Tanya Tools

Unhealthy self-image: I am a good person so therefore if I am doing this it can't be all that bad. Healthy self-image: I have a G-dly soul and I am a part of G-d, but I am human and trying.

Chachma is the core of our Neshama. Accessing this intense power unleashes extreme soul power. Humility helps man reach this G-dly inner power. Feeling fear of losing connection to G-d can also help release this power.

Regain your control. 1. Recognize that you can. 2. Train yourself to watch yourself, prevent the thoughts at the beginning. 3. Replace the negative thoughts with positive ones. 4. Think of something G-dly. If you know something by heart, that is more effective. Don't relinquish the thought until the negative one is out of mind.

You are the master of your thoughts.

It is, in fact, in our control, to overcome and control our thoughts. No one else can do that for us but ourselves. It is the ultimate of self-control. Thoughts of sin are akin to sin itself.

Loss of self-control, even for a moment of indulgence places the soul under the control of evil. A Rasha, an evil person, is one who is under the control of evil.

The perfect Tzadik worships for the sake of G-d alone. This raises us to a higher loftier reality and is within our reach. Try it!

Each one of us has the potential to intensify our connection to G-dliness, and rid ourselves of evil. The evil will be transformed or vanish, as the G-dliness overpowers our existence.

Every Jew has the ability to be a perfectly righteous person. Imagine and envision yourself free of any negativity. Imagine your love and passion for G-d consuming every fiber of your being. Then take a step to make it happen.

Instead of viewing the animal soul as your enemy, view it as your supporter in disguise.

The animal soul's job is to tempt you so that you move beyond the temptation. Moving beyond it strengthens you. And you are fulfilling the purpose of the temptation itself.

In order to have a passion for hashem, we must transform our desire. Desire is part of our psyche. Negate the physical desire, to transform that power into something spiritual. Celebrate your connection to G-d with passionate pleasure and joy.

Naturally, the Jew desires permissible things. When a Jew indulges often in permissible things, the spiritual orientation shifts and they begin to indulge in the forbidden.

To understand the word forbidden, which means tied. A person who eats forbidden food to energize good actions, the food and good both remain tied to evil.

So many things in this world that give us pleasure. The ultimate pleasure is in G-d.

Two primary emotions are love and fear. Joy factor in serving Hashem expresses the chief factor is serving Hashem. Really appreciating my ability to connect with Hashem naturally sparks joy.

Torah and Mitzvos are innately G-dly and energize us with a higher level of power. Learning Torah helps us absorb G-d's essence. When feeling weak or overwhelmed, learn Torah!

Guilt and punishment are acquitted. The sin's energy, however, remains. Repentance out of love propels you to do good.

Klipat Noga is a force that can be elevated to holiness. This force governs all permissible opportunities in the world. Any time we encounter permissible we have the injunction to connect to G-d. An opportunity that carries potential to elevate energies that haven't been tapped into, is a lost opportunity to darkness.

Anything G-d said "no" to is impenetrable by holiness. Contact with this evil drags our soul down with it. Through deep repentance, it can also be elevated.

Negative emotions and traits need to be uprooted. this is done with work, it won't happen on its own.

The structure of the animal soul is the perfect opposite to the G-dly soul. The Animal is emotion-oriented. Intellect is a ruling force of the G-dly soul. Trust in G-d, and developing an understanding that all is good help temper the animal.

There are two powers in this world, Everything falls into one of the two categories. If I bring G-dly awareness in mundane they all become part of an expression of G-dliness bringing a feeling of completeness.

The interplay between our thoughts and emotions develops as we develop, and grows in complexity.

The interplay between thoughts and actions becomes more complex and strongly connected over time. By behaving in a way that reflects the desired outcome, we can accelerate the process of character development and improvement.