Jews are told that on the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) “it is written” and on the Day of Repentance (Yom Kippur) “it is sealed.” What is “it”? Our fate for the next year. Where is it “written and sealed”? In the Book of Life.
Most agree the Book of Life is figurative rather than literal, poetic more than a concrete.
Yet, on the Day of Repentence, those who observe this holiday, like me, do a lot of soul searching and hope they have cleansed themselves of past misdeeds so they will be forgiven and granted another year of life. Who supposedly gives us this gift? God, of course.
We Do The Writing
I think we actually write in our own “books of life.” In my last post,, I discussed how we change the so-called decrees related to life and death—and described how we determine our fate, not God. Along the same lines, every day, every moment, we have the opportunity to write our own books of life.
This excerpt from my book Get Ready, Aim, Shoot: Hit Your Bull’s Eye This Year (A Spiritual Guide to Using the Secular or Jewish New Year to Reset Your Personal, Professional and Spiritual Targets) explains this concept.
Just as God supposedly can seal our fate for the coming year, we possess the ability to do the same. We can “write” it by coming up with our targets ― our goals and resolutions ― and honing our aim and practicing our skill. Then, we can “seal” our fate both by taking action towards those goals and resolutions and also by visualizing ourselves having achieved our goal. We can see ourselves in our mind shooting an arrow and the arrow landing right in the middle of the bull’s eye, and then we can go and actually do just that in the real world.
Many athletes use this methodology to help them succeed in their sports. They see themselves running the race and crossing the finish line ahead of the other racers. They see themselves connecting the bat with the ball time after time. They see themselves performing their gymnastics routine to perfection. Then they see themselves standing on the podium receiving their gold medal or award.
If we can see ourselves following through on our resolution or accomplishing our goals ― if we can see that arrow suspended from the bull’s eye ― then we find it much easier to actually do so in real life.
You see, the subconscious mind does not know the difference between what we visualize and what we actually do. So, when we visualize our resolutions achieved and our goals accomplished, it thinks we have done so already. In fact, as we visualize ourselves achieving those goals, for instance, shooting an arrow and hitting the target, the mind causes our muscles to react as if we were actually placing the arrow in the bow, pulling it back, and releasing it. Our eyes even respond as if we were watching it sail through the air and hit the target. If we can muster up the emotions that would go with seeing the arrow actually hit the bull’s eye, our body will actually register those emotions as well. If we visualize this often enough, then when we actually shoot the arrow, our body has been conditioned to aim, shoot, and hit the target. We’ve mentally performed target practice. We’ve improved our aim and our ability to hit that bull’s eye.
Then we must actually take action. We must do whatever we have visualized. Apply for a new job. Participate in the new exercise program. Heal the relationship with a spouse. Stop smoking or drinking. We must do what we visualize. We seal our fate.
How do we write and seal our goals for the New Year in the Book of Life? We write our goals down, visualize our goals in fine detail and feel exactly what it would be like if we had already manifested the results we desire and then we take appropriate action to manifest those goals. We imagine the life we want, the behaviors to which we aspire as if they had been published in that book ― sealed, already done, accomplished. Then we go into life and seal them by living them.
Write Yourself into the Book of Life
Imagine a beautiful book, a quill pen and a jar of ink lying on a table before you. You open the book and find that it contains the story of your life up to this very moment. You turn the page and discover that tomorrow’s entry and the next and the next are empty. The pages are a beautiful white, waiting for someone to write down the details of what you will do next, what will happen next. You pick up the quill, dip it in the ink and begin to write. Imagine not only the next moment, hour, day, but the next week, month and year.
On the next page, write down your vision of the next year in the Book of Life as if it is happening now. As you inscribe each word, feel as if you are experiencing all that you are writing ― as if each event you describe is happening to you at this moment. As you finish your entry or entries, take another piece of paper and blot the ink as if you are sealing it.
You don’t have to be Jewish, or celebrate Yom Kippur to put these concepts—or the exercise above—to use. They concepts and exercise may stem from the Jewish tradition but they are applicable to anyone. Write yourself into your Book of Life every day, every hour, every moment. Create your life consciously.
What do you think of the idea of creating your Book of Life consciously each day?
Copyright: luckybusiness / 123RF Stock Photo
