Meaningful Life Skills with Rabbi Simon Jacobson

Do you know how to communicate effectively? Are your interactions with others positive and productive or are they critical and draining? Are you able to resolve disagreements and conflicts? Communication lies at the heart of every relationship in our lives. Personal. Business. Family. How we interact and communicate with each other reflects the health of our relationships and is the basis of every...

The word vacation evokes a feeling of letting go, freedom, lightheartedness and even folly. It brings to mind visions of beaches and mojitos, frolicking in the water and relaxing under the stars. Vacation is usually associated with an escape from our reality, a runaway from the daily grind and life's responsibilities. But can vacation be both fun and meaningful? Does it serve a purpose other than...

As we approach July 4th, we are reminded of the revolutionary principle proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, which is really the foundation of this entire country - and the foundation of the modern world today. "All men [people] are created equal." We are all equal and we all are entitled to equal rights.  But what does equality really mean? Is it another one of those buzzwords that...

Is Trauma the New Scapegoat? The phrase trauma seems to be everywhere. Statistics show that over 5,500 podcasts have trauma in the title. On TikTok, #trauma has over 6.2 billion views. A recent article title pretty much sums it up: How trauma became the word of the decade. Good question. There is a growing opinion among some that attribute all our problems to trauma. Is that true? Has the word bec...

Over the course of your life, are you being taught WHAT to think, or are you learning HOW to think? And what is the difference between the what and the how ? Almost everyone is familiar with one of the most popular best-selling self help books titled, How to Make Friends and Influence People . Let's focus on the word influence. We can influence people, inspire people, teach people and even educate...

How do we maintain inspiration after the "honeymoon"?  In life, it is relatively easy to get excited and inspired -- but it is not so easy to keep that initial spark going. We hear a powerful speech that touches us deeply and are determined to change our life and perspective... a few days later the daily grind puts us right back in our original rut. We start a new diet with enthusiasm and a p...

There is no person on earth who does not want to improve their lives. But how do we actually do that? We take on resolutions, make plans and embark on journeys, however they often don’t last very long. Is there a formula for true and sustainable growth? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in a new seven-part series, 7 Weeks to a Better You, and discover a 3334-year-old time-tested plan to evaluate an...

There is no person on earth who does not want to improve their lives. But how do we actually do that? We take on resolutions, make plans and embark on journeys, however they often don’t last very long. Is there a formula for true and sustainable growth? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in a new seven-part series, 7 Weeks to a Better You, and discover a 3334-year-old time-tested plan to evaluate an...

7 Weeks To a Better You - Week 5: Humility

There is no person on earth who does not want to improve their lives. But how do we actually do that? We take on resolutions, make plans and embark on journeys, however they often don’t last very long. Is there a formula for true and sustainable growth? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in a new seven-part series, 7 Weeks to a Better You, and discover a 3334-year-old time-tested plan to evaluate an...

There is no person on earth who does not want to improve their lives. But how do we actually do that? We take on resolutions, make plans and embark on journeys, however they often don’t last very long. Is there a formula for true and sustainable growth? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in a new seven-part series, 7 Weeks to a Better You, and discover a 3334-year-old time-tested plan to evaluate an...

There is no person on earth who does not want to improve their lives. But how do we actually do that? We take on resolutions, make plans and embark on journeys, however they often don’t last very long. Is there a formula for true and sustainable growth? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in a new seven-part series, 7 Weeks to a Better You, and discover a 3334-year-old time-tested plan to evaluate an...

There is no person on earth who does not want to improve their lives. But how do we actually do that? We take on resolutions, make plans and embark on journeys, however they often don't last very long. Is there a formula for true and sustainable growth?  Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in a new seven-part series, 7 Weeks to a Better You, and discover a 3334-year-old time-tested plan to evalu...

Are you feeling trapped by any form of anxiety, fear, shame or insecurity? Are you dealing with trauma - past or present - that you cannot seem to escape? Are there forces that overwhelm and hinder your daily life? These may include loss or tragedy, pain, suffering and abuse or any type of violation of your dignity and spirit. If the answer to any of these questions is yes (and I cannot fathom tha...

Freedom is our greatest gift; one that every human being is inherently born with. And yet freedom has not been agiven for most of human history. In fact, until the founding of the USA 246 years ago people world over did not live in freedom! Now that we have freedom and basic human rights are respected in most of the world do we truly appreciate it? Do we take it for granted? Are we aware of the sa...

Whether you are dealing with fear, anxiety, depression, aimlessness, or any of the many issues that plague our lives, one of the most important questions to ask yourself is, what are you passionate about? What excites your soul and fuels your energy and drive? Surprisingly, by focusing on these fundamental questions and identifying your true passions, you will be able to address the root of many n...

Addiction is one of the greatest plagues of our time. It impacts tens of millions of people - according to official statistics there are over 20 million addicts in the USA alone. And how many more are there who are not accounted for, due to denial and other factors? Addiction's impact on life is devastating - polluting virtually every facet of life: work, relationships, personal growth. How much o...

What is driving the war in Ukraine? Who is Putin and what makes him tick? What can impact him? How will it end? What can we do? Join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in a live broadcast on the eve of Purim to discover the surprising answers in the story of Purim - 24 centuries ago!

Interesting stat: More than half the world prays daily. But here is the big question many of us wonder: Is anyone actually listening? Does God even care? Does praying accomplish anything? But before trying to answer these questions, we first need to rethink what exactly is prayer. Prayer is NOT about what God wants from us. Rather, prayer is about what you want from your connection to God. Prayer...

Money certainly has the power to corrupt and destroy. Just look around you -- and look back into history -- for countless examples of the ugly ways money perverts people, the extremes individuals will go to in pursuit of wealth, and how it turns people and even families against each other, often with tragic consequences. But money has also been used in the noblest ways and has built the most beaut...

Do you know how to criticize and discipline in a constructive way? Do you rush to judgment? Does your critique demoralize or motivate? Does it break or build the other's spirit? Very often we insert ourselves into the challenging situation, and react reflexively and emotionally, without deliberating on what would be best to remedy the issue. When faced with circumstances that require disciplinary...

Do you have any idea how much impact pain and pleasure have on your life? How many decisions are made and how our behavior and relationships are shaped by our drive for pleasure and our aversion to pain? Freudian psychology -- as well as other schools of thought -- places the pain and pleasure principle at the center of the psyche and its drives. Marketing and advertising seek to trigger our prima...

We can all agree that a patriarchal society -- the primary model that has prevailed throughout history -- has unjustly been used and abused to control women, subjugating them to inequalities and multiple unfortunate situations. This also explains the birth of the modern feminist movement which seeks to realign the balance, reform the wrongs, and strives to provide women with equality in the workpl...

Within us we each have two primary forces -- two distinct voices -- tugging us in different directions. The drive to survive and the drive to transcend. The first is is consumed with ensuring that we get our material needs met -- food, clothing, shelter, social connections, earning money to pay for these needs. The second seeks to transcend the physical parameters of our routines and discover deep...

Every one of us has faced uncertainty and doubt in our lives. Some of us more than others. You know the one about the fellow who said "I used to think I'm indecisive. Now I'm not so sure..." At times our inability to make a decision one way or another can have a debilitating and demoralizing effect. How many opportunities have you missed due to being stuck, not knowing how to procee...