Along Our Train Ride of Life - April 2023

Shalom Dear Readers:

Years ago, in one of my blogs, I highly recommended the book Feel the Fear & Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers. It’s a wonderful read, and it gives us a push and encouragement. Many of us on this train of life are ridden with doubts and fears as we try to cope with our particular issues.

 

Recently, a dear friend of mine who felt my sense of insecurity and fear over my health issues, bought me a book entitled: What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid? by Michal Oshman. Somehow my friend thought it was an appropriate gift to give me. I could not put the book down. Michal Oshman’s tips are so doable, with many resources from our Jewish life and beliefs, as well as Torah sources from 3,000-year-old principles for living life fearlessly. We are encouraged to be models of kindness, caring, and doing, and there are tips for reaching out to others. It is a book to re-read from time to time, in order to get re-encouraged to step out and help others and ourselves!

 

Subsequently, I am devoting time on this blog with suggestions and tips for living and conquering/managing our fears as we ride on our train of life. 

Viktor Frankl said: “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” Each of us has a personal “mitzrayim”, our own narrow straits that restrict us, stifle us, and trap us. These internal chains of self-slavery, our own limiting thoughts and restrictive beliefs, might be what’s making us afraid, what’s keeping us from moving forward.

 

In Mans’ Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl says that we need to absorb his three components for happiness. Life is primarily a quest for meaning, and that meaning can come about in one of three ways:

1. Work by doing something significant

2. Love by caring for another person(s)

3. Courage during difficult times.

He adds that we cannot control what happens to us in life, but we CAN control what we feel and do about the situation. Here in Israel, many of the Holocaust survivors appreciate where they are; happiness and hope has entered into their lives once again.

 

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the former Associated Justice of the Supreme Court, claimed that the secret to a meaningful life is to do something outside yourself, something to repair tears in your community, or something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you.

 

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov wrote the song/prayer, Gesher Tzar Me’od.

The whole world is a very narrow bridge.

And the main thing is to have no fear.

Rabbi Nachman’s message is that everyone should always move forward and cross their personal bridges. No looking back! Replace fear with action!  When we choose courage over fear, we choose to live instead of just to exist!

“Doing” instead of “over-thinking” is the only way to move forwards towards joy, fulfilment and meaning. When opportunities come, don’t fear them, take them!

 

We study in Proverbs 14:23 “In every sadness there is benefit.”

Frankl, says that even in the depths of despair, meaning can lead to hope. Frank found internal strength and resilience, not DESPITE his grief, but BECAUSE of it. He decided to “move forward” rather than stay still and grieve.

 

Maya Angelou tells us: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will perhaps forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.

 

The Baal Shem Tov said, “Even a little light can dispel a lot of darkness.”

We know that if we change nothing, nothing will change. Even one little step forward can make a big difference. For each of us, G. has a task: work to perform, kindness to show, a gift to give, love to share, loneliness to ease, pain to heal, or broken lives to help mend.

 

In To Heal a Fractured World, Jonathan Sacks guides us how to live and to be attentive to what G. wants from us. He guides us towards direction and meaning in our lives!

 

I wish all of us, Klal Yisrael, a healthy, meaningful Pesach. I wish for our people to come together as one people, united בע"ה.

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

CHW