Asking a Better Question

At this coming Sunday’s shul brunch we are hosting a speaker who will share insight with us about the power of “mindfulness”. Before some of you roll your eyes or say to yourself, “that’s a bunch of new-age blah”, please consider this truth – each person experiences life through the lens of his or her own subjectivity. For one person, a test or meeting can cause excitement for another stress. One person focuses attention on another person’s skin color while someone else notices his smile. Yes, “I think therefore I am” but even more, “the way I think is a reflection of who I am.” The thoughts that fill our minds therefore influence how we experience the world. The key here is that we must not see ourselves as prisoners of the thoughts and ideas that enter our minds. On the contrary, we have the power TO CHOOSE our thoughts and ideas. On Shabbat I might come to shul with a whirlwind of things on my mind, but there is one sentence in the service that often puts me in a different, and by that I mean better, mindset: “We thank You for the miracles that daily attend us and for the wonders and gifts that accompany us evening, morning and noon.” American Express is famous for asking, “What’s in your wallet?” We’ll be asking a better question, “What’s in your mind?” Shabbat Shalom, RabbiB