Author Archives: Daily Dose Of Emuna

BS’D

Increasing gratitude is useful because:

• It’s an instant mood booster and feels great in the moment
• You’re likely to feel closer to friends and family
• You’re likely to enjoy your life more
• It’s good for your physical health
• It’s easier to cope with tough times
• Good things in life don’t stick in our heads as easily as bad events

This last point is really important. When bad things happen, we don’t really forget it, and people can spend a lot of energy thinking about what makes them unhappy. But, if you make an effort to increase how often you experience gratitude, it can balance out some of the negative stuff.

That doesn’t mean:

• You ignore/forget the problems that you have; or
• That the things wrong with your life are unimportant

It just means that good memories will also stick in your mind, so make the effort to think about them as much as possible.

For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS”D

Gratitude helps you to be happier with what you have rather than striving for some vague happiness in the future. As you might have guessed, I think gratitude is a pretty amazing strength, one that will make you more resilient and happier the more you use it. I’m sure you can imagine that it’s highly unusual to find someone who is both negative and grateful. They are like oil and water. Really work on appreciating what you have and see what happens. I am certain that you will see wonders.

For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank You for giving me life!’

BS”D
We are so wired to be wary and negative, so socially acceptable to complain. One of the main reasons gratitude can be difficult to see is that we don’t stop long enough to notice things.

Entrenched negativity is another reason people fail to be grateful. Breaking the habit of being mindless or negative can be difficult and needs a fair amount of training to help recognize the special moments when you could feel gratitude. But the results are worth it.

Opening my eyes to gratitude really does shift something in me. It makes me so much more aware of what is wonderful in my life. It’s changed me from being a fault finder to a merit finder. What about you?

Here is a shiur with great insights on the importance of living a life of gratitude and the meaning of the tefilla Nishmat Kol Chai: CLICK HERE

For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS”D

Gratitude is the foundation of strength

When you feel gratitude, a lot of other strengths can be built on top. For instance, the ability to love and be loved would be difficult, if not impossible, without gratitude. Perspective is a strength that is reinforced by using gratitude. You might be down on your luck with everything working against you, but a bit of gratitude can show you that a lot of other people are worse off than you. Faith and spirituality just don’t hit the mark without gratitude. If you are feeling a little flat and wonder what’s missing in your life, try a little gratitude and see what happens.

For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS”D

Ungrateful Thought

Focusing on reasons for gratitude means focusing on the things that make you happy; that’ll put you in a better mood! It will just give you a more optimistic outlook which will in turn make you feel happier and more grateful. It’s a self-reinforcing cycle, and that’s a good thing. Acknowledge one ungrateful thought per day, and transform it into a grateful one. Here’s an example from my own life:

• Ungrateful Thought: My sister spoke harshly to me today for absolutely no reason. I know that she’s under a lot of stress, but I was over at house helping to take care of her kids. I don’t deserve for her to treat me like that.

• Grateful Thought: My sister is there for me when I need her. I know that I can count on her. I’m lucky to have her as a sister.

Here is a shiur with great insights on the importance of living a life of gratitude and the meaning of the tefilla Nishmat Kol Chai: CLICK HERE

For no particular reason but “Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’

BS”D

Paying a fine

When you catch yourself going into a negative mindset, where you are feeling entitled and complaining, “pay yourself a fine” of finding the good.
What this means is: before you can give an additional complaint, you must first find 3 positive things to say about the situation. Do this whether you are speaking to another person or even if you are just having a conversation in your own head.

My mom used to make my sister and I do this when we were little. When we wanted to complain about something that happened that day, she would encourage us to find 3 positive things that happened, before sharing the negative thing. It helped us put the negative thing into a larger context of good, and helped us learn how to look for the good. Sometimes you have to search hard to find the positive, but it’s worth it.

What if we didn’t wait till these things broke in order to appreciate? What if we felt the gratitude for our health, when we were healthy? What if we appreciated what a helpful blessing it is to have a washing machine or a car when these things are actually working normally.

There is a special blessing in Judaism to make after each time a person uses the bathroom. When I first learned about this, I thought it seemed a bit strange. However, upon deeper exploration, I have come to appreciate the message of this blessing. Giving thanks that all the complex and intricate parts of our body are functioning correctly – that every tube that is meant to be open is open, and every cavity that is meant to be closed is closed – is a simple, yet profound, message of gratitude. Let’s feel grateful for the things that are working in our lives – and not wait until something is broken to appreciate it.

By Yael Zvia Bauer

BS’D

Thanking for what’s not broken

When someone is sick, we automatically pray and hope for their (or our own) speedy recovery. When health is not 100%, we don’t take it for granted and recognize how much we want everything to be working normally. The same is true for more trivial things: when the washing machine or the car breaks, we instantly feel how much we depend on these things, and how much easier they make our lives.

What if we didn’t wait till these things broke in order to appreciate? What if we felt the gratitude for our health, when we were healthy? What if we appreciated what a helpful blessing it is to have a washing machine or a car when these things are actually working normally.

There is a special blessing in Judaism to make after each time a person uses the bathroom. When I first learned about this, I thought it seemed a bit strange. However, upon deeper exploration, I have come to appreciate the message of this blessing. Giving thanks that all the complex and intricate parts of our body are functioning correctly – that every tube that is meant to be open is open, and every cavity that is meant to be closed is closed – is a simple, yet profound, message of gratitude. Let’s feel grateful for the things that are working in our lives – and not wait until something is broken to appreciate it.

By Yael Zvia Bauer

For no particular reason say ‘Thank you Aba, I love You and thank you for giving me life!’