How to Plan for an Unknown Future

We - and every decent person in this world - are shocked by the heartwrenching events and the tragic war taking place in Israel. How can a decent human being not be horrified by the brutal atrocities perpetrated against innocent civilians; men, women, children, elderly murdered in cold blood, abused, degraded, tortured and taken hostage in the most inhumane way. We are united and devastated in pain and confusion.How could this happen? Why did God allow it? How should we react to this? What should be our approach and what can we do about it?As we continue to reel from the news, we have many, many questions. But most importantly, what is our role in a historic time like this? This is clearly a watershed moment, a game changer for the Middle East and for the entire world. The annals of history will look back at this time and ask: what did you do?What did we do?To shine some light, provide perspective and clarity and offer direction and hope in these times, please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in this timely and critical discussion.

12 Loka 202334min

Are you a happy person? Do you feel happy right now? As human beings, we all have times that we're happy and times that happiness eludes us. But overall, what is your natural inclination?Are some people just born happier than others? Is happiness inherent or acquired? And more importantly, are there things we can do - tools we can learn, methods we can implement - to bring more happiness and joy into our lives, to become more upbeat and optimistic? Or are we simply hard wired a certain way, with some people being more despondent while others more spirited?You will be surprised to learn that happiness is something that you can control.Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson and discover that happiness is both inherent and acquired: you are naturally born happy. Happiness is your state of being. However, that core nature can be obfuscated by life experiences. Learn how to acquire tools that allow you to access your natural happiness, to experience happiness as a noun, not just as a verb. Remember, you do not control your circumstances, but you can control your state of mind, which in turn allows you to navigate the ups and downs of life. You have the power to become a happier person because your attitude will ultimately reveal your identity and shape your reality.

28 Syys 202327min

Do you feel stuck in your life? Stuck in a situation, stuck in a relationship, stuck in your job? Are there things that you simply cannot free yourself from, no matter how much you try and no matter how good your intentions are? After all your attempts, you just keep being tugged back into the same old rut?What do you do in a situation like that? Is there any way out? How do you get yourself out of the pit when there is seemingly no rope to hold onto, no light to show you the way out? This is one of the most difficult questions to answer because in many cases we may be our own worst enemy, and a prisoner cannot free himself. Somebody else cannot pull you out of your trappings - especially if you're resisting and don't want the help. A problem cannot be solved within the same system that created the problem. Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in this life changing discussion and discover how to access powers that are beyond the system where the problem was created. Learn time tested methods to not only help yourself get unstuck, but to help propel you to even greater heights than you could've imagined.

21 Syys 202328min

Are you motivated? Do you wake up each morning feeling energized, excited to seize the day? Or is your life one of tedious routines, monotonous habits, repeating the same cycles, day after day, simply making do and getting by?One of the great challenges in life - even though it sounds innocuous - is boredom. The monotony and the routine, feeds into a lethargy that ultimately leads to resignation and demoralization. It may seem harmless enough at the start, and yet it can often be the beginning of a downward spiral. Boredom creates a void, a breeding ground for all sorts of problems -- as we desperately seek to fill the vacuum.Another difficult challenge we face in life is the feeling of being trapped: The narrative goes like this: I'm stuck in my life. I can't seem to get out of the rut. The more things change the more they stay the same. How can I escape this pit of negativity that's holding me back?Life is synonymous with movement. Everything in existence is pulsating with energy. Healthy living is all about hope and possibilities. When we feel languid and sluggish, we are actually defying the very nature of our core being, brimming with tremendous power within. Observe young children and how they never stop moving, always filled with enthusiasm and curiosity. How can we access and unleash the energy that is trapped in our outer routines? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in this pre-Rosh Hashanah special program and discover how to break out of your boredom and traps. Uncover the secret to one of the greatest gifts in life; learning how to rejuvenate yourself, how to recharge your batteries in a sustainable way and how to access the tremendous resources and potency within you.

14 Syys 202327min

No company, organization or entity can efficiently function without a mission statement. Can you? Have you ever asked yourself what your personal calling is in life? If you haven't, know that you're not alone. Most people on this planet do not have a personal mission statement. But the bigger question is how do you find your mission? How do you identify your unique and indispensable role in this world? We're so busy and overwhelmed with the existing pressures of life, with expectations and demands to make ends meet, to pay our bills, to fulfill family and personal needs. And in today's day and age, with technology and media overload we are inundated from every direction. We don't even have the time to step back and think about what our mission is. Most of us simply take life day by day, reacting to the needs of the moment. Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for this vital and fundamental discussion on discovering your personal calling in life, and how that will infuse every aspect of your existence with deeper meaning and urgency.

8 Syys 202331min

Let's talk about God. What does God mean to you? Is God real or superstition? Do you have a personal relationship with God, or is God simply part of the culture and home you grew up in? This three-letter word "God" evokes perhaps more conversation and debate than any other word. And the debates continue to rage. There are firm believers, firm non-believers, firm agnostics -- and those not so firm in their beliefs. Everyone has an opinion on the matter. The battle between science and religion continues to impact society to this day. With the advent of the Enlightenment, known as the Age of Reason, free and open inquiry challenged absolute religious authority. Many felt that science would replace religion. But has that happened? Are faith and reason compatible? Is God a contradiction to an open, questioning mind? Is God necessary? What is most interesting -- and bizarre -- is that while we argue over God, we may not even agree or know what the word means! Before we agree or disagree - before we say whether we believe or don't believe - shouldn't we first define the meaning of the thing we are discussing? Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev once told a self-proclaimed atheist: "The God you don't believe in, I also don't believe in." Think about that! Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for this important conversation that has an impact on everything and anything we are involved in. Let's talk about God and discover what God truly means. And then we can determine whether God is relevant to our lives.

31 Elo 202332min

Love - we all need it and yet we find it so difficult to attain. It is perhaps the most elusive of all experiences. What is love? Is is real or just a chemical reaction? Is it just another physical/psychological aspect to our being or is there something deeper, a spiritual/ethereal component to love? Schopenhauer notoriously wrote, “Love is based on an illusion and represents what is an advantage to the species as an advantage to the individual.” Is this correct? Is love simply a way of nature tricking and deceiving us in order to perpetuate the species? Are we simply being fooled into “loving” in order to survive? Or is there something more transcendent, something deeper going on? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for this vital conversation and discover that not only is love real, it is actually the key to turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, the mundane into the sublime. Love is our ability to bring eternity into our impermanent lives; infuse immortality into our mortality; fuse the infinite and the finite.

25 Elo 202330min

Think Importance Mission Energy Is time your friend or your enemy? On one hand we’re always trying to beat the clock and meet deadlines. The pressure of time - the constant tik tok, tik tok - can be overwhelming and even downright scary. Our time is limited, every minute that passes can never be reclaimed and it keeps on moving no matter what. We literally cannot do anything physical to stop time and the aging process. On the other hand, time keeps us moving, motivating us to make the most of it. It reflects our full life journey - the past, present and future. It defines our milestones and achievements. It’s the way we function and get anything and everything done. Time is the fuel that keeps our life on track. What exactly is time? Is it real or imaginary? Does it have a soul? How should we best utilize our time and manage it most efficiently? How can time become our ally? Join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for this critical discussion on the very nature of time. Discover four steps -- reflected in the four-letter acronym of T.I.M.E. -- that will empower you to tap into the energy of time and enhance your life. Learn how to maximize your time in fulfilling your very mission in this world.

17 Elo 202320min