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By Rabbi Raymond Beyda | Series: | Level:

Kids today are very sophisticated and somewhat spoiled. It takes a lot to excite and entertain them. When I was young a boy with a magnifying glass was the center of attraction. He would gather his friends, get a piece of paper and focus the beam of bright sunlight through the looking glass until it was concentrated on one tiny spot. Seconds later the paper would start to burn and his friends would shower him with accolades as if he had just hit a game winning home run.

The boy’s great feat was really not so difficult. It was merely a matter of concentration of the power of the sun to one spot. One of the problems many of us have is that with the multitude of ”time-saving” devices and our multi-task responsibilities we can’t focus our energy on the ”spot” where it will be most effective. The effect is that we begin to pile up a list of ”unfinished business” and incomplete projects until our ”to do” list becomes overwhelming and meaningless.

The trick to success is to focus your limitless energy on the task at hand. When you are reading you shouldn’t listen to the radio and when you are eating you should not be reading. Whenever you are involved in something do” IT” to the exclusion of all other distractions that come your way. Turn off our electronic interrupters when praying, working on a project or having a serious conversation.

Today, when you are involved n something and an ”intruder’ tries to interrupt–stop. Finish what you’re doing–do it well and then you can attend to something else. It is only a matter of focus but it will unleash powers that will enhance your success rate day after day.

DID YOU KNOW THAT

It is a Misvah to run when going to synagogue, and to perform other Misvot–even on Shabbat when it is forbidden to run. One should not stop on the way to synagogue to “chat” with a friend about personal matters. Conversely. one should not leave the synagogue in a rush which would indicate that staying in shul is a burden.

[Source Yalkut Yosef siman 90, paragraph 17]

CONSIDER THIS FOR A MINUTE

Until the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change, we will never change.

Avi Shulman


Text Copyright &copy 2003 Rabbi Raymond Beyda and Project Genesis, Inc.