One message that we can take from Chanukah is that even in the darkest of moments, there is always a light flickering, so we can light up our lives and find joy even when things are difficult. We all go through painful times and we all have our "down" days when we are just so upset we don't know how to continue. So how can we illuminate the darkness?It is with a little bit of appreciation - that is the light that can help us pull through on the hard days. Here is a way for you to start to feel happy once again when you feel down or upset.
Go into a really dark room or stay where you are and...close your eyes for a full 30 seconds. Imagine the world is completely dark and you cannot see a thing. Use your imagination in those thirty seconds and let your mind wander...try to think what a day would be like without being able to see. You wake up in the morning and brush your teeth, feel for the toothbrush, paste...try to put your glasses/lenses on...get dressed...eat breakfast...and see how long you can keep your thoughts going for.
Once those thirty seconds are up, open your eyes and APPRECIATE!! You actually CAN see! And not just anything but so many colors and shapes, sizes and things...you can keep yourself out of danger, make better decisions (how would you decide what to wear in the morning - and make sure you took out the right color shoes for whatever you chose to wear that day) and your life is so much sweeter and so much better...all because you can see!!!
Take some time to think about this and realize what a gift you have - there are people who are not blessed with the gift of sight and would pay any amount of money to be able to see for just a day! And every morning you wake up and the whole world is in front of you! You come home from a long day and you can see where each thing in your house is, you can see the delicious food you eat, you can see the beauty of nature, you can see yourself in the mirror!!
You have two eyes that work perfectly - better than any camera you'll ever find!
Spend some time thinking about this awesome gift you've been given - by Hashem, your father who loves you so much and wants you to enjoy your life and be happy and thank Him for the good He has given you!!!
Sometimes it's easy to forget that there are blessings to be found even in the darkness.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great idea. What a simple way to appreciate the tremendous bracha we have with our vision (among many, many other things!).
ReplyDeleteHY-that's true. By focusing on the blessings we have with us every single day (our home, family, health...) we can remember that there are always good things to be thankful for, even when things are difficult.
ReplyDeleteRivki-thanks!