Bliss‏

"Where your thought is, is precisely where you are - all of yourself is there." - Baal Shem Tov

Where are you today?

There is not one moment greater than another. Do you get what that means?

If you did, you'd have no worries at all. That's what being connected to the Light is all about.

Today, when you are obsessing about what you'll do the next hour for lunch, for dinner, for life - set your obsessions aside and just enjoy the moment. Put all your thoughts into right now. Right now is bliss. Right now.

You Are Not Spiritual‏

I often hear students talking about people in their lives as "not spiritual." I have to say, I never really understand what this means. I guess it's because my mother always teaches me, "if they've got a spirit, they're spiritual." She sees everyone as a spark of the Creator.

Sure, I don't look like you and you don't look like me. That's because we are each created in the image of God differently. And for a very good reason — we all have our unique challenges to tackle in this world. Who am I to judge you as "not spiritual?"

Instead of judging people for being different than you, encourage and love them for who they are and what they do. Support them in their life process, whatever that may be.

Today, respect that everyone in your life is on their own journey. If the Light saw fit to create them and breathe life into their lungs, who are you to heap them into the unredeemable category of "not spiritual?"

You Can Do It‏

Rav Akiva, the teacher of Rav Shimon (author of the holy Zohar), was forty years old when he began to study the secrets of Kabbalah. He did not think he could do it after having lived such a different way of life all those years.

One day he passed a stream and noticed a hole inside a rock caused by years of tiny drops of water. Rachel, his wife, encouraged him, "If it takes the rock many years to form a hole, it is a sign that it must take all of us time to change and let the Light in," she explained.

Imagine if he hadn't learned this lesson. Imagine the world without the teachings of Rav Shimon. Imagine the world without the Light of the Zohar. There'd be nothing to imagine as this world would cease to exist.

Four words for you today: YOU CAN DO IT!

An Uncertain World‏

How do we survive in an uncertain world?"

We face all kinds of difficulties in health, finances, friends, partnerships - life. When it looks the darkest, when it looks like the end of the road and you are all by yourself, when you wonder what will happen next, open the door to certainty, and you will find a place that is better than it was before. Light is there to balance the negativity.

Have certainty in the Light. If a situation seems really really hard, it means there is great Light to come from it. The only way to get a sparkling white diamond is to put black coal under a lot of pressure." - Karen Berg

Where's your certainty today?

Sin of Guilt‏

When a person makes a mistake in judgment - hurts, cheats, lies, steals, etc - the negative action takes but a few seconds or minutes. The guilt however, the self-deprication and bad memories can last a lifetime. And while it's vital to the correction process to feel pain about our misdeeds, it is just as vital that we move on. Otherwise it's like days, weeks, months or years of disconnection from our source.

Today, think about a past event that you're still berating yourself over. Imagine your life not without that event, but without the memory of that event. How would it change your story?

Open the Door‏

In the Power of Kabbalah, I wrote, don't believe the senses. We are deceived by illusionary logic. We don't see energy, we don't see when disease starts, we don't see when the miracles come.

Remember this today. I don't expect you to change your perception overnight, but I do ask you to get out of your head for one second and look for the reality you don't see. Open the door to understanding those things in life that don't make sense.

I Challenge You

The Light never lies to us. It tells it to us straight: what you want is going to require hard work, but the fulfillment is yours to keep.

This is why, when faced with a difficult situation, we always want to go for it and really deal with the pain and discomfort. We want to pull our sleeves up and stick our hands in the mud. This is what will feed our soul and in the end actually teach us quite a lot about our potential.

Today, remember that you cannot discover your potential if you only take the easy route. It's like kids who learn very easily, but never want to work. How can they ever really discover how talented they are - and how far they can reach - if they're not challenged?

Running Away‏

Human nature is to run away from pain and run towards joy and pleasure. There's no free will and no exceptions to this rule.

This is not my idea. It's Rav Ashlag's. I remind you of it today because to be aware is to exercise free will. And to exercise free will is to be the exception to the rule.

Today, when someone hurts you - slight or big - and you want to run away from the pain — open your heart instead. Submit to the discomfort of embarrassment, heartache, loss, disappointment, sadness. Give in to what you are fighting. There is great strength in profound vulnerability.

Snowflakes in Hell‏

There is a spiritual law that dictates whoever cares about others is cared about by the Creator. And if we know that we are nothing without the care of the Light, then it is impossible not to care about others.

If we spend our entire lives dealing with ourselves alone, then we won't have even the slightest chance of making it, not unlike a snowflake in Hell.

Today, assess how much time you spend helping yourself alone versus time spent genuinely reaching out and helping others.

Squeezing‏

What is a problem, really? A problem is only a "problem" because we think it is. It's all how we look at it. We can also appreciate that challenges are from the Light. Without them, maybe we wouldn't have become spiritual. We want to always be thankful for difficulties because of where they bring us. For most people, they bring us to a place of squeezing — the extra mile.

While we rarely see it in the moment, the pain is always a blessing, allowing us to reveal Light for ourselves and others.

Today, accept your garbage, embrace it, and know that looking at the uglier parts of your life is where you'll find the biggest blessings.

Wave of Crave

You may have noticed that the Tune Up is late. Since Sunday, our Customer Care department has been swamped with people asking if there was a problem with their email settings. No, your email works fine. I delayed the Tune Up for a few days to explain the following lesson.

There is a basic rule of spirituality: If you don't crave, you don't get. Light only comes to a place where there is a strong desire, a place where there is craving.

Any spiritual teacher worth his salt will do everything in his power to develop yearning within his students. Part of giving is allowing people to build their desire.

We can learn from the experience Rav Ashlag, (founder of The Kabbalah Centre in 1922) had with his own teacher. His teacher was a successful merchant in Jerusalem, but no one knew he was a Kabbalist. He revealed himself to Rav Ashlag and taught him for three months. Rav Ashlag had sought this experience his entire life and he was so energized and excited.

However, gradually his teacher came less and less, until finally he disappeared altogether. It took Rav Ashlag three months to realize it was his ego that had caused his teacher to disappear. He prayed and prayed and prayed to see his teacher again. Then, one day his teacher revealed himself again to Rav Ashlag - for one day. The next day he passed away.

In our spiritual growth, if we don't have a strong passion, we lose the connection. Craving is a gift. It comes as part of the process. We need to push ourselves, constantly making an effort. We need to give and empty ourselves until the next wave of craving comes. When you have a huge craving for the Light, you are with the Light.

How much of the day are you craving? How much of the day do you want more?

This week, find where your desire is small and expand it.

Off the Hook

Kabbalists have no guilt.

Why? Because they understand when we continually beat ourselves up for a mistake we made, we're just feeding our Opponent. In order to move on in our lives, we have to forgive ourselves.

OK, we said something stupid, we hurt someone's feelings, we disappointed a friend. What good does it do to keep reliving it? The best thing to do is to laugh about it, and think about how you can do it different next time.

By letting go of self-hate and injecting humor, our ego get ripped to shreds and we remove the judgment from the action.

Let yourself off the hook today.

"Umph!"

Most of us have an appreciation for what we don't have, but we don't appreciate what we already have. But you know this already. The brand new car this week loses its umph 10 weeks from now.

The big question is, how do we maintain our gratefulness?

Remembering.

Whatever you have right now is yours because at some point you desired it. The trick is to constantly remind yourself of why you wanted it in first place. Go back to those feelings today. That's what being grateful is about.

"Don't Box Me In"‏

Don't categorize people.

Three people could tell me the same thing, but I will take one more seriously than the others just because of the way they look. I catch myself doing this all the time. It's an unconscious response. Some would say it's human nature. But as a student and teacher of spirituality, I'm all about overcoming my human nature, and tapping into my higher nature.

"Respect everyone without focusing on, and being influenced by, their external appearance." - The Rav

"I Hate You"

I hate you.

How many times during the day does that thought pop into your mind? How many times does it spill out of your mouth? How many?

If I tell you it's not nice to hate, will you stop? I don't think so. If I tell you hatred brings chaos into your life, now will you change?

"Turmoil is a sign of hatred" - Rav Nachman of Breslov

Every time you are hating someone [even for no reason, which is the case most of the time] you are inviting a little more chaos into your life.

With that in mind, I've only one guiding questions for you today. Where's the love?

Brilliant Light‏

The more challenging the obstacle that you face in life, the more spiritually evolved you will become if you prevail over it. Because it is about effort, not achievement. As the ancient Kabbalists put it:

"There is no light as brilliant as that light which manages to emerge from out of the darkness." - The Zohar

Today, give your best and know that as dark as things may seem, there is great Light waiting to be revealed.

The More, The Merrier!

The more barriers that exist, the more chances we have to plug into the Light. The more obstacles there are, the greater the number of triggers to ignite our reactions, so that we can resist and transform them. The more, the merrier!

After all, transforming is the purpose of our lives, and only an obstacle can give us that opportunity.

Today, welcome any obstacle you encounter. Use it to practice transformation and to resist your emotional reactions.

You Think Too Much‏

Don't think. Just do.

It is said that prophesy comes from kids and fools. Why? Because they channel pure, raw information that comes from beyond the brain.

Think about a time of imminent danger such as a near car accident when you made that instinctual right or left which saved you from disaster. Did you have to think about it? No. You just acted. The Light guided you.

It's the thinking and analyzing that stops us from living.

Today, don't think. Act on your gut instincts. If you really believe that you are connected to and guided by the Light, than just let that flow right through you.

Opening the Curtain‏

In order to find the Light, you must first find the darkness.

If are in a room whose windows are curtained off, do you look for a lamp? No, you find the curtain! The Light is always there. It never leaves. When we take down the curtains (low self-esteem, self-hatred, egotism, elitism, judgment, deafening doubt - and all our old enemies) we let the love and happiness pour in.

Today, remember the Light never left. It's only covered up. Find — and tear down - the curtains within. Let a little Light in.

Striving For Perfection‏

Kabbalah isn't about attaining perfection — it's about striving for perfection. We are not going to attain perfection and then the world will change. The world will change when enough people strive for perfection.

Listen, we all react. We aren't angels. But if we are just aware and striving not to react, the act of striving and being somewhat successful at it - more times than not - is helping to raise the immortality rate for the entire world.

Today, put extra effort into proacting. When you see someone coming who you don't like, run towards them with love and acceptance. Do the opposite of what you normally do.

Activate the Creator Within‏

When my father and teacher Rav Berg makes a blessing over wine, he takes a long pause and meditates on the words, activate the Creator within.

How do we do that on a practical level? We have to be one with the Creator and we do this by being one with other people. You see, the Light of the Creator is a force of unconditional love. Every time we act from a place of genuine caring and concern, we activate that force inside."

The experience of cleaving to the supernal Light cannot be attained but because of a spiritual faculty, namely of desire and love." -Kabbalist Abraham Azulai

Today, make the decision to love everyone unconditionally. Look at their best parts and focus only on that. Truly love them and also pay attention to the results in your day

Feeling Uncomfortable‏

Here is a very simple nugget of wisdom from Kabbalah: wherever we're seeking temporary fulfillment in our life now, we may have lasting chaos. Wherever we are willing to put up with temporary discomfort now, we have a good chance of having lasting fulfillment.

Today, if you're already feeling uncomfortable in some area of your life, then know it's a good sign. You're on the pathway toward fulfillment.

Change It Up‏

Anything can change. All you need to do is tap into the 99 percent realm (the spiritual world.)

We can go from having no money to creating abundance; we can choose to have quality relationships where we were once isolated and lonely. We can have physical health instead of the illness and disease that plagued our body before. Our job is to connect to that potential through consciousness, changing our nature, and then bringing the miracles into manifestation.

Think about some particular aspect of your life where you really need clarity. Commit your question to writing. Your mission is to get clarity on this issue from the 99 Percent realm, uncorrupted by intellect, opinion, and memories.

Listen for the answer. Look for signs. Because you will be guided. Remember, a light doesn't go on in a darkened room, unless there is a desire in the person to turn it on by flipping the light switch. In the same way, when we ask for clarity from the 99 percent, the law of cause and effect tells us we will always get our answer. We just need to actively listen.

The Chicken Chooses‏

There is a story of two men who came to their spiritual teacher to solve a dispute over a chicken. Each claimed the bird belonged to him. The teacher let it go between the two men's property to see which way it would go. Whichever the chicken chose would be the rightful owner.

We too are caught in the fight between the Light and the dark within. The technologies of Kabbalah help us get free of the hold of the lower part of our nature and then it's up to each one of us to run to our owner, the Light.

Today, run to the Light by rejecting anger, hate and indifference while embracing love, understanding and passion. If we each can do this - and help others to do the same - then we will be able to make a tangible difference in this world.

Reveal Yourself‏

Recently, I was reading a survey saying most Americans believe in God. But the real question is, do they believe in themselves. Do you?

Kabbalah teaches we are each sparks of the Creator's Light, in possession of unlimited Godlike powers of healing, love and creativity. But most of us don't realize it. Instead, we walk around with our heads down, hiding from what is true and omnipotent inside.

Whether it's telling our spouses our true feelings, or asking our boss for that well-deserved raise, or approaching a new person at a party, or staying in bed until the last possible minute, we do not embrace our Godly powers. We are all hiding from something.

What are you hiding from?

Today, get out from under that rock. Say what you want to say, without guilt. Feel what you want to feel, without guilt. Do what you want to do, without guilt. Own your power. Reveal yourself. That's believing in God.

Only Good Things Happen‏

Recently I met a man who lives out on a ranch and is not versed in Kabbalah or spirituality. He lives off the land and hasn't any interest in spirituality and God and all that. But he's been through his fair share of tests, ordeals that would have sent most of us scrambling into the hills. I asked him how he does it, how he keeps fighting insurmountable battles — and winning.

He told me it's simple. When bad things happen, you make it good. And when you do that long enough, you reach a state where you realize, only good things happen.

Today, forget about looking for the silver lining, and searching for why this is happening, and fakin' it till you make it. Put all that on hold for today. Instead, jump right into that awareness - only good things happen.

I'm Rich!‏

We spend our lives running after what other people have. We want to be rich like the celebrities we see in the magazines, have the fancy lake house our brother has, live the life of leisure that our rich uncle leads. But there is truth to the old cliche, 'you are rich in spirit.'

As my mother writes,

"What is a rich person? The word ashir, "rich" in Aramaic is an acronym for the words "eyes, teeth, hands, feet." That's a rich person! Someone who has eyes to see, teeth to eat and speak, hands to create, and feet to walk. This, of course, does not refer only to the physical, but to our ability to be able to connect with, to share, to create, and to do."

Today, walk around like the gazillionaire you are. Look in the mirror and say YES, I'M RICH! Enjoy your wealth - and be generous with it.

Turning the Heat Back On‏

When you start something new, it's only natural to feel excitement and passion. But like all of us, you start to doubt yourself.

"Remember what Amalek did to you, how he cooled you off on the way." - The Bible

Kabbalistically, Amalek is a code word for doubt. It's those thoughts of, "this will never work, I'm not smart enough, why am I wasting my time," or whatever destructive dialogue runs through your mind.

Today, find those areas in your life where your excitement has cooled down. Remind yourself, it's not you talking, it's Amalek. The passion was real, and still is. Fight the doubt, and return to your original intentions.

That's how you turn the heat back on.

Pleasure is Reality‏

Humanity is addicted to pleasure - and that's not a bad thing. Kabbalistically, pleasure is the only true reality. Love and goodness and joy — these are the attributes of the Light. The rest is illusionary.

Problem is, before coming down to the physical reality, our souls struck a deal with the Creator: let me earn my pleasure. So the Creator sends us painful situations and people that allow us to work for it. But most of us can't stand the pain so we run towards pleasure, the temporary kind.

Today, when you are on line for Starbucks waiting for your non-fat latte with extra foam, or sneaking a cigarette or surfing the internet while work awaits, check in with yourself. Why are you doing this action? Is there some uncomfortability you are avoiding?

Don't get off line, or stub out your cigarette. I'm not intending for this message to guilt trip you. Just pay attention to what you are doing. And learn from it. Always learn from it.

See the Seed‏

Every event in our world has a seed. If life appears chaotic, random and disordered, it's only because we cannot perceive the process of cause and effect at work. In other words, we see the tree, but not the seed.

This lack of perspective leads people to live under the illusion that things happen suddenly. They don't. They can't. Nothing occurs suddenly. An oak tree never just appears on our front lawn. A seed is always planted first.

If there is something in your life right now that you want to get rid of, you must first accept the principle that you, yes, you, planted the seed somewhere in your past. No matter how random the event appears to be there are no accidents in Kabbalah. There is only order; cause and effect; action and reaction.

Today, plant a positive seed by becoming accountable and taking responsibility for one thoughtless, selfish action you committed in the past.

Soul Driver‏

The number one statement we need to understand this week is, we are not our bodies - we are only our soul.

What's the body here for, you ask? It's the car on the road trip of life. It's the vehicle that allows us to do good actions in the world and to be a conduit for revealing positive energy.

The body is a temporary means to an end. I think all of us have had those middle-of-the-night epiphanies, where we realize the depth of this statement. But it's hard to keep in our minds, and we all fall into caring what people think about us — good or bad — and we obsess over our reflection in the mirror.

The Baal Shem Tov, a Kabbalist who lived and taught in the 18th century, reminded his students to always feel they are only soul. Yes, the body is a temple, and it's important to care for and respect it. But again, we have to reclaim our territory and care of our soul.

How? Well, for starters, the soul needs to be fed. What does our soul eat? Energy, of course. The energy feeding our soul comes from the good actions we do on a daily basis. The number one way to have a soul that is harmonious, open and well-fed is to systematically look for people that need help and do what we can to meet their needs.

Another tip for caring for our soul comes first thing in the morning. The Kabbalists recommend waking up each day roaring like a lion. The seed for our entire day begins in the morning. In fact, if we find we've been upside down and in a bad mood all day, it's likely it began in the morning.

But if we change our consciousness, knowing something great is going to happen, excited about the unexpected magic, intending that this day will be the best day ever, we'll be shocked to see how many incredible things will happen to us. When we wake up energized and ready to go for it, we will be in tune with our soul.

This week, practice waking up each day like a lion. Really put your soul forward from the beginning of the day. And notice the ongoing, non-stop demands of your body. Redirect these desires by looking for ways to share love, time and effort with people. You never know when the Light is going to put someone in your path whose day — or life - you can save.

Pay attention to the yearnings of your soul. It's the only way to win this race.

More Than Meets The Eye‏

There is more to life than what you see. Kabbalists explain there are two worlds co-existing simultaneously in parallel dimensions: the physical world of our five senses, and the spiritual world which is the remaining 99% of our reality.

Our goal in life is to find a way to bring these two dimensions together.

Today, let go of the limitations of your five senses in the 1% world and start to connect more with the unlimited 99% world. You have the ability, just trust your intuition. Look for signs during the day. Pay particular attention to synchronicities, coincidences, intuition, creative inspiration, and miracles.

All you need is desire and awareness in order to connect with the 99%.

Follow the Signs‏

When the Israelites were wandering in the desert post-Egypt, it is written that they followed the cloud of honor; literally a cloud that showed them where to go, when to go, and when to stop. Nice. Too bad we don't have a cloud showing us the way to go in our lives.

Well, we do. Not a cloud per se, but more like messages, signs. Have you ever had one of those "message" moments, something a friend said, a passage you randomly opened up to in a book, a piece of paper that just couldn't stay in the trash?

We have to realize we receive divine guidance on a constant basis; we only need learn how to listen.

I read somewhere we only hear 8% of what is said to us. 8%! What do we do with the other 92%? In order to grow spiritually, and to receive the guidance as to the best moves to make, we want to commit to listening to everyone, no matter how boring, no matter how much we disagree. You never know when the cosmos is trying to get a message through to you.

It can be a very tough pill to swallow, this idea that we have to listen to everyone around us - even if they drive us completely mad. It doesn't mean we have to do everything everyone tells us; just stay open. For example, we may be sitting through an hour long lecture from someone we can't stand. But what if that one hour had hidden in it the answer to the question we've always wanted answered?

Our job is to find the truth and discard the rest. There's no denying it may be uncomfortable but it will only last a moment. Besides, when we chase comfort, we're guaranteed ongoing pain and suffering.

This week is an incredible week to receive messages. The more we learn to be open to the constant flow of messages the Light sends our way, the more we can elevate beyond the fragmented world we live in day to day. We all have the capability to be huge channels. After all, the word Kabbalah itself means to receive. We are here to be better receivers in every sense. When we learn to follow the directions we're provided, we'll be well on the way.

Take a Shower‏

For many of us, when we start connecting to Kabbalah, we start disconnecting from certain people, situations, and behaviors that weren't healthy for us. For whatever reason, we didn't see how toxic these relationships or activities were. It's a gift to be able to see like this, but it's also painful. And it's part of the spiritual process.

As my mother and teacher Karen Berg puts it, "it's like taking a shower and putting on clean clothing: If a person is trying to get close to God, he has to allow himself to be cleansed before he can put on new spiritual clothing."

The next time you experience a challenge like this, stop for a moment and remind yourself that God is only trying to encourage you to take a shower!

Slave of the Soul‏

Most of us think we are physical beings seeking a spiritual experience whereas in truth, it's the other way around. The soul puts on this body suit merely for the purpose of achieving a correction it couldn't achieve in the upper worlds.

That beautiful, fat, deformed, hourglass, scarred, smooth, sexy, ugly body you see in the mirror — we all see something different — is merely a means to an end.

"In most people, the soul feeds the body and keeps it alive, but in the righteous person it is the other way around: The body becomes the slave of the soul; the body cancels its consciousness and is busy serving the soul." — Rav Berg

Today, live from your soul. As you go through your day, think how your actions can benefit at least one or two people. Put your soul in the driver's seat and let your body come along for the ride. Do that and you will have magic in your day.