Showing Kindness

We reach the highest spiritual worlds specifically by learning to be considerate and showing kindness to the people around us. (Hakdama L'Zohar, Baal HaSulam, 15)

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Feel like, Need to

There's what we feel like doing, and then there's what we need to do, that which leads to self-growth, enriching our families and communities. The ideal is when what we feel like doing and what we need to do are the same. This we achieve when we focus on the wonderful fruits our right actions produce. (Based on Ohr HaChaim, Devarim 7.12)

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Role Play

Children play at being Queen of Europe -- President of the Americas -- Field Marshall of Asia -- Princess of Africa. As they play these roles, they become great, important people. From their game, they are noble and wise, powerful and pleasing.

We have other role models, larger even than such political figures -- our precious fathers and mothers: Avraham, Yitzchak and Yakov, Sara, Rivka, Rachel and Leah. Moreover, the list goes on: Moshe, our teacher; Devora, the prophet; King David; Queen Esther, and on through our history to present-day sources of inspiration.

Like children, we should strive to be these personalities -- play their role, copy their modes of behavior, the attitudes and conduct we understand them to have. Like children, let us imagine our way to greatness, not to lord over others, but to be warm, special people. Let us imagine our road to personal achievement, with belief, sincerity, patience. Let us be all that we want to be.

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Magical World

Enter the magical world of your mind, the palaces, the gardens, the forests, the beauty. Draw great pleasure from this world as you uncover within it your special friend, the Creator of all.

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An Art

Throw a ball to the sky. It rises higher, higher -- then it begins to fall. It cannot escape the force of gravity. Similarly, we cannot escape our ingrained nature, our habits and attitudes. With effort and time though, we can improve all that we are.

Happiness is an art. We must learn it in theory, then through practice. The better we understand its tools, the better we may use them. True mastery however, requires skill and practice. A top musician trains daily to maintain and improve his level. In the same way, we must work daily to acquire happiness.

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Not to worry

When we have nothing to worry about, it's no great feat not to worry. To prove our level of trust, we need not to worry when there is plenty to worry about. Of such an achievement, we can take pride.

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Divine Qualities

The Creator is the perfection of all attitudes, of all attributes. He is the perfect King. He is perfect happiness. Our task then, is to become as much like the Creator as we can. And in achieving this goal, we become kings -- we are happy.

This can be our focus when we stand before the Creator, when we talk to Him. As we praise Him, as we raise Him, as we identify and add up His divine qualities -- so we draw closer to Him. And in drawing closer to Him, we adopt for ourselves -- to an ever-greater degree -- these qualities within ourselves. The same qualities we picture in the Creator -- become ours. We promote the Creator -- and in promoting Him, we promote ourselves.

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We can be happy

We may dream of marvelous, rosy, glistening futures. To be happy though, is to enjoy the dream. We may plan elaborate, complex designs, actions. To be happy though, is to enjoy the planning. We may train, toil, climb, even pant for air. Still we can be happy. We may be waiting, lying sleeplessly -- we may be helping the helpless -- still we can be happy. It's within our minds, within our hearts and within our words to be happy, now.

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All a gift

Let's try, for at least a few minutes each day, to remember that all that we have, all that we are, and all that happens to us through our day is all a gift from the heavens. Then, let's say thank you, and smile.

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Be a King

Press your finger on the Happiness Button. Watch the button light up. See your life -- your world -- change color, glow with light, with joy. Now press the button again. Keep pressing that button during the day. For inside it there's a spring and it won't stay down by itself. We need to keep pushing it throughout our day.

Press your finger on the King/Queen Button. Watch it light up. Experience a good feeling, a self-respect pouring into your heart, into your mind. With such an attitude you enjoy wholeness, serenity and inner-peace. You can handle anything. You can walk through your day with self-assurance and dignity.

We decide how we feel about ourselves -- about the people around us -- about the challenges Hashem sends us each day. We decide whether we are happy or not. We decide our attitudes, our responses. We can live our day with purpose and achievement. We simply need to press that button.

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Winning

If 500 people run the same race, can there be more than one winner? No, and yes. If winning means receiving a gold medal, the answer is no. But, if winning means participating in the race, living new experiences -- the answer is yes. If winning means learning what we never knew before, embracing, loving life -- then all 500 runners can be winners. Moreover, to be happy is greater than any gold medal.

Striving to win in material terms need not take away from our happiness. To win life's gold medal is to earn firm, tangible physical gains. On the other hand, to be happy is to win life's emotional/spiritual race. They need not clash.

Winning in material terms is about striving for future successes. Being happy is about loving life -- as it is -- in the present. They need not clash.

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How important

How important is all that we do? It depends -- it depends on how much importance we give to all we do.

In other words, even our least action, our smallest word, our lightest thought, becomes important when we consider it important.

Our every exertion, our every move, contributes towards building us -- making us into all that we are. In a top device, a hi-tech marvel, the smallest connector plays a role, the least plastic chip is important. So it is with ourselves -- we dare not downplay any part of our lives.If we consider all that we do as being great, we are great. But when we consider our deeds small, we cause ourselves to shrink.

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When we start seeing

We reach an important landmark in our personal growth and development when we start seeing the wellbeing of others as our wellbeing, the success of others as our success. (Based on VaYikra 19.18)

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Be Happy

How can we become extremely wealthy -- richer even than the great billionaires? The solution lies in a two-word formula: be happy.True, this is easier said than done. Still, it's not that hard to be happy -- it's not impossible. What we need is to enjoy life -- as it is -- now.In other words, our toast may burn, or we may have no toast at all -- worse, our health, physical and/or financial may suffer -- worse, a horrible, cruel war may storm around us -- still, we can choose to be happy. And in being absolutely, totally happy, we have all that the world has to offer us.This doesn't mean that we do nothing to change our present. We may need to run, we may need to fight, we may need to call out -- still we can be happy. We can be happy with all that we are and all that we have, now.

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Every life situation...

Every life situation teaches and helps us to adjust our lives a little. This, we hope, is only and always for the better.

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To make our world...

We can focus our efforts to make our world all-okay. Or, we can turn to the Creator to make our world all-okay. Or, we can try, somehow, to combine the two together.

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To see...

To see destruction and tragedy all around us, is to destroy ourselves, and our lives. To see wonders and goodness around us, is to become ourselves wonderful, good people. (Based on Esther 8.6)

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Lessons...

Life wants us to improve ourselves. For this reason, it sends us lessons. If we learn and adopt for ourselves these lessons, good. If not, we need to hear them again. (Mishle 17.10)

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An Example...

The greatest gift we can give to others is to be a good example to them. (Heard)

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