So you've been hearing about this whole Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur thing
forever but think there is no place for you at the table because you’re not a Jew,
right? Wrong! Sorry to my Jewish people who wanted to keep
all this goodness just for us, but to my way of thinking, there is already enough separateness in the world without the lines in the sand that religion has helped us to draw. I really believe many parts of the beauty and symbolism within ALL religions exist to be shared and
made accessible by ALL and for all, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do! Today I’m offering up the keys to the High Holy Days Teshuvah
Castle and YOU are cordially invited!
So, yes, here we are wading towards the deep end of High Holy Day heaven (the time of
year when Jews celebrate the New Year, Day of Atonement, and Sukkot) and that can
only mean one thing; it’s Teshuvah season baby!! What?
Teshuvah….TE-SHU-VAH….(yay, you just learned what I know is going to
become your favorite Hebrew word)
You've already missed out on the last 30 days, but the next 10 days leading up to Yom Kippur are your chance to
get in on Teshuvah which quite literally means ‘to return’ or ‘turning.’ In the simplest terms, it’s about apologies, atonement and turning back towards a Divine state of being closer to our Creator.
It’s when you and I (Jew and
non-Jew alike) acknowledge that we regret a decision or action(s) we’ve made, we
regret having used lousy judgment, hurt someone’s feelings, a mess we’ve
created or even a bad attitude towards someone or something and we take the necessary
steps to make amends, atone, or in the simplest terms, own our shit, apologize
and make it right.
Since I tend to be sort of a visual girl, think of it like this; Teshuvah is that beautiful and Divine place within each and
every one of us that remains completely untouched by the real world; it’s the
place where our soul resides in its most pure and original state. Picture Teshuvah as an essence within each
and every one of us where all the ugly stuff gets to be bathed in divine light
and made whole and clean again. You can
access it anytime you want, but the key is that you have to WANT to.
This time of year during the High Holy Days, we take a good
long look in the mirror, atone for our sins and ask that we be written in the Book
of Life for a good and sweet coming year.
Teshuvah is the “reset” button that helps us get there; not by erasing
everything we have done and pretending it didn’t happen, but instead by asking
us to take a good long look at it, apologize for it and decide to make it right
and do better as we go forward. There isn’t a soul alive who isn’t entitled to and invited to
step back and do a little “soul accounting” during the High Holy Days and EVERY day for that matter.
So, if you’re looking to get in on the whole Teshuvah craze
happening right now (for the next ten days), here are a few things you can do
in order to make that happen!
1-
SPEAK IT OUT LOUD Whatever you did…..say it out loud. Somehow hearing our own voice makes it more
real and far more powerful. So say it
out loud my friend, give it wings and prepare to set it free.….the Divine
energy who breathed you into existence is always listening.
2-
FIX IT/APOLOGIZE Begin
from a place of love and say you’re sorry to the person or persons you
wronged. Why should the Divine be the
only one to forgive you? Why not spread
it around a bit and apologize to the actual person you hurt so they can forgive
you too! Say it like you mean it and
keep saying it until they hear you!
3-
FORGIVE YOURSELF It doesn’t really do any good if your Creator
and all the people you’ve wronged have
forgiven you if you’re not going to forgive yourself. You’re human and you fumbled; probably more
than once if we’re being honest, right?
You owned it, you apologized for it (multiple times if need be) and now
it’s time to forgive yourself and move forward.
4-
DO BETTER.
That’s right….DO BETTER.
Period. Simpler words have never been
spoken. This is your chance for a blank
slate, a do-over, a Mulligan (for all my friends who enjoy golf) and yes, a
divine "Reset." So, as you go forward with
your beautiful life, begin everything from a place of love, think before you
act, make good choices and be intentional about putting good out into the world via
your renewed fabulous attitude, your positive actions and your whole-hearted intentions. Do better this year and next year when we get
together to do this again, your list will be much shorter and we can all get to
dinner much faster!
Until then, I wish you, all of
you, La Shana Tova (a good Year) and blessings of love, light and an abundance
of all good things!!
Thank you for being here and if
you like what you read, will you please CLICK the LIKE button and tell a friend….it
lets me know you’re out there
Wishing you bliss, love and magic,
Heather
