All the equations
By zevi770 · August 5, 2014
One of the fascinating things I have gleaned from Jewish mysticism is life is very different to how we innately (at least men, who are very visually oriented in their intake of “truth”) sense it.
We seem to think, things are things, but things are motivations.
For example, if someone is angry, King Solomon wisely suggests “a gentle word, will reduce anger.”
Often this is seen in relationships, where the wife’s anxiety or whatever, causes her to shout at her husband, now if the husband shouts back, far from quelling the flames, he pours gasoline on it.
By recognizing the motives of what things are, we then have the ability to change the stimulus, hence the result.
So here are the equations of – and for life.
Things are bad vs. things are good
For decades psychology worked on trying to help people, rather unsuccessfully.
But now a new form of psychology, very different, in fact opposing to the previous, which inflamed the negative feelings by delving into them, says, change the thinking patterns.
So equation number one, for a happy life, is instead of thinking negative, think positive.
Practically, this is like light and darkness, for in order to see light, you need to have hope.
I believe this is why it is so important to fully, concretely and truly believe (not an amorphous notion) that the messiah is coming.
When your future is bright, even if your present is blight, your current feeling, based on your overall perception of life i.e. good or bad, is positive.
The other notion, again highly misunderstood by most of psychology and studies prove, being the only technique that heals a broken heart, is love.
In other words, human nature is to love, but the opposite of love is fear and fear, if blamed on another, will cause resentment, resentment, anger and the angry person is not a loving person.
The way to beat anger is through as the Baal Shem Tov teaches, either joy, which is the first technique mentioned, or through love, for love acts as the light that banishes anger.
Hence studies show, the only thing that heals hearts, is love / compassion.