Dear Friend,

Maybe it’s because I don’t see myself possessing a rare beauty worth sharing with the world at large, but I never really took to selfie taking.

Come to think of it, the selfie can be a very selfish thing. In the old days, people would take pictures to share with others what they saw. “Look, here is a beautiful flower!” “A historic building!" But now that’s not enough. It’s as if we need to add ourselves to everything. The focus is not on the flower or the landmark; it’s me, and something else in the background.

But focusing on yourself can sometimes be a good thing.

We’ve begun the seven weeks of Sefirat HaOmer, when we count the days from Passover to Shavuot, and each day is another step in a process of self-refinement. For 49 days we are to take our personality and examine it closely, repairing the broken parts and perfecting the good ones. Each week focuses on another one of the seven facets of our personality, and each day focuses on one subfacet.

And when we do it, it’s perfectly fine to share with others as well, if that will propel you or them forward.

Use Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to tell the world about your personal journey, and encourage them to join you.

Mendy Kaminker,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team