You are where your thoughts are

 

Guest post from a reader:

I woke up feeling unusually happy and full of chiyus today, in stark contrast to the previous weeks of feeling down and utterly physically and mentally drained from all the mishigas happening on the personal, national and international scene.  I had a sense of real closeness to H-shem, and a feeling of overwhelming gratitude. It was the first time in a long time that I said "modeh ani" and really meant it . 

Then, while still in bed, the thought flashed through my mind that we, the Jewish people, were starting a new era, a new beginning in some way. That every Jew had the power to transform the present perceived reality of "doom and gloom" into a reality of  joy and thanksgiving. I had this vision of every Jew being the center of concentric circles of light and positivity radiating outwards and intersecting with all those around them, ripples in a cosmic pond, until the whole world vibrated with this encompassing light. 

The saying from the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe came into my mind: Think good and it will be good. I'd always related to this injunction as a nice intellectual idea, but never really felt it on a gut level.

Today, I believed in my heart that not only could I live this but that all of us could. I decided then and there that when I spoke to the people around me, I would say, "Did you know that today is international "Think good and it'll be good" day?" From the few people that I mentioned this to, I got some amused reactions; nobody took me seriously. But I still figured that change has to start somewhere and it can (and often does) start with one person.  So what's holding any of us back from truly believing in and living this motto? Our fears and doubts, basically. Fears imposed from the outside Amaleks as well as fears and doubts welling up from our internal Amalek. After all, they don't call the Moslem monsters wrecking havoc on the world terrorists for nothing. And they're not the only sowers of terror and hopelessness. The global media, with their constant emphasis on disaster and horror, is doing an excellent job, too. So that at the end of the day, we're drowning in a painfilled, black sludge that masks the vitality within us and obscures H-shem Himself.

Can we overcome this and finally start to believe that we have the ability to change reality? I think so. And not only by thinking positively and changing our personal circumstances (as some New Age gurus emphasize with their magical formulas that "guarantee"wealth, health and personal happiness).  But to be partners with H-shem, in the fullest sense of the word,and through our positive, holy thinking actually bring the Moshiach and the Geulah NOW!!!