"Peace is the beauty of life, the sunshine, a child's smile, a mother's love, a father's joy... Peace is all these things and more, and more."- Menachem Begin
Learning to appreciate the small things has made all the difference.
Being surrounded by people from all parts of the world while studying abroad here in Israel has taught me more than I ever thought it could. Perhaps I would learn others' ways of life and that's all great... but I didn't realize how much I would learn about myself.
I remember several years ago when I had first traveled out of the USA and came to Israel, I was shocked by that cultural experience. I realized how my life and mentality were so different than most others'.
At this point, having been abroad for 5 months, I have come to understand this difference on a deeper level and actually integrate changes into my life.
One major idea that has continuously come up enough for me to understand why perhaps in this area my life experience is lacking in a sense even though it may seem that it would be gaining... is how "so much" could cause one to feel like there is actually not really all that much.
We learned about this concept in one of my classes where we are learning from a book called "The Path of the Just" (מסילת ישרים). This work guides one on the path to the perfection of character. One of the character traits we discussed was alacrity, which is completing tasks eagerly and with excitement. Our destiny is based on who we are and who we are is based on our choices. Therefore, the better we are, the better our destiny. One of the ideas we discussed in relation to this concept, is that we should avoid laziness at all costs and not obsess over things that don't contribute to us becoming our best selves. We should go through life with purpose, passion, and vigor.
We discussed the importance of taking advantage of the time we have, and the importance of not wasting it on petty things. This concept really spoke to me.
Being one of the several Americans on my program (we have been outnumbered by the Argentinians and other foreigners🙃), I have come to learn just how much America really stands out from the rest of the world. The comforts and luxuries we enjoy are unique to us. The Americans are always used as an example when trying to explain differences in culture. My European friends have even told me about how funny (yes, they think it's funny and even silly) the American mentality is. Everything is focused on comfort and getting things done easily. We like "stuff" and quantity matters. We fill voids with material objects, but there is no real satisfaction. We are definitely the most spoiled of all the rest, and perhaps also the most spiritually bereft.
Not that there is anything wrong with luxury and comfort, but sometimes it may negatively affect our quality of life without us even realizing it. It may not be intuitive, but then you think about it. We spend so much time aiming for those white picket fences and large homes... that we forget the bigger picture.
We become slaves to these physical pleasures and forget the value of that which really matters in life. The simple things. The small things. It gets to a point where luxuries become necessities and we only understand this truth when we no longer have it so easy. We become certain people and make certain choices, until one day we realize that perhaps we are doing it all wrong and the destiny we thought we wanted for ourselves is an illusion created by people who themselves aren't happy with theirs.
You gotta play hard if you want to enjoy the game. Just make sure that the hard work will actually lead you to true joy and self-fulfillment. These dimensions cannot be measured by quantity. Only quality.
“At the end-point, there is nothing but being, no time but the present.” Akiva Tatz
#personalgrowth #selfimprovement #successfulpeople #dowhatyoulove #empowerment #lovinglife #overcomeobstacles #herincrediblemindset #innergrowth #newmindset #mindsetshift #growthquotes #millennialtherapist #mentalhealthmatters #intentionalliving #healthyhabits #selfcare #selflove #happylifequotes #journeyoflife #selflove #selfimprovement #goalsetting #dreambigworkhard #letsdothis💪 #herewego #bossbabe #personaldevelopment #growthmindset🌱 #happyandhealthy #ilovemyself #ilovelife #thegoodquote #mytimetoshine #betterme #bettermemission #icanachieveanything #iamawinner #lewishowes #womenempowerment #womensupportingwomen #womenofimpact #impacttheory