We "New Yorkers" are used to action, noise, and even madness.
We're always on the go, constantly running. Never looking back, just chasing and racing to the...next thing.
It seems that it’s an opportune time to be in the sign business. Unfortunately, so many stores are “for rent”, multiple companies ordered "Temporary closed" signs, and above all, all "the city that never sleeps" signs, will have to be changed to "The city that never slept."
There's one big lesson to be learned these days.
The only place for us, "the chosen nation," to go for some reenergizing and renew our strength, is the same door we've been knocking on for thousands of years: Avinu Sh'bashamayim.
Yes, we lost so many precious lives. Countless more are still sick and need big Rachmim, but B”H the numbers are dropping, many "homecoming" stories are filling the airwaves. We're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and we need to start getting ready to face the future.
Whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, you'll all agree that our President, local Governors and Mayors, act like drunken operators of a skydiving ride at the Six Flags, Great Adventure Park. No one has given us any clarity, and all predictions are a lost bet. At the end of the game, the revolving door of life always leads us to our father in heaven.
Think about it. Every single positive development to alleviate our pain, like food distribution, truck entertainment, millions raised for widows and orphans, hundreds of free concerts, thousands of inspiring speeches and zoom sessions, truckloads of toys distributed, and many more forgotten heroic acts, were all done and funded by amazing private people and companies. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I’m not aware of any contributions, or positive offers coming from the bloated government budget. (Oh ye, I'm still 'on hold' figuring out how to apply for my massive business loan that will haunt my credit score the next 600 years).
Amazingly, we can learn a great lesson on how to buckle up for a brighter future IY”H, from the current mitzvah of Sefiras Haomer.
Hashem, in His Torah, instructed us to count the 49 days between Pesach and Shavuos, so that we get ready and build up a sense of desire for Kabalas Hatorah. Chazal established that the count should start from one day, and continue up through forty-nine.
Usually, when we have a countdown for a much-anticipated event, like launching a rocket to the moon, or starting a Chai marathon, the count goes from the top down 10-9-8--- liftoff.
How come the Omer is structured the other way?
It reminds me a mystery I never understood: why are the buttons on the phones set up the opposite way from the buttons on calculators? Obviously the direction of numbers has some gist. So let’s try to take it apart, and benefit from it.
Imagine, one day you get a call, that in thirty days from now, you'll be getting a Million dollars. Sounds good? Now, how will the 30 days feel? You'll want to push each day with a tractor to the sidelines: “get out of my way”, or better yet, you'll want to go to sleep for thirty days, wake up, freshen up, hire a limo and zoom over to pick up the grand prize.
In other words, the days were in your way, blocking you from getting to your "dream."
Now let us do it the other way.
You just got a secret message. In the next thirty days, you have the opportunity to walk a great distance, to pick up 30k, in cash, daily. Suddenly, each day is rewarding, the walk is a breeze, you become the best friend of your calendar, and the Benjamins are piling up under your mattress. What has changed in the value of the days from the above scenario?
Being successful, reaching the top of Mount Everest, doesn't happen instantaneously. The Omer setup is an essential lesson for life. We need to take on every day and make it count.
Robin Sharma, one of the world's greatest business coaches, wrote once: "Don't live the same year 75 times, and call it a life."
Every day is a story. Every day is a mission. Every day needs a plan of action and a summary. Remember: “If you fail, don't fall,” but face reality, take a quick look at the rearview mirror, and go right back to the road ahead.
Hashem gives us back our Neshamah every morning. We get a new lease on life with all the tools necessary to grow spiritually and socially. We just need to spice it up with excitement and vision. It's simple, if you approach the new day with the same expectations as yesterday, why should things be different today?
You know, I usually like to intertwine a joke or a little gig somewhere in my articles, to spread some ease in the air. The biggest joke is that I've written the entire speech to myself. If you happen to find it helpful, join the club. Set goals and count your small successes, they’ll pile up.
Talking about counting. Many years ago, I stood during the Sefirah days next to the famous Gramer (a person who entertains Jewish couples at their wedding, with wit and rhymes) Reb Chaim Mendel z"l. someone in the crowd approached him: "Reb Chaim Mendel, what are you doing during these 'non-active' sefirah days"?
"I count," he replied while flipping his fingers like a trained bank teller.
Remember, Things won't happen on their own, they're waiting for you to do them, and ‘you’ are just awesome! Don’t let little missteps drag you down. It doesn't matter who you were yesterday, what matters is, who you'll be tomorrow. Make every day count just like the Omer, until you'll reach your own Har Sinai with all its blessings and clarity.
“YOU” are the most amazing person God has ever created! Ignite the pilot in you and let the change begin.
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