Monthly Archives: March 2016

BS”D
The Energy of Renewal

It’s the new moon, which means that today is the first day of new Jewish month (Rosh Chodesh) Adar Sheni! There is an awesome energy of renewal in Rosh Chodesh – which is determined by the moon, which is constantly changing. In our own lives, we are also constantly growing and changing. Like the moon that waxes and wanes, we are not static or stuck in the same place. Let us tap into the energy of renewal and Rosh Chodesh by using our gratitude eyes to see with a fresh perspective the blessings in our lives and creating ripples in our world.

Even a simple “thank you” spurs people to act in compassionate ways they might not otherwise consider. People thanked for giving directions help more willingly in the future, social workers who get thank-you letters visit their clients more often, and diners whose waiters write “thanks” on the check give bigger tips.

Take out a pen and paper and let your creative energy flow with envisioning what you want your month to be like. Chodesh tov!

For no particular reason but to say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

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Think back to a teacher you had in your life who positively impacted you. It could be they inspired you, or taught you about a part of yourself, or woke up a love of learning a particular subject in you. It could be they taught you formally, or maybe just taught you through their example.

This might be your 4^th grade teacher who took your class bird watching in Cape May and taught you about wildflowers. This could be your kindergarten teacher who taught you how to share. Or your best friend’s mother that always had a kind word and inspiring insights. Or that acquaintance that always inspired you through her example. This could be anyone who has touched your life and taught you in any way, shape or form.

Think of this person, and realize what a gift it is to have teachers, mentors, and inspirations in our lives. Now pick up the phone, or a pen (or your email) and thank this person for the impact they made in your life.

By Yael Zvia Bauer

Here is a shiur with great insights on the importance of living a life of gratitude and the meaning of the tefilla Nishmat Kol Chai:   CLICK HERE

For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

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We have so many blessings in our lives that we don’t even notice because they happen all the time. They seem so commonplace that we completely miss them and take them for granted.

A conscious focus on gratitude may also remind you of unassuming pluses that get lost in the ups and downs of a busy life. “The most important blessings are the ones that are most consistent,” such as family, health and home, says Philip Watkins, an Eastern Washington University psychologist. “And those are the ones we take for granted.” Grateful reflection helps you pick out and savor the good in life, even if the good isn’t flashy.
 
Today, let’s focus on a blessing that seems so normal that we barely give it a second thought, let alone feeling gratitude for it. By doing so, we can tune in to the miracles unfolding all around us all the time. Here’s one example:
 
What a blessing that the sun came up today – bringing with it freshness and renewal.
 
At night, when our world is dark and we can’t see clearly, it’s easy for things to feel scary and overwhelming. But the darkest hour is just before dawn. And what a gift that today the sun came up to shine light into the world and remind us experimentally about the energy of renewal and rebirth.

By Yael Zvia Bauer

For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS”D

Gratitude is a muscle that needs to be developed. It takes work, and doesn’t often come naturally.

I spoke to a lady yesterday, who found herself in a cranky mood. She was exhausted since her baby had started waking up for the day at 5 am these last few weeks. Then she discovered him taking all the dirt out of her (newly germinated) balcony garden and throwing it everywhere in her living room. As she took him in the stroller for a change of scenery, she had a whole laundry list of complaints in her head. Starting with her baby throwing dirt and her being so tired from being woken up so early, and continued to other people and other areas of her life. One complaint seemed to lead to another…
 
But then, an amazing thing happened. She was reminded of this awesome teaching from Rebbe Nachman ztk’l that “a person should smile, especially when they don’t have anything to smile about, and G-d will give them a reason to smile.”
 
So, she forced herself to smile (when she really, truly, was not in the smiling mood). And the most amazing thing happened. Nothing miraculous, like a winning lottery ticket falling from the sky. But, she began to think of reasons to smile. Deciding to smile with this intention helped to stir within her the gratitude muscle that needed building.
 
She found herself starting with the obvious:

• I have a baby who throws dirt!? Wow, I have a baby!
• He is healthy!
• And curious!
• And interested in the world!
• And is fascinated in everything! That is a massive blessing!
• And, wow, I have legs that are working right now so I can take this walk!
• And, I have a bed waiting for me at home, that (whenever I have an opportunity) I will be able to rest comfortably!
• The sun is setting a beautiful shade of pink and orange!

It took work to get herself into a gratitude mindset, but once she did, one thing led to another. And even though she was still tired, she also felt energized and much calmer and happier.

Here is a shiur with great insights on the importance of living a life of gratitude and the meaning of the tefilla Nishmat Kol Chai:   CLICK HERE

For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS”D

Gratitude cultivating idea: Create a wall of miracle pages. Tape up pages to your wall, and each night write 3 (little or big) miracles you experienced that day.

In these gratitude letters detail the kindnesses of someone you’ve never properly thanked and see Hashem’s Divine Providence in it. Read this letter aloud to the person you’re thanking, you’ll see measurable improvements in your mood. Studies show that for a full month after a “gratitude visit” (in which a person makes an appointment to read the letter to the recipient), happiness levels tend to go up, while boredom and other negative feelings go down. In fact, the gratitude visit is more effective than any other exercise in positive psychology.

It is a wonderful way to express your gratitude to Hashem everyday… For no particular reason but to say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS”D

In the Hebrew language, there are 16 words for ‘gratitude,’ – each with a slightly different nuance. Through this we can learn that gratitude is such a fundamental, important part of being Jewish. And that the concept of gratitude is multi-dimensional, with many different shades and flavors. Here are a few:

• There is one word in Hebrew for gratitude that means to appreciate the gifts we have in our lives.
• Then there is another word that reflects the deeper level of finding the good even in the challenges that we face.
• Another expression of gratitude teaches us to tell over our personal miracles to others – to share our miracle stories with our families, with our friends, even with strangers.

Choose one of these ways to express your appreciation today!

Wishing you all a great Shabbat 🙂

It is a wonderful way to express your gratitude to Hashem everyday… For no particular reason but to say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS”D

Gratitude is a sentiment we’d all do well to cultivate, according to positive psychologists, mental health clinicians and researchers who seek to help everyone create more joy in life. Feeling thankful and expressing that thanks makes you happier and heartier.

The biggest bonuses come from experiencing gratitude habitually, but natural ingrates needn’t despair. Simple exercises can give even skeptics a short-term mood boost, and once you get started, you find more and more things to be grateful for.

In our holy books, it is brought down that when a person publicly tells of a miracle that has happened to him, G-d calls over His angels to listen, and turn, makes miracles happen for everyone who is listening. Imagine turning every family dinner, or every time you meet a friend for coffee as an opportunity to bring such celebration through all the worlds.

Gratitude idea: Make your family mealtime a regular time for sharing the (little and big) miracles you each experienced throughout your day.
 
A wonderful way to express your gratitude to Hashem everyday… For no particular reason just say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank You for giving me life!’

BS’D

Gratitude is an emotion expressing appreciation for what one has—as opposed to, for example, a consumer-driven emphasis on what one wants. Gratitude is getting a great deal of attention as a facet of positive psychology. Studies show that we can deliberately cultivate gratitude, and can increase our well-being and happiness by doing so. In addition, gratefulness—and especially expression of it to others—is associated with increased energy, optimism and empathy.

Gratitude isn’t our default setting, we have to work hard to cultivate it. It’s a muscle that needs to be built – little by little, every day. 

Gratitude isn’t a reaction, it’s a choice. It is not caused by good things happening. It is what we choose to focus on – in the midst of whatever is happening.  For five minutes today focus only on the good and thank Hashem for it!

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Life is full of miracles. The key is to understand that the greatest miracles are those of every day life. A person that is very sick knows what a miracle it is to be able to walk, to eat, to be able to go to the bathroom.
 
We can find miracles in so many little moments. My baby looks up and delights in a bird flying overhead. He reminds me that every butterfly and every blade of grass is fascinating. Imagine if we could adjust our eyes to see the miracles in our everyday lives. If we could see the world with eyes like a baby, we could remember how amazing and miraculous every moment is.

The prayer of Nishmat Kol Chai, The prayer of the soul of every living being can be found here in Hebrew: click here and here is English:  click here. 

It is a wonderful way to express your gratitude to Hashem everyday… For no particular reason but to say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank You for giving me life!’