Sing Your Own Song!

Spring is here for us in the Northern Hemisphere. I always think of this change of seasons as the most blatant, in that we are going from the "sleep" of winter into full-blown energy. Listen to the birds' songs getting louder and more prevalent in their quest to mate. See trees and other plants bursting forth with new growth. There is also spring cleaning--of our homes, and ourselves. Pesach is coming soon. All of these events constitute more energy and activity, an awakening.

Rabbi Nachman in Likkutei MoHaRaN I:282 teaches that each person can always revive and reawaken his/her spirits "by searching out and finding your positive points, collecting them together and sifting them out from the impurities within you, this is how melodies are made.... search until you find a little bit of good in yourself... and in just the same way, you must carrying on searching until you find yet another good point. If despite your desire to be happy you feel drawn down, draw strength from happier times gone by. Eventually, joy will return."

This also reminds us to thank HaShem for the blessings in our lives. It's so easy to get caught up in the negative feelings, and I love what R. Nachman says about creating melodies. Each one of us is a special, unique song that HaShem sings as we are breathed into being. Never forget that!