Dvar Torah-Ki Tatzai

Gut Voch to all!!

https://guardyoureyes.com/media/kunena/attachments/2149/kitzasai-5779.pdf

Encouragement in Teshuva of Bein Adam Lechaviero

Many get disheartened by the fact that while Hashem forgives (with teshuva) all sins done against Him, He does not forgive sins between man  and his fellow man.This cause many people anguish as they regret their past behaviors that hurt others but wither do not have the opportunity to ask forgiveness or lacks the courage to do so.

Rav Kook in his Oros Hateshuva give us hope & perspective & advice in regards to this.Alot (but not all) what is written below is brought down there

It is true that full forgiveness can only happen when the person you hurt forgives you. And a person should do what he or she can to break their ego & pride & ask forgiveness .

But while the courage is not yet there this is what you do 

1) Ask Hashem to forgive you for the aspect of the  sin against HIM.  Loshon Horah or hurting someone is also a sin against HIM. So with true teshuva , Hashem forgives you for that aspect of the Loshen Horah  which weakens the sin greatly even if the aspect of "bein adom lechavero" is still there. Nevertheless, the sin is very much weakened.

2) Tell Hashem in your prayers that you deeply regret hurting His children. Ask Him for courage to correct by asking forgiveness. And in the meantime Ask Hashem to place in the heart of the friend you hurt to forgive you & for Hashem to be compassionate towards you while you make these efforts even if you didn't get muster the courage to actually ask forgiveness

3) Forgive a person who as hurt you even if he/she didn't ask you forgiveness.Then tell Hashem that while you understand that ideally you need to ask forgiveness from someone you hurt, but in the meantime to ask Hashem to soften your friend's heart towards you so that he will forgive you. Here there is a midda kneged middah. Just as you forgave others, you ask Hashem to open up the hearts of others to forgive you

4)Going forward, pray for the welfare of the one you hurt & his family & actively find ways to help him/her . This is very powerful because Hashem now sees in a very active & tangible way that you deeply regret your past mistakes of hurting this other person. This will assist that you muster the courage to ask forgiveness and /or this person will forgive you on their own

Don't allow yourself to get discouraged even if you haven't yet fully kept your obligation to ask forgiveness from someone you have hurt. It's not all  or nothing. These efforts listed above have great value in sweetening judgments & getting to the point to where you will actually be able to do what you need to do

wishing you all a wonderful week!!

Dvar Torah-Tavo

https://guardyoureyes.com/media/kunena/attachments/2149/tavoi-5779.pdf

Dvar Torah from Rav Kook ztl

The Torah portion opens and closes with the same theme: simchah, joy. It begins with the mitzvah of offering bikkurim (first-fruits) in the Temple, an exercise in appreciating what God has given us, as it says,

Afterwards, the Torah describes the terrible trials that will befall the Jewish people if they are unfaithful to the Torah’s teachings. This section concludes with the root cause for these punishments:

Not only does God expect us to keep the mitzvot, but we are to perform them with joy and contentment. What is the difference between these two emotions?

Joy and Contentment

Simchah and tuv leivav are two distinct levels of happiness. Interestingly, they are the result of contradictory perceptions.

What is the source of tuv leivav? This is a sense of satisfaction that we feel good about our service of God. We pray, study Torah, and perform mitzvot out of a feeling that we are doing what we were created to do. As one of God’s creations, it is natural for us to serve Him. We are grateful to have been blessed with the intellectual and spiritual capabilities needed to worship Him through Torah study and mitzvot.

Simchah, on the other hand, comes from the perception that some unexpected boon has befallen us. We feel joy in serving God when we are aware of the tremendous privilege in being able to connect to God — a gift far beyond our true level. Awareness of this amazing gift, while at the same time feeling that our service is appropriate and suitable, allows us to feel both simchah and tuv leivav.

Cultivating Joy

How does one attain this simchah in serving God? The secret to developing and enhancing our sense of joy is to reflect on two thoughts:

• Appreciating the significance and wonder of every medium - such as Torah study and mitzvot — that allows us to connect with the Master of the universe.

• Recognizing the Divine source of our soul and its inherent holiness, even though it may have become soiled through contact with the material world.

We experience genuine joy in serving God when we are able to thoroughly internalize these two insights

a case for journal writing

8 Reasons Keeping a Journal Can Help You Reach Your Goals

Written by joshua becker · 62 Comments

“Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea for ever.” – Will Self

Our decision to become minimalist was intentional. It was based on the realization that our possessions were distracting us from things in life that were more important. Our possessions were stealing too much of our money, time, energy, and focus. And as a result, we decided to get rid of everything we didn’t need or love to focus on our greatest passions.

On the other hand, this on-line journal of our journey into minimalism was not intentional. Originally, the Becoming Minimalist website began as simply a humble means to inform our extended family of our goals. But somewhere along the way, it became an important piece in helping us achieve them.

Since then, I have used the discipline of keeping a journal to assist me in the pursuit of other life goals as well. And I have come to clearly recognize and appreciate its importance.

Benefits of Keeping a Journal

Consider these 8 ways keeping a journal can help us reach our goals:

1. Keeping a journal requires us to write out our goals. The importance of committing our desires to paper cannot be overstated. It is a simple process, but it pays great dividends. Writing out our goals provides the opportunity to articulate them clearly and makes their achievement appear closer.

2. A journal serves as a permanent record of our progress. Success can be quickly forgotten. And when it is, it becomes easy to get frustrated with our pursuit. As with any pursuit, there are times we may feel like we have not accomplished anything despite all the invested effort and energy. During those moments, it is helpful to look back and be reminded of our past successes.

3. Writing requires us to think through the why’s and the how’s. When we sit down behind a blank computer screen or sheet of paper and begin to write out what we accomplished during the day, we are forced to think through our process on a deeper level. The discipline forces us to answer the difficult questions of “why,” “how,” or “why not?” The answers to these questions are not just helpful as we move forward to repeat successes and avoid mistakes, they can be therapeutic as well.

4. A journal proves we have solved problems in the past. Whether we are chasing a physical goal (26.2 miles), a career goal (start my own business), or a personal goal (become a better father), not every step in our pursuit is going to be easy… goals worth pursuing never are. At some point, we will be required to overcome adversity. But we will. And the next time we face it, we’ll find motivation and strength in our written record of overcoming it in the past.

5. Keeping a journal naturally reminds us to articulate next steps. It is difficult to look back without also looking forward. As a result, when we journal, we naturally begin to look forward. And the next step becomes easier to see.

6. Writing reminds us to think beyond the obvious. Always looking for “material to journal” has caused me to see the value of simplicity and minimalism in areas I would not normally have seen it ― whether it be an article in the newspaper, an advertisement on television, or a conversation with a friend. Likewise, writing causes us to become more intentional in any pursuit ― and to find inspiration beyond the obvious places right in front of us.

7. Even a private journal provides accountability. As we script our journey, we find accountability ― not to the written word, but to ourselves. Our past success and perseverance compels us forward. We can see how far we’ve come, how much we have left to accomplish, and why giving up would be foolish.

8. A written account allows our story to inspire others. Our journal is our story. It is our account of moving from Point A to Point B. And rightly shared, it can inspire others to do the same.

Getting Started.

• Find a form that is comfortable for you. A journal should work for you ― not the other way around. You may feel most comfortable with a notebook, a computer processor, a website, or an on-line writing app. Find a form that fits your personality and lifestyle. And embrace it.

• Commit to writing every day. The intention of sitting to write every day will compel your mind to manufacture and recognize progress. It is a bold plan. And you’ll likely miss days. But don’t let that stop you. Commit again to write the next day.

• Care more about substance and less about style. Write for yourself, not for others. As you do, write with the truest goal of putting onto paper your thoughts and action. Don’t worry about spelling and grammar if those things tend to bog you down. Your goal is not to get an “A.” Your goal is to articulate progress.

• Don’t be motivated by length. There are some days where you’ll be motivated to write much. Others days, only a little.

• Recognize our need. You story is important and is meant to be shared. It may be unique to you, but we desperately need to read it. Make sure we can.

Thanks for this post. In essence, writing on the forum is a good way to "journal". Besides personal benefits, it inspire others too.(#8)  Possibly a private journal would have the benefit of comfortably writing more specifics. Also having a hard copy is more real.

kesivah vchasimah tovah to all of you-wishing you all a year of physical,emotional & spiritual health with great overflowing blessings to all of our brothers & sisters -we are all one -we are all deeply connected!!!

very inspired by this poem from Chanie Gorkin that went viral several years ago  & became famous & touched a lot of people

The Hasidic community of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, has watched one of its daughters shoot to international fame over the course of a week.

It all started when Chanie Gorkin, who is apparently an 11th grader at Beth Rivkah High School in Crown Heights, submitted a clever poem called "Worst Day Ever?" to PoetryNation.com.

Because of her talents for music and rhythm, Chanie Gorkin has always had an appreciation for poetry. She especially enjoys the works of Shel Silverstein and other poets whose styles include humor and clever twists. Chanie lives with her parents and siblings in the Chassidic Community of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Chassidic philosophy stresses that God is good, and since He is the cause of everything, everything is essentially good. Look for the good in all things and you literally create positive energy and a good reality for yourself. It all depends on how you look at it.

Today was the absolute worst day ever
And don't try to convince me that
There's something good in every day
Because, when you take a closer look,
This world is a pretty evil place.
Even if
Some goodness does shine through once in a while
Satisfaction and happiness don't last.
And it's not true that
It's all in the mind and heart
Because
True happiness can be attained
Only if one's surroundings are good.
It's not true that good exists
I'm sure you can agree that
The reality
Creates
My attitude
It's all beyond my control
And you'll never in a million years hear me say that
Today was a very good day.

Now read it from bottom to top, the other way,
And see what I really feel about my day.

various quotes I saw in regards to Yom Kippur (& some comments at the end for clarification)

1)Think of Yom Kippur as a lookout on the top of a mountain that you have been climbing all year. See your days and their moments spread out before you. Be willing to look now at this big picture of your life. Your ultimate goals. Your beliefs. See each person in your life as part of that picture. What lesson have they taught you even if you had to learn it through pain? What message is God sending you by putting this person in your life?’

2)‘Every Yom Kippur, Jewish tradition requires a strict spiritual inventory. You aren’t supposed to just sit around feeling guilty, but to take action in the real world to set things right’ (unhealthy guilt-no. but expressing regret on the past & vidui-yes. but with a sharp clear positive view on the present & future)

3)The entire world is God’s message of love to us. Yom Kippur is the time when we are most open to receive this message’ – Rabbi Noah Weinberg

4-Yom Kippur is not about personal resolutions and private reflection. It is about standing up and talking to God. It is about apologizing, about reestablishing our connection with our Creator. We must tell God who we are, where we are holding in life, and what we know needs improvement’( true private reflection is having ones soul's destiny & path in minds & to be used to connect deeply with God)

Came Yom Kippur : A Hank Greenberg Poem Hank Greenberg was a baseball player. A team leader. A league leader. A Jew. Both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur fall in the regular season and in 1934 Greenberg's Detroit Tigers were involved in the pennant race. Greenberg wrote in his autobiography, "The team was fighting for first place, and I was probably the only batter in the lineup who was not in a slump. But in the Jewish religion, it is traditional that one observe the holiday solemnly, with prayer. One should not engage in work or play. And I wasn't sure what to do." Greenberg's rabbi said that Rosh Hashanah was a "festive holiday" and playing would be acceptable. Hank played and hit two home runs including a ninth inning game winner. "I caught hell from my fellow parishioners, I caught hell from some rabbis, and I don't know what to do. It's ten days until the next holiday — Yom Kippur." Those words, and his choice not to play on Yom Kippur due to its significance, inspired Edgar Guest to pen the following prose.

"Suppose I stay out of the game and we lost the pennant by one game?" - Hank Greenberg

Came Yom Kippur A Hank Greenberg Poem Author: Edgar Guest ©. Published: 1934. Appeared In: Detroit Free Press "Came Yom Kippur — holy fast day world wide over to the Jew, And Hank Greenberg to his teaching and the old tradition true Spent the day among his people and he didn't come to play. Said Murphy to Mulrooney, 'We shall lose the game today! We shall miss him on the infield and shall miss him at the bat But he's true to his religion — and I honor him for that!'" Came Yom Kippur A Hank Greenberg Poem by Edgar Guest

Healthy Eating

Even as we work hard to control our eating habits-we still can celebrate meaningful partial successes in refining our eating habits & correcting ourselves spiritually.

so for example-even when we did fall in to overeating or eating without thinking-we still have the beracha achronah or birchas hamazon to elevate what we ate

& even after that-while the food is still yet to be digested-we can tell Hashem that you will try to do better next time but may the energy I received from the food.

the main thing is not to get discouraged & value bounce backs after fall as well as partial belated successes-as long as they are sincere-Hashem treasure them & they are stepping stones to move forward.

i am not talking from the high ivory tower.  I am by nature an emotional eater & often fall into eating without thinking or overindulging in unhealthy foods

so I speak as one who is yet far from the ideal-who still has a long way to go in working on this 

Nevertheless, I have found that the above advice & meditation has helped me greatly. 

In addition, every night, admit to Hashem the failings during the day in regards to eating, ask Him for guidance, Thank Him for providing you with food & Ask Him for help to have a better day the next day in regards to healthy (physically & spiritually) eating 

Good Shabbos Everyone!!

Practical application of the above post

1-lets try this shabbos & the upcoming week to concentrate on making a bracha with thought & feeling before eating-& to feel grateful to Hashem for giving us food to eat

2-to try to eat with thought =enjoy the food =but also think of Hashem allowing us to experience the tastes of the food & to remove any hunger pangs-& that BH we have food in abundance that we can eat & enough water to drink & that its extremely rare to be perpetually hungry or thirsty due to lack of food

3-to try to make a beracha acharona with thought & feeling-whether or not we were successful with # 1 & # 2

4-at the end of the day-before going to sleep-to Thank Hashem again for all the food He provided for you during the day & to be able to use the energy to serve Him with devotion & gratitude  

Deeds of Goodness

While external

Deeply affects the internal

So Treasure always

Positive acts

Love them

Cherish them

As best as you can

Yet-together with Good Deeds

Do not stop

At the Border

Of Action alone

It needs to be infused

With lofty thoughts

Holy intent

In mind, heart & soul

For these inner thoughts

As are salt

To outer Deeds

Refining them

Preserving them

To avoid mindless repetition of acts

Which weaken them significantly

Treasure each & every Good Deed

No matter what

For it produces

Tangible concrete

Goodness & Light

In this World

Yet-

Partner the Deed

With the mindful intent

Of focused goodness of thought

Unify

Thought, Speech & Action

As One 


Summary

1-Power of Good Actions-even without inner thought

2-Power of Thought-effecting the Action exponentially

3-Never Neglect a Good Deed-even if at the moment you lack the inner thought or intent-even if its "robotic"

4-But always try your best to infuse Good Thoughts behind the Good Deeds before doing them

5-Don't allow this paradox to confuse you. (ie-ever hold back from doing good deeds eve if devoid of inner thought & at the same time do your best to infuse inner good thoughts to yoru good deeds)

With faith follow these guidelines

a) when you are unable to muster the inner thoughts & intent-do the good need anyway-they have unbelievable power even as is-it does shape your inner essence & refines it-whether you feel it or not

b)when you are able, muster as best as you can the inner love & awe , the inner good thoughts & intent-before doing the good act & while doing the good act

Please see inside the Torah Ohr of the Bal Hatanya (Anochi magen Loch on parshas Lech Lecha)-the post here is based on that teaching-but its best to get the full picture from studying his holy words.

Avraham’s Chessed was pure & expansive & all goodness. That is why his wish was that Yishmael should live & have eternal life despite the deep rooted issues of immorality & evil. & Hashem responded that while the Chessed manifested in you (Avraham) is pure & good, it runs the risk of flowing into places that it shouldn’t go. If your Chessed has no boundary, then as it flows freely to Yishmael it will lead to the unholy chessed of prostitution (& ultimately brutal murder as is manifested on our day). Therefore while your Chessed of Avraham is pure completely-I need to create a protection around it

Anochi Magen Loch-I will create a Magen-a shield- to protect your Chessed -to block it when needed-so it doesn’t spread into unholy places.

And Avraham was successful in using this Shield to his Chessed. He used his Chessed to convince his guests to bless Hashem (or else-you will have to pay for the food) , he fought wars against evil (strictness even though he embodied kindness) , he was willing to sacrifice Yitzchok & circumcise himself -all these are boundaries & shields -not to counter or mitigate chessed-but rather so that his chessed can be revealed in its truest form!!

 1)Ever time we control a temptation-whether overeating  or anything else-its not to be looked at as being strict or oppressive -but rather it’s a shield so as to express True Kindness.

2) when you love a friend-even unconditional love-you may sometimes have to tell him in a kind way to stay away from bad behaviors -this telling-may externally seem from the side of severity-but its really a shield of True Kindness-to save him from pain & to allow him to live healthier

3)Every Fast Day can be looked at with this perspective-its purpose is not to torture you -despite the fact that there can be real discomfort & weakness of body-its purpose is to heal-to repent-to eat with joy the rest of the year

4) Similar concept as you are forced to discipline children-externally denying them a kindness of the ice cream or candy-forcing them to receive a vaccination-making them swallow unpleasant medicine for strep throat-all this is not inflicting severity-its the placing a shield to your Kindness to them.-because that bitter medicine given then will have you hug that healthy child that is before you now

5). Every time you are forced for practical purposes to express strictness ( im not taking that second potato kugel that im desperately craving now-how cruel can I be to myself to deny this from myself? & especially in Shabbos!!) not as a severity but as a shield to True Kindness ( I love you-& enjoy that one piece of kugel-the 2nd . 3rd 4th pieces stay on the tray because I truly love you-not just your soul-but your body too)

These are just 5 examples but they are endless. It is so much easier & uplifting to create a healthy restriction-not by looking at it as a strictness or punishment-but rather as building the Shield to protect your True Kindness that in reality is truly Overflowing……

This is a dvar Torah from aish-a tremendous yesod about how to deal with past failings.

 I will add one point here. & that is that while it is true that one of the conditions of teshuva is “regret”-this “regret” needs to be infused with the end purpose of moving forward. we primarily need to be living in the present in a positive way with an eye to a brighter future. If this regret drags a person down, when he/she is stuck in the murky waters of the past-then the “regret” has very little value

We say “selach lanu” 3 times a day. & it is a custom as well, before going to sleep to again ask for giveness for the past -the past day, week ect

These are very powerful tools of teshuva and is admirable & allows us to keep focus on our self correction

 But at the same time. Aside for the 3 daily selach lanu’s, & the nightly “regret”-the rest of the day & night-ones thoughts & feelings are to be positive & light-filled & hopeful & filled with positive actions, thoughts & deeds.

The true purpose of “charatah”-or feelings of painful regret-it NOT to be haunted & chained by them-its to move forward-to get it out of your system & to live a hopeful & full life in the present & future

Here is the article

We've all made mistakes and bad decisions in life and unfortunately we sometimes have a problem getting those mistakes out of our system. This week, the Torah warns us that looking back and focusing too much on the past can result in spiritual and physical stagnation.

Lot's family was warned not to look back when they leave the city of Sodom, a city that was being destroyed for its total lack of morality (Gen 19:17). Instead of focusing on the past, they needed to focus primarily on the future.

Lot's wife ignored the warning and looked back. As a consequence she was turned into a "pillar of salt." Salt is the ultimate preservative; she is essentially mummified -- frozen into the same position for all of eternity, never able to grow or change.

A person needs to be able to admit to his failings, make amends, roll his sleeves up, and start over. To focus any more than necessary on the past will inhibit the opportunities presented to us to maximize our potential and move forward into the future. King Solomon says it all when he teaches, "A bad person will fall once and never again get up, whereas a righteous person will fall seven times and get up again each and every time."

(Based on the teachings of Rav Avigdor Miller)

Here is a great dvar torah from jbuff.com on the power of giving & also on the concept that true love comes after marriage-not before (even if it may “feel” that way)

After the near sacrifice of Yitzchok (Isaac), Avraham realizes it is time for Yitzchok to get married.

From the sequence of events which lead up to the marriage of Yitzchok, we can glean many valuable insights into the ideas of love and marriage.

Avraham instructed his servant, Eliezer, to find a wife for Yitzchok (Eliezer, besides being a trusted aide to Avraham, was also a tremendously pious and perceptive person; finding a spouse in such a fashion is certainly not a recommended procedure for this generation). How would Eliezer know who would be a fitting bride for Yitzchok? Let us look to the narrative of the Torah: “She (Rivka, also known as Rebecca) said, ‘drink my lord’, and quickly she lowered her jug to her hand and gave him a drink. When she had finished giving him drink, she said, ‘I will draw water even for your camels until they have finished drinking.’ Later, Rivka tells Eliezer: “Even straw and feed is plentiful with us as well as a place to lodge” (Gen. Ch. 24). Rivka was a young girl, and as we know, camels are extremely thirsty animals. This, obviously, was very strenuous work, especially for a stranger! Yet Rivka does this work happily. This shows she has a very giving nature.

When Yitzchok is introduced to his future wife, the Torah tells us the sequence of events: “And Yitzchok brought her (Rivka) into the tent of Sarah his mother; he married Rivka, she became his wife, and he loved her” (Gen. Ch. 24 V.67). The sequence of events is seemingly out of order. Shouldn’t Yitzchok have loved Rivka before he married her?

Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler has a classic piece in his seminal work “Strive for Truth”. He explains that “the world is comprised of givers and takers.” It is of utmost importance, and in reality it is the key to our happiness, both with in our relationship with our spouses, family, friends and with G-d, to strive to be givers. Being a giver is the antithesis of being selfish.

Logically it would seem that a person loves someone because of what he could get from him. In reality, the exact opposite is the truth. Think of the relationship between a parent and a child. What does a child, certainly in the first couple of years of life, give a parent? Yet which normal parent does not have boundless love for his child?

It is giving that develops and increases love.  In modern society, pop culture and movies often portray people as “falling in love” within the first few times they meet. This is obviously false and should more appropriately be proclaimed as “falling in lust”.  One of the main reasons for the tragically high divorce rate is that people don’t understand that relationships take work, and above all giving leads to love, not vice versa.

This is how Yitzchok was able to marry Rivka, because he knew she was a giver. And through understanding the principle of giving, we see why only after he married her, and would have the opportunity to give to her, would he love her. Let us all undertake to work on being givers and to improve our relationships with our loved ones and with God

From the website www.meaningfullife.com

50 reasons why your life matters

It happens to the best of us: Sometimes it seems like our lives don’t matter. Whether you are in the depths of depression or have survived an assault on who you are, or even if you are just having a really bad day, sometimes it seems like, “My life doesn’t matter.” However: That thought is wrong. Your life does matter.

A spiritual truth: If you are alive, your life matters. Here are 50 reasons why:

50. The world would be different if you were not born.

49. You have a unique role to play in the grand scheme of things.

48. You have a contribution to make to the world, even if you’re not sure what it is.

47. You were chosen to be born and to live in this world.

46. The small things you do have a bigger positive effect than you know.

45. You have said and will say again kind words that made somebody’s day.

44. You might save someone’s life one day.

43. You might have already saved someone’s life without even knowing it.

42. You have many things to accomplish.

41. You’d be missed by others if you weren’t around, even if you don’t think so.

40. There are things you’ve learned that you need to teach.

39. Nobody can look out at life with exactly the same eyes as you do.

38. You have the ability to choose, and that is a gift.

37. You can rectify mistakes by approaching the same situations in better ways in the future.

36. You can inspire someone who feels broken.

35. You can experience the satisfaction of doing something difficult.

34. The soul that lives in your body is yours and only yours, and was put in your body for a reason.

33. Your body is a channel for your soul.

32. Your potential for growth is unlimited.

31. People might have told you that you are worthless, but they are wrong.

30. Every morning is an opportunity to renew your connection to your soul.

29. Every night is an opportunity to take stock of the day and plan for a better tomorrow.

28. Your cells are constantly regenerating, which means that at the cellular level you are always changing and progressing.

27. Everything you see in the world has a lesson to teach you.

26. Every day that you are alive you are acquiring experience and knowledge.

25. Using your money for charitable purposes makes your work and money meaningful.

24. You have the ability to use your resources to produce more than is given to you.

23. You can set an example of gracious conduct.

22. The soul inside you never grows weary; it allows you to continue on even when you are physically and emotionally tired.

21. The real you is the inner you, and when you are living with the real you, your life takes on greater meaning.

20. Every year on your birthday, the special energy invested in you at birth is present.

19. Pain you experience can be transformed into growth.

18. Ambition and creativity are lifelong journeys, so your life matters regardless of your age.

17. Every stage of life has its inherent strengths. The stage of life you are in right now is meaningful even if it feels like a slump.

16. You are a partner in the creation of the world. You co-create reality with the Universe.

15. You have the power to shape your future.

14. The good things you do today have perpetual effects.

13. Your joy has a cosmic impact.

12. There is a part of you that has never been wounded — and can never be wounded.

11. Some of the little things you do in life are more important than the big things.

10. The journey of your life is more important than your material accomplishments.

9. You might not think you are a leader, but everyone has the ability to influence another person positively.

8. You are a link in a long historical chain.

7. You can recognize the extraordinary within the ordinary.

6. Your life is a miracle, an actual miracle.

5. You are inherently good. Your inner self is inherently good. Every person has an inherently beautiful inner self.

4. Your life matters because you yearn for something better.

3. Your life matters because you care enough to regret your mistakes.

2. Regardless of how lonely you feel, you are never alone.

1. Your life matters because birth is God saying, “You matter.”