Overcoming Obstacles
There are always difficulties when you try to do something holy. The greater the goal for which you yearn, the bigger the obstacles and barriers which
are sent in order to strengthen your desire. The main thing is that your heart should be strong and firm,
then nothing can stop you!
Ascent & Descent.
Spiritual progress is not linear. Rebbe Nachman taught that periods of ascent from one level to the next are preceded by periods of descent when one is faced with trials and obstacles that must be overcome. This can be discouraging unless one realizes that a fall is a signal that an ascent is close.
Overcoming Resistance.
Everyone experiences periods of rebellion
against discipline, even when the discipline is a pleasure. When one has accepted the inner discipline of meditating every day at a specified time, the will pops up and says, "Don't I have a choice?"
Rebbe Nachman taught, "If you want, you do; if you don't want, you don't do." Remember this when you
find yourself resisting your meditation or when you feel
caught up in your old habits and old thinking. What you truly want, you will do.
Starting Over.
When you feel very far from G-d, when you feel your
efforts are not bearing fruit, start serving G-d as if you had never done so before in your life. This is one of the most basic principles of serving G-d. We must literally begin all over again every day. Say, "Today I am
beginning to attach myself to You." All of your previous effort was preparation for this new beginning today.
Nothing to Say.
Sometimes you will find when you begin your
meditation that your lips are sealed. You have nothing
to say and no way to begin. Nevertheless, the very fact that you are making the effort and preparing yourself to speak to G-d is still very beneficial. Even yearning
to speak and come close to G-d is a meditation.
You can even make this inability to speak be the meditation by calling out to G-d that you are so far away you cannot even speak and by asking for G-d to come close to you and open your mouth so that you can express yourself fully in the light of the Divine.
Where are You?
Sometimes you will fall so far from G-d that you will not
even know to Whom you are speaking, or if G-d is listening, or even there for you. The simplest way to begin is from wherever you are. No matter how low or how high you feel, ask: "Where? Where are you, G-d?
Where is Truth?" Asking, "Where?" makes no demands on your faith or weakness. Whether you are firm in your faith or completely detached from religious belief, asking "Where?" immediately aligns you in relationship with G-d and brings light into the deepest darkest places of the soul.
Dealing with distractions.
Everyone experiences distracting or negative thoughts during meditation. Giving charity before meditation
helps minimize extraneous thoughts (A tzedakah box for giving charity is essential to have in your home!) Especially through giving charity for Jewish causes in Israel, we merge with the Holy Land and gain extra
spiritual strength for meditation. Rebbe Nachman also recommends clapping your hands to purify the air when you have distracting thoughts.
The sages advise us to do three things to eliminate distracting thoughts:
1. Observe them
2. Release them
3. Replace them with holy thoughts.
Your thoughts are completely in your power!
Two thoughts cannot exist in your mind at the same time. Thought is like a little child who stubbornly
tries to go in the wrong direction. As soon as you notice your thoughts going away from your meditation, take them firmly, but gently, by the hand (so to speak) and focus them back on the meditation.
Holy Sparks
What You Do Makes a Difference!
Something very deep
is emerging from our souls.
There is a very intense spiritual process taking place
in the world today. Can you feel it? The overwhelm,
the confusion, the anxiety and increased violence in
the world, -- yet behind it all an exciting feeling of anticipation.
Something amazingly wonderful is about to happen -- the revelation of G-dliness in every aspect of Creation! We at Holy Sparks are here to help you understand and fulfill your holy purpose at this exciting time at the threshold of redemption.
Be a part of the amazingness.
The world needs what you have to give!
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