Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay As you read this, the door has closed on the three-week period known to Jews worldwide as the High Holy Days. In Israel, they are referred to simply as the chagim, or holidays. Most people have heard of Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of … Continue reading That Mythical Time

If you are anything like me, you like to set goals and chase after them. There’s a lot to be said for setting a plan, choosing a course of action and putting in the time, leading to the satisfaction of seeing results. Consistency of action is a major component of this process, of course - … Continue reading Dealing with Conflicting Priorities

I took this picture yesterday morning on a street near my house. My city and province have been battered by a rare early fall snowstorm, with gale-force winds and heavy, wet snow. We are blessed with an incredible urban forest, mostly ash and elm trees. They had not yet shed their leaves, and the combination … Continue reading How Words Affect Your Resilience

Did you know that just going for a 30 minute walk each day can do wonders for your body, but also for your mind? If you look up the benefits of 30 minutes of exercise each day, you'll find many physical ones - improved immunity, reduced risk of varicose veins, reduced risk of chronic disease, … Continue reading Why Moving Your Body Is Great For Your Mind

When this blog post is published, I will be preparing to read the Torah for my congregation, as we celebrate the Jewish New Year, called Rosh HaShanah, the head of the year. Just over a week later, we will observe the solemn fast day of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Together, they are usually … Continue reading The Arithmetic of the Soul

There's something odd about the times that we live in. When you ask people how they are, they tell you "crazy busy", with pride. They love to tell you how they are working full-time, have 3 little kids, and two businesses on the side. They have no time for anything. Maybe this doesn't apply to … Continue reading How Many Balls Are You Juggling?

Have you ever said, "I'll sleep when I'm dead?" Especially when we are young, we tend to be impatient with the amount of time we seem to be wasting on sleep. Who has time to sleep when there are so many exciting things to be done? Teenagers in particular are supposed to get between 8 … Continue reading The Funny Thing About Sleep

This past week, we read a section in the Torah called Judges - G-d commands Moses to appoint judges and magistrates, so the people shall be judged fairly, without bribery or favouritism. It made me think about how we are all judges, especially of ourselves. Have you noticed that the people who are most judgemental … Continue reading About Judgement

It’s September! It’s just shocking how fast the summer goes around here. It seems the leaves just poked out of the buds, and now they are almost ready to fall. The kids are going back to school, traffic picks up, and people are thinking of fresh starts. There are lots of resolutions associated with January … Continue reading A Fresh Start

This must seem like a very strange question. Everyone wants to succeed, to have enough money, to be able to do what they want, to have people approve of them. Right? It doesn't seem to be something we need to think about. And yet, I don't know about you, but sometimes I find myself procrastinating, … Continue reading Why Do You Want to Succeed?