Do you wish you knew what your mission in life was? Imagine what you could accomplish if you knew where to put your focus!
In this episode, Leah speaks with Jonathan Rosenblum, renowned columnist and biographer, who has written about dozens of great people and how they fulfilled their missions. Joining him is his wife, psychotherapist Judith Rosenblum.
Leah jumps right in: How can we worry about a life’s mission when we’re just trying to get through our daily tasks? How did the people in your books do it?
Jonathan (as he prefers to be called) explains using his most recent biography as an example:
Rabbi Meir Schuster was able to bring thousands of Jews estranged from their heritage back to a life of Torah Judaism.
And yet everyone who knew him said there were two things Rabbi Schuster would never succeed at:
- Kiruv (bringing Jews back to their heritage)- which he ended up doing, perhaps more successfully than anyone else
- Fundraising- which he ended up needing to do regularly to maintain Heritage House, where the bulk of his work took place
Leah asks, I always heard you know your mission by looking at your strengths, but R’ Schuster seems to have found his mission by looking at his weaknesses and rising above them. So which is it?
Jonathan: I highly recommend the book Nurture Their Nature, which focuses on this question of developing your mission. Sometimes our mission is thrust upon us, but sometimes we can actually discover it within ourselves.
R’ Shuster’s sense of urgency about what needed to be done was so great that he forced himself to rise above his shyness. The whole book about him is a case study in how one merits Divine Assistance in their mission.
Viewer question: All this sounds great, but it seems too lofty for everyday people.
Jonathan: R’ Shuster wasn’t preternaturally gifted in any obvious way. Anyone who knew him would have said he was an “everyday person”, and yet look at what he was able to accomplish!
Judith chimes in: It’s worth pointing out that our missions can change over time, especially as women, when so much of our lives revolves around our family. At different stages, we have different challenges and therefore different missions.
Leah takes it a step further: Whatever your life is full of now, do it with intention that this is my mission right now. Whether it’s working on my marriage, taking care of my family, etc., consciously make that your mission.
Judith: We read or hear about wonderful women who achieve so much, and we no longer feel like we have it together. Every decision or challenge that faces us is a chance to better ourselves, which is a very worthy mission. We can also all finding ways to give to others, whether it’s our family or others.
Jonathan: I want to add that there is one mission that EVERY Jew has, and that’s to make a kiddush Hashem in our lives (increase G-d’s glory in the world). Each person will go about it in different ways. We should be consciously LOOKING for opportunities throughout our day to be a kiddush Hashem.
Viewer question: What about people who do acts of greatness at the expense of their family life?
Jonathan: There is often a trade-off. It’s a complicated world and each situation is complicated and needs Rabbinic guidance to know how to prioritize. When you align yourself with Hashem’s purpose, you will get help to accomplish things you never thought possible.
Judith: We should also remember that Hashem loves average people just as much as great people. So we must love ourselves, and try to be our best selves, not anyone else. We can be inspired by others without feeling inferior to them.
Jonathan: It’s not about achievements per say. It’s about an awareness of trying to refine yourself and maximize opportunities that are in your life.
Leah: For those of you who do have the extra bandwidth and want to grow even further, get yourself a journal and brainstorm. What do you love doing? What do you see there’s a need for in your community?
Jonathan: Exactly! Jewish society doesn’t only advance through the actions of Torah giants. We can all see something that needs fixing and ask if there’s anything I personally can do about it. You saw it, so it’s your responsibility to do something about it.
He adds, It’s my 70th birthday today. Your birthday is the day Hashem decided the world can no longer get along without you. We each have things to accomplish.
Judith: We can all ask ourselves, what can I do? I can be a friend. I’m friendly and easy to talk to and a good listener. Everyone has different strengths.
Jonathan: We all have a mitzvah (positive commandment) we feel drawn to. For me, it’s complimenting people. That can be a mission. Bringing joy to others through sincere compliments.
Viewer question: How do you know when you’re taking on too much? I don’t want to limit myself, but I don’t want to overwhelm myself.
Jonathan: If you’re currently overwhelmed, or feel like you’re not giving enough to your spouse or your kids (your essential missions) then it’s not the time to take on more.
Remember that even ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things. Everyone is carrying a burden you know nothing about, and yet they continue to grow and accomplish. An accomplishment doesn’t have to be earth-shattering to be worthwhile and a remarkable achievement. There’s really no such thing as an ordinary person.
Try This at Home: Choose one activity you are doing today and be conscious of how doing it is part of fulfilling your mission.
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