Truth

Avodah

   Recently, a friend of mine asked me 2 questions, “Do you really know who you are? Can you really see your SELF?” I was surprised by my answer, it was a simple, “No, I don’t think I do.” It made me think. Think about what that really meant. I’ve spent a lifetime feeling as though I must defend myself no matter the cost. That I must always fight to be heard, to be seen, to be loved. 

  Truth be told, I don’t NEED to prove anything to anyone BUT myself. A few months ago, during Torah Study, something was said that resonated so strongly, I decided it needed to become my new mantra, “When in an argument, ask yourself, Are you arguing for the sake of ego, or for the sake of G-d?” 

  I have championed for others and never gotten so much as a thank you. I have loved and I have lost. I have laughed to the point of tears and cried to the point of laughing. I feel so strongly, others pain, that I get lost in it. I take the blame when I shouldn’t. And don’t take credit when I should. Though I am proud of where I’ve been and where I am going, I forgot to look in the mirror and see my own value. 

  I have died a thousand deaths and come back from the depths of hell. I have elevated and sat with G-d. Felt at peace there, in Hashem’s presence. Been humbled by all that has been, all that will be and fallen to my knees. I am not worthy. Yet, there I sat. And here I am. 

  With all that I have come through, the knowledge, the faith, the trust and the strength, I am here. I have survived. To know my SELF, I had to step back, go within and fight the only fight worth fighting. The one where my critic shrinks to nothing more than a spec of dust and what survives, no, what lives, is MY worth. MY value. MY knowing that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. 

  I am a survivor, a champion, an empath, an artist, a writer, a creator. I have a guardian angel who speaks through me. I can soar amongst the stars without a body. I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend. I am the person that will hold the door for a stranger, give what I can to those in need. I am the one who gets the call at 3am from a friend in crisis. I never ask anything in return. I merely take pleasure in seeing those I help blossom and grow. I get joy from knowing, in some small way, I made a difference in their life.  

  

  As I move to transform, no, redefine my SELF, I have but one simple request. If you need someone to talk to, someone who can see beyond the veil of illusion, I am here.  I may not know exactly your situation, but I can feel exactly what you feel. And guide you through your struggle. It is my gift to this world. It is a blessing, though for years I saw it as a curse. But now, I see where and how I am to make that difference. I am but a humble servant of Hashem. My work, is HIS work. His Light and Love shine through me to you. I am humbled by this gift and am ready to share it.  Reach for me, and I will pull you up, so you may become the best version of YOU possible. I will reflect YOUR Light so you may see through the darkness and return to your TRUTH.

                                          Love & Light, 

                                                         Miriam

  

Perspective

Scrolling through Facebook, the reactions range from one end of the spectrum to the other. Being a lifelong student of human behavior, I can tell you, there are always more than 2 sides to any story. At a minimum, there are 8, like a prism, each side reflects a different perspective.  In a time such as this, it is important to take the opportunity to see as many sides as you can, so as to determine the best course of ACTION. It is important to ground in TRUTH, whatever that may be. In that TRUTH, even when we are faced with great uncertainty, calmness and peace wash over, settling our collective fears. It allows for rational, intentional thought, which naturally brings about conscious ACTION. And conscious ACTION, brings about change, which I think we can all agree is desperately needed in our world. But just what that change is going to look like has yet to be determined. Believe it or not, it all comes down to choice. It’s really going to depend on the collective energy and mindset of HUMANITY, as well as the individual. Yes, YOU have the ability to create a better world with each and every choice you make. THAT is what Conscious Living is all about. So, will WE choose to come together to embrace a “Collective” Conscious Way of Life? Or will we choose to continue to fight each other, forcing views, opinions and limitations down one another’s throats, believing one way is better than another? WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. NO ONE PERSON IS ABOVE OR BELOW ANOTHER. BE KIND. BE CONSCIOUS. BE SAFE.

Conscious Connection

   To live consciously in this world, one must first give themselves over to the understanding that CONTROL is an ILLUSION. To then let go of the belief that ILLUSION is REALity. When one can do that, conscious living is the natural result. In that, one can see how hate and greed do not exist. For when one is truly conscious, it is impossible to succumb to the negative aspects of our human emotions. That’s not to say one does not feel them, quite the contrary. But one does not ALLOW the emotion to control them or their surroundings. 

   So, how does one begin to live consciously, you may ask?  The first step is to find your “connections”. What is the root of your belief system? If you are struggling with that, perhaps an exploration of faith is what you need. Find that root and seek it’s TRUTH.  When you can sit with that truth, you CONNECT with the Divine. In that connection, all things unknown become known, but only within the connection. 

   A conscious life is one aware of the connection, and understanding that human life is all about what YOU DO to impact the world in which YOU LIVE. It is about what YOU LEARN, how YOU GROW and EXPAND. It is to always strive to connect and do what is right for the sake of that connection to the Divine. It is to bring Joy whenever and wherever possible. To help others but not to enable or cause detriment to yourself. It is to be accountable for your words and your actions, especially when you are wrong. It is to see the path that lies before you and take each step with intention. It is to TRUST that the signs along the way are there to warn and guide you. It is to see in others the reflection that is YOU. It is to connect with the Divine by connecting with one another. To share and celebrate and rejoice in the differences. To see the beauty within each and every soul regardless of position. For to judge another means to judge oneself. To cause harm to another is to, in turn, reflect back upon you and cause you the same harm. When you are conscious and intentioned, it becomes impossible to walk a path wrought with hate or anger or wickedness or deceit. 

Yerushaliyim

To forget You

Fire would come from my tongue

To forget You

My right hand would forget what to do.

Traveled this journey blind

For I knew You not.

Fought along the way, 

For Your knowledge did not possess me.  

Found myself at Your Gates,

Fallen to my knees. 

For though I did not know You, 

You knew me. 

In that moment

All was forgiven.

In that moment

All was known.

In a moment,

And just like that,

It was gone. 

What remained was connection.

A link to the Past,

To the Present, 

To the Future,

To mySELF.

And the Promise

Of Grace.

Yerushaliyim, if I forget You,
Let fire come from my tongue.
Yerushaliyim, if I forget You,
Let my right hand forget
What it’s supposed to do.

   Something to ponder...
        And the world stopped
                And took a deep breath
                        And the streets were empty.
                               
What happened?
         We all took a moment
               We all looked around in awe.

And saw the hate
        And the destruction
               And the possibility of THE END.

And for the first time
       In a long time
            The people woke up.

From a dream
      From a nightmare
             From disillusionment.

And the world became a better place
      And the people knew LOVE
             And Hashem smiled
                    And all was right again.
     

                     

Moral Code- Our Most Precious Gift

   If there is one thing in this world that gets under my skin, it’s the lack of a moral fabric. Everything that’s wrong in our world can all be traced back to morals, or lack thereof. We live in a world where we praise entertainers and sports figures because they’re on the big screen. We reward those with bad morals by buying their products, believing their narrative, etc... Never once thinking about whether or not they actually line with a moral fabric. We turn a blind eye to these behaviors because it’s not affecting us directly, or so we think. What ever happened to doing what is right, even when it’s not popular, because it’s the right thing to do? Oh, that’s right, we decided to cater to feelings instead of morals. We’ve allowed our children to believe their feelings are more important than any other, that if they don’t like something, well, it must be bad, it must be evil, it must be eradicated! Huh? I mean, really? No! That is teaching hate! That is walking away from morals, ethics and what’s right and walking towards inequality, injustice, immorality!
   We are witness to a modern day Sodom and  Gommorah all over the world. Witness to the destruction of a society wrought with wickedness. A society who has lost their way. A society without a moral compass. Look at Paris, London, Chicago, Detroit, California. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. It is simple cause and effect.
   I feel so compelled to do my part to change this world. To do what I can to Make A Difference. And so, I will dedicate myself to teaching morals. The 613 mitzvot that are the laws and precepts set forth by the all Merciful G-d and given to Moses at Mt Sinai. This is not a choice. For me, it IS my commandment. It is my Lot (forgive the pun) in life, if you will. The degradation of our society can be blamed on one thing, THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE MORAL FABRIC.  Whether you’re too busy, too blind or too self-absorbed to see it, doesn’t take away the ACCOUNTABILITY. I vow to do my best to bring knowledge and Light to this world one small step at a time.
   ***The above was written back in November 2019, but I never finished it. Now, with the current events of the entire world, this seems more clear than ever! We are being refocused, globally. Right before our eyes. Our children, and grandchildren and great grandchildren will all remember the Pandemic of 2020. This is an extremely important event in human history. And it’s not about the virus, that is just the catalyst. I’m talking about the shift in human consciousness. It IS upon us. There is no going back. The effects of this will be felt for generations to come.
   The real question is, are you ready? To accept a moral life? To live aware of how YOU affect the WORLD? Are you ready to do what is right for the sake of Spirit and no other reason? To live a life of INTENSION? To accept that the only real thing you can CONTROL is how you RESPOND to the world?  To answer those, you must first ask yourself, are you sick and tired of feeling hopeless? Do you long for better days ahead? Where this world is happy and healthy and prosperous on a micro AND macro scale? And people are nice and we can all live free. And we respect each other BECAUSE of our differences. For we embrace the beauty in variety. And we are polite and responsible and accountable for ourselves and our actions. Wouldn’t that be nice?
                                            THEN IT”S TIME TO WAKE UP!