“Go Forward”
When we embark on our journey towards realizing our dreams, goals, and purpose, we should expect and be prepared for obstacles. There will be those times when we are confronted with fear or doubt which will look like an obstacle, or an actual obstacle that creates fear or doubt. That usually produces paralysis and then we become stuck where we are.
Here is a very powerful story that can serve as a helpful reminder whenever you come up against those obstacles. It is found in the Torah reading of two weeks ago (Beshalach – Exodus 13:17-17:16).
The Jewish people have been freed by Pharaoh and just a few days after marching in the desert, they find that Pharaoh has changed his mind and his soldiers are chasing after them. As they look ahead, they see the Red Sea. They are now trapped with the Red Sea before them and the Egyptian soldiers behind them. They are asking themselves, “Is this what we were freed for, to die here in the desert?” Anxious and distraught they break up into four different camps of thought. One says,” Let’s dive into to the sea and drown ourselves rather than be killed by the soldiers. One says, “Let’s just surrender and go back.” One says, “I’d rather die fighting than go back.” One says, “Let’s pray.” They approach Moses and ask him which approach to take and he tells them he will ask G-d. “Speak to the children of Israel,” G‑d says to Moses, “that they should go forward.” We all know what happened next.
As you move towards realizing your dreams, goals, and purpose, there will be those times when you reach your Red Sea. When you are confronted with fear or doubt by obstacles placed in front of you, or placed there by you. It is at those moments when you must remind yourself to have faith and ” Go forward.” When you know of others in that situation, remind them as well.
“Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
“When you come to the edge of all the light you know, and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.” – Edward Teller
Heart and Soul
A powerful lesson and reminder worth re-printing and updating again from the last time 1/20/13
Inner Beauty Means Outer Beauty
Under the shell, or our physical bodies lies our core, or our soul. That is, and there lies the human being that we are. The physical is what others initially see and from that is the person we are.
It is said that inner beauty radiates outward. All of us are beautiful human beings, whether we are beautiful people, for all to see and feel (now or yet) depends on how transcendent we allow our inner-self or souls to be. Deep down we all possess those qualities that makes us beautiful human beings and potentially beautiful people. For some it is hidden deeper and for some it is closer to the surface.
The goal is to meld the two together and then we are one. We are then the human being we were destined and created to become.
We can get there by constantly striving to make all of our actions in the physical directed to a purpose higher than just satisfying our physical wants and needs, than just ourselves. It is the ultimate goal and so too our greatest challenge, hence it contains the greatest reward for all. The inner-self is the pure and giving one, when we connect that to the outer, we are beautiful and happy.
Beauty Tips
“For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone.”
– Sam Levenson
when thinking of only physical beauty don’t forget
“Beauty wanes, but a reputation endures”. – Jewish Saying
Heart and Soul
Innie Or Outie
Not do you have an “Innie” or “Outie” but are you an “Innie” or “Outie”?
In other words, are your thoughts, speech, and actions predominately innies or inner-directed, or outies or outer-directed. Inner-directed as in solely for the benefit of I (which is not souly), or outer-directed as in for the benefit of others (which is souly)? Are they directed towards what you can get or what you can give.
Inner-directed leads to the dead ends of anger, envy, and/or depression. Outer-directed leads to an open and never-ending road, with the top down, and lots of sunshine. It is the road of giving of yourself to someone or something other than yourself. It is the road that leads to being Happy then Happier…..
“being human always points, and is directed, to something, or someone, other than oneself—be it a meaning to fulfill or another human to encounter. The more one forgets himself—by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love—the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself. What is called self-actualization is not an attainable aim at all, for the simple reason that the more one would strive for it, the more he would miss it. In other words, self-actualization is possible only as a side effect of self-transcendence”. – Dr. Viktor Frankl from “Man’s Search For Meaning”
Heart and Soul
Happy New Year 2014
As we prepare for 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 plan on making this a “Happy New Year”. 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 be the human we are destined and created to be. We have no control over what is sent our way. To make it a happy year, let us focus on that which we do have control of; what we say and what we do. All that we need and the world we all wish for is in our hands.
Once upon a time, many years ago, a great old wise man was visiting a little village. Many people went to hear this wise man. Among them, was a young and very skeptical man. When it was this young mans turn to ask a question, he put out his cupped hands that were concealing a little bird. He then asked the wise man what was in his hands. The wise man replied, “It is a little bird”. The young man was taken aback but was still skeptical, so he asked whether it was dead or alive. The wise man knew that if he replied, “it’s dead”, the young man would open his hands and the bird would fly away. If he replied “it was alive”, the young man would crush the bird in his hands. The wise man’s reply was “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 2014 be your best year ever…so far!!
Heart and Soul
*I wish I remembered the source for this story so that I could give credit where it’s due
Don’t Give Back
That’s right, that’s what it says, “Don’t Give Back”. Instead just give. Perhaps more people would give, and more people would give more, if they thought of charity as just giving. An even better word than giving, and a better way to look at it is sharing. This is another of those seemingly small one word changes that often produces a big change.
Giving or sharing should and can be a free-flowing joy. Giving back might come grudgingly. One might feel it’s required because you took something and are obligated to return it. Sharing your blessings is pure. Sharing doesn’t feel like an obligation. It’s the recognition that whatever you were blessed with, was so that you could share it. Sharing adds to the blessing, rather than diminishing the blessing. When you share you have more, not less.
In Maimonides (1135-1204) eight levels of charity, the second highest level, is to give anonymously to an unknown recipient. Neither the giver nor recipient know who the other party is. It’s just pure sharing.
So go and share. If you like this idea, share it.
“To give and then not feel as one has given is the very best of all ways of giving.” – Max Beerbohm
Heart and Soul
Heads Up
If you saw someone walking down the street with their head down, what would you think their state of mind is? Is their head just down, or is it reflective of their feeling down? We know for sure that literally and metaphorically, they are not looking forward. They are not seeing, or don’t want to see, that which lies ahead. If they are feeling down, then by looking down, they will never see anything different or better. This will cause their state of mind or situation to remain the same or get worse. By looking up and forward, they can and will see something better, even if it’s just one person smiling at them.
Agreed? If so, then pay attention to when you are walking by yourself, and notice whether you are looking down or ahead. You may not even realize that your mood is down, so if you catch yourself looking down, let it be a reminder to check in with your current state of mind.
We can get two lessons here for the price of one:
1. If you notice that your head is down, then remind yourself to lift it up and look ahead. Train yourself to do this no matter how heavy your head may feel.
2. When walking with your head up, smile at the person coming your way, even if they don’t see you, and that will lift or keep their head up.
Recently, I was on a walk and I noticed a couple coming my way. It was a man and a woman, both about 80+ish. They were walking with their arms around each others waist. They looked so happy, so contented, and so much in love. What a beautiful and inspiring sight that I wouldn’t have seen if my head was down.
If you are not looking forward now, you will be looking back later
Heart and Soul
Your Reality TV Show (episode 4)
What Would You Do?
Recently
James Brady, a homeless man from Hackensack, New Jersey found $850 in cash lying on the street. What would you do? The homeless man turned it into the police.
Rabbi Noah Muroff from New Haven, Connecticut bought a used desk on Craigslist for less than two hundred dollars. He had to dismantle it a little in order to fit it into his front door. It was then that he found ninety-eight thousand dollars in cash hidden behind the drawers. What would you do? He and his wife took their four children and returned it to the woman he bought the desk from.
Probation officer Jessica Luebke from Harvey, Louisiana while driving saw what looked like a big 2 foot x 2.5 foot Ziploc bag sitting near the curb. She got out of her car and found bundles of $20 and $100 bills totaling $223,600! What would you do? She immediately called the Police department.
All three of them immediately and instinctively made the good and right choice. We always have choices. They did it without anyone seeing or watching them. Or is there always at least one watching our Reality TV Show ?
Heart and Soul
The Spinning Rabbi - Heart & Soul 