Grateful Goals

I didn't post this past SHabbat. It actually feels fitting, with how school and finals and December have all kicked into full gear. However, I was reminded recently of the importance of remembering the good in our lives, in seeing that there are always positives we can find. Even more, by rediscovering the positive, we can actually begin to empower ourselves to see that positive and live it in our daily lives:

• My community: I get to learn with 10 other members of a cohort who are considerate, passionate, caring and knowledgeable. Each day I have the opportunity to delve into the multiplicity manners of learning and engaging information and therefore glean more than I would independently. They challenge me, probe me, question me, support me, and give me the space to learn and grow. Without them, I couldn't and wouldn't be as strong.
• My teachers: most of the teachers here are so knowledgeable and passionate that they instill within me and my fellow classmates that flame, in order to go learn more on our own.
• My health: I am healthy and strong, able to be active and move and engage with the world around me.
• Fear: fear is healthy. I am fearful of what I am learning, of what it means for me and my future. But that fear makes me work harder, makes me take more risks and delve deeper. Without it, I would be stale and stuck.
• Shelter, Food, Water: My fourth graders reminded me a few weeks ago that these are blessings. While I know they are lowest on Maslow's hierarchy of needs, they are also imperative to the rest of my life being successful. Therefore, I recognize how wonderful it is that I don't even need to worry about these aspects of life and therefore can focus on deeper and more complex things.
• My students: Each week I have the honor of engaging students in conversations about God and Judaism. They constantly ask questions that intrigue and challenge me, making me willing and able to dig deeper into my own beliefs. I would not be as excited for each week if not for their curiosity and openness.
• My friends: Moving to a new city, I constantly struggle with finding people with whom I connect and how to do so. The people whom I have met and become close to have become rocks, those to whom I turn when I need a break. Although many come from within the walls of HUC, all of them have brought meaning and beautiful thoughts to light. They encourage me and therefore allow me to feel like myself.

With all of these, I am able to grow and become stronger. Many other factors contribute, and I cannot wait to explore what those are as well.