This Motzai Shabbos I shall be flying on a plane to Florida. On Monday night I will be married. Just the thought makes me smile from ear to ear. Some people might think that I am living in LaLa Land, but I don't care. I am extremely happy. And why shouldn't I be?
So many people search their entire lives to find the perfect one never to find the one they are looking for. I never searched and I found the perfect one for me. She is caring, devoted to what she believes in, makes me smile when she walks in the room. She lifts my spirits, giving me confidence to know that anything is possible. Her interests parallel my own in so many ways; my economics to her psychology, her fantasy to my SciFi, her answers to my questions. O how grateful am I to God for sitting up in heaven doing the job of the mythical cupid.
At the same time I am extremely happy I am also extremely on edge. Marriage is a responsibility. It's not just fun and games, it's not just happily ever after. For my whole life I have lived at home on my parents' dime. They have fed me, clothed me, and made sure I was never lacking. Now it is my responsibility to not only stand on my own two feet by paying rent, and buying my own food, I also have to make sure that the perfect one for me is never lacking. I work on commission and a steady salary is not something that is guaranteed by any company. I know that I am not alone in the world, that it all doesn't really rest on my shoulders, but...
Why is it that I am able to thank God for helping me find my zivug, but I have so much trouble trusting in him when it comes to making a living? I guess it's easier to thank after the fact than it is to trust that everything will work out well in the end.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Because, Why?
"That's the way it is."
"Why?"
"Because."
"Because, Why?"
Have you ever thought that the little kid is the one in the right? The questions can technically go on forever, and it is only as adults that we have given up asking. Perhaps the reason we have given up asking is because we have found satisfactory answers, perhaps we have all just gotten to lazy to care one way or another.
Perhaps the reason we have stopped asking is because there is no definitive answer out there to find. Everyone has an answer that works for them, that helps them get out of bed in the morning, and that is all that's necessary.
Personally, I'm still asking.
"Why?"
"Why?"
"Because."
"Because, Why?"
Have you ever thought that the little kid is the one in the right? The questions can technically go on forever, and it is only as adults that we have given up asking. Perhaps the reason we have given up asking is because we have found satisfactory answers, perhaps we have all just gotten to lazy to care one way or another.
Perhaps the reason we have stopped asking is because there is no definitive answer out there to find. Everyone has an answer that works for them, that helps them get out of bed in the morning, and that is all that's necessary.
Personally, I'm still asking.
"Why?"
Givers and Takers
In this world there are two types of people. There are givers, and there are takers. The givers are respected for all they give, and the takers are looked down on for all that they take. The takers must like what they are getting more than they care about public opinion.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Judge God?
Question: What always happens when a product gets put on the market that causes possible harm to certain individuals in the long run?
Answer: A class action lawsuit.
On the day of judgment, who will be judged?
Will we be judged for sinning, or will God be judged for giving us the choice in the first place?
I wonder what a class action lawsuit against God would look like. All the people in Hell would get together one Shabbos, the day they get to rest from all that hot coals, and they would come before God.
"God," they would say. "I know we have been very bad. We lied, cheated, and ate without a blessing. But it all seemed like a good idea at the time. I mean, you did allow us to do all those things."
They would probably hand this all in written on the back of a nice scroll. God would then read the legal document, scan it up and down, and hand it off to some angel or another.
"I understand you are troubled my sinful creations. I'd probably be troubled too if I was in your situation." God would probably reply. "However, the fact remains, I'm God. Deal with it."
"But, but, but...." the tortured spirits would cry out, as they are shuffled away back to what seemed like endless suffering for another 6 days.
The question really is, cost-benefit wise, is the reward in Heaven promised to the Good doers worth the suffering the the sinners get in Hell.
God must have thought so, or he wouldn't have put the drug called LIFE on the market.
Say No To Drugs?
;-)
Answer: A class action lawsuit.
On the day of judgment, who will be judged?
Will we be judged for sinning, or will God be judged for giving us the choice in the first place?
I wonder what a class action lawsuit against God would look like. All the people in Hell would get together one Shabbos, the day they get to rest from all that hot coals, and they would come before God.
"God," they would say. "I know we have been very bad. We lied, cheated, and ate without a blessing. But it all seemed like a good idea at the time. I mean, you did allow us to do all those things."
They would probably hand this all in written on the back of a nice scroll. God would then read the legal document, scan it up and down, and hand it off to some angel or another.
"I understand you are troubled my sinful creations. I'd probably be troubled too if I was in your situation." God would probably reply. "However, the fact remains, I'm God. Deal with it."
"But, but, but...." the tortured spirits would cry out, as they are shuffled away back to what seemed like endless suffering for another 6 days.
The question really is, cost-benefit wise, is the reward in Heaven promised to the Good doers worth the suffering the the sinners get in Hell.
God must have thought so, or he wouldn't have put the drug called LIFE on the market.
Say No To Drugs?
;-)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Never be a failure
How is success measured? Is it measured with a measuring cup? Perhaps a measuring spoon that holds exactly a tablespoon? Does it have a length to be measured by a ruler?
There are people all over the world that pose various measures for calculating what is and what is not success. They have wonderful catch phrases that sum up all it means to be successful in life. I have one question. Is it true? Is there really a true barometer to measure success?
Most people I know would look at a fellow wallowing in his own vomit on the side of the street as unsuccessful. The person has lost all his dignity as a human being, and for the most part has lost everyone's respect. However, this is not the end of the story. The real end of the story is when the man gets up the next morning, runs home, puts on his suit, and goes to his well paying executive job. A whole new picture has formed. Is this man a bum on the street, unsuccessful for his wollowing in his own excresions, or is he a success because he has a nice high paying job to go to in the morning?
Cutting to the chase- It is my belief that there is no clear measurment for success. Success is, and always will be, an internal sense of self worth. Do you believe you have made it in the world? If so, you have made it. Do you believe yourself to be a failure? You are a failure.
In sales they tell you that if you are hitting your goals you should raise your expectations and get higher goals. To them success has an absolute measure, it means the amount of dollars you bring into the company's coffers. When they see that you have been hitting your numbers, that means that you have been under achieving. You should look higher. If they see you have not made your numbers, you have failed because you did not succeed at what you set out to accomplish. The truth of the matter is, if your measure of success is not determined in the objective world you can never be considered a failure.
Instead of constantly looking to others, to money, to fame, to fortune to determine if you are successful, look inward, look to your own intrinsic self worth, and you will never fail. You are created in the image of God. Even if God would require a few plasic surgeries before he would ever want to look like you, you should always see yourself as a success.
There are people all over the world that pose various measures for calculating what is and what is not success. They have wonderful catch phrases that sum up all it means to be successful in life. I have one question. Is it true? Is there really a true barometer to measure success?
Most people I know would look at a fellow wallowing in his own vomit on the side of the street as unsuccessful. The person has lost all his dignity as a human being, and for the most part has lost everyone's respect. However, this is not the end of the story. The real end of the story is when the man gets up the next morning, runs home, puts on his suit, and goes to his well paying executive job. A whole new picture has formed. Is this man a bum on the street, unsuccessful for his wollowing in his own excresions, or is he a success because he has a nice high paying job to go to in the morning?
Cutting to the chase- It is my belief that there is no clear measurment for success. Success is, and always will be, an internal sense of self worth. Do you believe you have made it in the world? If so, you have made it. Do you believe yourself to be a failure? You are a failure.
In sales they tell you that if you are hitting your goals you should raise your expectations and get higher goals. To them success has an absolute measure, it means the amount of dollars you bring into the company's coffers. When they see that you have been hitting your numbers, that means that you have been under achieving. You should look higher. If they see you have not made your numbers, you have failed because you did not succeed at what you set out to accomplish. The truth of the matter is, if your measure of success is not determined in the objective world you can never be considered a failure.
Instead of constantly looking to others, to money, to fame, to fortune to determine if you are successful, look inward, look to your own intrinsic self worth, and you will never fail. You are created in the image of God. Even if God would require a few plasic surgeries before he would ever want to look like you, you should always see yourself as a success.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Guide to Speeches
There is one rule a person must follow when giving a speech. That rule is, Know your audience. If you are speaking to a bunch of teenagers, make it a quicky. Kids have short attention spans and will not listen past the two minute mark. If you are talking to mature adults, make it a fast speech. Mature people have places to go and people to see, by not getting to the point very fast you will end up losing them. When speaking to older people, make the speech long and drawn out. Older people tend to be a little slower when it comes to mental comprehension, the slower you speak the more likely it is that they will understand what you are talking about. If you are speaking to a mixed crowd you are in for a little trouble, and that requires a whole other paragraph to describe what to do in such a situation. One simple sentence will not do for something as complex as a crowd full of people of different ages.
When speaking to a crowd of people in different age groups make sure to have an open door policy. Allow people to come and go as they please. Make the point very quickly in the first few sentences, and reiterate the point over and over ad nauseum until everyone has either nodded their heads or walked out. This way you will have reached every demographic in the audience.
To conclude, when speaking to a crowd of people, do not push your own agenda. People resent the condescension of others. It is important to understand who you are talking to and spread just the right amount of condescension on the surface so as to seep into the cracks of all the listeners.
Have a Great Week, and may you have to merit of doing O so many great things
........
When speaking to a crowd of people in different age groups make sure to have an open door policy. Allow people to come and go as they please. Make the point very quickly in the first few sentences, and reiterate the point over and over ad nauseum until everyone has either nodded their heads or walked out. This way you will have reached every demographic in the audience.
To conclude, when speaking to a crowd of people, do not push your own agenda. People resent the condescension of others. It is important to understand who you are talking to and spread just the right amount of condescension on the surface so as to seep into the cracks of all the listeners.
Have a Great Week, and may you have to merit of doing O so many great things
........
Monday, February 1, 2010
Such A Character
He greeted me enthusiastically with a greeting that I recognized immediately as one belonging to a fellow salesman. There was something he wanted to get off his chest in exchange for some of my hard earned cash. I could smell the stench of false courage on his breath as if he had just had one drink to fortify his resolve.
"How you doing?" he said, in that voice that could only have come from the ghetto. He seemed very slick, born of the streets.
The rest of the people in the store continued the conversations that were already going on. One of the other people in the store, a friend of mine, asked the liquor breathed man what he was doing with himself to make ends meat.
"I work for the parks department, but before I was a street pharmacist," he relied, in the same tone of voice he had been using all along, a tone of voice too loud for regular everyday speech.
I laughed.
The guy had just admitted to being a drug dealer. This was Downtown Brooklyn after all, and was to be expected, but still... You don't expect someone to flat out admit to their illegal activities. I could have been a Kippah wearing member of the secret police listening to catch on to some deeply suspicious information.
"So what are you selling now?" I asked him in an amused sounding voice. It's not everyday I come into contact with someone from the underworld. (-;
He pulls out of his pocket a Blackberry and proceeds to offer it for sale to everyone in the Bodega. He starts extolling it's praises, though he probably ripped it off of some poor fellow who was still looking for it even now.
Everyone in the store, including myself, turned him down on his generous offer. None of us were interested in a Verizon cellphone without any Simcard, and a suspicious history to boot.
Exit stage left.
My friend and I leave the store, a smile plastered all over my face. I suppose all it takes is a shot of liquid courage and anything is possible.
"How you doing?" he said, in that voice that could only have come from the ghetto. He seemed very slick, born of the streets.
The rest of the people in the store continued the conversations that were already going on. One of the other people in the store, a friend of mine, asked the liquor breathed man what he was doing with himself to make ends meat.
"I work for the parks department, but before I was a street pharmacist," he relied, in the same tone of voice he had been using all along, a tone of voice too loud for regular everyday speech.
I laughed.
The guy had just admitted to being a drug dealer. This was Downtown Brooklyn after all, and was to be expected, but still... You don't expect someone to flat out admit to their illegal activities. I could have been a Kippah wearing member of the secret police listening to catch on to some deeply suspicious information.
"So what are you selling now?" I asked him in an amused sounding voice. It's not everyday I come into contact with someone from the underworld. (-;
He pulls out of his pocket a Blackberry and proceeds to offer it for sale to everyone in the Bodega. He starts extolling it's praises, though he probably ripped it off of some poor fellow who was still looking for it even now.
Everyone in the store, including myself, turned him down on his generous offer. None of us were interested in a Verizon cellphone without any Simcard, and a suspicious history to boot.
Exit stage left.
My friend and I leave the store, a smile plastered all over my face. I suppose all it takes is a shot of liquid courage and anything is possible.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)