Have you ever spoken to someone thinking “How can I deliver this thought for their sake and not for my sake? How can I say something not to get it off my chest but for the message to be heard by the other person?”
There is something magnificent in finding insights, looking beneath what is written, questioning it, finding new hidden meaning, and coming up with a whole fresh concept.
I get totally tickled when I read something I’ve been saying for 1 million years, (yes, I’m that old!) and yet I find a fresh nuance that enters my mind as a flash of insight.
This is the insight I want to share with you today.
See if that can resonate with you.
When we are intentional about what we say and want to create positive relationships in our work and home, we measure our words, so it lands on fertile ears, so we will be successful in delivering our message.
It may not be how we perceive the situation, but we say what we say so the listener can internalize it with an open mind.
This week’s Torah portion was my son’s Bar Mitzvah Torah portion 7 years ago, and I loved that it starts with the word Nasso, meaning in Hebrew Lift up, or count and be counted. That word, Naso, also repeats in the priestly blessing I want to talk about right now.
For those of you who are not sure what is the priestly blessing- it is 3 sentence blessing that the priests used to bless the Israelites during the Temple era. Today we say it in synagogue services. Many families also use it as the children blessing they bestow on their children on Friday nights.
The first blessing offers a physical and financial blessing. May we be financially successful, and may God guard us against any temptation that can occur because of that.
The second blessing is of spiritual nature. May God will shine his light upon us and be gracious unto us.
The third blessing is an emotional blessing. May God lift his countenance upon us and give us peace.
I think something profound is happening here.
God understands that for the human ear, He/She must start with physical and financial safety. That is the first order of importance, and then other blessings can follow (spiritual and emotional).
But from God‘s perspective, perhaps we should look at it from the bottom up.
For God’s sake, the most important element he/she desires from humanity is the third. It is peace. Peace is at the core and the foundation of all that happens next.
When we’re at peace, we can have graciousness toward others (just like God has toward us), which causes us to feel blessed in all the ways possible, financially included.
I invite you to listen to my 7 min reflection above and contemplate for yourself:
What are the ways in which you feel at peace? What are the additional feelings when the value of peace is practiced as a daily/weekly habit?
How are you a light to others? When do you feel that you are a light to others and when do you see that light within you?
How are you a blessing to others? What are your blessings? Can you come up with 3 new blessings every day?
Until next time,
Be Positive, Be Yourself, Be the Champion You Want to See!
