I’d like to invite you to join my journey this year, as I work on menuchas hanefesh— serenity
But if you’re anything like me, approaching Rosh Hashanah is daunting. And it’s not because of menu planning.
You see, I’m a bit of a perfectionist. Every Elul, I make a list of kabbalos. That basically means I brainstorm about everything I don’t like about myself and pick what I want to improve. But once I have this laundry list, I don’t know how to narrow it down.
Often it’s made up of the behaviors I’ve worked on year after year after year: Stop biting my nails? Pay attention more when my husband is speaking? Think before I say something offensive? So, Mindel, what will it be this year? Or rather — what will it not be. Nothing lasts.
A few years ago, I came across a self-help book. No, it wasn’t a mussar sefer, but it had some deep ideas about how to achieve greater happiness in my life. It turned “the pursuit of happiness” into a yearlong theme, with monthly topics. There were creative ways to infuse life with more happiness: becoming more organized, developing meaningful relationships, keeping a gratitude journal, and having fun.
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