We have to put more effort into our faith, instead of faith in our own efforts.

Rav Matisyahu Solomon

The nature of fear

Sefer Avrei Nachal tells us (Parshat Vayeitzei), "Fear is like a magnet that attracts metal.  It has the ability to direct the object of a person's fear toward that person.  As the Passuk says (Iyov 3:25) "that which I feared has overtaken me."  That is the nature of fear:it draws forth the object of our dread and makes it real."

...A person does not protect himself, only Hashem can protect him.  Fear serves no useful purpose for man.  It merely intensifies our negative emotions and can potenially bring adversity upon us.

from "It's all in your Mind" by Sara Yosef

The more that I read of this book the more that I see just how well it strengthens the message of OA.  In the fourth step we examine our fears and look at how they are effecting us.  Rebbetzin Yosef sums it up so well.

Emuna has two sides

– just as we believe in Hashem, we must believe in ourselves and in our genuine desires to get close to Hashem...
People fall into depression and despair because they don’t realize that their main job is desire. A totally crass bumpkin can become a Rebbe Akiva if his desires for holiness are strong enough. Rebbe Akiva was an illiterate laborer, the son of converts. Yet, according to the Gemara, he surpassed Moses. With enough desire, anyone can become a Moses or a Rebbe Akiva.

By: Rabbi Shalom Arush   read the rest of the article at
http://www.breslev.co.il/articles/spirituality_and_faith/personal_growth/every_last_drop.aspx?id=18320&language=english

Using the light of Pesach to create a new and better reality for ourselves

From the Shiur:

Pesach: Transformation
Teacher: Mrs. Shira Smiles Class: Jewish Calendar III (Pesach-Shavuot)


The night of Pesach is a time of great potential. We have the potential to grow more on the night of the seder then we normally could grow in months (from the Sefas Emes) When we take advantage of this potential and really grow in our Emunah from the experience of the Seder night we can transform ourselves into a different person.

Sometimes Hashem sends nisyonos to cause us to grow. If we use the opportunity of Pesach to grow we are making ourselves into a person who is deserving of a better mazal. A person who does not need nisyonos to grow.

Thus, by taking advantage of the spiritual light of Pesach, and growing in our Emunah, we are creating a new and better reality for ourselves.

Staying Sane durring Pesach Cleaning

From the Shiur
Pesach: Redemption through Faith
Teacher: Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller

The light of Pesach begins to shine immediately after Purim (30 days). The light of Pesach is the light of Emunah and Geulah.

Emunah is the awareness that everything comes from Hashem, and everything is good. Geulah is returning to self, being able to peel away all of the externals and getting to know oneself.

During this time of getting rid of chametz it is important to focus on what is important and what is not. Spring cleaning is wonderful but it is not Pesach cleaning. True Pesach cleaning does not have to take more then a day.

The most important thing is not to loose our emunah. The main symptom of losing our emunah is anger. The nisayon of Pesach is to say, I have emunah, this is exactly the way it is supposed to be, even if it is not the way that I want it to be.

Today's emunah is tomorrow's hightened intellect.

From a Shiur by Rabbi Lazer Brody - Everything is Good

Today's emunah is tomorrow's hightened intellect.

If we accept everything and know that Hashem only gives us what is good for us, then soon we will be able to see that we can know intellectually that everything is for the best.

Rabbi Brody gives the example of Rabbi Akiva and the donkey, candle, and rooster. When Hashem took them away he had emunah that it was for the best, but when he saw the next day that this saved his life, he KNEW that it was for the best.

A definition of Emunah

From a Shiur by Rabbi Lazer Brody Quoting Rabbi Sholom Arush

A definition of Emunah-"Knowing my nothingness, and knowing that Hashem is everything.".

Don't turn to men- turn only to Hashem

From a Shiur by Babbi Brody, "Don't Despair"

Why did Reuven throw Yosef into a pit, which meant certain death, instead of letting him beg his brothers for mercy?

A person who asks people for salvation will never gain true salvation. Only the person who knows that the only source of salvation is Hashem will gain true salvation and become a Tzadik. Reuven wanted to be sure that Yosef did not lower himself before his brothers. Since Yosef had only Hashem to turn to he was forced to grow spiritually.

Our success is only from Hashem.

Let go of your expectations-so that you have no resentments

One of my favorite quotes from the big book is:
Let go of your expectations-so that you have no resentments

I find this to be such a powerful thought that I have it hanging on my desk at work.

Today I was listening to a Shiur by Rabbi Lazer Brody, "Emunah with Love" and he said that the best barometer of our emunah is how much hate and resentment we have inside. If we have real emunah we will understand that everything comes from Hashem so that there is nothing to be angry about.

Examining our needs

From a Shiur by Chevi Garfinkel on Emunah and Bitachon

Every parent loves their child and wants what is best for them no matter what they do, but there are acts that the child can do that brings them closer to the parent or further away.

Hashem loves us more then any parent no matter what we do, but if we want to develop a relationship with Hashem we have to focus on doing acts that bring us closer to Hashem.

As we work the program it is important for us to develop a relationship with Hashem to give us the strength to stay on the program and to grow as a person. We should analyze our actions to make sure that they take us in this direction.

Just like a parent gives a child what they need but not always what they want, Hashem gives us what we need. When we daven in Ashrei that Hashem should open his hand and satisfy the will of every living thing, we are davening that Hashem should satisfy our Neshomah not our bodily desires. The purpose of davening is not to get what we what, but to ask Hashem to help us to accept what we need.

We need to put our focus on needs and not wants.