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Post by peachymom1 on Aug 1, 2016 23:39:32 GMT -5
What’s on your mind – how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.
Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:
Angelika
Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy
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Post by peachymom1 on Aug 1, 2016 23:41:15 GMT -5
Eek, I got the date wrong, sorry! I worked an 11-hour day today, so I plead fatigue. :+)
We’re in a book of the Torah right now (Numbers) that touches on a lot of strong human emotions, like fear, anger, jealousy, etc. I’d like to back up a couple of weeks and bring up the parashah Balak. If you don’t know the text, see Numbers 22:2-25:9. A king named Balak hires a magician named Bilaam to curse the Jews for him. But instead of curses, blessings come out of Bilaam’s mouth. We also have a talking donkey who is apparently smarter than Bilaam, because she can see things he can’t. It’s an interesting story.
The characters in Balak seem backward to me. Let’s take a look at them. Fear drives Balak; it doesn’t occur to him that he might be able to negotiate with the Jews or make friends with them first. No, he’d rather pay a sorcerer to curse them instead and make the problem simply go away.
Bilaam is supposedly a well-known magician, but not only is he blind to what’s right in front of him (literally and figuratively), but he’s such a schlemiel that he can’t even carry out the job of cursing, and he blesses instead. And what about a talking donkey? She only spoke up because Bilaam wasn’t getting the message any other way. Is this a fairy tale or a moral lesson?
Do you ever go to the trouble of coming up with a complicated solution to something when a simpler one is available and more prudent? This could be a conflict, a WLJ, a task at work, an issue with your family. Can you think of any examples?
Do you ever miss something that’s practically staring you in the face? I think we all do at one time or another. It could be the solution to a problem, an obstacle in your WLJ, a method of handling something or someone difficult, etc. Does this ring any bells?
And it seems to me that sometimes we need something extraordinary to yank us back to reality and make us see something important, like a talking donkey, or a health evaluation, or a parent-teacher conference, or a performance review. Can you think of a time that it took something extreme to make you see or understand something?
What have you got to share?
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brgmsn
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Post by brgmsn on Aug 2, 2016 7:29:20 GMT -5
Good morning all. At the beach and just not thinking heavy thoughts (or light ones either!) this week.
Hope everyone is well, and thinking of someone here in particular and wishing you peace and hope
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lee058
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Post by lee058 on Aug 2, 2016 7:54:45 GMT -5
Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well today. I didn't sleep enough last night, but drank a lot of coffee this morning so I am feeling reasonably okay. This is good because I have errands, shopping, etc., to do today, as usual.
Re getting wake-up calls: I've had a lot of them in my life; some I've listened to and some I haven't. For example, I know I need to take better care of my health but just don't do as much as I could. I know what I need to do --- eat more vegetables, take my medications (I am actually fanatical about this), drink a lot of water (I do this too), and cut down on sugar (this is where I don't do what I should). I do see all my doctors regularly, get my blood tested frequently, and check the results.
Right now, I am waiting to hear from my primary doctor about the results of my latest blood tests. I should have them within a couple of days, I hope.
Anyway, as I said, I know what I need to do, so why is it so difficult??
I'll be back later. Have a peaceful day, Lee
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Post by savtele on Aug 2, 2016 9:54:28 GMT -5
Boker Tov All! Louise - I'm so glad you found us! Hand pats & hugs to you - you have been through a lot lately! And yes, reciting Kaddish by yourself - why not! You were part of his community. Your culture in his community could only enrich everyone! I hope today goes well.
Frieda - I agree with the others. Anything that helps break you out of your funk can only be a good thing - and a dog would require daily attention, daily walks, daily feeding - and give you daily entertainment, love and joy! & I love the story of your "pillows!"
In our family, DH is usually the one who comes up with complicated solutions. He's just wired that way. If there is a problem, surely there must be a 10 point solution! 20 points - even better! I'm usually the one who says: Why not just do this? He also tends to write everything in stone, mentally. Once his course is set, it takes some real talking to get him to consider something else!
Then again, for my WLJ, I have a bookcase full of diets - everything from Atkins to the Zone and some very strange stops in between. Talk about complicated solutions! One diet suggests fruit - but only in the AM. As soon as the clock hits 12 - you start eating vegetables, meats, starches, etc. & never mix starches with protein. Hmmmmm - I'm not sure eating was meant to be so difficult!
I too tend toward depression - and as I have gotten older, it has got more pronounced. I can usually recognize it in myself. Making the changes that will help - that's more difficult! For myself, I know that regular exercise, talking (or texting) with friends, eating right & at least 7 hours of sleep/night are essential to me! Actually getting dressed is a big thing for me - when I'm in a funk, I can sit in my robe & slippers all day long. (not a pretty picture!) & sometimes just "naming" the problem out loud - I'm depressed - goes a long way toward finding solutions. Of course, knowing some of the solutions and actually acting on them - well, that's another matter again!
Perhaps if Bilaam had suggested a meeting, "G-d won't allow me to curse them, but He will allow me to negotiate a meeting on neutral ground" he might have got paid by both sides?! It was certainly in Israel's interests to have someone carry on diplomacy for them!
I still have a sore throat. Didn't go to the pool yesterday, or talk much either. I will go to the gym today - I need to move, it does help with my energy levels! I've pretty much recuperated from the weekend - there is one load of towels & table cloths still to go in the washer - that gets done today & my house is back to some semblance of normal! Freezer & refrigerator are pretty much bare, LOL! They do eat me out of house & home - I love it!
Have a good day ladies!
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Post by louise on Aug 2, 2016 9:57:09 GMT -5
The other thing about the donkey is that we may think we understand a situation but redirection can come from what we had seen as an unlikely source. The wakeup calls are my health fears. I have been very lucky so far and need to push myself back onto a more positive course.
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Post by louise on Aug 2, 2016 10:58:20 GMT -5
Given what has happened in my life the past 2 weeks I know that I'm fragile right now and need to be careful. I'm reminded of this part by the mention of depression. I gave myself yesterday to stay in bed and read for much of the day but this is not a long term solution. I'm going to work today and will at least corral my eating into 3 meals and a snack (low bar). Run-on or erratic meals lead to a lose/lose situation. Don't feel ready to do a workout (though have been walking) but will see my trainer on Friday and figure out with her how to get going again - it's only been a couple of weeks so I should be able to get myself back on track without too much trouble - often it's mostly about mindset.
Really like the new board!
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Post by hollygail on Aug 2, 2016 13:02:47 GMT -5
I generally go for the simple solution to any given problem rather than invent long involved paths. At least that's my perception. And at this very moment, I cannot find my calendar, which I had with me last evening; I remember very clearly seeing a 10:00 appointment next Friday, my meetings tonight and tomorrow night (at two different shuls, for committee meetings), and an event on Sunday afternoon (never mind that I got an email this morning that the event is scheduled for the following Sunday). As for out of the ordinary reminders, I'm open to anything that'll remind me where I put that calendar... (have any of you seen it?)
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Post by gazelle18 on Aug 2, 2016 14:22:09 GMT -5
Hi everyone,
Louise, I love the photo. Tell us about it!
Re: simple solutions...last evening, Frieda remarked about her thoughts that having so,etching productive to do would be a good thing, depression and WL wise. Along those lines, here's a problem I have, and how I have solved it, simply, today. I have a hard time wi Tuesdays. They tend to be filled with fewer commitments, and my DH works long days on Tuesday. Because I have a loooong time most Tuesdays to just do whatever, I often do badly with my eating. SO, given Frieda's comments, and my own history. I decided today to make sure I was out of the house, doing productive stuff, as much as possible. It is now 2:20 CST, and I still have a way to go, BUT, so far so good.
Peachy, I love the story of Balak, even tho it is a bit of a fairy tale.
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Post by louise on Aug 2, 2016 15:14:44 GMT -5
So my great niece is the apple of everyone's eye in the family - she's the only child, niece, grandchild, etc. She loves to dance and sing and is always performing - and we are only too delighted to indulge her. When I went on my yoga retreat over the winter this hat caught my eye in their gift shop - it seemed made for her. Sure enough when she got it she put it on and didn't take it off all day. At her birthday party she not only wore the hat but also a tunic I had made for her (just a tiny bit of it shows in the picture)so I was very happy to have made a hit (or two) with her! Win some, lose some.
Sounds like good going, Lynne.
I would love to go home about now but the meeting is now not starting until 4:30. Bit of a bummer, but I'm okay.
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Post by happysavta on Aug 2, 2016 22:52:58 GMT -5
OK, today I got started on getting my energy back. I went to the psychologist and as Angelika said, "named the problem". I showed him the same list I shared with you, chaverot, and we went over it. Then I asked him, "Where do I start?" He wanted me to prioritize 2 things, exercise and make an appointment with the psychiatrist for medication.
So, tonight I went for a walk in the hood and tomorrow I start attending water aerobics regularly. Since getting up and getting out of the bedroom in the morning is such a problem for me, he suggested I put the water aerobics on my calendar like an appointment. He knows that I take appointments seriously because I think of them as commitments. So, good luck to me.
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Post by happysavta on Aug 2, 2016 22:56:28 GMT -5
To answer your question about simple or complicated solutions, Peachy:
"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”
This quote is most often attributed to J.W. von Goethe.
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