Ebbs and Flows of Life

This month Jews all around the world celebrate the holiday of Passover – the holiday of freedom. In Joseph’s time, the Israelites went to Egypt due to famine in Canaan. First, they lived in Egypt peacefully but later a new pharaoh enslaved them with hard labor. After 10 plagues upon the Egyptians, the stubborn King Pharaoh finally agreed to let the Israelites go. After the great miracle of splitting the Red Sea and a long journey in the wilderness, Moses led his people to the promised land.
We all have our own journey to deal with. We endure a lot on many levels. For some people facing adversaries, every day may feel like the splitting of a sea. In Hebrew the word Egypt, Mitzrayim is the same as the word meitzarim- meaning limitations. We can’t allow our feelings to be reactive or controlled by negative comments by others, or by our own fears and doubts. Tough decisions regarding personal relationships or career must be made. Relinquish the past and take time to process your thoughts and feelings so you can map your new journey and navigate to emotional freedom. Do not allow your old limitations to shackle you down; prevent you from springing into your emotionally free, new, happy authentic self.
Be consistent and resilient throughout your journey. Realize that ebbs are just as important as flows. The bad experiences and the good ones will turn, much like the ebbs and flows of tides. Vincent Van Gogh said:” It’s true there is ebb and flow, but the sea remains the sea.”
When facing challenges, believe that you are stronger than you think. Because energy flows where your intention goes, be sure to empower yourself fearlessly by staying calm and striving to reach your highest potential. On our journey, we may not be our old selves, but we may grow into a new stronger better version of ourselves. Naomi Young is a published writer and multimedia artist. She’s been a Jewish studies and a Bar/ Bat mitzvah teacher in Santa Clarita for 40 years. Contact her at naomiyoung7@yahoo.com Visit her website at www.naomiyoung.com.