Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Elul 4

Ben Azzai used to say: Do not despise any person and do not consider anything impossible; for there is no one who does not have his hour and there is nothing that does not have its place. [Pirkei Avot 4:2]

Living in the moment is one of the most challenging things in life to actualize. And sometimes, we get in our own way. In this passage, Ben Azzai focuses on the potential of humanity – not knowing what life will bring, we all have the potential, the capacity to live in the moment. One of my favorite pieces of writing comes from an anonymous author:

Enjoy life. This is not a dress rehearsal.
One day at a time--this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
Live life so completely that when death comes to you like a thief in the night, there will be nothing left for him to steal.

What are those moments in your life that take your breath away?

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