Vayishlach: The Roadmap |
There are many steps as we work our way to becoming Tzaddikim. Step one is goal setting. Much like coming up with a concept for a business, our goals cannot be defined by a certain amount of clients or cash in the bank; it has to be, as the Mishnah in Avot 5:16 puts it, “a love that is not dependent on a thing.” The goal we set isn’t just that we should overcome our weaknesses or shortcomings; it has to be so large that people would say that you’re crazy for even trying. Many successful people would tell you that they emulate certain ‘greats’ of the past, not promising to become just like them, but at least they won’t stop trying.
Step two is gaining awareness. We’ve written many pages on this topic alone, for it is crucial for a person to move forward and not be held back by anything. Awareness, in a nutshell, is this: imagine a business where the founder has a vision for success but still finds himself years later telling the idea to people without any proof of concept. The simple question would be, “Have you taken any steps to make it happen?” But even if the answer is yes, there would still be a strong question: “Why haven’t you produced any progress?” It is at this moment that the visionary has to identify the things holding the dream back from realization. He has to evaluate each component of the technical structure—from the goal itself, through the enforced actions, the hired employees, etc.—all the way to his current status—and see what has to be removed or implemented and who has to be replaced or changed.
This is the simple step of awareness: identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the operation, rooting out the corruption, and establishing a mindset of progression. In our subject: growth, our goal is pretty clear, but the lack of progress keeps us believing that we are moving forward while in essence we become stagnant humans who grind water all day. When we find ourselves here it is high time to evaluate our goal, acknowledge the reason for our dedication to it, rid ourselves of the things holding us back, and step into the next phase of obsessing over our success. Removing those who hold us back can come in many forms—some in human form, some in spiritual form. Our shame, guilt, addiction, procrastinating tendencies, abandonment issues, just to name a few, are our spiritual setbacks. And of course we have people in our life who are worthy on their own merits, but we’ve come to realize that they hinder our progress.
There is more to this when we look on the positive side as well. There is much that goes into recognizing our strengths, talents, and skills, since when we know them well we can perform much better in the areas we are capable of performing in, and we can delegate and communicate our needs to those who have the ability, knowledge, and skill in areas we are yet to be proficient in or lack motivation to learn. A level of honesty kicks in as we admit to our functions and don’t hope and wish for anything else, since we can fill a 25-hour day and still need more time just to use the tools we were given. This honesty acts as our biggest strength, but albeit, it is the foundation of our humility.
We have our goal and have set our eyes on being Mashiach, and........