All Resources...

We need to use all our abilities, talents and resources to reach the success we want. This includes getting help from the people in our lives.

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A Paradise...

We need to make the world around us a paradise for ourselves, and others. The way we do this is with love.* What is love? It is seeing the positive and good side of whoever or whatever we choose to love.**

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* Rav Yitzchok Eizek Sher in the name of Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, the Alter of Slabodka.
** Heard from B. Goldman

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Giving...

Basic to our trust is that we know that whatever money or gifts we give to others, will return to us and we will lose nothing by our gift.* Moreover, once we break through the giving barrier, besides not losing from our generosity, on the contrary, we will become only the richer.

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* Rav Chaim of Volozhin writes: I heard from my Rebbe (the Vilna Gaon) that one who gives 10% of his income to charity will suffer no loss, while one who gives 20% will become wealthy ... for he has strengthened his trust ... -- Siddur HaGra, Keser Rosh.

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Improve...

List your talents. List your resources. List the family and friends that can help you. Now, use all you have to improve your world.

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In the detail...

Greatness lies in the detail. When we do what we need to do, with care, with heart, we do it in a full way. Thus, we attend to the smallest detail, and thus, we move towards great success. (Based on Shaarei Teshuva 1.39)

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Deceit and Truth...

Deceit is a tool we use to achieve quickly things we want. However, its benefits do not last too long. Truth therefore, is the better tool. While it may work slower, what it produces is permanent. (Osios d'Rebbe Akiva)

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Not Born...

Get involved -- listen to another's pain; worry his worry; help where you can. For, we were not born to live purely for ourselves. (On the contrary, we best help ourselves when we help others. Rav Yitzchak Volozhiner, Nefesh HaChaim, Hakdama)

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With love, with joy...

Act with love. Act with joy. This turns you into a ball of fire, consuming everything that stands in your path.

* The Hebrew words for love and joy are ahava and simcha. The opening letters together spell aish, fire.

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Hurting...

We grow most when we experience hardships, especially when this involves other people hurting us. For this reason also, we should take pleasure from them. (Shabbos 88b)

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Paying for goods...

We don't wish to take goods from a store without paying for them. Similarly, we shouldn't want the Creator to give us the good things of life without us paying for them. And how do we pay for them? -- By striving to be the type of people who deserve such goodness.

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Enthusiasm, Speed...

Enthusiasm and speed are the jewels that adorn and enhance our good deeds. (Orchos Tzaddikim chp.15)

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Despite our Enemies...

Sometimes, even those closest to us, put us down and discourage us. In this, they are like our enemies. We must resolve, firmly, that despite their opinions, we will pursue and reach every one of our goals. (Based on Tehillim 18.38)


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The more...

The more we treat others with cruelty, the more the world treats us with cruelty. The more we treat others with kindness and compassion, the more the world treats us with kindness and compassion. (Shabbos 159b)


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Hungers...

We have three basic hungers – physical, emotional and intellectual/spiritual. It's hard to attend to our emotional need while our physical hunger demands fulfillment. It's hard to cultivate our intellectual/spiritual need with our emotions feeling neglected and deprived. Therefore, we should look for easy, quick ways to calm down these lower hungers, and free ourselves for higher pursuits.

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Innermost, Deepest...

Our innermost, deepest desires are the most beautiful and powerful desires we have. Often though, it takes a "heartbreaking" event for us to realize that they've been there all along. (Shaarei Teshuva 1.33)

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What can I do...

"What can I do to help others? What can I do to improve my world?" When we ask ourselves questions like these, we open our hearts and discover new talents and intelligence within ourselves.*

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*They came, every one whose heart stirred him, every one whose spirit prompted him ... Shmos 35.21


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Half-dead...

To be set in our ways, blocking all criticism and advice, and unwilling to change is to be half-dead. For our self-growth and greatness lies in us recognizing that we frequently make mistakes, and looking always to improve ourselves. (Chochma v'Mussar 1.65)

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I love you...

Empower yourself. Say-think to the Creator, "I love you." Say-think to everyone you see/remember, "I love you". This is a very powerful tool.*

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* The Torah commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves (VaYikra 19.18), as well as to love the Creator with our entirety (Devarim 6.5).


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