Aug. 17, 2023

Living in the Present: Live Wholesomely With Hashem

Have you ever wondered why we are so consumed by plans or past experiences that we forget to appreciate the beauty of the present? What if you could learn to truly live in the 'now,' experiencing life as it unfolds, rather than worrying about what is yet to come or what has been? Our exploration of the 'Tamim Tehiye Im Hashem Elokechah' concept takes us on a journey towards living life wholeheartedly, without the chains of the future or the past.

Basing our discussion on the compelling words of Shlomo HaMelech, we urge you to avoid the mournful chant of those lamenting the past or yearning for the future. We talk about the hard-hitting reality that character perfection occurs only in the present moment. We emphasize that while being forward-thinking is crucial, it should never overshadow our ability to live in the present. The episode culminates with a touching reminder that it's in the present moment where we can perform the will of Hashem, hence making it truly a 'present.' 

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Questions or Comments? Please email me @ michaelbrooke97@gmail.com



Transcript
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As you're walking down the street.

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Imagine yourself to meet an old friend.

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Then go over and shake him awake and say hello, sir, can you help me out with a certain social exercise experiment and ask him what is it that you are thinking about at the current moment?

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Imagine there's a strong chance that he may be thinking about something that will be going on in the future.

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Perhaps what it is that he will be eating for dinner that night, perhaps what he will be saying, or how he can put his best foot forward on some sort of shidah date that night, or maybe even, or most likely, how it is that he will impress his boss at work to earn a raise Doesn't matter.

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But it seems often that we may be living constantly with this beautiful meta of foresight, but yet we seem to be constantly revolving as thinking about the future and lacking life lived, living in the present moment.

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You see, we're given this mitzvah of t'hamim t'hiye im'ashem al-okehah.

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Live life wholeheartedly with the Lord, your God.

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Therefore, loy sen'achashu, do not become one of those sorcerers, enchanters, one of those that creepy people that speak to the dead to try to figure out what their fortune fate will be.

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It matters not what anyone else says there is one awesome decider of our fate and fortune, and t'hamim t'hiye.

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We accept it wholeheartedly, with open arms, ready with a bear hug, because it comes from our loving Father.

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So very stern commandment here Don't always be forward-thinking about living the present Now.

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Couple this with Shlomo HaMelaq's famous words of do not be like those individuals I believe it's chapters 7, maybe verse 12, that tells us that don't be like those that say, oh, it was better in the past, you know, it used to be really good back then like that guy who peaked in high school.

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He was the best high school basketball player and now perhaps he collects trash or he didn't exactly make it in the world of commerce.

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Don't go back there, but live in the present moment, for this is where life happens.

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Therefore, we come to the brutal conclusion that the only place that we can actually perfect our character traits is in the present moment.

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And very often we may live life forward-thinking, which is beautiful, but we're not present.

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Other times we may be thinking back to our previous accomplishments to maybe bolster our self-confidence, but in the past you cannot perform mitzvahs.

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It is only in the present that there are tangible, accessible mitzvahs to perform.

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Maybe, just maybe.

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This is why it is called the present and therefore, let us come back to our present to live life in the here, in the now and, as my holy mother said, continues to say she should live and be well, live in the moment For, truthfully, it is in and only in this moment that we can perform the will of Hashem.