How to Have a Successful Year ...
The secret to success – in every area of life - always lies in the beginning. If we align ourselves properly from the outset and set the compass properly, the remaining portion of the journey or task can be tackled much more easily.
This golden rule applies to each day of our lives. If, upon awakening, we first eat a piece of cheesecake and run to check our e-mail, we allow our basic physical instincts to gain primacy in our lives. As the day lingers on we may find that instead of tackling our duties for the day, the day tackles us with our continual buckling into temptation, laziness, etc.
On the other hand, if we wake up and, contrary to our animal instinct, we spend an hour in meditation, study and prayer, we can then turn even the most difficult encounter during the day into a positive and growing experience. This is because we first aligned our self with the space in our identity that is secure, genuine and idealistic.
If this truth is so evident each day, how much more should this thought resonate at the onset of a year. We are only 11 days away from Rosh Hashana - a fresh new start. Let us take a moment to calculate and focus our spiritual compass. Let us set the direction and course towards our father in heaven. And in this way as the year 5769 rises to greet us, we will be ready and able to tackle the challenge and meet G‑d’s expectation.
Let’s do a mitzvah today!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Raleigh Resnick
