Meaningful Life Skills with Rabbi Simon Jacobson

Do you know how to communicate effectively? Are your interactions with others positive and productive or are they critical and draining? Are you able to resolve disagreements and conflicts? Communication lies at the heart of every relationship in our lives. Personal. Business. Family. How we interact and communicate with each other reflects the health of our relationships and is the basis of everything we do in life. Developing better ways of communicating will directly improve the quality of our relationships. And vice versa. Frankly, we live in a time of a communications crisis. Witness the polarization of different groups in our society. People have difficulty communicating and even disagreeing amicably. Real connections are hard to come by. This is quite ironic considering the communication and information revolution of our times. Our technologies are connecting us like never before, while our hearts and minds remain disconnected more than ever. Throw into the equation today's sophisticated marketing techniques -- crunching metrics, manipulating our emotions and selling us everything and anything -- and it's not difficult to imagine why we are often clueless as to the true meaning of healthy communication, and, by extension, relationships. No wonder that we are experiencing a breakdown in so many of our connections and attachments. Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson as he dissects the anatomy of communication. Discover the true meaning and significance of communication. How it is rooted in the very essence of your earliest connections with your loved ones, beginning in the very womb of your mother. Learn how communication is much more than language and expression -- it is the ultimate bridge between two souls. Identify the key ingredients and necessary steps to build healthy, enduring, and eternal relationships: Listen. Care. Integrity. Trust. Empowerment.

21 Juli 202229min

The word vacation evokes a feeling of letting go, freedom, lightheartedness and even folly. It brings to mind visions of beaches and mojitos, frolicking in the water and relaxing under the stars. Vacation is usually associated with an escape from our reality, a runaway from the daily grind and life's responsibilities. But can vacation be both fun and meaningful? Does it serve a purpose other than pure enjoyment and a respite from the routine? Today you will learn something new, a unique perspective that will change -- and enhance! -- the way you vacation. Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for this delightful and transformative talk that will help infuse your summer months with a deeper dimension, and discover how your vacation can have purpose, spirituality -- and of course fun!

7 Juli 202225min

As we approach July 4th, we are reminded of the revolutionary principle proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, which is really the foundation of this entire country - and the foundation of the modern world today. "All men [people] are created equal." We are all equal and we all are entitled to equal rights. But what does equality really mean? Is it another one of those buzzwords that is cited so often today that it ends up meaning nothing because it is overused to mean everything? And look around you.. Are we actually all equal? Some people are born with more intelligence and natural talents than others. Some are born into wealth and are blessed with other gifts that give them an edge. Some have strong leadership skills while others are followers. Every human being is different. So as noble as it sounds, is it realistic to claim that we are all truly equal? And is equality even a healthy goal -- are we trying to create clones, by fitting each human being into a single mold? Shouldn't we better be aspiring to allow each person to shine in his/her unique way, talents and traits? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for a monumental talk on the true definition of equality as he dissects the root of the issue and offers a fresh way to look at yourself and at others. Find out how equality is not the absence of diversity; quite the contrary, they complement each other. Discover the eloquent balance between individuality and equality and learn how to thrive and become the best possible you - equal to and at the same time, not equal to any other person on earth.

4 Juli 202231min

Is Trauma the New Scapegoat? The phrase trauma seems to be everywhere. Statistics show that over 5,500 podcasts have trauma in the title. On TikTok, #trauma has over 6.2 billion views. A recent article title pretty much sums it up: How trauma became the word of the decade. Good question. There is a growing opinion among some that attribute all our problems to trauma. Is that true? Has the word become overused? These days it's common to hear... I was stuck in traffic - it was traumatic! Or... I was traumatized when my baseball team lost the game! But is that trauma? Are we minimizing and desensitizing the word, watering it down and ultimately being disrespectful to what real trauma is? Are we confusing trauma with (our own need for) drama? Are we dealing with it in a healthy way? The biggest question above all is, what is trauma? And beyond everything else, what can we do about it? Are we stuck being traumatized people? Are we falling into the trap of blaming trauma and avoiding the work we need to do to grow through our challenges? Even as we heal, does our healing remain part of our trauma? Can we recreate our lives to return to and reclaim the pre-trauma state, or are we perpetually stuck in a PTSD state of being? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for a fascinating and fundamental discussion on trauma and its treatment -- how it has evolved over the years, where we stand today and how we can develop healthy ways to heal the wounds. Learn about the different ways and stages people deal with difficulties -- from denial to blame to empathy. Then by exploring the psycho-spiritual and mystical roots of trauma -- all originating in the primordial dissonance of the tzimtzum -- we discover the steps to move from empathy to empowerment, healing the ruptures created by trauma by reconnecting to your very essence, and finally, transforming the very trauma itself.

22 Juni 202240min

Over the course of your life, are you being taught WHAT to think, or are you learning HOW to think? And what is the difference between the what and the how? Almost everyone is familiar with one of the most popular best-selling self help books titled, How to Make Friends and Influence People. Let's focus on the word influence. We can influence people, inspire people, teach people and even educate people - but above all we can EMPOWER people. Empowerment is in a league of its own. Empowering is learning how to think, with a methodology and proper tools. Empowering is the how to solve problems; not just being given answers but learning how to find the answers yourself. Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for this vital conversation on the secret to empowering your friends, family and colleagues and learn how to navigate whatever comes your way. "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." That is empowerment.

16 Juni 202226min

How do we maintain inspiration after the "honeymoon"? In life, it is relatively easy to get excited and inspired -- but it is not so easy to keep that initial spark going. We hear a powerful speech that touches us deeply and are determined to change our life and perspective... a few days later the daily grind puts us right back in our original rut. We start a new diet with enthusiasm and a positive attitude, inspired by the "after images" plastered around social media... a few days later the initial intensity has run out and we are back to our old habits. How does one perpetuate that inspiration; how does one stay motivated? Is there a secret method to making the excitement last? We just finished a 7 week course titled, 7 Weeks to a Better You. We examined the entire spectrum of our human emotions and diagnosed our personality and character traits; from love to discipline, compassion to tenacity, humility to bonding and dignity. But now comes the hard question: How do we ensure that all our hard work lasts? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for a follow up bonus course and learn vital lessons and tips on how to maintain inspiration and integrate it into our daily lives. Discover the three-step secret process to creating permanent changes and improvements in your life.

9 Juni 202228min

There is no person on earth who does not want to improve their lives. But how do we actually do that? We take on resolutions, make plans and embark on journeys, however they often don’t last very long. Is there a formula for true and sustainable growth? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in a new seven-part series, 7 Weeks to a Better You, and discover a 3334-year-old time-tested plan to evaluate and develop your tremendous emotional potential. In this series you will learn the seven facets of your emotional attributes that define the spectrum of your personality, you will gain a clear picture — an “x-ray” — of your inner psyche, and how to harness and enhance the forces that make you tick. In part 7, you will explore leadership — the dignity and nobility within you, enabling you to be a leader in your own right. Do you find yourself being reactive? Are you a follower, waiting for someone else to lead the way? How is your self-esteem and self-confidence? Are you comfortable in your own skin? Do you feel pressured to please others, and live up to other people's expectations and demands? Let us thoroughly evaluate the faculty of malchus within us — that which makes you unique and special, the feeling of being a king or a queen, filled with courage and humility to live up to your calling and purpose in life, to illuminate and shine in ways that only you can.

2 Juni 202234min

There is no person on earth who does not want to improve their lives. But how do we actually do that? We take on resolutions, make plans and embark on journeys, however they often don’t last very long. Is there a formula for true and sustainable growth? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in a new seven-part series, 7 Weeks to a Better You, and discover a 3334-year-old time-tested plan to evaluate and develop your tremendous emotional potential. In this series you will learn the seven facets of your emotional attributes that define the spectrum of your personality, you will gain a clear picture — an “x-ray” — of your inner psyche, and how to harness and enhance the forces that make you tick. In part 6, you will explore connection — the attribute that defines bonding and commitment. Do you ever suffer from commitment issues? When faced with a serious relationship or tasked with an important project, do you find it difficult to see it through? Do you run at the first signs of unease or do you stick around and address the issue? Real connection is one of the greatest challenges of our times; the inability to be real, to deeply bond and deeply connect. Let us thoroughly evaluate and understand how to actualize the faculty of connection and learn how we can strengthen our bonds, connections and commitments.

26 Maj 202230min