While being in Israel is precious, I have felt at peace returning to home in Houston. Being at home to myself, as my parents are out of town, has given me the time and space to process all that took place in the past 6 weeks and apply what I learned (and return to using the float tank 😃 ). In addition, it has provided time and space to take stock in and review the previous year. There are usually three times a year that I will review the year: my birthday , the Gregorian new year (January), and Rosh Hashanah (the birthday of the world, September). The current Hebrew month is Elul which is the month just before the Rosh Hashanah. It is a time for introspection, to connect with G-d, and to envision where we are going. Last year, I shared a blog post about how the year had gone: Rosh Hashanah 5781/2020. As I review it, it surprised me that it’s already been a year and, yet, it’s only been a year! Just to share the success from one of the activities I do (mentioned in the blog about birthdays - click “my birthday” above), where I create a vision of the year and write it in the past tense, is that I traveled to Israel. At the beginning of January 2021, I wrote a vision as if it was already 2022, where I wrote in one part, “I was able to travel to Israel, where I learned Hebrew, studied in yeshiva, and grew my coaching practice. I got to spend time with my brother, my great friend, help Tamir Goodman at his camp” and more. That (as you read the past 6 weeks) manifested and I contribute half, if not more, of the success to writing it down.
The month of Elul is likened to the silence before the sound (of the shofar, rams horn blown) on Rosh Hashanah. It is the time of inhaling, when we breath in all that occurred, what’s present, before exhaling and returning to creating. So I encourage you to do some of the following ‘inhaling’ exercises, and please share any questions you have:
Reflect
What are you Grateful for this year - the people, experiences, accomplishments, etc.?
What happened this year month by month since Rosh Hashana (September 18,2020)?
What was the wisdom of this past year?
What did you discover this year?
What limitations did you overcome?
How did you grow - personally, spiritually, communally, etc.?
What is a resolution you can make for the year for your physical health, mental health, and spiritual health?
Vision
What does an ideal day look like?
Write a vision, as specific as possible, of this time next year. What does your life look like? What activities are you doing on a daily, weekly, monthly basis? Who are the people you’re around? How much money are you earning/spending? What does your rich life look like? How are you feeling on a daily basis? What new skills are you learning?
How did you grow spiritually? In your faith?
Action
What can you do now to make these (to allow these to) happen? Be open to how they can occur. Often our brain gets stuck on one way of something happening when really there are so many other ways to do it.
May you be at peace with your past year and cultivate clarity in your vision of the year to come. May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.