A New Beginning

Once again, we are starting a new cycle in the Jewish calendar. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and a celebration of the birthday of the world. The ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur (this year September 9 through September 19) are called the Ten Days of Awe. On these days, we work toward having a more meaningful life. It’s a time of deep introspection, sort of a mental “house cleaning”, addressing our past mistakes and committing to making better choices in life. Our sense of awareness is awakening and we’re more focused.
Similar to the New Year’s resolutions we all make on January 1, on Rosh Hashanah we make a list of meaningful resolutions that can be life changing. Whether it’s to lose weight, find a soul mate or take the class we always wanted. Perhaps we wish to donate more, do more good deeds, get a fulfilling job or finally learn to relax. Some individuals need to improve personal attributes such as being less judgmental, more positive, more loving and compassionate. Others may want to become more assertive, more patient or learn to let go.
We know the changes needed to improve our lives. We know no one else will do them for us, and just having good intentions isn’t enough. We must prioritize our goals and set deadlines with very specific, attainable steps. Tackling the hardest goal first makes the rest seem easier. Only after starting the process will motivation kick in. Visualizing the success and sharing our goals with our support system helps too.
There’s a story told about two people on a ladder, one is on the bottom and one is on top. Who is higher? We can’t judge until we know which direction they’re heading. If the one on top is going down and the one on the bottom is going up, then the one on the bottom is conceptually higher because he’s moving in the right direction.
What’s important is that we always try to be better than we were before. We’re all in different places on our journey and doing the best with what we’ve got. Since our lives cannot be taken for granted, we must take advantage of this time of renewal to reflect and to create a new, exciting beginning for ourselves.
Wishing you a very happy and fulfilling Jewish new year! L’Shana tovah!
Naomi Young is an educator in Jewish studies. She is also a local writer and artist. On September 21 through September 23 she’ll participate in the chalk festival on Main Street.
You may reach her at naomiyoung7@yahoo.com or see her website www.naomiyoung.com.