Page 118 - issue
P. 118
IDENTIFYING YOUR LIFE’S MISSION
A ROSH HASHANA MESSAGEby Sara Yoheved Rigler
fter six months of working
for the company, it’s time for
your evaluation. You walk into
the boardroom, where three
designer-suit-clad personnel
A managers are sitting behind
searching ancient Chinese culture, or an you? The CEO is not going to dole out
expression of your talent, such as painting a million-dollar budget to an employee
landscapes or playing the violin. It can be who doesn’t have a carefully worked out
concrete, such as establishing a home for proposal.
Alzheimer’s patients, or abstract, such as
manifesting in the world the Divine attri- We are used to praying for life, health,
bute of truth or patience. It can be on a and livelihood as ends in themselves.
In the Divine accounting, however, life,
a mahogany desk. The one on large scale, such as inaugurating the re- health, and livelihood are simply the
the left scans your file, looks cycling system in your city, or on a small tools – the hi-tech spy gadgetry – that
up at you accusingly, and says, “I see scale, such as caring for your handicapped will enable you to accomplish your mis-
here that you did not report for work at 9 child with joy. You may have two, or at sion.
a.m. one time during this entire period.” most, three different missions, which can Rabbi Nivin offers two methods for
The woman in the middle shakes her be consecutive (after finishing one job, discovering your mission: 1) Ask your-
head and remarks, “This is a Fortune 500 you start another) or simultaneous. Yet, self (and write down): What were the five
Company. Instead of a jacket and tie, you even if there are 500 marriage counselors or ten most pleasurable moments in my
report for work wearing jeans.” in your city, your particular approach and life? And 2) Ask yourself: If I inherited a
The man on the right stares at the pa- way of helping people is unique. Not one billion dollars and had six hours a day of
pers in his hand and says grimly, “Our of us can be replaced – ever. discretionary time, what would I do with
surveillance cameras show that you the time and money?
spend less than 10% of your working Identifying Your Mission
When answering the first question,
hours at your desk. The rest of the time Imagine you are an undercover agent eliminate the universal transcendent
you’re walking around the building.” sent into Iran. You’ve had years of train- moments, such as witnessing the beau-
The first evaluator shoots the ques- ing, have two vital contacts in Tehran, ty of nature or listening to music. Your
tion: “Do you have anything to say for and are equipped with the latest hi-tech mission, of course, may have to do with
yourself?” spy gadgetry. Only one thing is lacking: nature or music, but on a much more
“Yes,” you reply with confidence, “I You have no idea what your mission is. individual level than the high all people
was hired as the night watchman.” Many of us go through life like that: feel when they see the Grand Canyon.
uuu We follow the route laid out by society: Although your mission may require hard
Rosh Hashana is a time of evaluation. going to college, finding a job, getting work or genuine sacrifice, when you are
But to accurately assess your perfor- married, and raising a family – but with engaged in your life’s mission you expe-
mance this year, you have to know your no clear sense of the unique mission en- rience, as Rabbi Nivin puts it, “This feels
job description. Judaism asserts that ev- trusted to us. We are pulled in many dif- so good that I could do it all day long.”
ery soul comes into this world charged ferent directions, feeling compromised in When I did the first exercise, these are
with a unique, positive purpose. what we do and guilty for what we don’t the answers I came up with:
According to the great 16th century do. Identifying our mission is, according u When someone in my Johannesburg
Kabalistic master known as the Arizal, no to Rabbi Aryeh Nivin, the first step in audience came up after I spoke and told
one has ever or will ever come into this leading a life of vibrancy and joy. “When my son, “Your mother’s words changed
world with the exact same mission as you intersect with your life’s purpose,” my life.”
yours. The light you are meant to shine he explains, “you feel excitement.”
into the world is yours alone, as individu- Knowing your personal mission is u When someone tells me, “Your book
al as your fingerprint, as personal as your essential preparation for Rosh Hasha- changed my life.”
voiceprint. na. On Rosh Hashana, G-d apportions
Your mission can be interpersonal, to each of us life, health, livelihood, and u When reading the comments to my
such as counseling couples with trou- everything else. What is your plan for Aish.com articles, I see, “This was exactly
bled marriages, or scholarly, such as re- how you propose to use the life G-d gives what I needed to read today.” When I see
110 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
A ROSH HASHANA MESSAGEby Sara Yoheved Rigler
fter six months of working
for the company, it’s time for
your evaluation. You walk into
the boardroom, where three
designer-suit-clad personnel
A managers are sitting behind
searching ancient Chinese culture, or an you? The CEO is not going to dole out
expression of your talent, such as painting a million-dollar budget to an employee
landscapes or playing the violin. It can be who doesn’t have a carefully worked out
concrete, such as establishing a home for proposal.
Alzheimer’s patients, or abstract, such as
manifesting in the world the Divine attri- We are used to praying for life, health,
bute of truth or patience. It can be on a and livelihood as ends in themselves.
In the Divine accounting, however, life,
a mahogany desk. The one on large scale, such as inaugurating the re- health, and livelihood are simply the
the left scans your file, looks cycling system in your city, or on a small tools – the hi-tech spy gadgetry – that
up at you accusingly, and says, “I see scale, such as caring for your handicapped will enable you to accomplish your mis-
here that you did not report for work at 9 child with joy. You may have two, or at sion.
a.m. one time during this entire period.” most, three different missions, which can Rabbi Nivin offers two methods for
The woman in the middle shakes her be consecutive (after finishing one job, discovering your mission: 1) Ask your-
head and remarks, “This is a Fortune 500 you start another) or simultaneous. Yet, self (and write down): What were the five
Company. Instead of a jacket and tie, you even if there are 500 marriage counselors or ten most pleasurable moments in my
report for work wearing jeans.” in your city, your particular approach and life? And 2) Ask yourself: If I inherited a
The man on the right stares at the pa- way of helping people is unique. Not one billion dollars and had six hours a day of
pers in his hand and says grimly, “Our of us can be replaced – ever. discretionary time, what would I do with
surveillance cameras show that you the time and money?
spend less than 10% of your working Identifying Your Mission
When answering the first question,
hours at your desk. The rest of the time Imagine you are an undercover agent eliminate the universal transcendent
you’re walking around the building.” sent into Iran. You’ve had years of train- moments, such as witnessing the beau-
The first evaluator shoots the ques- ing, have two vital contacts in Tehran, ty of nature or listening to music. Your
tion: “Do you have anything to say for and are equipped with the latest hi-tech mission, of course, may have to do with
yourself?” spy gadgetry. Only one thing is lacking: nature or music, but on a much more
“Yes,” you reply with confidence, “I You have no idea what your mission is. individual level than the high all people
was hired as the night watchman.” Many of us go through life like that: feel when they see the Grand Canyon.
uuu We follow the route laid out by society: Although your mission may require hard
Rosh Hashana is a time of evaluation. going to college, finding a job, getting work or genuine sacrifice, when you are
But to accurately assess your perfor- married, and raising a family – but with engaged in your life’s mission you expe-
mance this year, you have to know your no clear sense of the unique mission en- rience, as Rabbi Nivin puts it, “This feels
job description. Judaism asserts that ev- trusted to us. We are pulled in many dif- so good that I could do it all day long.”
ery soul comes into this world charged ferent directions, feeling compromised in When I did the first exercise, these are
with a unique, positive purpose. what we do and guilty for what we don’t the answers I came up with:
According to the great 16th century do. Identifying our mission is, according u When someone in my Johannesburg
Kabalistic master known as the Arizal, no to Rabbi Aryeh Nivin, the first step in audience came up after I spoke and told
one has ever or will ever come into this leading a life of vibrancy and joy. “When my son, “Your mother’s words changed
world with the exact same mission as you intersect with your life’s purpose,” my life.”
yours. The light you are meant to shine he explains, “you feel excitement.”
into the world is yours alone, as individu- Knowing your personal mission is u When someone tells me, “Your book
al as your fingerprint, as personal as your essential preparation for Rosh Hasha- changed my life.”
voiceprint. na. On Rosh Hashana, G-d apportions
Your mission can be interpersonal, to each of us life, health, livelihood, and u When reading the comments to my
such as counseling couples with trou- everything else. What is your plan for Aish.com articles, I see, “This was exactly
bled marriages, or scholarly, such as re- how you propose to use the life G-d gives what I needed to read today.” When I see
110 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
