LIGHT FROM DARKNESS

The great kabbalists were known to use frequently their visions to know people’s prayers to the Creator, as well as the response. One Yom Kippur, the highest day of the year, after the prayers and services were concluded, a kabbalist turned to his student, an over-worked pub owner, and said, “I know what you asked the Creator for. In the evening, you asked the Creator to provide you with all the money you would need to support your family at the beginning of the year so that you could quit the pub and work full time at sharing and growing spiritually.

“The next morning, you rethought your request, realizing all that money upfront would be too much responsibility, and you amended your plea, asking for half up front and half six months later. In the afternoon, you changed your mind yet again, this time asking that the money be spread out over quarterly payments.

“Do you want to know the Creator’s answer?” The student just sat there in excited anticipation, awaiting the teacher’s prophecy.

“The Creator says He already has thousands of angels without a care in the world, whose sole purpose is to be righteous and to look out for others every second of the day. He doesn’t need you for that. What He does need you for is to grab five minutes of Light in the midst of your challenging day, to share with someone when you don’t want to – or don’t have the time. This is why you were born, for these very moments of taking Light out of darkness.”

Most of us perceive life’s purpose upside down. We think we are achieving our purpose when our days are going well and we are inspired. But when things are not going well, we sort of write them off, assuming that as long as we have enough good days of growth and sharing, then we are in good shape, spiritually-speaking.

At its core, this is a false view of reality. As the Zohar says, “Light is only Light when it comes out of darkness.” When we grab a few minutes of sharing and go outside ourselves in the midst of difficulty, we are revealing the most powerful Light and fulfilling our purpose.

Five minutes of sharing and making the effort on a difficult day are worth all the hours of good deeds done on a perfect day. Yes, what you do on a good day is essential because it enables you to have clarity in the darkness. But the illumination is not nearly as bright as connections and sharing done during tough times.

The next time you are having a difficult day (and truth be told, there is some darkness in every day) remind yourself, “This is why I am here,” and then go and see what you can do to grab a few minutes of sharing, of thinking of another person, and of connecting to the Light. This is what life’s all about.

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Michael

As I See Myself

One of the most powerful lessons I have learned is that we can all be doing so much more. We can be doing more to help the world, more for our loved ones, and more for ourselves. The reason we don’t is because we think we’re insignificant.

Many of us downplay who we are, feeling we are just small cogs in a much larger wheel. Change the world? Please. That’s for presidents, world leaders, celebrities, and holy men. I’m just one person. What can I do?

And even for those of us who do believe we can make a difference, the truth is that we don’t really appreciate how much we can do.

The reality is (and this is a profound lesson) our self-perception can diminish or increase our power. We are as powerful as we believe we are. Our thoughts and view of ourselves, conscious or subconscious, determines who we are and how much power we wield.

Unfortunately, oftentimes we don’t see ourselves as significant, and this is manifested in our actions. We treat others – or ourselves – poorly because we don’t think what we do matters in any real or lasting way. Or we do not push ourselves to do even small positive actions because at the end of the day we don’t know our real power. This then becomes who we are.

On a spiritual level, this means the next time we pray for somebody or seek to bring blessings and assistance to ourselves and others, we have a weakened ability to effect change. The Light says to us, “Remember what you thought yesterday? If you are not all that important, then you are not all that powerful, and I cannot give you the Light to truly create change. Your actions clearly show that you do not see yourself as significant.”

When we know we are purposeful, powerful, and possessing of the ability to influence others, then we don’t allow ourselves to fall into the petty traps of acting small. We are careful even to avoid the slightest negative actions because we know our small behaviors are significant. Conversely, we push ourselves to do tiny positive things because we know that for a soul as magnificent as ours, every action is large.

When we view ourselves in this way, the Light of the Creator views us and interacts with us in a similar fashion. And then our words, prayers, blessings, and actions become powerful and capable of creating great things. Again, this is because how we view ourselves is how the Creator views us. When we see ourselves as powerful and purposeful, our words and actions become imbued with tremendous spiritual forces.

This week, if you feel yourself about to do something negative and small, stop yourself and remember your importance. If you are struggling with whether or not to do a positive action, even a small one, say to yourself, “I need to do this because what I do has far-reaching consequences.”

Practice this thought process often and it will make you powerful in the truest sense, as well as create a change in who you are. Remember, “When I see myself as significant and powerful, I receive assistance from the Light to make significant and powerful changes.

As I see myself, I am.”