The Benefits of Learning to Consciously Feel Joyous

Joy is the path to manifestation and connectin to God.

Everyone knows it’s better to be happy than sad. No one wants to feel negative emotions, like depression or anger. But studies have shown that happy people are healthier and more productive. Mystics say being happy also helps you deliberately create what you want and connect with God. With all these benefits, who wouldn’t strive [...]

Every Moment is a Celebratory Moment

It's important to celebrate the moments of your life.

How often do you celebrate small thing, daily events, typical moments? I have to admit, I don’t do this often enough if at all. Sometime I don’t even celebrate the big moments. When I got my book contract, I remember putting the celebration off. I had so much work to do to finish the book [...]

When and How do You Experience Joy?

When recently have you experienced pure joy?  I had to ask myself this very question as I watched a recent episode of Oprah Winfrey’s new Lifeclass. Leave it to Oprah to get me thinking. In this Lifeclass she showed several episodes of the Oprah Show when people experienced “joy rising,” including one I wrote about [...]

Are You Enjoying the Journey to Your Destination?

This morning I happened to take the time to click on Jeff Herring’s SUNDAY MORNING INSPIRATION: It’s the journey, not the destination. I was so pleased to watch this great clip from the movie “The Way of the Peaceful Warrior,” which is also one of my favorite books by Dan Millman. I found this a [...]

Lessons Learned from Olympic Skaters and Snowboarders

Torah Bright competing at the Winter Games in Vancouver.

Like many people around the world, I’ve been watching the Winter Olympics. I’ve been struck by the skaters in particular, who have had a number of falls. It’s easy to sit back in my living room chair and criticize them for making mistakes and “blowing their big opportunity,” but I know how hard it is [...]

Why Anyone Can and Should Participate in Sukkot's Rituals

In my last post I talked about the Sukkot rituals of both building a sukkah and shaking the lulav, and then I promised I’d explain how and why anyone-Jew and non-Jew alike-might want to consider taking on these Sukkot rituals. Today, I’d like to make good on that promise. You don’t have to be Jewish [...]

In Preparation for Shabbat: Laugh So You Can Move Into Joy

Feeling joyous on Shabbat constitutes a great mitzvah (commandment or good deed) in Judaism. No matter your circumstances, you must be joyous on Shabbat. Plus, according to Rebbe Nachman, it’s impossible to feel a connection to God unless you can experience joy. Indeed, mitzvot, or commandments, are supposed to connect us to the Divine, and, we [...]

Season of Our Fear

Not everyone knows that Sukkot is known as the “Season of our Joy.” This year, given the unstable economic situation in the United States, as well as around the world, however, I think many people are experiencing it as the season of our fear. However, the fact that this Jewish holiday is characterized by joyous [...]

Purim: When Laughter is More Healing than Chicken Soup

Last night as I sat in temple and watched a parade of different costume-clad people read and chant in a variety of unique, creative and humorous way from the Megillat Esther, I realized an important reason why on Purim we are supposed to in some way blur the difference between evil Haman and the good [...]

It's Adar: Be Happy, Don't Worry

Two days ago I helped lead a Rosh Chodesh group to welcome in the Jewish month of Adar. Actually, Adar 2. We sometimes get to celebrate the month twice as a way to catch up since our days get a bit off after a while. I don’t feel like explaining how that works right now… [...]