Daily Life

With the current financial downturn, it is time for a return to basics; to the wealth we always had, but perhaps didn’t sufficiently appreciate.

I was forced to internalize the truth that had been coated with ice cream and couch potato for too long . . .

I stared at her intently as I drew closer and waited to see how she would react. Suddenly, the girl looked up, noticed my gaze, and put her hand up to her cheek, “I know, my face is really dirty, isn’t it?”

It can be sobering to periodically take stock of my goals and see how much I have actually done. While such self-appraisal is a noble and effective aspect of any plan, unfortunately, it can also easily lead to regrets and recriminations, which in turn can become obstacles to healthy spiritual growth...

I think it’s telling that, in over forty years of leadership, the Lubavitcher Rebbe left New York City only three times: to visit the children at Camp Gan Israel and Camp Emunah, Chabad overnight camps in the Catskill Mountains . . .

Do health and fitness have a place in Judaism? It seems that the secular world encourages a healthy life far more than the Jewish world does. I hear rabbis talk about spiritual matters, but find it hard to listen to them if they themselves are overweight. Is physical wellbeing not important?

“Yesterday I went into The Red Shed and looked for the photography stall. I asked the owner, Anne, if she remembered a family with lots of children coming in and she said ‘yes’ immediately,” my mother-in-law paused . . .

To place Torah in one world and "secular" learning in another borders on having more than one G‑d. Rather, all knowledge should have the same purpose: to further our awareness of the one Creator of All Things

I've just signed on to Facebook. Immediately, I clicked on the "my friends" tab and sure enough the computer informed that that "You have no friends." I was devastated

Yes, it looks just like any other car on the surface – but do you have any idea of what it's truly capable of achieving? There are incredible powers lurking beneath the hood.

The tragic, the horrible, seemingly the worst that can ever happen happened. The internet stopped.

Celebrities have this problem all the time. They can never do anything 'off the record.'

As fate should have it our stereo system broke on us this past week. Unfortunately, this time Anton, our trusty mechanic, told us that it wasn't one of those quick fix situations...

We can all think of a few people that we would describe as being "impossible." These are individuals who push the wrong buttons, irritate us to no end and annoy us whenever we talk to them.

We have a tendency to focus on our imperfections. But how many of us are equally honest about our strengths?

Does the gentrification of household waste in an elaborate disposal system have implications on our spiritual lives?

In our world of inverted values, a person may have abandoned his third wife, be estranged from his children, have no friends and his dog ran away from him, but he's called "successful" because he makes a lot of money...

It's the middle of another of our Canadian winters, and I find myself driving along our snow-covered streets just as a new layer of sleet begins to fall...

How to fly high above any challenge, smash through the most impervious obstacle, take on the entire world without flinching--and be humble about it, too!

Let's see if we can get some free Goal Setting advice from the Torah, without having to spend millions of dollars on research, or even $25 on a hardcover self-help book...

The children were told that they could eat their marshmallow immediately, right then and there. Or, they could wait 20 minutes and receive…another marshmallow

How to get your husband to follow instructions and even ask (!) for directions - in four easy steps

There's something that make us both objects of trepidation. And it's not the facial hair

The bare trees become full of life, lustre and hope, only to fade and fall away, returning back to the earth, gone. Is there a purpose to these revolving seasons, or are we in a cycle of endless and meaningless repetition?

Spiritual group therapy has been standard practice by chassidic Jews for more than two centuries.

When something or someone touches this raw area, we experience a burning sensation of hurt, anger or misery...

Rosh Hashanah is milestone for the entire world and everyone is welcome to dip a piece of apple in honey and celebrate a New Year.

Labor Day has been around since 1882; after 129 years, perhaps it’s time to dust off the holiday, shine some light on it and figure out what it’s all about. Or, more importantly, what it can mean to us . . .

I'm convinced that the game of Scrabble was invented by an undercover mystic...

She calls this her "ultimate artwork" - having her body cremated after she dies and then compressed to form a diamond...

This year, the fireworks lasted. In fact they're still there, bright and colorful, turning summersaults in the sky. Let me explain how that happened...

I had just pulled out of my parking spot and was fastening my seatbelt... What's next, fining consumers of heavy mayonnaise because of its high cholesterol content?

Are you allergic to the "difficult" people in your life? Three medically-tested methods of dealing with the irritation...

Rabbi Declines Ten Million Dollar Lottery Prize: sez it's 'against his principles'

This won't happen again for another hundred years. I may forget by then. Should I wake up at 2:00 AM to experience this once-in-a-lifetime moment?

By my thirteenth birthday I was overweight, and I have been dieting ever since. Following guidelines I’ve developed over the years, I have finally stabilized my weight. These strategies have also taught me how to successfully ride the roller coaster of life.

Words - like garbage - can fertilize growth, be recycled into something useful, or contaminate your world...

Why do people idolize pathetic home teams which contain not an ounce of talent? The answer to this question sheds light on our steadfast allegiance to the "Jewish Team"...

Placebos may alleviate pain, but they are no substitute for real medications. The same is true with the soul's ailments -- we should not be feeding her placebos!

A stint on the sidelines of a football game gave me the time to contemplate the messages the game is supposed to teach me.

What the GPS taught me

Decide on a color scheme. Play with texture. Mix and match. Don't be afraid to use your imagination. These gift wrapping tips apply to the gifts of life as well...

As Jewish citizens of this land, we always look to the Torah for a deeper perspective and additional insight. What light does the Torah shed on the wonderful trait of thankfulness?

It's the paradox of modern life: we're connected all the time, so were never connected to this moment in time...

When Kyle Paxman's wedding was called off six weeksbefore it was supposed to take place, she reacted just the way we all hope we would: she turned the negative into something very positive

How would life be if we simply explained its occurrences in a positive way?

If I am going through a hard time, I don’t want someone to tell me to be cheerful—I want someone to understand why I am miserable.

“I just found out that my friend is terminally ill, but I haven’t spoken to him, because I don’t know what to say.” I guess it’s like the bank—they will lend you money only if they are convinced you don’t need it!

Our stomachs are, in a way, smarter than our brains...

There's nothing like a hot nourishing bowl of soup to soothe the mind -- and the ego...

The illusion of "I'm all alone in here!" is powerful, but not total. If we were totally cut off from an awareness of what lies beyond, chances are we'd be perfectly content...

It sounds counter-intuitive, but it's true: you can never get enough of what you don't really want...

"Chana, you are an open-minded woman. How can you brainwash your child like this? At least let her get a little older and think for herself first! Do her first words have to be memorized slogans of faith?"

It's not very often that a person gets to see, printed in a newspaper, how he will be remembered after his death. One man did, and what he saw horrified him...

Consciously or sub-consciously, we all identify as "human." Does that inspire us to strive higher, to be a mentsch? Or does it allow us to relax our standards, recognizing that we're "only human"?

From a distance I watch my youngest daughter wobbling clumsily on my highest heels, attempting to find her balance. She looks as though she might topple over at any moment

Stay focused, but enjoy the scenery. Remember that you're not the only one on the road, and that there are blind-spots in your field of vision. Driving, like life, is a complicated endeavor with a few simple rules

Take a dish of spiced leaves, aromatic wood-chips and scented dried fruit. Add the pokes, thorns and shakeups which life so suddenly and disturbingly throws at us

The world is the ball and you and I are the players. Our aim is to get the world to its goal. There will be people trying to prevent us from doing so. Don't let that stop you...

Here are three words to look out for: If, Try and But. Spot them in your language and you’ve been caught red-handed being an unrepentant self-skeptic...

Chairs so casually strewn across the floor became critical allies, their seemingly random positions (as well as those of the couch and bookcases) suddenly of looming importance

We need to take charge of our thoughts, instead of allowing our thoughts to take charge of us

In the old days, we were always asking the opposite question: the biology assignment was to prove that a car is not a living organism. But modern life has turned the question around...

Bear in mind that what is coming out of your brother's mouth is basically bursts of hot air. You now have to make a choice as to how to decode this air and what interpretation to give to it...

One of the most important people to have in your life is a "mentor-friend": someone who truly has your best interests at heart, who will tell you what you're doing wrong

The author's experiences with prison inmates leads him to think that criminals aren't the only ones who are doing time...

No, I didn't get the phrase muddled up; it is the cliché itself that's backwards...

"Maybe it's just a fuse," suggested my husband. Moments later, we discovered that it wasn't the fuse after all

Don't we all wish we had more time? So many projects we'd love to embark upon, so many places to see and things to do, but so little time available... Or is that really a fact?

When we see people who seem to have more than us, we become overly focused on what they have and we lose consciousness of our own blessings.

Much of the strength of the Cossaks, the ferocious Ukrainian warriors, depended on their horses. How did they choose these legendary horses that they could trust with their lives?

There are times when I feel exactly like I'm back in the winter of fifth grade, facing a mountain of homework which I CANNOT do. So I resort to fifth-grade behavior. I procrastinate.

"Not often useful" My Pavlovian response to that elegant formulation is euphoria. I think I will adopt it as my own. Things happen, and now I will be prepared...

If I appear absent-minded, it is because I live in a more fluid reality

"First read the article," I say. But the affinity for the red pen is many an editor's Achilles heel. And the tendency to focus on the details at the expense of the larger picture affects us all...

How many times we do knowingly eat things that are "unhelpful" to our health? How often do we pursue a pleasure, even though we "know" we'll regret it later?

When you woke up this morning, was today simply the day after yesterday, and just a prelude to tomorrow? Or was this morning the beginning of a new chapter, the first page in a book called "The Rest of My Life"?

Consider "Jim." He is pounding the pavement looking for a job. Work is his deepest desire, so that's what drives him now. Or is it?

What with this and that, my roommate and I both decided it was time to move on. We have till the end of the month. Where will we go?

My cholent is a concoction of: a bow to ancient tradition, a recognition of life's bitterness and sweetness, and deference to my pedigree as a fourth-generation American

Her thoughtfulness changed all that; it turned our causal encounter into a meaningful exchange. I realized that she was a real person and not just a passing prop on the stage of my life...

Little brothers are so handy. When they are very small they can give you a massage by walking on your back. Then they get a little bigger, and soon, they are arm-rest size.

For hundreds of years--perhaps since the beginning of Creation--a piece of the world has been waiting for your soul to purify and repair it. And you are there... now.

Is it just me, or does life feel like a marathon? And the ribbon is nowhere in sight...

Infiniti. Millennia. Focus. Quest. Venture. Are these sacred teachings of Jewish mysticism evoking spiritual ideation and feeling? Or the names given by automobile manufacturers for their cars?

Before the 20th Century, "social networking" meant that either people visited you, or you visited them. Back then, "blackberries" were eaten, only birds "twittered" and your "facebook" was an album of monochrome lithographs...

Are you in control of your life? Or have you lost control? Instead of guiding your emotional response, does the anger actually control you?

I think I am going to buy a houseplant and name it Ned. I realized I needed a houseplant after my internet stopped working a few hours ago, and there was nobody around to talk to. Mostly I will talk to Ned about the word "in."

She's calm, with both hands firmly on the wheel. His free hand gesticulates wildly out the window, punctuating the expletives pouring from his mouth. He's fuming. She's oblivious. I'm tickled.

As we line up at the Supernal Till, it's time to reflect on this year's journey. Did we rush through the aisles collecting stuff, or did we stop to greet the friends we met en route? What have we loaded in our life's trolley?

We were separated from the group, and found ourselves paddling somewhat aimlessly down little back areas replete with lilies, and no visible dry land. A deep fear overtook me...

On a small scale, we are all petty criminals, resolving to change a habit in a moment of strength, and giving in at the moment of challenge...

Do I detect a hint of snobbery in the polite lady's automated voice as she patiently informs me that she is "recalculating" (yes, I'm not even good at following spoon-fed instructions)? Perhaps she's really thinking to herself, "You poor idiot..."

Many understand repentance, Teshuvah, as a radical change in one's behavior or an importation of something foreign--to "Copy and Paste."

Don't consume more than you burn. The concept behind healthful eating is actually quite simple. The same applies to our spiritual eating regimen...

Our negative self-evaluations and criticism of others can wreak havoc on our relationships and block our ability to experience love, joy and faith...

My life is at a standstill. I'm thinking of moving to a different city, or maybe changing my career...

The third of my Purim reminiscences is the edgiest of the three. In many ways, it’s as compelling as the original Purim story, although far more ambiguous. In involves a Jewish woman from New York, whom I will call J, awaiting trial in a county jail in Santa Fe.

In today's world, success is defined by outcome as opposed to effort. If you have invested tremendous effort but do not achieve a visible, measurable, dramatic outcome, you are deemed a failure. However, the Jewish definition of success is very different...

I tune in to the woman on my left. Apparently, her husband is a work-at-home dad with a knack for blowtorching dinner, and she’s just been informed of his most recent clash with schnitzel. “Oh my G-d!” she shrills.

Tonight's attendees are dressed in their finest, in black and white Dior and heels for miles. They say they've come to worship. But are they here to pray to G‑d or have they come to bow to the gods of fashion? Or both?

Leave a message in my inbox, send me a virtual holiday card, graffiti my wall. Flip through my photo albums for your entertainment and, should you still feel bored, my journal is available for midday reading. We seem to wear our persona on our screens, leaving almost nothing to the imagination...

"I have traveled thousands of miles without seeing a Jewish child." Then he stooped down, lifted the boy and danced around the room with him. Neither man ever forgot that day...

How does he see that he may be holding a heart in his hand, but life is not in his hands, that he can make a man live or die, but has no right over life and death, and has no right to do anything but heal?

Does morality have any influence on a person's physical strength? A new discovery by scientists reflects ancient wisdom on the subject while providing new insight into a curious yet popular Jewish expression of appreciation.

I wasn’t caught pilfering Post-Its or downing too much coffee from the company pot. To be sure, I wasn’t even handed a Pink Slip that day. My employer simply stated the apparent: over the past few years, there had been rapid growth within the company...

When we get to the climax of the prayer service, the top rung of the ladder, the Amida, what do we hear? Nothing. Just lips moving. But why? Why, after all the hub-bub, when we get to the heart of our personal conversation with G-d, do we finally go silent?

Are you investing your life savings based on wikinformation? Are you treating a fatal condition based on a health blog you found? Are you calling a once-in-a-lifetime business contact on a VOIP line?

How can I start feeling more grateful for my blessings and less resentful about my hardships?

Physical reality is like your computer screen. The pictures it displays aren't substantial physical objects, but dynamic images that are being constantly regenerated.

With much time on my hands until the flight, I started playing G‑d, trying to figure out why I had missed my flight; after all, it was the first time in my life that I had made such a mistake . . .

My siblings think it’s bizarre, my mother says it’s pathetic, my friends suppose it’s comical, and frankly—so do I...

I admit I am intolerant. At times I am bigoted towards others. I judge people by the way they look, the way they walk, the way they talk, and an immeasurable amount of other calculated imagery I build up in my mind about them.