photo credit: Individuo

When I find myself encountering difficulties, I often use the image of Sir Ernest Shackleton as a source of
inspiration, and I encourage my clients to do the same.

Sir Ernest Shackleton led one of the first Antarctic expeditions. Almost everything that could possibly have gone wrong on his expedition went wrong. His ship got stuck in ice during the Antarctic winter and was smashed into pieces. Nevertheless, Shackleton viewed each obstacle as an adventure and as an opportunity for growth that called for the utilization of his and his men’s creative potential and inner resourcefulness. He turned each obstacle into a game: To stagnate was to fail; to grow was to win. Shackleton took the pieces from his broken ship and built a small, rowboat-sized boat. He sailed that little boat 600 miles to the nearest whaling island. When he was within eyeshot of that island, a storm arose, and this weather kept him at bay for three days in stormy waters. Once he finally arrived at the island, he needed to hike through 26 miles of mountainous terrain to reach the whaling encampment.

Every man in Shackleton’s expedition survived. When my clients (or I myself) encounter hardship, I will sometimes ask, “How would Shackleton handle this situation?” Sometimes, I will ask clients to shut their
eyes and envision themselves on Shackleton’s ship, as a members of his expedition. I ask each of them,
“As a member of Shackleton’s team, what’s your next adventurous step?”

This article is the first in a long series of articles designed to help you realize your goals.

Most of us have ideas about the life we’d like to be living, and most of us need encouragement from time to time to help us focus on and achieve our goals. These goals may relate to your relationships with your family, your friends and colleagues, or with yourself. Before beginning your journey toward personal tikun (correction/improvement) and toward getting to know yourself, think of five personal goals you wish to accomplish and list them in your Growth Journal.

A story is told that on one occasion bandits were pursuing the great Baal Shem Tov. Try as they might, they were unable to catch up with him. They began walking fast while the Baal Shem Tov maintained his pace, yet they did not catch up with him. The bandits began running to overtake the holy man, yet to no avail. It is then that they realized that the man they were trying to harm was a holy man and G-d was doing for him what he could not do for himself. In fact, the Baal Shem Tov was known to have said that he did not rely on incantations or other means of achieving salvation, but instead opted to rely solely on the good grace of G-d.

We should learn from the Baal Shem Tov that although we as individuals have many limitations, G-d is limitless and defies limitation and once we rely on G-d, he can do for us what we were previously unable to do for ourselves.

Question: In what areas of your life will you let G-d do for you what you where unable to do for yourself?

Meditative Prayer: G-d, I invite You into my life to do for me what I am unable to do for myself.

A story is told that during an icy winter day, the great mystic Reb Zushe from Anipoli walked effortlessly up an icy slope. When young men much younger and sprightly than he attempted this feat unsuccessfully, they asked Rabbi Zushe what his secret was. He responded that on his own he would also be unable to walk up a steep, icy slope, but that after a point he just keeps putting one foot in front of the other while at the same time letting G-d take care of the results. As the saying goes, “G-d is the president of results, but I’m the vice president of footwork.”

Question: What are some people, places, and things for which you would be better off letting go and letting G-d?

Meditative Prayer: G-d, I pray for the self-control to let go of situations that are too heavy for me to hold on to and to give them over to You.