ALONG OUR TRAIN RIDE OF LIFE, February, 2023

Shalom dear Readers.

Today, as I ride on the train of life, I am thinking, mulling around in my head what seems to be disruptive, deterring me (and others) from my(our) living with a positive focus. I  ask myself ‘What is wrong? What is missing in my life? My studies have pointed out to me a possible and much needed focus. Dr. McHugh, a master psychotherapist, tells us the secret foundation of our soul. How do we use or abuse our daily schedule in life?  What is our time management? and our spiritual time management asks Dr. McHugh.

-How do we make ourselves busy? With what? The revered Rabbi Elya Lapian, the mussar shmuessen , spoke of the fundamental importance of one’s use of time. ”A man who goes through life without taking the time to consider his ways is like a blind man who walks along the edge of a river. “Der velt sagt”, he said in Yiddish, “the world says that time is money. But I say time is life! TIME IS LIFE!”

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, known by the initials of his name as the Ramchal, says in the second chapter of his widely studied ethical treatise, Messillat Yesharim, Path of the Upright, he writes of the tactics of the yetzer. “A man who goes through life without taking the time to consider his ways is like a blind man who walks along the edge of a river. To become so busy and have no time to reflect, not time to really live, is bondage into slavery.  Time is life! Spiritual time management is the secret of life.!

The power of the soul! There is proof of the connection between resilience and vaccination, between mind and body. Doctors and medical staff must give spiritual mental support to strengthen the patient’s spirit. We must give to ourselves an upward approach of time well spent are good thoughts to live by, rather than focusing on what is lacking in our lives and inside of us, where we think and dwell in thought and beliefs. Let’s practice MINDFULNESS. Distraction, says Dr. Kelner, is an enemy of awe. AWE means meditating, reflecting, deep delving within our soul.

Let’s practice mindfulness..  Let’s slow down, breathe deeply and reflect on our life. Dr. Kelner writes that people who find awe all around them, are more open to new ideas. Let’s be more open to experience, and find awe all around us, and the wonders of our planet, of our souls.

Some suggestions of how to relax, and to be more aware of all the ‘awe’ of our lives, of our people, of our planet are:   

1. Breathe.

 2. Meditate,

 3. Write down our feelings, our successes.

4.  Let’s go outdoors to walk, to see and feel the wonders of the sun shining, the flowers blooming and/or budding, nature in its constant wonders.

5. Let’s listen to music instead of the constant bombardment of the news.

6. Let’s get rest periods when we feel the need.

7. Let’s try to get more hours of sleep.

 8. Let’s do something DIFFERENT   for a change. Something positive that warms our heart and soul, whatever suits you and is pleasing and fun and gives us a good feeling within our bodies, within our souls and in our hearts.

I wish each of you, my readers, a healthy month ahead, with good thoughts, with some smiles in your hearts and soul, and within your/our reality.

Until we meet again, G. willing, in March, 2023.

CHW