Most of the week, we spend our time dissecting, and noticing the negative things around us. This is my space to attempt to get us all to devote some real time (at least a few hours) to thinking, and being positive.
I found this article very interesting and hope you do as well. I have posted sections of it below (with a few personal changes). Although it was written by, and for Jews, I believe its message transcends religion – It is “change I can believe in”TM.
Either way, enjoy the Open Thread.
_________________________________________
The camera caught a glimpse into a life that had, in many senses, vanished before it even began. A child, who could not have been more than three or four years old, was carrying building materials…in today’s Sudan, he — and his parents — are slaves.
His owner looked at him and saw two arms that will grow larger and stronger. It is not likely that they saw a mind or a soul. The child had no idea of the name of his country, or his village. Looking at him from my home in Jerusalem, I mourned for his childhood far more than he did. I silently wished that he would somehow be able to return to himself and learn that he is more than his two strong arms.
In the course of our lives, we close doors to higher and deeper selves and sometimes forget that we, too, are more than earners, spenders, and travelers through life. Our thoughtless enslavement to mindless routine can leave us without much of a relationship to our souls. In a materialistic society, it is all too easy to view others as competitors. As toddlers we observed that when you have three cookies and give one away, all you have left are two. From that point onward we are afraid to give.
The problem is that the soul, unlike the body, thrives on giving, and on the love that is its offspring.
This is the problem. The solution is teshuva, a hebrew word which means “return”. Through teshuva we learn to re-establish a relationship as God’s creations. It is a way in which we learn who we are, and where we are. There are three primary steps to teshuva. Let’s go through them one by one.
CONFESSION
The first step is confession to God. In concrete terms, this means examining our lives and honestly admitting to our mistakes and to the possibility of having wasted opportunities for growth.
One method of doing this is to divide your life into eras (childhood, teen years, young adulthood, marriage, career, parenting, middle-age, etc) and spending time with a notebook going over each era. Ask yourself: “What did I learn from this?” — not: “How did I feel?” nor: “Whose fault is it?” When you finish, review what you have learned. When you look at the negative things you have done, look for patterns. Once you have a sense of what the patterns look like, you can confess not only the actions that you now regret, but also the underlying causes of choosing those actions.
The purpose of this confession is to help us regain our true identity, by seeing ourselves as we are, and asking God to help us heal the damage we have done to ourselves. We can’t erase the imprint of our choices, but when we do teshuva honestly, we can opens doors that we may have locked years ago, erasing the negative impact of our choices.
REGRET
The second step is regret, which entails a disassociation with negative patterns to the point where they are demystified and repugnant. Regret and guilt are not the same thing. Guilt creates paralysis. Regret creates redefinition. Guilt is passive – e.g. I can’t deal with this right now. I think I’ll eat chocolate and go to sleep. Regret is active -e.g. I must deal with this right now. So, I think I’ll call so-and-so and see what my next step should be. Regret leads to release from the prison of self-limiting behavior. Guilt goes nowhere, and is so unpleasant that we tend to blame anyone available — just to liberate ourselves from its violent grip on our souls.
RESOLUTION TO CHANGE
The third step is making changes within you that are so real that the old patterns will slowly fade. Eventually the day will come when old choices are just plain unappealing. This is analogous to our no longer biting a friend who annoyed us as was our practice at the age of two.
But, how do we change our patterns? There isn’t one answer for everyone, but the following are a few suggestions. Use whatever works for you, and recognize that as you change, methods that worked at one time in your life may not work forever. You will need to change methods now and again.
Method 1: Daily Accounting: Once you identify your patterns, and you sense which traits are the underlying cause of your errors, learn as much about the trait as you can. The point of gathering information is to find a sentence that really resonates. This should become your mantra. Every day of “week one,” look at the key phrase first thing in the morning. Repeat it a number of times. Keep an accounting of how many “slip-ups” you have.
Does it seem childish? Yes! Does it work? Yes — and with startling rapidity. Within 40 days, you will begin to see dramatic results, even with traits that you have lived with your entire life. Of course if you don’t continue the process, the results fade.
Method 2: Maimonides’ Method
1. Picture yourself in a moment of failure due to your inability (or lack of desire) to overcome whatever negative trait(s) are the source of your difficulties. Now picture yourself responding to the same situation in an entirely different way. It is important to actually visualize these two scenes so that the emotional self, which is moved by imagery, will be as involved as the intellectual self. 2. Ask a critical question: Since the gap between how I would like to respond and how I actually respond is so great, what can I do concretely today to narrow the gap? 3. Be careful to see that the steps are small enough to be comfortably attainable, and big enough to actually generate change. 4. Once you are at home with the first step, be sure to take a second step. 5. Go beyond where you would like to be. For instance, if your problem is anger, aim at serenity, not merely at “not losing my temper.”
Method 3: Turn to God
Don’t focus on yourself. Don’t chart your behavior. Turn to God directly, openly, passionately, in your own language. Ask Him to free you from the prison you have erected around yourself. Tell Him where you have been, what you have done, and how you now know that you have done great harm to yourself and to others. Tell Him about the times you have tried to change and failed, and how you now acknowledge that He loves you and has given you life, and that only He can help you.
Make this a daily practice in which you include Him in every aspect of your journey.
Tags: African slavery, Change, G-d, Positivity, Shabbat, Teshuva
In the spirit of good things, I am going to make a personal appeal for a charity I like.
HOWEVER, please do not be swayed in any way by my position here as an Admin. If you help do so out of the goodness of your own heart.
There is an organization that I can honestly say had the largest impact for good in my life. It has placed me on the right path of G-d, and made me exponentially a better person. They have instilled in me a strong yearning for compassion, the big picture, kindness, the desire for righteousness, mercy, and above all faith. I really cannot say enough good things about them. That organization is Aish Ha’Torah (specifically AISH Los Angeles).
Like most people, and most not-for-profit organizations these days, they could use some donations/help so they can continue to do their important work.
All they ask is $38. If you can, please make this needed donation.
Here is some good news.
From: Israel Matzav
re: #2 by bar
Sounds like the Israelis got the message Obama intended clearly enough.
Now, if only American Jews would catch on…
And don’t scorn the small stuff that can mean a lot. If you live where it’s safe to, help a stranded driver — a phone call, a couple of gallons of water or quarts of oil can save smeone’s day (and maybe car).
A buck to buy a kid a toy at a yard sale can bring a smile. So can a smile by itself! Heck, just being polite to a waitress or retail clerk can make someone’s bad day better.
re: #4 by Empire1
Do I know you?
re: #5 by WrathofG-d
Well, we were both at 1.0 at the same time. Otherwise, I don’t think so, unless you perhaps live in Lower Delaware.
What I really dig about this site is the good balance between the secular and spiritual. And as usual I’m always pleased when Wrath and bar bring a spiritual perspective from the Jewish and Christian faith respectively as a satisfying repose from the insanity that dominates the social construct we have to deal with daily.
There are times I want to throw may hands up and give in to what is happening to the world about us, but it is these posts and my own personal devotion that won’t allow it.
I found out long ago that to understand others we must first understand ourselves. We are one and all the same with the same potential desires, temperaments, goals, emotions and satisfactions that shape us for life. There are more and I only skim the surface of the many aspects of the nefesh and neshema. That is the soul and spirit of man.
For the daily accounting it means to me sincere prayer that I can become better than the day before in light of the truths handed down by the Eternal.
As to the Maimonides method I am warmly pleased that this is very close the dichotomy and quandary Paul of Tarsus found himself subject to. He lays it out in his letter to the Romans chapter 7. Basically he found that he wanted to do good but found in himself something that hijacked his attempt to do so. It was an ongoing battle and he ultimately gave in and relied on the mercy of God. Praise the Lord.
And to the last point. The only resolution for man to ever find peace within himself as he looks at the toils that encompass him in this daily battle is to turn to God for relief for the benefit of self. And after that it can be played forward. This was after all the lesson taught by Abraham. He was willing to sacrifice his son for what he believed even after his seed, Isaac, was proclaimed a promise. We must never forget mercy is better than sacrifice and Abraham learned that at a level we may never know.
God bless you Wrath.
I found out this week that Sharmuta and Killgore Trout are both dumber than Mike Tyson.
I thank the good people here for enlightening me.
Argh. Kennedy memorial service is on. Time for a channel change!
re: #4 by Empire1
I agree with that, but all that you said is a natural, or rather spiritual, consequence of practicing devotion to God.
re: #9 by Empire1
I’m waiting for Carter to die before I celebrate. When that old monster finally goes to the hell he so richly deserves, I’ll light a (Roman) candle for his soul. Maybe set off some firecrackers, even pass out candy.
I hope Kennedy repented before he died and Carter does the same before his demise.
re: #9 by Empire1
My only regret is they have preempted Beck.
re: #7 by song_and_dance_man
Thank you Song & Dance Man.
One of the things I enjoy about religion, is the constant having in mind to improve: yourself, and the world around you.
Is this possible without G-d? Fine, sure but no, not really.
Religion, and the search to understand G-d, and live in the way of G-d, is so much deeper, and real than anything I have tried to do without G-d ,and Judaism.
I’m not trying to convince anyone, as there are many fantastic not-religious people (well, actually what they tend to not realize is that they are following religion without knowing it) but I have no doubt that their experience would be expanded with G-d in mind.
I’m watching the Kennedy thing and Joe II just noted health care was Ted’s concern. Now he is on to pushing again ObamaCare. This is really beyond the bounds of remembering the deceased in grace. They are using it as a platform for politics.
re: #10 by song_and_dance_man
That, I don’t know about. I do know that a lot of folks forget about the small stuff — if they can’t endow a foundation (exaggeration-for-effect), they think there’s nothing worthwhile they can do.
I found a great speech titled “Winning the Cultural War” given by Charleton Heston to the students of the Harvard Law School Forum in Feb. of ‘99. It ends:
re: #15 by song_and_dance_man
Did you see the Wellstone
funeralpep-rally? The Democrats know no bounds of propriety. It’ll be interesting to see if they get away with it.Speaking of getting away with it, the new Mark Steyn is to, ahem, die for:
Things only a Kennedy could get away with
I would have surrendered to despair long ago were it not for God! I grovel in my gratitude as I am that thankful HE thought I was worth saving through His Son!
re: #16 by Empire1
The basic rule of the Law given to Moses for man is to love God and your neighbor as yourself. That is the basis of the Law and all the codes enforce it, and if one fulfills it, that ’small stuff’ is a natural consequence.
If you can elaborate on the foundation endowments I might be able to answer more clearly to what you’re hinting at.
re: #11 by Iron Fist
I’m afraid I’ll just mostly feel relief when Carter heads for his next incarnation, but I’ll admit to enjoying the thought of his next time around being scattered into a mass of planktonic whale fodder.
Mr. E was assigned to the Presidential Air Fleet when it was supposedly dispanded/actually reassigned to Ramstein in Germany. Every time he opened his big mouth, the exchange rate dropped and we lost money. ::sigh::
re: #15 by song_and_dance_man
Wellstone Memorial redux, you’re saying?
re: #15 by song_and_dance_man
re: #18 by Iron Fist
And they slam us for remembering the real man rather than pretending he was some sort of saint or something! Shameless!
re: #18 by Iron Fist
I saw that. And it is no different now.
It gets worse. Joe II ended his eulogy with a campaign like call push for health care.
They use the death of their own to push socialism. Ted was a pol and all those speaking so far are entrenched in the workings of government. So it follows that the speakers so far are pushing an agenda rather than about the man as an individual who has passed on to another existence. What does that say about what they think he has now that he passed on?
re: #19 by vapig
{vapig}
re: #20 by song_and_dance_man
Foundation endowments, as I said, was exaggeration for effect … the basic meaning was that for many people, if they can’t do something big, like setting up a charitable foundation or “adopting” an overseas orphan, don’t think it’s worth bothering to do anything at all.
I think the big stuff in important, sure, but the everyday small stuff is at least as important and much more accessible.
Beyond the headlines of war, and violence, the claims of racism, and apartheid, the disingenuous attempts to turn her into a one beat drum, when she is really more of a full orchestra of different attitudes, lifestyles, colors, backgrounds….
The Real Israel!
re: #19 by vapig
Going from the precepts of the truths from the entry that Wrath posted I must say yes. I agree.
Yeshua fulfilled the Law.
re: #25 by goddessoftheclassroom
{{GOTC}}
How was your first week of school?
re: #29 by vapig
It was WONDERFUL! I have fantastic students. I really think this will be one of the best years EVER!
Heh heh,my congress crook who has been hiding all summer must be feeling the heat.Just received a cordial invite to his next townhall.This is a first.
re: #28 by song_and_dance_man
ehhhhh……NO!
re: #30 by goddessoftheclassroom
I’m delighted to hear that! Are you doing plays this year?
re: #28 by song_and_dance_man
I wasn’t prostilatizing (sp), I was just expressing what God has done for me in my own personal life. I was just giving credit where I felt credit was due.
But, yes! I BELIEVE Christ was God’s only begotten Son, that He fulfilled the Law and that He died for my (and evrybody else’s) sins.
Ok I would love to continue the fight I just picked with Song & Dance Man re: the main difference between being a Christian or a Jew (which would not have been resolved anyway as he isn’t going to be convinced, and he couldn’t convince me) but I must go prepare for the Holy Shabbat!
NOTE: I do not know this Rabbi (in the video) nor his organization.
re: #30 by goddessoftheclassroom
Oh that is wonderful! I think you have one of the hardest jobs, ever (and being a mom, you have the other hardest job!)! Sometimes they break your heart, but at other times when you reach them it must be so rewarding.
You are a blessing!
re: #26 by Empire1
Ah yes. Now I understand.
I was an administrator and minster in a group in SoCal and they identified other groups that spent more money on administering the funds and so less money went to those they attempted to help.
I experienced this in another way on an advisory board where funds were channeled to others who were not really doing the real work that others were with less money, but it was taken from the real effectors and given to good ‘ol boys.
I resigned from the local Board just after that.
/cough…United Way
re: #31 by vagabond trader
He’s probably bussing in a bunch of ACORN/SEIU types to ask “questions”, chant in unison, and display the “proper” Face of the Peepull. With the Black Panthers to keep order. Could be fun
re: #31 by vagabond trader
{{VT}}
You going???
re: #34 by vapig
No, you weren’t proselytizing! That was just telling a personal story, one which makes me happy for you. (I think the term is witnessing, but don’t quote me!)
re: #33 by Empire1
{Empire1}
Yep! I’m holding auditions Tuesday.
re: #37 by song_and_dance_man
Wow! Back in the 80’s I worked for a company where donating to the United Way was totally compulsary. Literally, we had no choice!
re: #39 by vapig
{Vapig}
Yup,have to get a sign and some questions together.Even people in this red state are ripped at his tactics.Time to get into mobsta mode,lol.
re: #38 by Iron Fist
I hope they are, in fact I hope some of my hubbys union AFL CIO “brothers” are among them. I’ll give them hell and it wouldn’t be the first time.
re: #40 by Empire1
re: #32 by WrathofG-d
I think we are both resolved that our disagreement will find no absolution on either side.
You have said before there can be nothing that will persuade you otherwise, yet I hope that will not close either of our ears on both sides from listening.
There is hope for both of us yet.
re: #43 by vagabond trader
Sic em!
re: #42 by vapig
They are as crooked as ACORN.I put a stop to the husbands “tithing” to UW years ago.
re: #42 by vapig
Compulsory voluntary contributions may make a comeback if we don’t get the Democrats out of power. And compulsory voluntary community service, compulsory voluntary “diversity”, and, best of all, compulsory voluntary voting for the only political Party that (dares) run for office.
Won’t that be nice?
re: #35 by WrathofG-d
Ha. If that was a fight picker then you don’t know me that well.
There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with me.
/no thin skin here
re: #42 by vapig
They try where I now work. Even if we don’t contribute we are obliged to fill paperwork to the effect of NO.
/done with United Way
“There are some folks out there who are, frankly, bearing false witness.”
the chamele0n has spoken………..
…..by the way, has he chosen a church yet?
re: #50 by song_and_dance_man
Union?
Anyone recall that schmuckie johnson forgave La Raza for renouncing their past? Well it was obviously just words.
http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2009/08/28/aclu-la-raza-ask-obama-to-stop-immigration-enforcement-agreements-with-local-cops/
Think he’ll have a thread on this? Me neither.
re: #41 by goddessoftheclassroom
Yay! I remember you being delighted to be able to actually put the plays on, instead of “just” reading parts in class … and wishing I’d had you as a teacher, since mine never tried to make things so interesting.
What play are you doing?
re: #51 by IslandLibertarian
Why sure he has, but shhhh, don’t tell.
http://www.churchofsatan.com/
re: #53 by P
He is much too busy exposing Glenn Beck as being a patriot.
re: #47 by vagabond trader
I was a flaming lefty back then and they gave you a “choice” of where the money went. It wasn’t much (money taken out of every paycheck for the entire year) but now that I look back on it, it really infuriates me!
re: #57 by vapig
My husband was duped at work by the flipping union.They make you feel like a piker if you don’t give every week.I suspect the union bosses get a kickback in this case.
re: #48 by Iron Fist
The senior center I go to recently had a high school girl on “voluntary community service” (required to graduate)at the reception desk. She made no secret of the fact that she didn’t want to be there, and did a very poor job (SURPRISE!).
I was the only one who took her part when she got criticism while I was there, pointing out that she had no choice, so what could anyone expect? I managed to avoid being sarcastic, and asking for a definition of unpaid compulsory labor …
She was gone (”fired”) the following week.
re: #52 by vagabond trader
No Union, but it is a local government job and that says enough.
re: #60 by song_and_dance_man
Often the same diff.
re: #48 by Iron Fist
No!
re: #54 by Empire1
This is the one:
http://www.dramaticpublishing.com/p1287/Romeo-and-Juliet&%238212;Together-%28and-Alive!%29-at-Last/product_info.html
Now I must get to bed–I’m fading fast! Take care, y’all!
re: #50 by song_and_dance_man
Wow! That’s exactly what this company used to do. They said there would be no repurcussions if you didn’t contribute, but we quickly learned that raises and promotions weren’t going to be forthcoming if you didn’t contribute.
re: #61 by vagabond trader
Yep. Boy or rather Girl, the stories I could tell. But I am bound by an oath and then an ethic.
/that conduct thing is a real killer of the truth
So President Wee Weed is giving the eulogy. What a dog and pony show.
re: #59 by Empire1
Ah, that would be
slaverydoing one’s Socialist Citizen’s Duty, Товарищ!re: #65 by song_and_dance_man
I know,the old man has been working for the feds or municipality for over thirty years.Almost done,thank G-d.
re: #67 by Iron Fist
You got it, good buddy!
re: #59 by Empire1
With all this talk of “serving the community” and “days of service” and these programs in the schools where they are forcing kids to “serve” I’m not really sure these kids and everybody else realize that what they (donks) are actually advocating is slavery!
re: #63 by goddessoftheclassroom
Good night GOTC! God Bless you!
re: #64 by vapig
/kickback
I am reminded of the Guildmasters words in Dune.
‘I was not here, I did not say that.’
Or something like that. It’s been a while since I read the books.
re: #72 by song_and_dance_man
Yeppers!
re: #70 by vapig
I’m quite sure the authorities would deny any accusation of slavery, and insist they were instilling “community virtue” or some such euphemism, but I’m not one for euphemisms … unpaid involuntary labor is slavery, plain and simple.
Tokenly paid involuntary labor isn’t much better, either, even when they call it civic duty.
Back around “90 -“91 while I was working for IBM in Clear Lake, Tx., A few of us started looking into United Way or as we later called it United Ripoff. We found out that it didn’t matter what organization you said you wanted your donation to go to. UW set the budget for all groups under its umbrella, if a group took in more outside donations than the budget allowed for, they had to turn the extra money over to UW. The final straw was when we found out that the chairwoman of the Gulf Coast United Way was married to a top exec at NASA and was collecting a salary of over $250k.
When they came around for the big PR push for the year we confronted the UW shills with the facts. (Early fact checking) They missed their goal by a bunch that year, management was NOT happy and we were all called on the carpet about it. It was pretty funny, looking back, they complained, but had no answer to our charges. They especially did not like our, “When she donates her time for no salary, we’ll donate our time and money also.” Her husband was earning over $300k at the time and we felt it was scummy for them to take advantage of other peoples generosity.
By a strange coincidence, we all got laid off at the end of ’92. I have no regrets, nor do any of the others that I still keep in contact with.
I just watched Glen Beck for the second week. There was no insane going on. No bircherism at all. Just an Amercian not wanting a marxist government. I thought he made a lot of good points and expressed them well for the media.
I think I’ll write Fox in support of him. All the attacks and slurs on him are pretty immoral fuzzy thought activities. The type of people you don’t want to visit you at home.
I see people saying that Obamas associations from 10 years ago shouldn’t be held against him. If that is the rule then, the same needs to be applied to fascists and marxists alike.
Friends with David Duke 20 years ago? irrelevant to any discussion in modern politics. It’s the Obama standard you know.
re: #75 by Bordm
United Way is indeed a ripoff. There was a site somewhere that listed the most effective charities in the country. I think one was OXfam, I would have to go look it up again.
I think the Salvation Army does better work.
re: #77 by orangecrush
It is indeed. I have firsthand knowledge of this on a local level. They, UW, refused to once again fund a local effort that was administered by the Salvation Army. They moved the money to others and told us there was no need to duplicate the work that others could do better. The money went to upstarts.
Charity is a crap shoot unless one sends it to locals who are intent on serving the poor.
Empire1 was right.