ALONG OUR TRAIN RIDE OF LIFE, SEPTEMBER, 2022

As I travel on my train of life, I wonder if you share some of the same fears, concerns, and if any of my tips for positive actions, will appeal for you to try to do for yourselves.

I am usually fearful of all new endeavours at the start. Yet I know that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself!  Why not take a chance, why not make a mistake? We are fearful, BUT the only thing we have to fear is FEAR itself! We may have some nervous feelings about an action that we are considering to do, but there is also a positive aspect of what we are anticipating to do. Anxiety and excitement are sister emotions. Let’s try to acknowledge the POSITIVE!

Dr. Reuven Bruner was well known for his adage: “BE ALIVE AS LONG AS YOU LIVE.’  He suggested that we should and could add on one new health habit: e.g. a daily walk, eat more fruits and vegetables, a commitment to eat less junk food , or to get more sleep.

A Weight Watcher instructor taught me: “Don’t push your weaknesses, play with your strengths.” Let’s see our food  challenges as POSITIVE. How can I enjoy a barbeque and still eat healthy?

Jennifer Lopez suggests to us : What DO I have? Let’s think of ALL that DO HAVE!  We all recognize our the negative in our lives-let these negative not possess our attention, but rather let’s rise to think and act with POSITIVE MEASURES.

As we age, we are facing many difficult challenges on our train ride. We are challenged to somehow adapt to what comes our way, with hope, with mental and physical effort.

The famous Bruce Springsteen challenged mankind: ‘We were born to run’. And we were born to run EVEN if quite slowly!.

At the 7^th day of each week, we are all privileged to witness and participate in this SABBATH, this PALACE IN TIME’.

Every week the sun sets behind the trees, darkness falls, and a great light miraculously appears finding us, a herd of lost souls standing in time to receive our additional portion of spirituality.

And every week

Shabat descends and gathers us to her breast

Accepts our souls

Marked by the travails of six days of toil

To separate the holy from the mundane.

Until we meet again, G. willing, in October, 2022

CHW

 

ALONG OUR TRAIN RIDE OF LIFE: AUGUST, 2022

 

As we travel on our train of life, we find periods of a smooth, tranquil ride, and as well, we experience many curves, difficult periods during our journey, -we may feel weak, tired, somewhat failing in body and spirit, but we somehow need to learn and  cope with, to adapt and to somehow find some sunshine on our life, some peace, and to somehow adapt to what IS.

 

Since CO’VID’S appearance, many of us have cancelled trips, outings, malls, meeting with friends/family. Yet we NEED things to look forward to. What’s exciting about a trip for an outing is ANTICIPATION. Numerous studies suggest that having something to look forward to, improves our mood and lowers our stress. Imagining good things ahead of us makes us feel better in the current moment. A psychologist, Carrie L. Wyland, suggests that at the end of every day, we should write down one thing that we are excited about for tomorrow. Maybe it’s anew book or getting a visitor, a zoom call, etc.

 

The Sabbath time has been called our ‘palace in time’! write Joshua Heschel. We revere this time period of renewal of our faith and bathe in the aura of Shabat. Shabat gives us a quiet time, of peace no television, what’s app checking, - time to relax emotionally and mentally to the outside world of noise and disruption. Time to ‘bathe’ in ourselves, in our connection to the Universe/G.d  What a 24 hour period of BLISS -prayer, food, family, friends, rest for our mind and body!! Time to rest our body and mind and enter the realm of ‘being’, of serenity.

 

Can we think of all our difficulties and decision making as negative, or can we change our mind attitude to of them as CHALLENGES to deal with.

 

There is a saying: “ You’re only as old as you feel.” Let’s aim to be resilient and to practice OPTIMISM, self-esteem, and satisfaction with what we DO HAVE. Putting one foot forward in front of the other, will enhance our physical and mental fitness. There is a power in walking in our country of choice -it is a challenge, and we can do it slowly, and quickly as fits our needs at the time.

 

Bruce Springsteen sang and influenced many of us with his music and optimism. ‘We were born to run” (even if we have to do it slowly). Let’s keep moving along thinking: “I think I can, I think I can, like the little Engin” who puffed his way up the hill, and then puffed: “I thought I could, I thought I could” I DID IT!”

 

Somehow we must accept the constant flux of feelings. The negative thoughts prevent our happiness. Feelings of both positive and negative is what it is. Our constant daily challenge is to somehow count our blessings, (rather than our troubles), and to fill our minds with courage, hope and to help others along their way!

 

Until we meet again, G. willing, in September.

CHW