Change! You can do it – and Now is the Time
Devarim 26:1
Positive Thinking
How powerful is positive thinking? Have you tried it? If you have, you probably found, as I have, that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Here’s why:
If merely thinking positively about something made it happen, no one would be wanting for anything. Clearly it requires something of us that isn’t that easy. It requires i) courage, ii) selflessness (the absence of ego) and iii) absolute trust in Hashem. With these factors, positive thinking almost always works. Without them, it’s the roll of a dice: sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.
Fear is the big killer. At the slightest sign of timidity and fear, Hashem leaves us to our own rather weak devices. Fear of failure is responsible for so much tragedy. Not the tragedies we hear about and know. But rather the many more tragedies we will never know about: the tragedies of what might have been and did not come to be. The calls we did not make, the opportunities we did not take, the courses we did not pursue, because of our fear of failure. Some of these are tragedies of personal lives not lived to their potential. Some of them have national and even global significance.
Fear of Failure – the Cause of Failure
Courage and commitment, more than any other characteristic, are responsible for our great accomplishments. This quote, sent to me by one of our iAwaken members, is astonishingly true:
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise not have occurred.”
Fear could have lost us Eretz Yisrael
It is amazing that despite all the force of Divine intention and miraculous intervention, one factor could have blown the chances of the Jewish people from conquering the Land of Israel: their own fear. Hashem would not intervene on their behalf if they did not approach the battle with complete confidence in their ultimate victory with G-d’s help. It is for this reason that Hashem reacted so powerfully to the attempts of the Spies to scare the nation. That fear could have sabotaged any chance of success.
But even more surprising is the fact that this was a key reason why G-d turned down Moshe’s last desperate plea - that He rescind the decree barring Moshe from entry into Israel.
The Midrash [1] says that G-d told Moshe that were He to reverse the decree that forbade Moshe’s entry into the Land, He would also need to reverse His forgiveness of the Nation. Moshe refuses the offer.
The Meshech Chochmah [2] explains the Midrash. Only a descendent of Rachel can conquer the descendants of Eisav (Amalek). Moshe is a descendant of Leah, but Yehoshua is a descendant of Rachel. If Moshe were permitted to continue his leadership into Cana’an, the people, would fear their inability to conquer Amalek because of the lineage of their leader. In this way, the people would reignite their fear of the nations of Cana’an, a sin for which Hashem had already forgiven them. G-d would thereby be rescinding His forgiveness of their fear because of Moshe’s continued leadership. The result would be that because of their fear, they would fail in their conquest. Rather let Yehoshua, descendant of Rachel, lead them. Their courage and commitment to victory will drive them to success.
A Universal Principle
Of course this does not mean that G-d cannot bring success to the timid. He can. But we are taught a principle of the universe as incontrovertible as the laws of physics: Hashem will only intervene miraculously on behalf of people who are 100% committed to their missions and who believe with courage in their success. This belief is not founded on ego and power, but on peoples’ trust that if they are doing the right thing for the right reason, “providence” will move too, and Hashem will make it happen. Positive thinking only works when G-d supports it. And G-d supports positive thinking when the positiveness is founded on the righteousness of the undertaking, the commitment of the doer, and their trust in G-d’s capacity to make anything He wills, happen.
Teshuva
The hardest thing anyone can attempt, and the most heroic, is to change. To change fundamentally. To change, not our personalities, but our characters. To break bad habits and cycles of conduct. To react differently in the future from the ways we did in the past. To change the assumptions that have not served us well. To adopt new assumptions, beliefs, that will serve us well. To change the quality of our relationships. To redefine ourselves in ways that takes us to new levels of physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. This is the stuff of TESHUVA. And at this time of the year, the universe with G-d’s divine guidance is programmed to help us along the way. All we need is i) courage and commitment; ii) selflessness; and iii) trust both in Hashem and in ourselves.
EXERCISE:
In a quiet moment, still your mind by breathing slowly and deeply for a few minutes focusing only on your breath. Then consider one area of your physical, emotional or spiritual area that you wish to change. Check in with yourself as to how important that change really is to you. Question the righteousness of the change and the true reasons for which you want it. Feel Hashem’s blessing and support. Imagine, as you again focus on deep breathing what you will feel like after you have successfully made that change. Commit to that change.
Notes:
[1] Devarim Rabbah 7:11
[2] Devarim 29:3
