Are we feeling the burn yet?
I hope that our workouts are bringing meaningful reflection and active
preparation for the New Year. Enjoy the
next installment:
Elul Workout #4: Listening
Step 1: Take out your calendar, find a time for 10-15
minutes where you can “work-out” and copy the following steps into a time slot
that works for you. (If now is a good
time, then skip step 1)
Step 2: Take our your reflections from last week and
review (If you need a reminder of what the previous weeks involved, click
here, here
and click
here)
Step 3: A huge part of our success in breaking our
patterns and finding newness in this next year comes from our ability to pause for
a few minutes and listen. Out of the
still, quiet places, we often find the most inspiration. We also have the opportunity to find new
perspectives and ideas when we put our own agendas on hold and we fully listen
to others around us. Practice listening
by calling a friend/family member with whom you are overdue for a chat. Ask them what they are hoping for in this new
year – personally, professionally, spiritually.
Then, just listen. Ask clarifying
questions where appropriate to understand more fully, but just listen.
Step 4: Pause for a few moments and listen to your
own heart. If you meditate, take a few
moments to do so. Then, write your own
list: My dreams for this year include . . .
I hope these moments of listening bring us closer to the
kind of fresh start we all need for this New Year.
L’shanah Tovah!
Rabbi Ari N. Margolis
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