BS’D
We are in this world to change; often that’s challenging and even scary. Rav Kook ztk’l teaches that change is a grounds for positivity since it draws a picture of movement to a better place. Even so, change does mean going into the unknown; something that requires courage. Change also involves giving up something in order to acquire something new; a shedding of the old in place of something different.
Yet Torah requires and instructs us to change; it is one of the greatest challenges to stand strong and admit we must adjust our ways for the sake of self-improvement and further growth. We should learn from the past and apply this wisdom to transform our current reality.
For instance, upon learning the harmful impact stress has on our emotional, spiritual and physical health we should place greater emphasis to deflect it from our lives. It is not enough to simply say “I wish I could change”; we need to work to fix it with greater zeal. We can take 3 minutes a day to deeply breathe in emuna and positivity while exhaling toxic negativity. We can imagine blowing up a balloon and place our anxiety in it and watch it drift away. There are endless techniques to choose from.
When there is a will there is way – that is a Jewish axiom to apply prior to any effort. Check how much you really want to alter your situation. Before attempting to change visualize how great it will be once you reach your goal B’H and pump yourself with exciting energy.
