So, you tried your honest and sincerest best, and you still
didn’t succeed!
One, of the significant teachings presented by Chassidus, is
that a person doesn’t always need to succeed to be a winner. Chassidus directs
and educates a person to see life by a more spiritual and sublime measurement, and
the results in life are not always supposed to be the way “I” need it to be, or
how I believe and/or want it to be.
A Chasid who studies the teachings of Chassidus, introduced
by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov 1698 – 1760, learns to accept everything in life
with love, including adversities. “A Chasid, is never lacking success”, because
he/she learns to consider the world around them by a different standard than
merely their own.
The teachings of Chassidus, trains the individual to hear
the music and positive melody in ALL circumstances. It’s just a matter of
putting on the proper colored lens over the eyes of our minds.
“It is not upon you to bring everything to its conclusion,
and you are not free to desist from putting in an effort to make it work.” We
do our best, and really that’s all that’s expected. G-d in His infinite wisdom
brings things to their conclusion as He knows is best for us and everyone
around us.
One of the most suffered psychological conditions these days
is anxiety. Too much anxiety, leads to stress and medical conditions of the
heart and of the mind, not to speak of depression etc. We are so pressured not
to be a looser amongst our peers, many will compromise their ethics, morals,
religion, family life, and much more. People come home all stressed out and
lash out at their spouse, children, and undermine a most important component to
a well-rounded, happy, meaningful, fulfilled, life.
One of the contributing factors to exacerbate this condition
and phenomenon is the self-help industry. They will tell you, it’s all up to
you. If you do this and do that you are guaranteed success. This only
guarantees the majority who can’t ever make it to the winning position,
despondency, heart break, let down, and anxiety.
They will ask themselves. I did everything right, why didn’t
I win the gold medal of my class, or the silver medal in my circle of friends,
or even the copper medal amongst my peers? They will be back for more self-help
motivation, since they were told success is a goal within reach of everyone. Only
to go around the cycle again and again until exhaustion sets in.
What about those who didn’t make proper choices and created
the undesirable consequences. How does Chassidus view these people at the
moment of what appears to be genuine failure.
The previous Chabad Rebbe – Rabbi Yoseph Yitzchak Schneerson
1880-1950 always taught, “There is NEVER such a thing as failure, with no
hope.”
Since, after the fact, as we see it, EVERYTHING is for the
good, now that one realizes his/her mistake and sincerely intends to mend their
ways, then, through the G-dly act of Teshuvah, returning back to the proper way
of thinking and behaving, the correct path, through THIS connection with G-d,
the person can retroactively accomplish what is otherwise impossible, and draw
from the current situation, what appears as a negative, the blessing and good,
implanted in “this too is for the good.”.
“The goal of Chassidus is, actual, genuine, and concrete,
self-work. Whoever thinks, the teachings of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov and his
students is only all about intellectual pursuits, is making a grave error. It
is a pity on him, on his body and on his soul.” Rabbi Yoseph Yitzchok
Schneerson.
We can never desist in putting in a genuine effort. Every
time we try, and we try again, we are refining, and strengthening ourselves,
further and further. Every time one starts all over again in full trust that
G-d will come through for them, they are closer and closer to reaching their
goal with the help of G-d.
If G-d decides to grant them their effort they are blessed,
and if not, they are also blessed.
The fun, is in having taken the journey, and enjoying all
the wonderful surprises along the ride.
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