The Secret To Having It All

At 39-1/2, and after a going through what I deem my fair share of hell, I sit here in a state of uber-bliss. For no particular reason at all. I do not have the job of my dreams. (Yet.) I am not re-married. (Yet.) Nor am I in the best health. (Again, yet). But here's what I do have: a never-ending wealth of gratitude for all the blessings I do have and THAT brings me a sense of inner peace that is truly priceless.

From reading my blogs, you know I have a deep connection to G-d and all things spiritually/Universe based. I've taken a great time working on myself, inside out, to see what really matters in this world.

A few weeks back, I had the privilege of taking a vacation to the Hamptons. One very late night there, we moseyed on to Coopers Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. We had the most amazing view of just about every star and planet, and had the great fortune of witnessing...and making a wish upon...a shooting star. But, even more enlightening was the realization that we, as humans, are so insignificant in this vast, never-ending Universe. And that is yet another perspective to seeking balance in our trite world of chaos.

Letting go and knowing things will happen in their own time is hard to do...it literally requires a re-wiring of the brain (especially for us Type A folks!) but that's the only way to true peace. It's never the circumstances themselves, but our perspective of such. And realizing that just because you don't have what you want today doesn't mean you won't ever have it...or something better.

In the practice of Kabbalah, Yehuda Berg speaks of the difference between the prayers of our heart and the prayers of our soul. The heart speaks to the more immediate, the more tangible, the easier to comprehend. Whereas the soul speaks to the yearning passions that burn deep within, those needs that lie dormant perhaps over years based on challenges we need to overcome in order to spiritually grow. These are the prayers that are always answered. Not necessarily in the forms we may at first understand or even want...but for certain in the ways we need.

When seeking peace, it's so important to understand the difference between wants and needs. I may not have everything I want in life, but for sure I have everything I need. And when you allow yourself to redefine happiness on your own terms--or your souls terms--you'll realize that that is not only what truly matters, but perhaps you, too, will have discovered your own true inner peace.