This is a reader-submitted post. We so appreciate your contribution! This is a really helpful and thorough review. The last thing people want to discuss after Tisha B’Av is Tisha B’Av. It’s the day when we set aside the distractions of life and look tragedy in the eye. It’s a day of discomfort – all of the inuyim are …
Here’s a piece of advice I’ve heard from a few people, including the inimitable Lori Palatnik: When faced with a dilemma, or when life gets overwhelming and throws a lot at you at once, ask yourself: What would I tell a friend in this situation? And the voice in your head will shift to calming, bracing mode… Get some sleep. …
The Jewish calendar has a time of year for every kind of emotional experience, a time when we can fully live the part of ourselves that is most in tune with that spiritual koach. This rhythmic cycle of the calendar keeps all of us in balance, allowing us to live the whole spectrum of human experience. On a global …
A thought occurred to me over vacation (long car ride, many thoughts). 🙂 How do we maintain perspective and see our lives with a broad lens when it’s so natural to focus on the things we don’t have? Maybe we can learn this balance from tefillah. A complete formulation of tefillah includes shevach, hoda’ah, and bakasha — praise, thanks, and …
My friend and travel buddy is getting married in August, so last week we took advantage of our freedom and headed up to the Laurentians for two days. “Two?!” you ask, incredulously. “That long drive up the Thruway for only two days’ vacation?” To that I answer, “Absolutely! This place and I go way back. It was worth every …
Here is a journaling technique from Journal to the Self, by Kathleen Adams, called “Perspectives.” This is a great technique to try if you want to break out of the feeling of “stuckness” and see different aspects of your life with fresh eyes. Some ideas of how to write from a new perspective: When making a decision, write as …
I’ve been blogging for about a year and a half now (this was my first post and here is more on how it all got started), and so I wrote a bit about what goes on behind the scenes. Here is a little interview with myself: Why a blog? Because it’s the easiest and most independent way to just …
My sister tells me over from her seminary teacher: We don’t need birthday parties to confirm that the world is better for having us in it. It’s the truth every day of the year! So there’s that, if partying is not your thing. For my most recent birthday, I was going to do a boat ride and a restaurant with a couple …
We’re pretty big on giving advice around here ;-). But it’s been a number of years since I came home from seminary, and I’ve thought about the things that would have been helpful to hear at age 19. It’s quite possible that I actually did hear them but just didn’t internalize them at the time. I do remember that that …
Here’s what I love about being an adult: you can do things. Not that you have to do things, but that you have the power to do them if you really want to. If you don’t like your job or your field, you can change it. If you want to ditch everyone and check into a hotel for a week, …
