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We Are The Champions

January 10, 2012
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Something we are all champions of is, rationalizing our behavior. We rationalize to comfort ourselves when we choose for our wants rather than our needs, or what we are needed for. We sometimes even congratulate ourselves, even though we really know better. This dissonance creates a struggle for us. With all the struggles presented to us on our climb, why do we self-impose more? When we do this we deceive ourselves and take us off our target, our purpose.

A king was traveling with his band of men through the forest. They came across a farm where they stopped to replenish their provisions. The king noticed the side of a barn where there were several bulls-eyes painted. Each bulls-eye had an arrow squarely in the center. The King asked the farmer who shot those arrows and the farmer told him it was his young son. The king wanted to see the boy in action. The young boy appeared with his bow and arrow. He shot at the side of the barn and hit a blank spot. He then walked to the barn and drew a bull’s-eye around the arrow, with the arrow right in the center.*

Be true to yourself. Let the inner-self/soul be transcendent. To do this we must have the strength of our core to recognize when we miss our goal and where improvement is needed. It is too easy to fall into the trap of fooling ourselves. Rather than move the arrow squarely in the center, look squarely at yourself.

“Thou shall not steal” also meant “Thou shall not steal from thyself; not deceive thyself. All the sins of the world weigh less than the conceit born of self-deception.” – Reb Mendel of Kotzk

“I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.” – Frederick Douglass

*I wish I remembered the source for this story so that I could give credit where it’s due

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from → Stories and Poems to Inspire

You’re Not the Boss of Me

January 9, 2012
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We have a not always properly functioning pause button or filter that inhibits a negative thought from becoming a hurtful word or action. Be it a thought that may be hurtful to ourselves and/or others. Constantly attempting to improve its functioning is one of our challenges.

Ultimately we have control over what we do with those thoughts. Where we don’t have total control are the thoughts that enter our mind. Recent studies estimate that on average 70,000 thoughts enter our mind in a day. We can improve our ability to stay positive and optimistic by filtering those thoughts from becoming action.

We can also debate and refute those thoughts. Debating those thoughts is healthy. We can confront those thoughts by telling them that they are wrong, and why, and then re-framing them. Tell them “You’re not the boss of me”. The more we perform this exercise, the more the 70,000 will be elevating thoughts.

“You become what you think, even if you don’t think so.” – Morris Mandel

“He who cannot change the very fabric of his thought will never be able to change reality, and will never, therefore, make any progress.” – Anwar Sadat

Part of Our Inner-Speak series

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A Soul Elevating Quote

January 6, 2012
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“We suffer under the constraints of our habits simply because we had them yesterday. We are slaves to the ingrained pathways of our lives and our world; because we are too busy dusting the covers of our Book of Life to read its pages.” –  The Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson

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from → Soul Elevating Quotes

Got Change?

January 5, 2012
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As we begin a new year, we think about the changes we wish to have in our lives. The question we must sincerely ask ourselves is “am I willing to make any changes?” While we may want change, we are creatures of habit. A habit can be like the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. It may keep us busy, but let’s not mistake activity for achievement.

There is a story of a major city in the U.S. that acquired a very special tiger. They started to build a very large and well-appointed habitat for the tiger. The tiger arrived before the habitat was ready, so they put it in a very large cage. Every day for nearly three months the tiger would pace the thirty-five foot length then turn around and walk back over and over. Finally the day arrived when the habitat was ready and the tiger was placed in it. The tiger proceeded to walk thirty-five feet in one direction, turn around and walk the same distance back, over and over.

If we want change, we must make changes. If we want growth, we must grow. If we want improvement, we must improve.

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neale Donald Walsch

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from → Everything Bagel, Stories and Poems to Inspire

Beauty Tips For the New Year

January 3, 2012
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It is said that inner beauty radiates outward. All of us are beautiful human beings, whether we are beautiful people, for all to see (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 way to bring it to the surface starts with the attitude and the desire to dig. Knowing that the inner-self is the pure and giving one, we can reach it quicker by acting as though we are already there.

“Sometimes a woman is happy because she is pretty; sometimes she is pretty because she is happy.” – Rabbi Abraham Twersky

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

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from → Everything Bagel

Happy New Year

December 30, 2011
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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. Let us focus on that which we have control of; what we say, what we do, and how we respond. All that we need and the world which we all wish for is in our hands.  May 2012 be the year!!

There is the story of a young wise guy who went to challenge a great old wise man, a seer. Many people went to speak to the wise man when he came to town. 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, “It is a little bird”. The young man was taken aback but was still cynical, 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

*I wish I remembered the source for this story so that I could give credit where it’s due

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from → Everything Bagel, Stories and Poems to Inspire

Olive Oil and Your Purpose

December 19, 2011
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Chanukah, the miracle of light, celebrates the olive oil burning for eight days bringing light to the darkness. Of all the special qualities of a pretty and delicious olive, its essence is found in its oil when lit and its light is revealed. In order to release its essence, the olive must first be crushed. So too in our lives, we sometimes feel crushed – by pain and suffering, loss, struggle and disappointment – and just like the olive, it is then that our essence can be revealed. It is in those moments that we may find our true purpose and with it bring our light to the world.

Adapted from a teaching of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, The Rebbe

Happy Holidays

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