In this month of April, 2021, we witnessed and were part of the Corona virus attack in Israel. We had to endure being alone for about a year, coping not only with our major illness at the same time as coping with the loneliness from the corona separation of families and friends from one another. It is said that there is always a silver ling, but at times it is difficult to see it. Since so much of this is beyond our control, the best advice recommended is that no matter how difficult things are at the moment, we can at least control by being KINDER TO ONE ANOTHER. Let’s give the other some SLACK! Since we well know how difficult and challenging our circumstances are, many of the actions we see by our people are way way out, and even improper. And so we fail to CUT EACH OTHER SLACK. We tend to look for the worst in others, to be easy to anger rather than give people the benefit of the doubt . Ian Maclaren, the 19th century author once said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a bttle you know nothing about. Cutting slack, giving the benefit of the doubt, is a chesed, a kindness that absolutely every one of can do. There is a book by Ron Shapiro entitled ‘THE POWER OF NICE’. It’s time for the world to make US feel good, to feel worthwhile, while we fight our malaise. When we practice kindness, we ourselves feel warm and good to be able to show love and attention to those who suffer along with us and for us.

Life includes both the honey and the sting, the bitter and the sweet: we must embrace them both, because we cannot edit reality. Let’s enjoy what we can, let’s be kind to ourselves as well, give love, give attention, and enjoy whatever we can.

I wish us all continued safety from the pandemic, to tolerate and accept what ailments we have, and to enjoy whatever we can, and I wish us all some beautiful moments in time in this life.

Until we met again next month, G. willing.

CHW

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Chaya/Harriet Weinberg

Jerusalem, Israel

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March 3, 2021 ALONG OUR RIDE ON THE TRAIN OF LIFE

 March 3, 2021  ALONG OUR RIDE ON THE TRAIN OF LIFE

We began “THE BALANCE SHEET OF LIFE” last month. I hope that you were able to try some of the suggestions for coping with life issues that we all face. We continue on our ‘Balance sheet of life’

The greatest ‘shot in the arm’ ENCOURAGEMENT: we need encouragement from our family, friends. But we also need to encourage OURSELVES, that we are doing the best that we can for ourselves, for others and giving ourselves a ‘shot in the arm ‘ to hang in there, and encourage ourselves to cope with what is. ‘IT IS WHAT IT IS’. Let’s deal with what is, and keep encouraging OURSELVES.

The most powerful force in life is……LOVE   

We need to feel loved, to love ourselves, to love others and to tell them about your love for them.

The worst thing to be without is ‘HOPE. As long as we are here on this earth, let’s not forget to HOPE, for better times, for adapting to what is, and to help ourselves with our thoughts and prayers.

The most beautiful attire that we wear is SMILE! We feel so much better when we smile at every small positive step that we take, smile to others to show our love and affection for them and to carry us along.  

When life/health/work issues frighten us, let’s remember this motto by Susan Jeffers, in her book-‘FEEL THE FEAR, BUT DO IT ANYWAYS’.

I, for one, am quite fearful of many things. But I remind myself, over and over: ‘Feel the fear, but do it anyways’. Once I practice that motto, I have made one stride forward!

I wish for all of us better situations to be in, and the ability to soak in and act on some of these tips  for:  our ‘BALANCE SHEET OF LIFE’.

Until we meet again next month, G. willing,

CHW

Chayaofjerusalem.blogspot.co.il

Feel free to write to me at the address above.

 Feb. 4, 2021  ALONG OUR TRAIN RIDE OF LIFE

One can only imagine what the other is feeling ,and/or is coping with.

When I enter my blog, I enter my feelings and reach out to share with you.

Am I hurting? Yes

Do I feel alone, and great loneliness amidst the Corona lockdown and within my health worries? Yes.

Am I filled with despair sometimes/often as you may be feeling? Yes.

Do I give up? Perhaps momentarily I think of it, but then I somehow still hope, hope.

Do I have utter fatigue? Yes, but then I remind myself to perhaps walk a bit, even within my walls if I can't venture.

Do I feel the endless hours per day? Wouldn't I have been so happy when I was out and working, to have such days to be free at home?

THE BALANCE SHEET OF LIFE

In the next few blogs, I will guide us how to make some balance of good actions and thoughts.

GRATITUDE: let's try to focus on even small things in our life to be grateful for.

EXERCISE: Let's walk outside (if possible) or even in our home to move our bodies, somewhat. When unable to move, let's 'walk' in our thoughts, move whatever limbs we can, rove in our imagination.

MIND WANDERING: what moves our minds: jokes sent by friends, music, reading, praying, watching television, etc.

To balance our sheet of life, can we handle our effort to stop worrying which is a MOST DESTRUCTIVE HABIT.

Perhaps one of the greatest problems to overcome is FEAR. Remember the motto: FEEL THE FEAR BUT DO IT ANYWAYS!

We need to fill our mind with I CAN! These are the two most power-filled words.

for all of us to remember: LIFE ends when you stop DREAMING. HOPE ends, when you stop BELIEVING. LOVE ends, when you stop caring.

I challenge all of us to use this BALANCE SHEET OF LIFE (Part 1).

I wish all of us the strength of courage, of mind, to take some control of our existence and work on balancing the difficulties with the determination to think and ACT positively as best we can. G. willing, we will continue on the BALANCE SHEET OF LIFE next month.

Yours, Chw

Chayaofjerusalem.blog.spot.co.il

ALONG OUR TRAIN RIDE OF LIFE, JAN. 1, 2021

 Shalom dear readers: 

Here we are in the New Year, 2021. We have made it until now! Are we afraid of what is next? Probably, yes. We need to remember always, the motto for me and possibly for you:

 FEEL THE FEAR, BUT DO IT ANYWAYS!

In general, one often feels SAD-ness in the winter. We can't control the natural weather patterns or the existence of the pandemic we face. Can we remember to appreciate the small things and moments in life? Just as we need kindness given to us, can we give kindness to another? Let us remember that-

WE ARE SPIRITUAL PEOPLE IN A PHYSICAL BEING. What we crave and need, others need from us as well.

I challenge us to practice HUMAN RESILIENCE: to do whatever helps us achieve some serenity: rest assured it will enhance our lives. Do we dare to create for ourselves an ABUNDANCE of hope, despite our most difficult challenge? To practice our human resilience!

We certainly have some burn-out from the CORONA FATIGUE: again, can we try to create for ourselves an ABUNDANCE of light and hope, despite our most difficult challenge: human resilience?

I remind us to go back to GRATITUDE: let us appreciate more life's small moments, show compassion to others tending us or whom we see needing out input? Let's fill in such a list of things to be grateful for. Hopefully this will leas us to optimism, which leads us to live longer, G. willing!

We have yet some challenging months ahead, BUT now is the time to bond together and be kind to one another, with the thought: THINGS ARE GOING TO GET BETTER.

LET'S DAYDREAM; MIND WANDERING: What helps you? Music, walking, even within your own home, watching television, reading, studying, daydreaming, etc.?

WALKING-is sublime in its simplicity or mind wandering if walking impossible. Even a short walk can help us.

WOW! so many aspects of life to consider!

A suggestion: If the above seems a bit too many topics, perhaps pick one suggested to work on this month, and change topics to explore as you feel ready to work on/bless us all until me meet again next month, G. willing.

G. bless all of us until we meet again next month, G. willing.

chayaofjerusalem.blogspot.co.il

ALONG THE TRAIN OF LIFE ,December, 2020

 Shalom dear readers. 

My  last blog was written on Sept. 29, which replaced the Oct. issue.

Here we are now in December. I have been talking to myself and to all of you all month, hoping and wishing us all strength that we need to somehow get through the Covid19 period, strength we need to cope with whatever ailment we have and are struggling with.

 I marked down for myself several tips on how I can cope with the stress of life and illness right now. I include them for you to consider for yourself. They are simply some of my decisions for me to cope with life, with illness (of whatever kind), with the locked down predicament of the Corona virus, etc.

Consider if any of these tips may be of value for you to try as we all need to cope with  STRESS.

-soak my feet each evening as I wind down (or at any time of the day)

-rest with my feet up as opposed to just straight up

-watch and relax with television, movies, whatever venue that you wish to follow

-EXERCISE daily! this strategy can easily avoided, but even small motions of our limbs are important; this one is a MUST for all of us!

-eat occasionally some chocolate or 'nash' that feeds our spirit, our neshama

-get a massage if possible

-reading Psalms, Tehillim, a prayer book

-talking to G. yourself

-however difficult and impossible it is for us at this time, let's think positively of what  WE DO HAVE,  and push aside our worries.

-do something for someone else: a phone call, a note. I t can make us feel so useful to be of help to others!

-let us concentrate on GRATITUDE-for what  WE DO HAVE NOW, rather than what we don't have or able to have at this moment in time

-we each have an opportunity to encourage others, by strokes, by hugs, by calls, by offering our support and love

I wish all of us a warm November, warm in our hearts-WE ARE STILL HERE, and can contribute to another soul! I wish us better health, both mentally as well as physically. I hope to write to you again next month. Feel free to write back to me via my blog, without signing your name.

chayaofjerusalem.blogspot.co.il

Along our train ride of life , sept. 30,oct. 2020

 Along the train ride of life, sept. 30

We  can pray,  beseech from the one above, but the corona virus is still alive. As my dear friend says, it is what it is. No  crying will help  change anything.  For those of us who are battling with other illness, somehow at some point, we also may need to say, it is what it is, and learn to accept what good we do have,  loving family,  caring friends, interests of ours to choose from, television programs, books to read, a place of our own to  be comfortable as best as  can be for  now. Let us love and live each moment, and let us bless what is, for this  moment in time. Lets work on our selves within our neshama, our souls to think positively, To cherish each sunrise, each sunset, to cherish ourselves. G. Bless us for good.

 ALONG THE TRAIN OF LIFE, SEPT. 2020

Here we are in September 2020, trying to deal with our personal issues of health, as well as the unbelievable threatening virus of Corona appearing in all parts of the world, and especially in our own personal domain. It all seems threatening, and totally unbelievable, and unreal!

One can get and does get very depressed and 'down', trying to deal with this whammy we are confronted with.

How do we help ourselves to muddle through and accept what we must; for ourselves, our loved ones, and to keep going, feeling so more secluded than ever?

There are no magic answers. I know in my head that we must try to be resilient,  and develop some sense of serenity. The natural reaction is to be negative, and being so consumed with our own personal health issues, and by the world issues of corona, that we tend to be blurred with how to deal with all of this objectively. How can we create an abundance of light and hope?-these are most difficult challenges.

As I have expressed in my previous blog, we each need to find some soothing aspects of life to delve into: reading material that keeps us motivated, by calling friends form far and near, reaching out to others who need encouragement as much as we do. For some, art work, even when being immobile, music - a source so soothing and encouraging. Let's try pampering ourselves as best we can while homebound and struggling. Each of us is encouraged to look within, and see what helps us forget for a moment, the heavy load of what we carry, let's explore zoom courses on the computer, bringing in personnel to teach us , to encourage us, to try deep breathing , meditation. The list goes on.....

'IF I AM NOT FOR MYSELF, WHO WILL BE? A famous saying that tells us-yes, we need to be kind to ourselves, not to just wait for others to make it all better.

Another inspirational statement that has help me was written by Rav Nachman of Breslov:

"KNOW THAT MAN OFTEN MUST CROSS A VERY NARROW BRIDGE, BUT THE ESSENTIAL THING  TO REMEMBER IS TO TO CONQUER OUR FEAR, AND DO IT ANYWAYS".

Susan Jeffers authored a memorable book : 'FEEL THE FEAR BUT DO IT ANYWAYS'.

Let's not be too hard on ourselves. Let's breathe deeply, accept what we must, but act in our best way to deal with our fear, as our life seems now so distorted and isolating, and to accept help from whatever feels right for us.THIS TOO SHALL PASS! But we need patience and acceptance that not all is our hands to change. We CAN fight the good fight in life, and I hope that we meet again next month to share together, to rise above our negativity and say to ourselves: I HAVE TODAY! TOMORROW WILL BE HANDLED TOMORROW! 

G. bless each of us in this most trying time.

Until next month, my prayers are with each and every one of us.

CHW

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