...and the Pursuit of Happiness
Terrorism, shooting sprees and other sad news dominate the media. Personal struggles abound with relationships, health or financial instability. Nobody gets off scot-free from "tzoris" (challenges), because this world is not a perfect place.
So, how can we observe the mitzvah to serve G-d with joy, to live our lives happily? (Especially now that we are in the Jewish month of Adar, and the Talmud says, "When Adar enters, we increase our happiness"?)
Everyone is pursuing happiness, but is it attainable? YES IT IS!!
The tool that I have found most beneficial for this sacred task of living with the trait of joy is to recognize that the source of disappointment is directly connected with our sense of entitlement. We live with the attitude that the world owes us... the perfect relationship, body and job, and if we don't have it, we feel sad. The Torah reminds us that G-d owes us nothing, and teaches us about our duty to be mindful of the fact that everything that we have in our lives is a gift.
Granted, this is a lifelong pursuit, to live life without a sense of entitlement and to view everything as a gift, but trying to mindful of this, will yield immediate (modest) results.
While this is a simple, almost obvious formula, it's one that we usually gloss over. The concept of "Mussar" is to take obvious, important concepts and to make them real in our lives, to ingrain them into our hearts and mindsets.
So, here's a tool that I have been working on: next time you're about to enjoy something, anything, take a moment, close your eyes, be mindful that this is an undeserved gift from G-d, say a blessing filled with gratitude and then really enjoy!
If we do this several times a day, it will really make a difference. It'll help us appreciate what we already have in our lives. Additionally, it puts things in perspective. Sure, there is a lot of imperfection in this world, but it pales in comparison to all the goodness and pleasure that exists in our lives. Don't let the media fool you - they're just trying to sell news, so they focus on the negative stories. In reality, every sunset, every day, every meal, every bite, every breath... it's all a gift - that's empowering!
(Credits to my friend, Rabbi Levi Lebovitz of Denver, Colorado for helping me make this lesson real in my life!)
Shabbat shalom!
Rabbi Koval
