Yom Kippur: Going for More Than Headlines

Sending everyone wishes for the most Inspiring and Joyous Yom Kippur!!

Here is a beautiful song/video from my sweetest friend Eli Klatsky, that so perfectly captures the spirit of these special days: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOp4NAq6EHI

Also sending an open invitation to send me your spiritual/life/faith/personal/relationship/God/religion/search-for-meaning questions for possible topics of future shu-shines!

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There's an interesting correlation between how badly we feel about a particular mistake, and our desire to engage in some type of sweeping gesture to show that we are sorry and want to change.  It tends to be that the bigger the mistake, the greater and more grand gesture we want to make as a sign of our "penance".  

If we have really hurt someone whom we love, then we want to do some kind of dramatic gesture, apology, or action to show how badly we feel.  And if we make a little mistake, well then, a little gesture like a simple "I'm sorry" ought to do the trick!

But there is something wrong here.  Something very, very wrong…

You see, when we commit big, BIG mistakes that we are regretful about, they don't just suddenly pop out from nowhere.  Think about it — none of us (hopefully) would ever intentionally hurt someone we love in a major way!  Big mistakes grow from deeper places, deeper dissatisfactions, buried frustration, unacknowledged needs, and profound things like that.  

And while a sweeping gesture surely shows how strongly we feel about the other person, or how important the relationship is to us, chances are the other party didn't really doubt that.  What is really needed, what is ESSENTIAL, is that some learning and 'fixing' take place, so that whatever is under the surface of the mistake can get fixed, and so that the relationship can move to a higher, stronger, and more healthy place.

We need to get away from doing things that make headlines, and instead become deep investigative reporters.  We have to get to the source.

And yes — that is a whole lot harder…           But it is also a whole lot more meaningful…

Attached please find this weeks Shu-Shine for Yom Kippur: "Going for More Than Headlines"

May we all be blessed to dig deep this Yom Kippur, finding the sources of our mistakes, and fixing the finest threads that ultimately form the weave of who we are and how we live.

With Love and a Smile,

~Shu