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May 10, 2009

Habits.

"Bad habits are like chains that are too light to feel until they are too heavy to carry." Warren Buffett

"Habit is either the best of servants or the worst of masters." Nathaniel Emmons

We all have habits.  Some good and some bad.  Either way they form a large part of who we are.  

The power of a habit is that it is something you do all the time.  Consistently.  You don't miss a day without it.  You feel strange when you have missed it.  A habit becomes an integral part of you.  When it goes missing you feel incomplete.  Habits are powerful.

A bad habit can destroy a person.  Slowly. Subtly.  They creep up on you, largely unnoticed, destroying you bit by bit. Bad habits need to be destroyed before they destroy you.

Good habits can build a person.  Slowly.  Subtly. Good habits done day by day, in small steps, develop you into a better person.  You don't see the progress you have made until you look back.  Good habits developed will in turn develop you.

We are now in the time between Pesach and Shavuos when we count Sefirat HaOmer.  Literally meaning, "Counting the Omer"

Sefirah also comes from the word of "Sapir" meaning shining.  The Omer offering was brought from barley as opposed to the majority of offerings which were brought from wheat.  Barley is animal fodder.  Sefirat HaOmer is about shining up your animal.  Doing away with the negative habit which have become part of you and developing positive ones in their stead.

Homework: Write up a list of your bad habits.  Then write up a list of the good habits you would like to develop.

There is going to be a follow up post with a tip I have been using to help you continue in developing good habits.
 

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April 22, 2009

IMG00054.jpg

image/jpeg
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April 17, 2009

Electric fence fixing

Today I went to pretoria to get my electric fence fixed.
 
In order to fix the disconnected wire he used a farret and a crimping tool with a bit of extra wiring. Quite simple. Will know for next time.
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April 14, 2009

Clean your nose. [Things I learned from my baby part 4]

Think back to the last time that you had a stuffed nose. I'll bet you didn't enjoy it. Luckily you knew how to blow your nose. If that didn't work, you put in nasal drops.
Babies aren't so lucky. They haven't developed those skills yet.  They can't blow their nose, nor can they put in their own nasal drops.

A baby with a stuffed nose is very uncomfortable. Its hard to breath, sleep, and worst of all, hard to eat.

We love them, so we clear their noses.  We put in drops, we put in tissues, we try all sorts of gimmicks. All to make them feel better, and feel better they do.

Clearing their noses, however, is a mission. If I forced drops down your nose, you would be greatly annoyed.  If I forced tissues up your nose, you would jerk your head to and fro. They wiggle, they jerk, they do everything in their power to avoid the intrusion. They SEEM comfortable in their discomfort. They SEEM to not want a clean clear nose. Don't listen. They do.  They love it ... after the fact.

The Jewish people didn't want to leave Egypt. They were comfortable in their discomfort. They SEEMED to want their slavery. G-D didn't listen, and we liked it ... after the fact.  We we're taken out of comfort zone, and we liked it ... after the fact.

Go do something that you find awkward. You may love it ... after the fact.  Get uncomfortable. You may love it ... after the fact.

Good Yom Tov!

[You can check out the previous things I learned from my baby at these links:
http://arongrinshtein.com/things-i-learnt-from-my-baby-part-3-do-someth
http://arongrinshtein.com/things-i-learned-from-my-baby
http://arongrinshtein.com/part-1-things-my-baby-taught-m]

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April 8, 2009

Pictures of Birkas Hachama -- Johannesburg.

It was a truly awesome event.  There were about 1000 people there.  It was unbelievable to see the unity in the Jewish community.  Everyone gathered together regardless of denomination.  Beautiful.


Some quick facts: 

  • This years Birkas Hachama happens 1 time in 532 years.  You saw right. 1/532 yrs.  That is because the lunar cycle is 19 years in which there are 7 leap years (containing two months of Adar) and 12 regular years and every 19 years the cycle restarts.  This is that year.  So 28*19=532.
  • This is the 207th cycle of the sun.  207 is the numerical value of Raz, which means secret in Hebrew.  Everyone hold on tight, the next 28 years are going to be a revelation of secrets.  
Everyone have a lovely Pesach.  Release yourself from the shackles which drag you down!

                     
Click here to download:
Pictures_of_Birkas_Hachama_--_.zip (270 KB)

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April 7, 2009

A small list of [Pre]-Pesach reminders.

  • On Erev Pesach we don't say "Mizmor L'David" in Shacharis.
  • Finish eating Chametz before 10:14AM (Times for Johannesburg, SA -- for your local time click here )
  • Sell and burn Chametz before 11:12AM (Times for Johannesburg, SA -- for your local time click here )
  • Haircuts should be done before midday.  If one forgot to take a hair cut before midday, a non-Jew must cut your hair.
  • Don't forget to make an Eiruv Tavshilin this year.  
  • We recite the Seder of the Korban Pesach before Mincha.
  • We recite a full Hallel on the first two nights of Pesach.
  • In order to start the Seder as quickly as possible, prepare everything beforehand.  The entire table should be set before nightfall.  This is so the children should stay up throughout the entire seder.
  • We should give children nuts in order to stimulate their curiosity and get them in the asking questions mood.
  • The Rebbe Rashab said: At the Seder one should think that one should be a Mentch.  By the opening of the door, towards the end of the Seder, is an opportune time to ask for ones desires.  One should ask for Spiritual wellbeing, not physical wellbeing.
  • When you eat the Karpas have in mind the Maror that you will eat later.  Also, eat less than a Kezayit of Karpas in order to avoid the need to make an after blessing on the Karpas.  
  • We pour the Ten Plagues into a broken vessel.  (Prepare that beforehand.)
  • When we do Mayim Acharonim, we don't put the water to our lips.
  • On the first night when reciting the bed time Shma, we only recite Shma and Hamapil.  We omit everything else.  We return to the regular bed time Shma on the second night.
  • We start reciting Morid HaTal during Musaf on the first day.  Don't forget to include "V'Ten Bracha" on the first day of Chol Hamoed.
Have a Kosher and Joyous Pesach!

May you shed your old self and emerge a new one this Pesach! 

Just as the Jewish nation emerged into a new nation so too shall you emerge into a new person.  A person who is cleansed of their Chametz, humbled to leave their addictions, and empowered to carve out new frontiers in their life.  A Pesach in which you "pass over" all of the shackles which hold you prisoner to your addictions.  And let us say ....

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April 3, 2009

Things I learnt from my baby: PART 3 -- Do Something.

To read the article click on the picture.


How do you like the photography?

[This is part 3 in an on going series of things I learned from my baby, feel free to check out the first two.]

1) http://arongrinshtein.com/part-1-things-my-baby-taught-m
2) http://arongrinshtein.com/things-i-learned-from-my-baby

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April 2, 2009

Vote on the best pic!

Would love to hear your input!

           
Click here to download:
Vote_on_the_best_pic.zip (1703 KB)

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April 2, 2009

Picture play.

   
Click here to download:
Picture_play..zip (490 KB)

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March 30, 2009

THINGS I LEARNED FROM MY BABY: PART 2

Two weeks have gone by already.  The baby is getting used to breast feeding.  Mother and baby are well acquainted.  The baby loves to chomp and guzzle down milk.

A sure sign of a mother is the white dribble that stains the back of her shirt.

After eating too quickly the baby throws up some of its food. The reason why the baby throws up the food is because it has eaten too quickly. 

"Baby, if you paced yourself you would have kept more of the milk.  Baby, had you paced yourself you would have preserved more sustenance."

When lots of milk is coming your way, don't be greedy.  Slow down.  Take it in slowly.  When you take it in slowly it will than be digestible.  If you get too greedy you will throw it all up.

Our economic state is a result of chomping down copious amounts of milk.  Quantities of milk we couldn't handle, we are now vomiting it out. [A good video explaining that very clearly http://is.gd/kb3X/the-crisis-of-credit-visualized  I recommend you watch it]

Think: The farmer who killed the goose with the golden eggs.

When milk is coming your way, slow down to digest.  When money is coming your way, slow down to digest.  Otherwise you will find yourself vomiting it out.

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