was coming to a town to speak. His reputation preceded him, so that many people waited with great anticipation for his arrival and then went to hear him speak. Among them, was this one young and skeptical man, who went simply to challenge the wise man. After the wise man spoke, there was a Q&A. When it was the young mans turn, he put out his cupped hands and asked the wise man what was in his hands. The wise man replied, “two little birds”, which was correct. The young man was impressed, but he was still skeptical, so he asked whether they were dead or alive. The wise man knew that if he replied, “they’re dead”, the young man would open his hands and the birds would fly away. If he replied “they’re alive”, the young man would crush the birds in his hands. The wise man’s reply was simply
“The Answer Is All In Your Hands.”
“Each person must see himself as though the entire world were held in balance and any deed he may do could tip the scales.” – Maimonides
May 2023 be your best year ever…so far!!
Healthy and Happy 2023
Be Good Do Good Think Good Be Healthy Be A Light
Happy Independence Day 2022
The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776. It said;
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.
The founding of America was then, a very novel idea in building a nation based on individual rights and freedom. A nation founded on the idea that man is inherently (soul) good and given freedom could/would eventually live up to that good. A nation founded on the belief that all are created in the image of G-d. That we are all children of G-d. That given freedom, we could and would eventually have a country that lives up to and recognizes these “self-evident truths”.
Those who got freedom back then, were grateful. Yet it was not something that they were familiar with and had no real experience with. They were an imperfect people given the freedom and opportunity, based on the founding principles, to grow and become a more “perfect union”. So began the journey in learning how to use their new freedom.
We were all created with free will. The USA was created to be a nation that gave us the opportunity to express our free will. With the freedom of free will, we can choose to elevate ourselves and become the person we were created to be. To be the unique person, with a unique purpose, and mission for which we were each created. A mission that contributes to the benefit of all. A person who follows
“Love your fellow as yourself” (Leviticus 19;18).
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me. And if I am only for myself, of what good am I.” – Hillel, Ethics of fathers 1:14
Without these rights and freedom we could not pursue our dreams and our individual purpose. When we each use that freedom to be who we are meant to be, to fulfill our unique purpose, America will be all that it’s meant to be and what it was founded for. Without the freedom to fulfill our individual purpose, we will never get to a nation fully defined by it’s founding principles.
What could be more gratifying for each of us to know that we chose, because we could, to use that freedom to reach our ultimate potential as human beings. To know that it came from you and not imposed on you. To look around us and see that all are enjoying “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” To be truly United. It may take longer than we would like, but freedom is the only way to get there.
If there are faults in America, it is not the fault of America. We are all still imperfect people.
A young child asks his parents on a long trip, “Are we there yet?”. The parent answers “no, not yet”. On our journey, we must constantly ask ourselves, “Am I there yet?”. Each of us is a work in process that can lead to progress. The closer you get, the closer we will be to the ideals that America was founded on.
In the 246 years of our independence, we have made much progress, and accomplished much good. So let’s celebrate our freedom, how far we’ve come, and keep going forward. Keep going forward until the answer becomes, “yes, I am there” and therefore “yes, we are there”. Without freedom we will never get there!
One of the many of America’s accomplishments is very personal for me. If it wasn’t for America, my Parents (OBM), would not have been Holocaust Survivors,who then came to America, and therefore I would not be
To have the freedom to pursue and become our true selves is indeed something to be thankful for.
Our liberty should be celebrated everyday by using it for the good of all.
May we cherish, be grateful for, and protect those freedoms for many, many more years.
May we use our freedom to fulfill our greatest human potential.
HAPPY 4th of July
G-d Bless America
A Super Hero Or A Super Human *
A Super Hero wears his costume on the outside to hide his true identity. A Super Human uses his outer costume to reveal his true identity.
A human may wear his outer, meaning his physical body, to project to the world that which his emotional makeup tells him the world wants to see. A human may also try to change his outer to please. A human may wear his outer to conceal from the world who he truly is.
A Super Human allows his inner to shine through his outer, to give the world that which he was created to give, that which we all need from him. He was given the attributes, or perceived flaws, and the uniqueness of his outer/costume to accomplish his mission. He uses the outer to express his inner, not to hide it. His inner and outer become one. When they do, he has found true happiness and we all benefit.
The director of a play or movie chooses an actor to play a certain role, not just based on acting ability, but one whose physical appearance the audience will associate with the character of the character. Our director/our creator chose our physical for us. It was chosen and given to us on purpose, so that we could play our role, on this stage that we call our world. It was chosen and given to us because when used properly, it is consistent with our purpose and mission. It was given to us so that we may use it to bring a good to our audience. The good that we were uniquely given to give.
So whether you are tall or short, good-looking or maybe not, whatever hair or eye color, etc., etc., etc., means you are unique, special, and valuable. You are needed!
The question you must then ask yourself is how do I use this for the good? How do I use this to express my true underlying character?
When you merge the inner and outer, you will be you, through and through!
“Our aim is not to be superhuman, but to be super humans.” — Rabbi Shraga Silverstein
“If you want to be original just try being yourself, because G-d has never made two people exactly alike.” –Bernard Meltzer
“When I stand before G-d at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me.” – Erma Bombeck
Be Good Do Good Think Good Be Grateful Be Healthy Choose Wisely
*Another “Oldie But Goodie” updated
The Spinning Rabbi - Heart & Soul 