Image by Radoan Tanvir from Pixabay People don’t like those who are different. It’s an ancient, tribal thing - probably connected to that same fear of rejection we talked about last week. It’s part of the evolution of a mature society that it consciously chooses to accept, even cherish, those who deviate from the patriarchal … Continue reading Dealing with Haters

Image by silviarita from Pixabay It’s a very primal thing for humans to want to belong and fit in - after all, back when we lived in caves, being kicked out of the group was probably a death sentence. Somebody needs to tell our subconscious that that is no longer the case. When we are … Continue reading Are You Ashamed to Be Different?

Image by chenspec from Pixabay The human mind is a wondrous thing - always churning away, producing thoughts. Everything that humans have done in the world, good or evil, began with a thought. It’s how we create our concepts of the world and of ourselves. If we wish to create any kind of impact in … Continue reading Are You Overthinking?

Image by 901263 from Pixabay If you are in Canada, I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving. As I continue with my Mel Robbins kick, I wanted to share some of my insights from her most recent book, The High Five Habit. In particular, just a few thoughts about jealousy. We are taught to be … Continue reading Jealousy is Just Blocked Desire

Image by Hands off my tags! Michael Gaida from Pixabay If you follow me at all, you have heard me talk about Mel Robbins and her excellent coaching. She has just come out with a new book called The High 5 Habit, and it’s all about getting ourselves through difficult times by self-encouragement (symbolised by … Continue reading You Are Not Broken

Image Daniel Roberts - Pixabay It’s been a rough few weeks around here. This time of year, with its closely-spaced major holidays, is always intense for anyone who takes Judaism seriously, but this year, our second pandemic holiday season, has been particularly exhausting. Throw in an election that really highlighted the divisions in our community, … Continue reading Remember the Rainbow

It’s September, and in the Jewish holiday calendar, we are now at Sukkot, the Feast of Booths. Sukkot is a time when we re-enact our agrarian roots - building a flimsy shelter outside our homes (in warm places, people actually sleep there - we are lucky if we can eat all of our meals in … Continue reading Gimme Shelter

Image by chezbeate from Pixabay It’s that time of year - what’s known as the High Holy Days. We had Rosh HaShanah last week, and this week we are going into Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement. It’s our second one in the pandemic, so it will be different, but it’s an opportunity for … Continue reading Are You Easily Offended?

If you are paying any attention to the Jewish calendar, you know that the Days of Repentance are upon us - a whole marathon of holidays taking up most of the month of Tishrei, starting right after Labour Day this year. It is an annual opportunity to do some cheshbon nefesh, or accounting of the … Continue reading Renew Our Days

Image by Nikolett Afra from Pixabay If you follow me on social media, you will know that I took a spill last Thursday while out for a run. Inattention is definitely something that gets me into trouble sometimes, and I’m sure many of you can relate. Thankfully, it’s not a big deal - I didn’t … Continue reading About Persistence