This article is about Rosh Hashanah and how the holiday elicits the question, “Am I living my life as God intended when He created me?”
You:As God Intended
This week I added a new question to the article, What’s the Point of It All? The Power of Transformative Questions.
Here's the new question:
Am I a giver or a taker?
To determine which one you are, ask yourself the following questions, “Am I more focused on what I can do for others or on what others can do for me? When the needs of others clash with my wants, to whom do I give priority? Am I willing to inconvenience myself to help someone out?”
Ethics of the Fathers teaches us to look out for ourselves (1:14), “If I am not for myself, who [will be] for me?” But once our needs are met, our focus has to shift toward helping others as the above teaching continues, “And if I am [only] for myself, what am I?”
Big egos can lead to people being self-centered and selfish. They think, “OK, so I'm inconveniencing others, but I want it my way.” Or, “OK, so I could help someone out, but why should I spend my time or money helping them?” When we are humble, we realize that we are no greater than anyone else; in God’s eyes, the needs of others are just as important. In addition, with humility, we realize that without our Creator we would have nothing and be nothing. We are more than happy to share the blessings He gives us to fulfill His commandment to help His other children.
We have a natural tendency to focus on ourselves; the way to focus on others is to consider them part of ourselves. On a deep level, we are all one, creations of God. When we view others as an extension of ourselves, then when they are lacking, we are lacking; when we help them, we help ourselves.
This week I added a new question to the article, What’s the Point of It All? The Power of Transformative Questions.
Here's the new question:
Am I a giver or a taker?
To determine which one you are, ask yourself the following questions, “Am I more focused on what I can do for others or on what others can do for me? When the needs of others clash with my wants, to whom do I give priority? Am I willing to inconvenience myself to help someone out?”
Ethics of the Fathers teaches us to look out for ourselves (1:14), “If I am not for myself, who [will be] for me?” But once our needs are met, our focus has to shift toward helping others as the above teaching continues, “And if I am [only] for myself, what am I?”
Big egos can lead to people being self-centered and selfish. They think, “OK, so I'm inconveniencing others, but I want it my way.” Or, “OK, so I could help someone out, but why should I spend my time or money helping them?” When we are humble, we realize that we are no greater than anyone else; in God’s eyes, the needs of others are just as important. In addition, with humility, we realize that without our Creator we would have nothing and be nothing. We are more than happy to share the blessings He gives us to fulfill His commandment to help His other children.
We have a natural tendency to focus on ourselves; the way to focus on others is to consider them part of ourselves. On a deep level, we are all one, creations of God. When we view others as an extension of ourselves, then when they are lacking, we are lacking; when we help them, we help ourselves.
Yaakov
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