fbpx

A Moment in Time: A GPS for the Soul

[additional-authors]
February 14, 2019

Dear all,

I was driving from the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion back to Temple Akiba the other day. I needed to get the fastest route, so I plugged the origin and destination into my GPS, which in turn offered three options. As I took the fastest one (believe it or not, the I-10 freeway) I got to thinking….

Each day, my soul needs a GPS as well.  But it’s not about arriving at the destination quickly.  It’s about creating purpose along the way. So I created a checklist. Here are the milestones I need to deepen my journey:

1) Did I hear laughter?

2) Did I see a smile?

3) Did I taste something really good?

4) Did I notice an act of tzedakah/ righteousness?

5) Did I participate in an act of tzedakah?

6) Did I contact someone who would like to hear from me?

7) Did I hold the door open for someone?

8) Did I make time to pray/ meditate/ offer gratitude?

9) Did I listen to music?

10) Did I make the world better?

The GPS of the soul requires us to step back with mindfulness, step up with purpose, and step in to capture each moment in time.  What will be on YOUR spiritual GPS today?

With love and shalom,

Rabbi Zach Shapiro

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

A Bisl Torah — All Over Again

Repenting includes examining and admitting our mistakes. Seeking forgiveness. Determining to do better. Being better. Every single day.

Hanging Out at the Jewish American Summit

Among the speakers, Adam Milstein, a real estate investor, philanthropist and co-founder of the fast-growing Impact Forum, urged attendees to frame antisemitism as an American issue and not just a Jewish issue.

A Festive French Roast

One of my favorite things to cook for the Jewish holidays is a beautiful French roast. It’s so very festive and is perfect to feed a hungry crowd.

The Genius of the Marx Brothers

Like the greatest satirists, such as Jonathan Swift and Mark Twain, they chose comedy over accusation to mock the folly of society and add levity to dark times. But their aim was not levity alone.

AKLA Rises

From a Local Experiment to a National Program: AKLA Expands Its Vision for Jewish Teens

Better Kisser Than a Cook

Sometimes love arrives ahead of you, in spite of you. Cooking slowly became a way of being there for the people I love. A wordless language that says: I see you. I hear you. You’re worth the onion-chopping.

Israel’s Brain-Drain Debate Is Asking the Wrong Question

If an experienced professional with rare expertise leaves Israel, the impact cannot be understood simply by adding another person to a brain-drain statistic. The more relevant question is how many people with comparable experience remain, how essential that expertise is and how easily it can be rebuilt.

A New Borscht Belt?

If renewed exclusion teaches us only to become more protective of Jewish work, we will have learned the wrong lesson from the original Borscht Belt.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.