I Walk the Thin Line
February 13th - February 19th, 2005
I was down in Florida this week for the beginning of my Red String Book Tour. Because of the Weekly Consciousness Tune Ups, I’ve had the privilege of developing relationships with students all over the world. The personal struggles and triumphs you share with me pushes me to do more, to share more, to be the best that I can be. And now that I’m meeting you in person, I’m more motivated than ever to get the practical wisdom of Kabbalah out there. Your commitment to constantly work on yourselves, to be better tomorrow than you are today, inspires me to push myself the extra mile.
I had an interesting encounter at the event in Miami. After my talk, a sweet woman in her 80’s approached me. She told me she’s been reading my tune ups every week for the last year and that they’ve helped her see deeper into herself, to look beyond the illusions and into her soul. That in itself moved me but then she said something that really spoke to me. She said:
“Kabbalah has taught me about the laws of life - restriction, giving vs. receiving, cause & effect. But knowing what the laws are and whether or not I can apply them in real life is the thin line I walk every day.”
This is an essential point. You can think you know about sharing, loyalty and ‘loving your neighbor,’ but how do you put these into action when you’re face to face with another person? You can read books about restriction, but does it mean you do it?
The question for all of us is how are we behaving at the critical moments?
Common sense tells us that what we say and do is a reflection of what we think, our belief systems, and our thought processes. The Zohar stresses the question that if this is so important, if the actions we do are a manifestation of thought, why not focus on the thought? Isn’t it easier to deal with something before it turns into something else? If chaos is manifested, it’s already too late. So why not be busy with how we think instead of how we behave?
There’s no question that consciousness is vital. But what’s really important is what results from it.
How many times have you acted the opposite of the way you wanted to act?
You know what I mean. It happens to all of us. We walk around thinking, ‘OK, I’ve got to restrict, show love to everyone, don’t judge’ and the next thing you know, we’re saying something cruel and hurtful. There is often a gap between what we intend to do vs. how we act.
So if it’s true what the kabbalists teach us, that our consciousness creates reality, how come we can’t manifest it? Where’s the blockage?
The clothing of the soul.
Negative acts clothe the soul. They leave impressions around it that keep the soul blocked from its source – the Light. For example, if a person asks you a question and your answer unintentionally hurts them, a layer of separation is created around your soul. All these unplanned reactions make the layers so thick that it gets harder and harder to act on your best thoughts.
We want our soul mates, we want good health, we want prosperity…we’re ready in our minds, but on a physical level, we don’t get it. We have to figure out a way to remove the layers.
Something else. The acts we do and the things we say aren’t just connected to the negative layers. They also can create a protection shield. They can be positive. And they too are cumulative.
This week is about closing the gap between what our intentions are and what we manifest in this world. Here’s how we do it.
Whenever we’re busy with ourselves, ‘I’m desperate’, ‘I’m anxious’, ‘Will she hear me?’, ‘I’m better than him’ - all these thoughts separate us from the Light.
The Zohar says that if we’re not willing to give the “ME” up, we’ll be a nothing all our life.
So forget about what ‘I’ think, what ‘I’ see, and what ‘I’ believe. Pull the plug on the ego.
There is a whole world out there beyond our sense of ‘me’ and the more we develop our awareness of the we, the more the Light can come through. Liberated from our fears, our obsessions, our depression, our insecurity, our doubt – all the garbage thinking goes away.
This plug-pulling creates positive protection and connection for our soul. So that the next time we are on the verge of anger, our Light safety mechanism will kick in and the message we convey will be full of compassion and tolerance. What a sense of empowerment, liberation, exhilaration!
This week is about pushing ourselves to come out of our addiction to ego - and it won’t be easy. But from a spiritual point of view, the extra energy is there to help us make the leap. So let’s get it started, shall we?
Have a great week. See you on the road….
All the Best,
Yehuda Berg