50 days of personal growth via 'Counting the Omer'

Wil, I brought my children to a couple of interfaith activities. It is something that I think they will remember as adults. We did not have those opportunities as kids. That could help change the way people look at each other.
 
Avi1223 said:
Wil, I brought my children to a couple of interfaith activities. It is something that I think they will remember as adults. We did not have those opportunities as kids. That could help change the way people look at each other.
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Avi, you are exactly correct. As a kid I grew up in the 'cold war' we were taught to hate the 'reds' the 'ruskies' the 'communists' but all I could think of was aren't they just people too? We heard how Pravda was not really a newspaper but just propaganda....but I wondered if our newspapers were really any different.

We also grew up with racial tension, I went to school during the years of desegragation and bussing...moving kids from their neighborhoods into other schools for forced integration. My kids grew up in a mixed neighborhood, go to church where our congregation is about 50/50 b/w and they asked me in elementary school, why are they called black?? They are brown. They saw no difference, they were all kids and just played together.

I was on another forum prior to this one it has evovled on and no longer exists in this state. But we had an Israeli woman who went to nursing school in another country, her next door neighbors in her apartment were Palestinian, she was horrified, yet after they met, they became friends, shared meals, and discussed their religious and political differences.

It is our leaders and older generations that are holding on to issues and passing them onto our youth. The shame is the ones with the guns and bullet holes on both sides are those told to fight...those brainwashed to hate and fight.

In reality to me every parent has those simply Maslow needs. They want their children to go to bed with full bellies in a warm bed with a roof that will hold out the rain, and grow up in a safe environment where they will have the opportunity to make a living and have a family that has the same.... We live in an abundant world, and there is no reason it can't be so.
 
Next year I am going to keep a journal...

It seems in the past I've enjoyed the contemplation the most.

This year it is the exercises and following thru with them that is lighting my fire.
 
I use sticky notes, then stick em up on the window, for words which grab my fancy, um as, and use old cans to make wind sculpture, which hang in trees. Where has Jesus gone to?
 
Wil, we are celebrating the period from Passover to Revelation. These are two holidays with huge symbolism. Symbolism of freedom and divine giving.

wil said:
Avi, you are exactly correct. As a kid I grew up in the 'cold war' we were taught to hate the 'reds' the 'ruskies' the 'communists' but all I could think of was aren't they just people too? We heard how Pravda was not really a newspaper but just propaganda....but I wondered if our newspapers were really any different.
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As a small child in school we used to have "nuclear bomb drills". Our teacher would yell "take cover" and we would jump under our desks, as if this would protect us from nuclear fallout :eek:


We also grew up with racial tension, I went to school during the years of desegragation and bussing...moving kids from their neighborhoods into other schools for forced integration. My kids grew up in a mixed neighborhood, go to church where our congregation is about 50/50 b/w and they asked me in elementary school, why are they called black?? They are brown. They saw no difference, they were all kids and just played together.
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I grew up at the same time. In some ways we have made great progress in race issues. But in other ways we have not. I think the election of Obama is a great opportunity for a new era of race relations.


I was on another forum prior to this one it has evovled on and no longer exists in this state. But we had an Israeli woman who went to nursing school in another country, her next door neighbors in her apartment were Palestinian, she was horrified, yet after they met, they became friends, shared meals, and discussed their religious and political differences.
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That is encouraging. It is our individual experiences which are most meaningful.

It is our leaders and older generations that are holding on to issues and passing them onto our youth. The shame is the ones with the guns and bullet holes on both sides are those told to fight...those brainwashed to hate and fight.
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It takes a lot of courage to change old habits.

In reality to me every parent has those simply Maslow needs. They want their children to go to bed with full bellies in a warm bed with a roof that will hold out the rain, and grow up in a safe environment where they will have the opportunity to make a living and have a family that has the same.... We live in an abundant world, and there is no reason it can't be so.
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I agree, there is still much work to be done !!
 
Avi1223 said:
As a small child in school we used to have "nuclear bomb drills". Our teacher would yell "take cover" and we would jump under our desks, as if this would protect us from nuclear fallout :eek:

I agree, there is still much work to be done !!
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much work to be done...today's contemplation is hitting home hard!
Ask yourself: Is my behavior erratic? Am I inconsistent and unreliable? Since I have will and determination, why am I so mercurial? Am I afraid of accessing my endurance and committing? Do I fear being trapped by my commitment? If yes, why? Is it a reaction to some past trauma? Instead of cultivating endurance in healthy areas, have I developed a capacity for endurance of unhealthy experiences? Do I endure more pain than pleasure? Do I underestimate my capacity to endure?
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As for the nuke drills we did that too. I was living in Pheonix during the Cuban missle crisis, 2nd grade, close enough for the rockets to reach us...we went out in the hall and lace our fingers over the back of our neck. They hadn't yet figured out the only thing for us to do was to bend over backwards and kiss our ass goodbye... And I was too young to grab some little girl and say lets make the most of our last moments...didn't start using that line till fifth grade when we were under our desks during earthquake drills...
 
Ask yourself: Is my behavior erratic? Am I inconsistent and unreliable? Since I have will and determination, why am I so mercurial? Am I afraid of accessing my endurance and committing? Do I fear being trapped by my commitment? If yes, why? Is it a reaction to some past trauma? Instead of cultivating endurance in healthy areas, have I developed a capacity for endurance of unhealthy experiences? Do I endure more pain than pleasure? Do I underestimate my capacity to endure?
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We all have limitations. It seems as we age we have a better understanding of ourselves and these limitations. Not to say we do not still make mistakes.

Will, determination, endurance, robustness, all characteristics we aim for.

Mercuriality, erratic behavior, inconsistancy, fear of commitement, fear of being trapped, unhealthy experiences, enduring pain, all behaviors that we must try to overcome.

Anger is one of the hardest emotions to deal with. We can struggle and think we are making progress, but it comes on so fast that sometimes we cannot react quickly enough. How do we understand this ?


wil said:
And I was too young to grab some little girl and say lets make the most of our last moments...didn't start using that line till fifth grade when we were under our desks during earthquake drills...
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You were much smarter than I. I didn't figure that trick out until years after that :D
 
Avi1223 said:
Anger is one of the hardest emotions to deal with. We can struggle and think we are making progress, but it comes on so fast that sometimes we cannot react quickly enough. How do we understand this ?
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Ah, this is one of my favorites. One that I have a long way to go on, but one I have the solution for.

You look at the grumpy old man v. the dali lama... same situation can happen to either and you'll know the result from either. The worst can happen to one and he'll smile and contemplate, the former can get a check for millions in the lottery and complain about the taxes...

Wayne Dyers line on this is "When you squeeze an orange you get orange juice" On one side it tells us not to get upset when someone blows up over the littlest of things, it wasn't you that caused the problem, you simply got to see what was inside...bursting out.

The flip side is what we need to do. Spend the time in prayer, meditation and contemplation to place more of what you want inside. Every time we see our knee jerk reaction instead of calm response tis a chance for learning. Remember when you didn't even think there was anything wrong with the knee jerk reaction, when you proudly went on and told friends how you acted out in anger and showed them what for? The first sign of growth is noticing that you need to change...and then every notice provides us an opportunity for review...gotta love it.


btw....how you doin bonding with your new resolution??
 
Humility must also be examined for its genuineness. Is my humility humble? Or is it yet another
expression of arrogance? Do I take too much pride in my humility? Do I flaunt it? Is it self-serving?
Is my humility part of a crusade or is it genuine? Do I have expectations due to my humility?
Exercise for the day: Be humble just for its own sake.
 
wil said:
Ah, this is one of my favorites. One that I have a long way to go on, but one I have the solution for.

You look at the grumpy old man v. the dali lama... same situation can happen to either and you'll know the result from either. The worst can happen to one and he'll smile and contemplate, the former can get a check for millions in the lottery and complain about the taxes...
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Right, anger is a complex issue. Not good to get easily angered. But we also need to have some passion. Sometimes we need to get angry for change to take place.


btw....how you doin bonding with your new resolution??
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Resolution ? I always seem to chose the hard ones, like I will try to make the world a better place to live. I never seem to take the easy ones like, I will lose 15 lbs. :)

Humility must also be examined for its genuineness. Is my humility humble? Or is it yet another
expression of arrogance? Do I take too much pride in my humility? Do I flaunt it? Is it self-serving?
Is my humility part of a crusade or is it genuine? Do I have expectations due to my humility?
Exercise for the day: Be humble just for its own sake.
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Humility is a good the. Studying the great minds of history is very humbling. There is now so much information available, articles on the internet, used books on the internet. It is easy to find work from the minds of great men and women. Those ideas are humbling.
 
Namaste Avi,

Last night/todays... a good one for me to attempt to practice by example here....
Day 35 - Malchut of Hod: Nobility in Humility

Walking humbly is walking tall. Dignity is the essence of humility and modesty. The splendor of humility is majestic and aristocratic. Humility that suppresses the human spirit and denies individual sovereignty is not humility at all. Does my humility make me feel dignified? Do I feel alive and vibrant?

Exercise for the day: Teach someone how humility and modesty enhance human dignity.
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Wil, how do we learn humility ? Working with the weak and frail ? Caring for children and animals ? Probably we can spend our entire lives trying to learn humility and we may not get there.

What is pride ? Disinterest or inability to interact with these groups ? Not wanting to help ? Not knowing how to help ? Not caring ?

Lets hope that we learning something about humility as time goes by !!
 
Tis the end of another counting which leaves us with...

Examine the sovereignty of your sovereignty. Does it come from deep- rooted inner confidence in myself? Or is it just a put-on to mask my insecurities? Does that cause my sovereignty to be excessive? Am I aware of my uniqueness as a person? Of my personal contribution?

Exercise for the day: Take a moment and concentrate on yourself, on your true inner self, not on your performance and how you project to others; and be at peace with yourself knowing that G-d created a
very special person which is you.
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Examine the sovereignty of your sovereignty. Does it come from deep- rooted inner confidence in myself? Or is it just a put-on to mask my insecurities? Does that cause my sovereignty to be excessive? Am I aware of my uniqueness as a person? Of my personal contribution?

Exercise for the day: Take a moment and concentrate on yourself, on your true inner self, not on your performance and how you project to others; and be at peace with yourself knowing that G-d created a
very special person which is you.
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Wil, nice thoughts on the 50 days. It ends with Shavot or the Revelation at Mt. Sinai.

I thought you might be interested in seeing where some of the beliefs of Reform Judaism differ from traditional ideas about Revelation, so I copied a section from wiki on this:


Progressive Judaism, Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism, believe that the Torah is not entirely a direct revelation from God, but is a document written by human ancestors, carrying human understanding and experience, and seeking to answer the question: 'What does God require of us?'. They believe that, though it contains many 'core-truths' about God and humanity, it is also time bound, sexist, primitive, and, sometimes, simply wrong. They believe that God's will is revealed through the interaction of humanity and God throughout history, and so, in that sense, Torah is an important part, but only a part, of an ongoing revelation.
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I do not know if this non-traditional belief is widely known (sorry for the underline, I do not know how to remove it).

Also, own belief is moving more toward pantheistic or panentheistic in the sense that I believe that G-d is more connected with our preception of reality. I would like to learn more about this idea.
 
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