One day, Sam, a poor man came home from work tired and exhausted. He begged The Creator for just a little treasure. All of a sudden, Sam noticed a little purse lying near his feet. A heavenly voice said to him: "Take this purse as a gift from Creator. You will find a single coin inside, and the moment you take it out, another coin will take its place - until you throw the purse into the river. The moment you spend the first coin, the purse will lose its magic powers." By that evening, Sam had succeeded in gathering a full sack of coins from the purse, but there was no bread left in the house, because he would not spend a single coin to buy food for himself. "I will gather another sack of money, and only then throw the purse into the river and begin to spend the coins." That day Sam asked a neighbor for bread and on the following day he went out to beg for bread in the streets, because, as he said, "It won’t do me any harm if I fill another sack with coins before I spend the money and throw the wonderful purse into the river." And so he continued to beg for bread and to gather coins until the end of his days, never spending anything because he did not want to part with his wonderful purse. Sam died a very rich man and his home was filled with sacks of coins - but he died still a poor beggar.

Sam did not realize that in order to truly change his life, he needed more than just money and material possessions. He failed to realize that what he really needed was a different outlook, a change of direction. Even when his wishes/prayers were answered, he was "stuck" in a rut and couldn't see beyond his negative feelings of fear, greed, the self perception that he was nothing but a poor beggar.

Often, like Sam, we don't realize our potential and strengths. We wish to have this, and hope to become that. Then, when our prayers are answered, we forget to enjoy what we have. As a result, we keep it all to ourselves and forget to share with world.

It's easy to get caught up in negativity and self loathing, sometimes it may even give us comfort. But consider this; instead of thinking about what you're missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing. The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible. The difference between can and cannot are only three letters. Three letters that determine your life's direction.

Share your inner light without fear and or doubt. Light is good from whatever lamp it shines.

Wake up & Hear the Shofar!

Exodus 19:19:
וַֽיְהִי֙ ק֣וֹל הַשֹּׁפָ֔ר הוֹלֵ֖ךְ וְחָזֵ֣ק מְאֹ֑ד מֹשֶׁ֣ה יְדַבֵּ֔ר וְהָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים יַֽעֲנֶ֥נּוּ בְקֽוֹל
And when the voice of the shofar sounded long, and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and Creator answered him by a voice.

The sound of the shofar at the giving of the Torah has never ended. It continues and becomes stronger from generation to generation. It calls upon Israel and the people of the nations of the world to fulfill the commandments of Creator, to be loving and kind, which gladden the heart and enlighten the eyes.

This year especially, let us use the sound of the Shofar as a wakeup call - a way to bring us back to civility and compassion, love and light. Let us reach out to those in need; those in physical need and those who need our extra love and support emotionally.

The time has come for us to stop labeling people as “this” or “that,” and start putting ourselves in the other’s shoes. Love does not discriminate and neither should we! The Almighty created each and every one of us as we need to be (in the Divine image). We need to embrace diversity and realize that true/pure love has no boundaries.

Let the Shofar remind us that we should Never under estimate the power of love & light. A little word of encouragement, a hug, a smile, are just a few of the actions we can take to make someone else’s life better and ultimately enrich our own journey. Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything, so think before you say something or take action. Survival requires a source of self-respect, self-awareness, and self-honesty. Find a balance point before reaching out, and fill your heart with warmth, passion and compassion.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev said: “Some people hear the shofar of Rosh Hashanah all year, and some hear the sound of the shofar which was blown when the Torah was given all the days of their lives.”

Let us stop hitting the snooze button any longer so that we may fully experience the joys of living in peace and harmony as brothers and sisters.
May the voice of the shofar become louder and louder, and may we Wake Up to a brighter more loving day.

Remember us in Life, Ruler who creates our lives; inscribe us in The Book of Life, Creator of Life.