Our lives are accompanied by a soundtrack. We add and delete songs over time, but some artists join us for major parts of the journey, and we may not realize how impactful they become. I was 20 and in my senior year of college when I heard that Harry Chapin had died. I was shocked …
The Powerful Impact of Creating a Soundtrack for Your Life Read More »
Why are you here in a physical body living on Earth? Asked another way, what is the spiritual purpose of your life…or mine, for that matter? I recorded the YouTube video for this post as I prepared to travel to New York to visit my mother one final time. For two years, I’ve thought each …
Why You Must Fulfill Your Spiritual Purpose in this Lifetime Read More »
The death of a father always influences a child’s life even if that parent is lost in adulthood. When the loss occurs early in life, it can impact the person in significant ways. Hide My Tears My father, zikhrono livrakha (of blessed memory), died when I was seven. I have a vague recollection of coming home …
Today I learned that Reb Meshullam Zalman Hiyyeh Schachter-Shalomi, the founder of the Jewish Renewal movement, passed from this earth plane to another realm. My feelings about Judaism and my approach to Jewish practice and observance have been profoundly affected by the Jewish Renewal movement, and, therefore, by Reb Zalman. Yet, I only once sat in a …
Today another young man in my children’s school took his life. (This is not the first, and it is the second that my daughter has known well.) Some people on Facebook were commenting on this tragedy…we were trying to understand why children feel the need to take their lives. There never seems a good reason. …
It’s a Jewish tradition when someone dies to say, “May his or her memory be for blessing.” The actual honorific is “of blessed memory,” a translation of the Hebrew “zikhrono livrakha” (m.) or “zikhronah livrakha” (f.). It’s an odd type of statement really. I tend to say, “May his or her memory be a blessing.” …
Today I read a blog post about the death of director John Hughes. (I know, I’m on a bit of a morbid roll…) It was written by an acquaintance of mine, Kevin Smokler. (You can read it here.) I wasn’t aware that Hughes had directed so many of the films of my youth, but one …
Today I signed onto the Internet to discover that Senator Ted Kennedy had died. Those who know me well would say I’m not very politically inclined, and they’d be correct. However, Ted Kennedy’s death moved me. It seems his passing marks the end of an era. The Kennedy era. We could sing, “Where have all …
It seems to me that this year quite a number of Wise Souls have left the earth plane. By this I mean that people I consider full of wisdom have died. Not only were they full of wisdom, however, they also were people very connected to Spirit, or God, very in tune with other people …
I know Jews don’t believe in hell per se, but today I would have to say that if there is a hell, the world has gone there and taken our kids with it. Yes, optimistic me is feeling pessimistic, angry, sad…all those negative emotions. And no wonder. Not only did a senior at my children’s …
The World has Gone to Hell and Taken Our Kids With It Read More »
I often talk about living life fully. You can approach life in this manner by adopting the attitude that this day could be your last. In Carlos Castaneda’s books, the character Don Juan suggested living with “death on your shoulder.” In Jewish tradition, we remember the fragile nature of life each night as we confess …
What Would You Wish You Had Accomplished if Today Were Your Last Day? Read More »
Yesterday I learned that Rabbi Alan Lew had died. I didn’t know Rabbi Lew well, but I had the honor of teaching at an event where he was the keynote speaker two years ago. I remember his speach well; in fact, I used what I learned from him later in a talk I gave – …
Free 15-Minute Strategy Session
Do you:
Let's chat about how to get you from where you are to where you want to go.
Sign up for a free 15-minute coaching session with me.
