A Soulful Journey

A Chinese scholar was paradoxically troubled by sorrowful thoughts during what was ostensibly his happiest hour.   He sensed that he had reached the apex of his career: happiness, wisdom, wealth, personal and public success had all been granted to him.   Now, as he was celebrating the marriage of his youngest child, he felt that his fortunes could only begin moving in a downward direction.   The last few years had been distinguished by unfailing accomplishments, a series of successes that were now crowned with the wedding of his youngest child.   Aware that he could go no higher, fear and trembling overwhelmed him as he speculated upon the likely collapse of his good fortunes.   “If I could only improvise a tool with which to fasten the wheel of my life at its present point, I would be the happiest man on earth,” he thought.   -  Rabbi Moshe Weiss What is there.  Just this moment.

"Who is rich?"   "One who is happy with what they have."  -Avot 4:1

“…in which the peasants seized power by force and quickly changed all the locks on the palace doors so the nobles could not get back in.   Then they had a large party and gorged themselves.   When the nobles finally recaptured the palace they were forced to clean up and found many stains and cigarette burns.”   - Woody Allen , Without Feathers What makes Woody Allen so funny is that there is truth in even the most ridiculous of statements.   Sometimes the funnier it is the more it rings true. Here, he retells of the French Revolution where the workers who overthrew the rich were every bit as nasty and self-centered.   It worked the same way with the Russian Revolution. There are many stories of those who prayed to win the lottery only to have their loves ruined by winning. The moral?   As the Mishna states, Who is rich?   One who is content.”

It is easy to grow impatient. We want the newest electronic gadget. We feel an inner compulsion to travel to distant places like our friends and neighbors. It is so important to be patient. Patience is tied to contentedness and that is a great gift of God. A young music student approached Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He said, "I would like to write a concerto. Can you help me?" "You are too young," Mozart told him. "Wait until you are older." "But you were composing music when you were seven or eight years old!?" "Yes," said Mozart, "but I didn't have to ask anybody how." Sometimes waiting for our moment is the greatest thing we can do.