Day 7 – #The100DayProject: #ActivistCardsByChava

(Note: To learn more information on #The100DayProject which is also known as #ActivistCardsByChava, you can see https://wp.me/pthnB-3cH.)

Those that know me, know that I have often struggled to quiet my mind and I still rarely sleep enough hours during the night. Over the years, I have begun to realize that quieting my mind and sleeping are a necessity if I am going to thrive and actively engage in making our world a better place (or be personally healthy at all).

With that in mind, I am learning to savor the solitude so that I can better nourish myself through doing what I love – writing, drumming, chanting, meditation, and now even art. Creating this quiet space has contributed to be feeling more grounded and ready to live out loud and touch people’s lives more consciously.

Ironically, the quiet also seems to be helping me make the space for more sleep in my life; this isn’t happening with ease, but the more quiet I allow for, the more I seem to be able to rest and sleep – so much more than I can ever move.

“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.” ― Homer, The Odyssey

Thanks to an awesome friend, I decided to dedicate Day 7 of #The100DayProject, also known as #ActivistCardsByChava, to the what those of us within the Judeo-Christian tradition think of as Shabbat/Sabbath, a time to simply pause.

May we all take the time to go inward and honor the silence within ourselves so that when we speak our voices will make sense and be heard.

Onward with love, light, and creativity,
Chava

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Omer Reflections: My Journey Towards Wholeness – Day 18

Note: I will be Counting the Omer for a total of 49 days, from Passover to Shavuot or from Slavery to Freedom. For many, this is simply the Counting the Omer; for others, it is a tool for exploring the kabbalistic teachings in an organized way. For me, it is a time to actively reflect on my Journey Towards Wholeness. The more I am whole, the more free I will become.  [http://t.co/dBPYjDxSGj . . . .]

In Judaism, the number 18 represents life. So, on Day 18 for the Counting of the Omer, I find it ironic that a beloved friend of mine reached out to ask her friends to chant Choose Life for a loved one who is struggling with a serious health crisis.

Life can be really hard. Really hard. . . . And sometimes the most amazing gifts show up just when you need them to.

Just over a month ago, my teacher Rabbi Shefa Gold created Choose Life and shared it with her students. http://www.rabbishefagold.com/choose-life-uvacharta/ The moment, I heard this chant, I felt drawn to it. As a result, I have been chanting it every day since first hearing it. Choosing Life is an empowering decision.  For me, it means striving to live life fully and with positive energy.

On the day that I actually received Reb Shefa’s chant, I was running scared, struggling with darkness, and wondering how I would emerge.  At first, I didn’t open the email, instead I found myself trying to find a semblance of balance. And for the most part I was beginning to find my footing and to feel just a bit better. So when I opened the email the next day, I was already in a much better place, but the chant was still able to help me strengthen my footing so that it was much more firmly planted.

In reality though, darkness doesn’t leave so quickly.  It takes work, hard work. And work is exactly what I did and what I am continuing to do.  While I am so much happier than I was a month ago, I have used chanting as well as other tools to keep reaching towards a stronger and healthier place.

For me, choosing life means finding the tools that keep me thriving. For this journey, I have been:

• Chanting Choose Life
• Writing, blogging, creating
• Walking and exercising
• Sleeping more than usual (even napping on occasion)
• Eating better
• Spending more time with my sons and dog
• Taking time to talk to and visit friends
• Stopping to notice spring

I love that my transformation began literally moments before I heard Choose Life and I love that it became a tool for me to thrive even more. Starting tonight, I will also use it for my friend and her loved one.

Choosing Life has never been an option for me. I have always reached for the light even in the dark moments. Tonight, I will send that light to those in need. Will you join me?

With love, light, and blessings,
Chava

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