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.

Many of us spend money to live lifestyles that are above our means because we feel a pressure to have the same possessions and lifestyle as the people that we see around us. Our Evil Inclination tells us that we should have the same nice things that our neighbors have… It doesn’t matter if you can’t afford those things right now, just charge it and deal with it later. Don’t give in to the ploys of this spiritual enemy.

It’s also important to realize that the friends and neighbors that we are trying to keep up with are also usually subsidizing their lifestyle with debt. This means that you are really only mimicking their irresponsible behavior.

You must know that G-d provides all of us with the financial resources that we need to fulfill our purposes in this world and to find happiness. If there is something that we can’t afford based on our current financial income, then it is not necessary for achieving true happiness and fulfilling our spiritual goals. When we get greedy we end up going into debt and increasing the stress in our lives.

There is an important spiritual law that teaches that, “Financial envy yields financial debt.” Remember, if you can’t afford something, it will never bring you happiness. Find comfort and peace knowing that G-d provides us with everything that we need to realize our purpose in this world in a happy and fulfilling way.

Kabbalah teaches that every soul comes down to this world to accomplish a specific mission. When that mission is accomplished, that soul can leave this world and move on to a better world. There are some very lofty souls who have accomplished most of their goals in a previous life but who need to return briefly to this world to complete one more tikun (soul correction). Some very special souls are able to accomplish their tikun without ever leaving the womb, some with only a single heart beat.

We cannot understand G‑d’s ways. But when we believe that everything He does is for a reason and that nothing is random, hopefully that will help the grieving process.

Clearly, we all want healthy children and easy pregnancies. But for whatever reason, certain souls do not need to be born into this world. As difficult as it is, many women can find comfort knowing that they were blessed with the opportunity to carry such a special soul while it completed it’s G-d given purpose.

Potential is a unique energy granted to each and every one of use by G-d himself, and it resides within each person’s unique soul. The key to unlocking the secrets of your own personal potential is to look within yourself and evaluate your strengths and review all of your past experiences and successes. By taking an honest look at your true strengths it becomes apparent that G-d gave you these specific gifts as tools to reach your fullest potential.

Now with this knowledge in hand, start to think about ways to utilize your potential in a way that has a positive impact on your life and the lives of those around you. Don’t wait for G-d to send you challenge in your life to force you to wake up and expose your potential. Step up and show the world what you can accomplish and the world will see has special you really are.