American Mussar 4 Week Sampler: Look within to begin a journey towards balance
“No one is perfect,” he said as he apologized for a mistake he made for the umpteenth time.
True, no one is perfect. But wouldn’t it be better to proactively admit that, and to try to understand what it is that causes us to get stuck in the same situation again and again? This is exactly what American Mussar teaches us to do. And, it provides a framework to take small steps towards balance and healing. The American Mussar 4 Week Sampler is a great way to get started.
Who should take the American Mussar 4 Week Sampler?
- The American Mussar 4 Week Challenge is an ideal starting point for the 70% of American Jews who are not members of a synagogue but want to connect Jewish values.
- It is not a good fit for people who want to learn Hebrew terms, or traditional Jewish rituals.
- Whatever your level of Jewish observance, American Mussar will help you live a more authentic and meaningful life
- People of any faith or no faith are welcome! The real world focus, plain English guidance, and practical spirituality of the American Mussar4 Week Sampler offers those willing to look within a supportive path to balance and healing
Sign up now for FREE access to weekly videos and tips to:
- Practice a different Soul Trait for each of 4 weeks
- Learn your morning mantra to frame the day for introspection
- Recognize when you have too much or too little of the Soul Trait
- Take a small action to bring yourself towards balance and healing
- Plus, you’ll have access to online support to help you on your way
In just 5 minutes a day, you have an opportunity begin to transform your life.
By recognizing how a Soul Trait imbalance impacts your thoughts, feelings, and actions, you will have identified a root cause, which gives you the power to begin to make different choices. Sometimes, seeing the truth is uncomfortable. Yet only then are we in a position to make transformative change.
are the thirteen soul traits based on the thirteen traits of the cheshbon hanefesh ?
Hi Yossi – great question. There are many many Soul Traits. Six of the ones I picked overlap with the 13 in Cheshbon Ha’Nefesh. One of the great contributions of Cheshbon Ha’Nefesh to Mussar was the very idea of having a cycle of 13 traits that we cycle through over a year. Whether you practice a trait for one week at a time or two weeks at a time, by the end of a year you will have spent 4 weeks on each trait. . As an interesting note, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Levin, the author of Cheshbon Ha’Nefesh (Accounting of the Soul) learned the system of rotating through 13 traits from Ben Franklin! http://forward.com/opinion/134721/benjamin-franklin-mussar-maven/
My 88 year old mother is chronically depressed. Yesterday she fractured her hip. I will be spending the day with her in the hospital. She is in physical and emotional pain. As I seem to take on the energy of my surroundings, my practice today will be to be with her and find the strength to maintain positive vibrations while ministering to her needs.
Hi Patti – I am so sorry to hear about your mother. I think Humility is a good practice for your situation. It is very difficult and sad to be with someone who is depressed and recovering from a serious injury. It isn’t always easy to “stay positive” yet at the same time we don’t have to become overwhelmed and flooded by another’s pain. Easier said than done I know.
Today, finding none small step to maintain a boundary, to be with your mom without taking on her pain. Maybe you can give yourself a break for a few minutes if things start to get to be too much for you. You could try taking a deep breath, and say the mantra to yourself in your head No more than my space, not less than my place. You are a good daughter to be there with her – occupying the space with in the room. The challenge is to maintain the boundary, and keep the space within your head to yourself.
Please take these as suggestions to inspire or spark something within. There is no right or wrong way to handle this. Many blessings. May you find the strength of Companionship and community to help you through.