Thursday, September 17, 2020

Weekly MMM - A Return to Our Selves

 




A RETURN TO OUR SELVES

 

Tshuvah - the Hebrew root-word has 3 meanings: 

 

a. a return - back to where we came from 

b. a turning towards - a certain direction or orientation 

c. a response - to a certain question or challenge 

 

When we combine all 3 definitions into one, we come up with something like this:

 

Tshuvah is the inner drive or response to orient ourselves to return to becoming the primordial self 

that we are called upon to become deep inside of ourselves, or in shorter fashion

 

Tshuva is our drive to become who we are really meant to become  

 

1. A RETURN TO YOURSELF MEDITATION 

 

Look deeply into your Soul. Ask yourself what it is that you are truly meant to do in this life, who is it that you are truly meant to become. Picture yourself after this life, in the post life, when you are being congratulated by a mixed host of Heavenly and earthly beings. They are all celebrating the fact that you were able to become, while alive in your physical existence, the ultimate you.

 

They are showing you what you did and how you did it in a full-feature video. Watch the video in your mind's eye and take note of as much detail as you can. You can watch it again and again to catch in subsequent viewings, what you didn't catch the previous times. Pay close attention, this is the roadmap of your future. It’s where you will blossom into becoming the ultimate you! 

 

 

2. RECOLLECTIONS 

 

One of the first steps in doing Tshuvah, is to be able to recall our past. When we recall our past, then we discover what Hashem has given us and derive great joy from this. We can also discover what we did right and would like to keep doing right, as well as what we did wrong and would like to refrain from doing or doing in a different way.

 

We also can discover through recalling the many events of our recent past, what it is that Hashem is guiding us to do with our lives. Specifically, the unfolding process of becoming our ultimate selves.

 

RECOLLECTION MEDITATIONS 

 

Here are some possible realms that you may have been engaged in, The reason I chose these following realms is because I have previously composed the teachings and meditations and tools that I can provide for deeper exploration and self-actualization.

 

But, please feel free to recall the events of your last year in any way that works best for you. For example, try out your levels of inspiration, being influential, being receptive, rights and wrongs, responsibility taking, and living the standards of truth and justice. Also, as you'll soon see, the first recollection is detailed, and the next ones are not. You can just apply the guidance of the first one to the others.

  

HEALING RECOLLECTIONS 

Try to recall if, during the course of the year, you were active in healing. If so, what type of healing. 

Here’s some possibilities of types of healing:

 

unblocking flow - in the body, in the soul, in making a living, in inter-personalizing 


transcending - light into darkness, life breakthroughs, spiritual warrioring. Experience the positive feelings you get from the gifts that Hashem gave you in the area of healing.

 

How can you increase the intensity or improve upon your healing abilities? 

Are there any new healing ideas being born to you? 

How do you see Hashem guiding you, from the healing experiences of your past, to become the ultimate healer that you can be? 



SELF-ACTUALIZING RECOLLECTIONS 

 

Do the steps above and recall the self-actualizing you have done during the last year.  


Here are some variations of self-awareness actualizations: 

I am totally self-expressed as

a. total self-awakeness 

b. total self-expression 

c. psychically aligned [S.A.T.] 

d. happy 

e. expressing my own unique way in the world 

f. my Jewishness 

g. above-Nature Living 

h. living the life I love with Ratzon 

i. clarity of where I'm at with chesbon

 

SPIRITUAL SELF RECOLLECTIONS 

 

Soul expression, soul answers, expansion/infinitized co-creation, Tzaddik-ing, Daas-ing, bridging, Baal Tshuva-ing, Chasidic mastery 

 

G-D CONNECTION RECOLLECTIONS 

Letting Hashem in, fusing with Hashem, puppet show-ing, Mitzva-izing reality, unification-izing, Divine emulations, knowing Hashem, Praying Space level 

 

WISDOM RECOLLECTIONS 

 

connect to truth, 

correct seeing 

my take on Torah 

life wisdom-ing 

 

INTERPERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS 

marriage, parenting, kindred soul-ing, people in general, charity/giving 



 

3. RIGHT AND WRONG 

 

Unlike the outlook of many people and communities that exist today, the Torah teaches in the most thorough and intricate fashion that there is a right and wrong in everything we do 

 

Part of the realm of rightness and wrongness is the subjective side, meaning what is right and wrong for ME or for YOU, or what is right or wrong for becoming the best you that you can become. But there is a whole framework for what is objectively right and wrong.

 

We live in a time where many people are not exposed to or are not quite ready to be exposed to or commit to the massive body of wisdom containing the rights and wrongs of traditional, observant, Halachic Judaism.

 

Nevertheless, the Tshuva dynamic demands of us to at least strive to become better, higher, purer and Holier than what we are presently, all within the context of the Torah's version of right and wrong.

 

What is one who is only partially on board with all of this, to do?  For one, they can check their readiness to accept upon themselves new Halachahs and /or Mitzvahs as well as strengthening those areas that they are already holding by. The challenge is to do Tshuvah (an inner commitment to be real) from a vantage point of where you are at now and where you eventually want to be.

 

A RIGHT AND WRONG MEDITATION 

 

Try to recall, both in a general way, as well as in a detailed way, how well you have clung to doing what is right in life. If possible, make a list of the areas where you came up short. One way to help you remember is to refer to a Yom Kippur or weekday Prayer Book, to the list of confessed sins inside it. See how you measure up. Part of this recollection process is to search out where you have not been right or ok towards yourself, regarding becoming the best you that you could've become.

 

Search out those areas of Judaism that you have already accepted upon yourself, and how well you have done in these areas throughout the year, like prayer or charity or belief in Hashem. Seek out new areas of the Torah's rights and wrongs that you feel you are ready now to commit to. Take note of all that you have collected above, and with a full and contrite heart, commit to right the wrongs and commit to strengthen the rights that you already hold by. 



 

4. MAXIMIZING THE ATMOSPHERE FOR TSHUVA MEDITATIONS 

 

Create for yourself the best possible atmosphere, that will enable you to remain in a state of constant Tshuva, connected to your true self and to Hashem:

 

A. Surround yourself with newness. Search out any old habits or places or times or personal identity molds, etc. that confine you or condemn you to repeat the same mistakes, that cause you to repeatedly fall into those same old self-defeating traps. Exchange them for new ones, even slightly different ones, if you can. And notice how a change of “background music” can change your fate, as well as the way that you think and feel.

  

B. Draw down upon yourself, as much as possible, a state of expanded consciousness. Seek out new ways to cope with problems and challenges, ways that keep you safe and healthy and flowing and growing, no matter how difficult the problem is.

 

Seek out new expansive outlooks and perspectives and beliefs that can keep you connected to your true self, and to the truth in general. 

 

Seek to strengthen personality traits that work well for you and your process and look to improve those traits that work well for you.

 

Seek out ways to awaken and express more and more of the totality of your being.

 

Seek to go beyond yourself and your present capacities to discover a bigger and better you.

 

Seek to maximize your connection to Hashem.

  

C. Surround yourself with an environment that is very conducive to being in an expanded mind state.

 

Seek to immerse yourself in a setting that encourages mutual love and compassion and caring.

 

Seek to immerse yourself in a setting that encourages the pursuit of wisdom, especially spiritual and Divine Wisdom as taught in the Torah.

 

Seek to immerse yourself in a setting that encourages you to cling to the Creator of the Universe in all possible ways.  

 

5. MASTER OF RETURN TSHUVA MEDITATIONS 

 

Become a Master of Return, meaning return to a constant awareness of your deepest and most authentic self and to an awareness of your purpose of being on this earth, as well as an awareness of Hashem inside you and all around you 

A. Know yourself as best as you are able 

Look into your past year and recall, as much as you can, who you have become, what you have accomplished and any other valuable information that you can gather.

 

Create an annual awards ceremony like the Oscars for yourself, include such categories as your greatest creative achievements as well as your greatest interpersonal, intellectual, and coping achievements from these recollections and self-discoveries. Allow the new you to emerge or to be born or to be projected or to be yearned for.

 

Discover in this new you your essential self. Experience how this new you feels like it has come back home.

 

B. Master the art of Turning Away from Falseness and Inauthenticity, from within you and from without you.

 

Seek out the company of people who are authentic, truthful and who mean what they say and say what they mean. If you must be around people who are not like this, try to bring out in them their good, authentic, and truthful sides, the best you can.

 

Seek out in yourself the greatest possible levels of truth and authenticity, don't settle for anything less. There are always deeper and truer levels to achieve.

 

C. Know that by transforming your past failings into springboards for growth and healing and all kinds of other goodness you can reach levels that are higher than that of the greatest Tzadik, and your act of Tshuva can impact in the greatest possible ways, your surroundings, and the entire world and the entire generation! 

 

Search your past for the inner motivations you had in those areas that you failed in or missed the mark or caused damage to yourself or to others. Go back and change those motivations as regards what you did then, as well as to similar challenges that you face now.

 

See how this new elevated and pure motivation represents a new you. See how you can lift yourself and the outcome of your choices up to a new, pristine level of being, a level of being that if it is pure enough, can impact your present, your past, and also the entire world. Carry on in this way with regard to as many life choices as possible. 

 

May we all become true Baalei Tshuva - Masters of Tshuva. 

 

 


No comments:

Post a Comment