Daily Lift by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

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#390   The Awesome Power of Joyful Willpower
 

Your thoughts are the source of your willpower. The actions you take flow from your thoughts about them. Every step you take is through the use of your willpower. Every time you do anything, it is through the use of your willpower.

A person who uses his willpower to engage in meaningful goals will feel a great sense of victory and joy. This might be difficult initially, but in the long run a person who uses willpower wisely will live a life full of joyful accomplishments.

You have the ability to choose to be joyful when you use your willpower in positive, meaningful ways. There is tremendous power in mastering "joyful willpower," to joyfully do what is in your best interests to do.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin''s book: "Taking Action" - pages 16-7] (Artscroll.com)

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#392   All Action is in the Present 
 

Everything that you have ever done in the past, you did in a present moment. Everything that you will ever do in the future, you will only be able to do in a present moment.

All your thoughts are thought in a present moment. All your feelings are felt in a present moment. And everything you actually say or do is said or done in a present moment.

Since you live your whole life in the present, moment by moment, it is wise to consider the wise thing to say and do in the present moment, in the here and now of that moment. It is also wise to prepare the wise thing to say or do in the future.

Someone who tends not to have zrizus (alacrity) might be thinking about how challenging it is to have zrizus. It's actually not difficult to have zrizus. Rather, it might appear difficult when you are not in a zrizus state, or when you are thinking about having future zrizus that you don't now have. But all moments of zrizus are just present moments, and when you are in that present moment of zrizus, it isn't difficult. Someone with a tendency to do things with zrizus will tend to look at zrizus as something he only needs to have one moment at a time.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin''s book: "Taking Action" - pages 26-7] (Artscroll.com)

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#391   Meaningful Goals Create a Meaningful Life 
 

When you have meaningful goals, you create a meaningful life. Being goal-oriented gives you a direction. Goals create a focus for your efforts. Setting goals that you want to reach makes it easier to have the quality of zrizus. When a goal is very important to you, you are driven to do what you need to do to achieve that goal.

When you have clear goals, you can accomplish more than someone without clear goals. The most accomplished people in the world are experts at setting and reaching goals. Learn from them. All great people are great because they have made meaningful goals and took action to reach those goals. All joyful great people are among the happiest people in the world because they enjoy all that they are doing to achieve their meaningful goals.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin''s book: "Taking Action" - page 20] (Artscroll.com)

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#393   Cheer Yourself On 
 

Every hour on the hour, create an inner mental cheer for being alive. Hear an inner enthusiastic voice shouting, "It's great to be alive!" Imagine a stadium crowd cheering for your being alive.

When you control your anger or other character trait you're working on, see and hear the same immense crowd cheering for you!

(see Rav Pliskin's "Anger: The Inner Teacher," p.342).)

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#394   Mastering the Habit of Taking Action 

People who are lazy and habitually procrastinate lose out in all areas of their life. They ignore their health. They don't take care of their financial obligations on time. They don't study when they should study. They waste a lot of time. They tend to be late to things.

The antidote is to become a person who consistently takes action with joyful zrizus. You gain tremendously in all areas of your life when you make and reach goals, when you do what you say you will do, when you take care of things on time, and when others are counting on you. You gain spiritually and materially.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book: "Taking Action" - pages 30-1] (Artscroll.com)

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#395 Believe You Can Become an Action-Oriented Person

If you presently find it difficult to believe that you can become an action-oriented person, you will benefit greatly from a teacher, mentor, friend, or coach who believes in you and your abilities. Having someone you respect believe in you is inspiring and motivating. You will gain a stronger and deeper belief in yourself.

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#396 Create the Taking Action Habit

Create the habit of taking action right away. To make anything a habit, you keep doing something many times. The wise person doesn't wait until a new habit becomes a habit. He acts the way he would act if he already had the habit. And then automatically his actions become a habit.

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#397   Think Before Taking Action 

Action will enable you to accomplish and achieve. But something must come before taking action: thinking.

Think first. Yes, think big and think bigger, but always think first.

Taking action without thinking will lead to many avoidable mistakes and errors. Taking action without thinking first will lead to unnecessary quarrels and arguments, hurt feelings, and misunderstandings.

Taking action without thinking will lead to wasting much time and energy.

Taking action without thinking might get you far, but it's likely to get you far in the wrong direction.

When you spend time thinking about your options and about consequences, you will be able to learn from each experience to think even better and wiser next time.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book: "Taking Action" - pages 40-1] (Artscroll.com)

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#398   Think and Act Your Wisest and Best 

The quality of your choices will depend greatly on your mental state at the decision-making moment. Your choices will be different if you are at your wisest and best.

When you are at your wisest, you think more clearly. You weigh your options more skillfully. You give greater thought to the possible outcomes of a specific course of action. You realize when something is not a good idea. Since your quality of thinking is at its highest, your decision will be the best choice that you can make at that moment.

When you are at your best, your talents and skills represent your best efforts. Remember your best moments and utilize this to create your wisest and best ways of thinking and acting.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book: "Taking Action" - pages 43-44] (Artscroll.com)

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#399   Plan Your Day 

At the beginning of each day, ask yourself:

[1] What are my goals for today?

[2] What are the five most important things that I need to do today and what is their order of priority?

[3] What new Torah knowledge do I plan to gain today?

[4] What acts of kindness can I do today?

[5] What one trait would I like to excel in today?

[6] What positive change am I resolved to make or maintain today?

[7] If today were my last day, what would I make certain to do?

[8] How can I gain by looking at today as the first day of the rest of my life?

[9] What would you like written on my tombstone? What do I plan to do today in that area?

[10] What is important for me to remember today?

(See Rabbi Pliskin's Gateway to Self Knowledge, p.188)

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#400   Review Your Day

At the end of each day, ask yourself:

[1] What were the major events of my day?

[2] What was my greatest moment today?

[3] What have I done today to further my major goals?

[4] What have I done today for self-improvement?

[5] What Torah knowledge have I gained today?

[6] What acts of kindness did I do today?

[7] If I made any mistakes today, what have I learned from them, and what can I do to prevent similar ones in the future?

[8] What positive traits and strengths did I express today?

[9] Based on my experiences of today, what do I want to remember to do tomorrow?

[10] As I am falling asleep, what positive self-suggestions can I tell myself, and what positive visualizations can I see, in order to upgrade my brain for tomorrow?

(From Rabbi Pliskin's Gateway to Self Knowledge, p.189)

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#401   Your Mind Can Choose to Enjoy What You Do 

 

One of the most self-empowering ideas for a happy, fulfilling life is that it's up to your own mind to choose to enjoy what you do. You have a tremendous power to develop this attitude.

If you need to do something that seems uninteresting and boring at first, ask yourself, "How can I find a way to enjoy what I need to do?"

Brainstorm. Enjoy the challenge of thinking of a number of ways to make the task more meaningful and fulfilling.

Ask yourself, "What are some of the ways that I can think about this task (or project, goal, or job) that will enable me to enjoy what I am doing?"

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book: "Taking Action" - pages 47-48] (Artscroll.com)

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#402   The Benefit of Building Up Your Zrizus State 

When you are in an energized and enthusiastic emotional state, you feel like doing much more than when you are a low energy, down state. Some emotional states are conducive to taking action, and other states aren't.

Your emotional states are the sum total of your breathing rate, brain waves, blood pressure, energy level, heartbeat, hormones, immune system, muscle tension, physiology, and tone of voice.

Because every state you experience is stored in your magnificent brain, I advocate naming your best and most resourceful states. When you do this, you will find it easier to access those positive states.

The next time you find yourself in a "zrizus state," say to yourself, "This is my zrizus state." Be aware of your thoughts, mental images, and feelings when you are in this zrizus state.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book: "Taking Action" - page 51] (Artscroll.com)

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#403   Serene Zrizus 

Some people become overwhelmed when they feel they have too many things to do and they don't have enough time to do them. This overwhelmed feeling causes them to move more slowly than they usually do. Their minds becomes unclear. It's hard for them to focus and concentrate. Instead of becoming more efficient at what they have to do, they act way below their standard competency level.

What is the solution? Serene zrizus!

What does it mean to have serene zrizus? It means that you take action, and you do so with full speed ahead while remaining calm and tranquil inside. You move as fast as is appropriate for the specific situation and circumstance. But you have peace of mind.

You might not have previously associated zrizus with serenity, but now you can. Your mindset acknowledges that you will do everything that you have to do and that you will have an inner calm. Although you might move quickly, inwardly you are at ease.

A key benefit of having serene zrizus is that you think clearly. You think about what you need to do, and you remain calm as you take action.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book: "Taking Action" - pages 55-6] (Artscroll.com)

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#404   Joyful Zrizus 

Some people might take action, but with resentful zrizus. "I shouldn't really have to do this," they say to themselves. "Someone else should take care of this."

There is a well-known idea expressed by the late Rabbi Chaim Friedlander: "If you are doing it anyway, you might as well do it with joy."

This is so important and valuable that it's worth repeating. "If you are doing it anyway, you might as well do it with joy." We are constantly choosing our thoughts, our feelings, our words, and our actions. You can choose to feel distressed or joyful about taking care of the things that you need to take care of. When you take action with zrizus, choose joyful zrizus.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book: "Taking Action" - page 60] (Artscroll.com)

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#405   Enjoy Your Self-Talk When Doing What You Must 

Sometimes you can find ways to actually enjoy doing something dull or boring. But when you can't come up with a creative way to enjoy what you are doing, you can still talk to yourself in interesting and fun ways. Your hands will be engaged in an activity that you need to do, but your mind will be engaged in a running dialogue that is interesting and even entertaining.

How you feel at any given moment will depend greatly on your self-talk at that moment. Even if you start out with negative self-talk that creates distress, realize that your thoughts are the key factor in whether you will feel good or bad.

People who have learned how to talk to themselves in ways they find enjoyable find enjoyment when others find distress. They don't procrastinate as much. They get more done. If you can't think creatively when you're doing something you don't enjoy, you can always think thoughts of gratitude. Thinking gratefully lifts your spirit and is the basis of happiness.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book: "Taking Action" - pages 69-70] (Artscroll.com)

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#406   "To Do With Joy" List 

People who get things done make "to do" lists. Considering it important to take action on your "to do" list leads to taking care of things. When you create a "to do" list, label it "to do with joy."

When you explicitly write that it is a "to do with joy" list, you are giving yourself a valuable message: You are telling your mind to remember to be joyful.

A person might feel rushed to do all the things on the "to do" list. A person might feel a little resentful or overwhelmed that he or she has so many things to do. But when you call your list a "to do with joy list," you are preparing yourself to feel good while you do the things that you want to do.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book: "Taking Action" - page 72] (Artscroll.com)

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#407   Allow Yourself to Experience Happiness Now 

You have a right to experience happiness right now, in the present. This is a very important concept to keep in mind. You don't need to wait until you accomplish your goals before you are happy.

Many people think, "Only after I accomplish my goals will I be able to be happy." These individuals mistakenly think that they need to wait in order to be happy. They feel that they can't be happy right now. They tell themselves that they first need to achieve what they would like to achieve before they can be happy.

But happiness is a birthright. You were born. You are now alive. You are breathing now. Right now you have a right to be happy. You can choose to be happy now.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book: "Taking Action" - page 79] (Artscroll.com)

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#408   Positive Thoughts Increase Energy 

Positive thoughts add to your vitality and energy. Worry and other negative thoughts take away your energy. Be aware of what thoughts you would be wise to increase and what thoughts you should decrease or even eliminate.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book: "Taking Action" - page 84] (Artscroll.com)

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#409   Ambition Takes You Far 

Ambition can be powerful. Ambition helps a person mobilize his resources. Ambition enables someone to face challenges and persist. Ambition prevents a person from giving up.

A person with a high degree of ambition will be able to accomplish much more than someone with similar intelligence and skills but without ambition.

Ambition enables a person to overcome laziness and a tendency to procrastinate. When you have an authentic ambition to excel in a certain area, you will put in the necessary time and energy to gain the knowledge. You will have the energy to practice the skill you want to perfect.

Ambition helps you overcome potential obstacles that might get in the way. The stronger your ambition, the less any obstacle can deter you from proceeding.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book: "Taking Action" - pages 86-7] (Artscroll.com)

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#410   Recall Your Own Moments of Zrizus 

We all have experienced zrizus and moments of joyful willpower. That is, we did things swiftly and right away. There are many instances when we felt motivated to do something positive that we strongly wanted to do and felt good about actually doing them.

When you recall a moment of zrizus and joyful willpower, you can experience in the present how you felt then, and recall what actions this led you to do. See what you saw when you felt the feelings of zrizus and joyful willpower. Hear what you heard when you felt the feelings of zrizus and joyful willpower. Feel what you felt when you felt the feelings of zrizus and joyful willpower.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book: "Taking Action" - page 90] (Artscroll.com)

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#411   Learn From Role Models 

When your first reaction is not to take the action that you really want to do, ask yourself, "Who do I know has a positive attitude about taking action? Now let me borrow his mind, as it were. Let me borrow his brain in my own unique way." Make yourself feel the way you imagine he feels about the situation and task at hand.

On a screen in your mind, see this person taking action with zrizus. Now on the same screen, see yourself taking action in a similar way. Run through that picture over and over again.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book: "Taking Action" - page 95] (Artscroll.com)

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#412   Mentally See Yourself Taking Action 

When you are not yet ready to take action, visualize yourself taking the action that you would really like to do. This way even though you are not in a frame of mind to actually take the specific action, you are mentally preparing yourself.

Your mental pictures will make it easier for you to take action. When you run pictures of yourself doing the things that you want to do, this mental rehearsal will shorten the amount of time it takes to build up your willingness to act.

Mentally picturing yourself taking action will help you overcome the resistance you are feeling. Anything we've successfully done in real life makes it more likely that we will take that action again. Anything that we've visualized doing is stored in our brain as if we actually took that action.

([From Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's book: "Taking Action" - page 101 (Artscroll.com)])

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#413   Master your Desires 

The pleasure one has from mastery over desires is greater than the pleasure of one who seeks to gratify all his desires. The latter will only attain one in a thousand of what he seeks and will be constantly frustrated. But a person who is master over his desires experiences great joy. Such a person has a double advantage over the hedonist. The hedonist will feel he is lacking a lot and suffers because of this. Moreover, he does not enjoy what he already has. His suffering due to what he is lacking does not allow him to feel joy with what he has.

On the other hand, the person who has mastered the art of not desiring what he is missing feels happy even though he might lack many things. Such a person is surrounded on all sides with happiness. He is happy with what he has already obtained in the past and he feels good about the future. Since he does not worry about the future, he constantly feels good.

(Chochmah Umussar, vol.2, pp.99; Gateway to Happiness, pp.354-5)

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#414   Query Calm People 

Would you like to become an expert on how to be calm in all sorts of challenging situations? Do not just rely on your own ingenuity. Keep asking people who appear to be calm, "Would you mind if I ask you how you are able to be so calm?" Most people will happily share their thoughts on the subject with you.

(From Rabbi Pliskin's book, Serenity, p.72)