Why should my mourning make a difference?

What difference will our mourning for the Bais Hamikdash make when so many people before us- tremendous Gedolim mourned and davened for the Bais Hamikdash and it did not bring Moshiach.  Why should my mourning make a difference?

This is like a town where it is known for sure that there is a great treasure burried in a certain spot, so everyone does everything they can to dig for the treasure.  They bring tractors and shovels and they dig like mad.  But the treasure is much deeper then they think.  They keep digging but that generation all passes away before they reach the treasure.  Subsequint generations keep digging becasue they remember that there is a treasure there, but they also don't reach the treasure.  Now it is up to this generation to keep digging.  Some people think, "why bother digging, if the previous generations didn't find the treasure why should I think that I can find it?"

Little do they know that there is a thin layer of dirt that lies between them and the treasure.  They just have to try a little and they will get there.

We can't give up.  Moshiach is comming soon.  We all just have to keep davening and doing Mitzvahs and longing for the Bayis Shlishi.

Heard from a Shiur by Rebbetzin Kalmonovitz

A powerful mashal to help understand the Chorbun.

There was once a king who had a son who was terribly spoiled from all of the luxuries of the palace. The king knew that the only way to see that the prince would develop correctly would be to destroy the palace and send the prince out into the world. The king knew that all of his servants were waiting to grab the riches of the palace and gloat over the prince's tragedy. Since the king did not want to give the servants this nachas he announced that the palace was being knocked down to clear the way for a bigger and better palace. As all of the treasures were being removed, the bystanders and even the prince were shocked by the tremendous riches of the palace. Once it was being destroyed the prince finally understood what he lost but it was too late. The prince had to wander around the world waiting for the new palace to be built.

Needles to say, Klal Yisrael is the Prince, and the nations of the world are the servants.  Isn't it tragic that we had to be exiled to appreciate what we had.

heard from a Shiur by Rebbetzin Kalmonovitz

If we don't prepare for Shavuos we are wasting a tremendous opportunity.

Once there was a poor man who lived across the street from a very rich man.  Every day he would look longingly at the rich man's house wishing that he could experience what it is like to live like that.  One day the rich man saw him looking at him and asked him what he wants, he said that he would like to experience what its like to live like that  for just one day.  The rich man is a sport so he tells him that in three months he is going away and he has some meetings with people who do not even know him.  The rich man offers him the opportunity to fill in for him for the day and experience the life of a rich man.  Three months go by and the poor man shows up just as the rich man is pulling away. His clothes are torn and his hair is long and straggling.  The rich man says,"I thought you forgot, why didn't you get your hair cut and dress nicely"  The poor man says, "I didn't realize that I had to prepare".  The rich man drives away, and the poor man is whisked inside to try to find something that will fit him and go to a meeting.  The poor man has no idea how to behave in rich society.  He does not know how to use a menu at a restaurant, how to answer a simple question, how to give a speech.  He makes a total fool of himself.  When the rich man comes home he asks him how it was.  The poor man says that it was worse then being poor, all day long nothing but humiliation and laughter. 

If only the poor man would have prepared a little, he would have enjoyed the day.  If he would have dressed nicely and learned how to behave he could have been treated with  the honor that he so deeply wanted.
This is a mashal of us before Shavuos. If we don't prepare for Shavuos we are wasting a tremendous opportunity.  The days of Sefias HaOmer are an opportunity for growth
from a Shiur by Rabbi Wachsman, "Reaching New Heights, Powerful Perspectives on Shavuos"
from the Chofetz Chayim Heritage Society

Leave those demons behind!

Once there was a king and a queen who could not have a baby for a long time. When they finally had the baby they were overjoyed until they realized that the baby had an ugly deformed mask. They were devastated and they didn't know what to do. How could they admit that they had an ugly baby. One of the kings ad visors made a suggestion, to have a perfect mask made so that no one would know what the baby really looked like. As the child grew and got bigger they made bigger and bigger masks to cover his face. When the prince was a young man and ready to become married he told his bride to be about the mask. She agreed to get married, but she asked to see his face before the wedding to make sure that she could handle it. the Prince took off his mask, and she said, "Your Face looks exactly like the mask".

When you know that you want to become something but you don't know how to do it, you have to "act as if" you are already there. Actions will bring us to reality.
from a Shiur on Aish Audio
Leave Those Demons Behind # SW 916
by Schwartz, Rabbi Shmuel
In OA we always say, "fake it till you make it". If you do all of the steps required (the 12 steps) you will eventually become a different person, and you will see the promises of OA come true.