Meaningful Life Skills with Rabbi Simon Jacobson

Who, or what, is your greatest enemy? This simple question is actually quite challenging because we face many different adversarial forces in our lives. We have enemies within and enemies without. We have psychological enemies, emotional enemies and inner demons. We have enemies that are real and some that may be imagined. We have enemies that are physical and many more that are intangible. ...

As the curtain comes down on this strange and bizarre year of 2021, we are all left wondering: What now? What comes next and how can we possibly prepare for it?  If the past 24 months taught us anything - with covid in the air, political disruptions and upheavals, unprecedented uncertainties - it is that we have very little control of what's going on in the world around us. There ha...

Here is a provocative yet practical question: Why should I be humble in a self centered world? It's an eat or get eaten, survival of the fittest environment out there. So who will look out for me if not myself?  In the majority of our life's experiences and interactions, it seems that people are it in for themselves, looking how they can further their own agenda, make more money, network in h...

Do you ever feel like a ship adrift at sea, floating around aimlessly, lost and unsure of where to go from here? Are you ever caught up in the chaotic quicksand of life, unable to really find your bearings and pull yourself out of the situation? We all have moments where we find ourselves in that situation, especially during these uncertain and unpredictable times. How can we find the anchor, the...

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself: Who am I as opposed to what is my occupation? Do I know how to live, or only how to work? Does my personality and identity define my work or does my work define my identity? If I take away my profession, who actually am I at my essential core? Most of our adult lives are preoccupied with work. But to what end? Do you have a mission that is driving the details...

We are all seeking ways to become healthier and more productive human beings; searching for the key to loving and sustainable relationships, answers to finding deeper purpose in our lives, and methods to help us live up to our full potential. Often, the secret to achieving such fulfillment is right in front of us, presented to us by our daily life and society. We only need to notice and tap into t...

Dreams have always mesmerized us by their sheer mystery of paradoxes – at times reflecting deeper truths and at times seemingly nonsensical. They are a most mysterious and intriguing concept. Psychologists, poets and romantics throughout the ages (dating back to Biblical times!) all talk about dreams, trying to decipher: What lies behind their mystery? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for a fascin...

What is the true meaning of Veterans Day? What are we celebrating and what personal lessons can we learn from this day? One of the most powerful and beautiful things a human being can do is put their self interests aside, their selfish needs and ego on hold, to protect and help another. Our veterans have – and continue to – put their lives on the line for something bigger than themselves. They sac...

There is a simple and fundamental truth that many of us don't always follow: The  why  must always precede the  what . Meaning -- before you do something, you must have a reason as to why you are doing it. Yet many of us are stuck in our habits and routines and often the  what  ends up preceding the  why . We first act and only then do we look for a rea...

Do you have a picture of what you want your life -- and the world around you -- to look like in the future? And does that drive the details of your life activities? Or is your life just random occurrences and haphazard events that keep you trekking along blindly -- a life driven by the immediate demands and needs, with no larger plan and long-term goals directing you to a greater destination?&nbsp...

Do you ever feel like your life is fragmented, composed of so many disjointed pieces, and lacking a common thread connecting them all? These disconnects begin to accumulate and in time become overwhelming as they tug at you and your psyche, pulling you in so many directions. Is there more to life than random occurrences and haphazard events? You may be surprised to hear this, but kabbalists and my...

How would you gauge your confidence level? Do you feel strong and courageous to take on any challenge, or is something holding you back? Truth be told, all people have their fears and insecurities, which can impede their ability to spread their wings and actualize their aspirations and dreams. We can all use a boost in confidence. What can you do to build your confidence? Please join Rabbi Jacobso...

Do you feel overwhelmed and inundated by the deluge of demands and expectations tugging at you from all directions? Are your personal uncertainties, fears and anxieties flooding your psyche? Are you burned out by information overload continuously streaming into your mind and heart? If you answered yes, know that you are not alone. Virtually every one of us has times — some more often than others —...

How much control do you have over your life? Conventional thinking — and in many ways, the prevalent current view — is that most of our lives are determined by circumstances out of our control. If one was born into a dysfunctional home or experienced trauma, for instance, then they will most likely have difficulties with trust and relationships. If one grew up in a toxic and unhealthy environment,...

Just as we thought we were getting out from under the corona cloud, here we go again. With the latest resurgence of covid related concerns, people everywhere are asking: Will life ever get back to normal?    Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he addresses, in his disarming and inimitable way, our current disruptions. Instead of reacting to the symptoms with short term solutions, learn how to...

There are 4 personality types: 1. What's mine is yours, and what's yours is mine. The ignoramus. 2. What's yours is yours, and what's mine is mine. The average person. 3. What's yours is yours, and what's mine is yours. The optimal personality. 4. What's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine. The wicked person. (Ethics of the Fathers 5:10) Is it possible to balance a healthy ego and a healthy coe...

Our society is currently challenged, perhaps more than ever, by self-centeredness, a me-me-me era, in which its each man for himself, an eat or get eaten mentality. How will I survive if I am not the "fittest", putting my own needs and self first? Who will look out for me if not myself? Why should I bother going out of my way to help others? And can I have any ego, a healthy sense of self, and sti...

Words have always been powerful -- more than we imagine. But they have never been as potent as they are in today's information age and communications revolution. There was a time when our words reached only the people we spoke with or wrote to. Our conversations were limited to those around us, and they were not recorded for posterity. But today, with the explosion of technology -- internet, socia...

The recent controversy about orthodoxy and unorthodoxy is nothing new. It reflects the long-standing debate about the role of God in our lives -- and even the very existence of God. For centuries now, battles have been raging between science and religion, reason and faith, modernity and belief. But before we enter the fray, should we not first be defining the actual meaning of God, religion,...

More than oxygen, more than food and drink -- humans need love and connection to live and thrive. But what exactly defines connection? And why is it so vital? Above all, how do we build healthy, meaningful and sustainable connections and relationships? Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson and discover how true connections are forged in our souls. Travel on a fascinating journey into the five dimension...

One of the most powerful sights to behold is the regeneration of a forest after it has burned down. Few things are more astounding to witness than renewal after hopelessness and rebirth after death. How have you reacted to the scars and schisms in your life? Have you given up? Do you feel like damaged goods? All of us will experience a crack in our lives -- a broken relationship, a shattered dream...

Are you free? Most people instinctively reply: Of course I am free. We live in a free world. In contrast to centuries past, today the citizens of the USA and most of the countries in the world are guaranteed inalienable rights -- freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition. Today we have the freedom to move about and make our own decisions about virtually every aspect of life, unlik...

Our hearts and prayers go out to the lives buried under the rubble of the collapsed Surfside towers, and we extend all our support to their families to stand strong in this difficult time. At the same time, this heart wrenching tragedy offers us powerful lessons about the sanctity and dignity of every individual life, and how hope is never extinguished. Please join Rabbi Jacobson as he honors the...

Summer has finally arrived. After what we have been through in the last 18 months, we all can use a well deserved vacation. Just kickin' off our shoes, laying back and relaxing. With no pressures, let's just BBQ and have some fun. But is that enough? Can the human spirit really survive on animal bliss alone, without some measure of healthy angst and restlessness? When we're on the fast-paced merry...

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