What gives you chizzuk in the everyday life?

The title says it all � what is your source of chizzuk? Do you listen to shiurim, read certain books, say tehillim, etc? I am specifically interested to hear from those of you who are overwhelmed with busy work, constantly running, without free time to re-charge spiritual batteries.

Thanks!

Moderator Joined: Jun 05 2011 Posts: 3392

Sometimes, especially while I'm driving, I think of the trillions of things that could have gone wrong, and it gives me lots of inspiration to feel that God is helping me moment by moment.

"Yipol mi'tzidcha elef u'revavah miminecha."

Translation: A thousand will fall from your side and ten thousand from your right.

I once learned that it can mean the thousands of bacteria and viruses that surround us, from which God protects us. On the same note, I almost accidentally drive through a red light or into a lamp post regularly. Almost = I feel that God saves me from myself all the time when I drive.
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I try to read the sefer "garden of Emunah " with my husband, nightly. it doesnt always work out for timing reasons. But we really love it when we do and it reminds us who is in charge...

based on inspiration from rn jungreis, my friend and I delineate for each other the Best Thing that happens to us every day. its the thing we are most thankful to Hashem for each day. even on our hardest days, we always manage to find something. we try not to repeat something we've already done. it has really become something I look forward to, and I'm appreciating how much life is worth living Smile

Diamond Member Joined: Jan 14 2011 Posts: 2818

my schedule is so hectic I sometimes cannot find even five minutes to say a quick tefilah. I completely understand why women with children are exempt from davening. so I keep a siddur in my kitchen cabinet with my coffee mugs. I always have time for my coffee, because well otherwise I would not have energy for anything else. and I usually have my morning coffee early, before the house gets hectic. so while my coffee is brewing, I take out the coffee mug and siddur and say brachos, shema, a special tefilah for raising kids, and a perek or two of tehilim. this early morning spiritual reconnect works for me.

another thing I do is thank Hashem constantly for little brachos. for example, when my kids get in the car at the end of the day, I say thank you to Hashem for bringing them home safely. when I go for a run, I thank Hashem for the physical abilities and the awesome rush of adrenalin. nothing is as inspiring as gratitude.

Sad to say I became really cooled off since I left school and got married. I'm spiritual by nature but I hate listening to speeches and don't have much time or patience for davening. So I watch myself sliding and I hate it.

Silver Member Joined: Nov 07 2010 Age: 33 Posts: 820

My computer is in the kitchen so while im cleaning up ill listen to cabad.org or aish,naaleh etc.

I've recelntly started davening in the mornings again - whenever I can find a few minutes, I say another bracha...sometimes while washing dishes or doing other chores at home. I know it sounds bad to some people but to me , this is the best way to daven (if I wait till I sit down I'll never do it, plus it's easier for me to concentrate this way).
Otherwise, as cliche as it sounds, every time I look at my baby Im filled with gratitude to g-d. Every single detail of this baby, his looks, his behavior-it's all just beyond perfect and seems completely miraculous to me- this definitely connects me to g-d.

Another thing I do in order to feel connected is to stop myself randomly during the day, when I see something pretty or just stam and say : "ma rabu maasecha hashem"... I know it sounds strange but it connects me back to that deep place where I feel the connection to g-d.
Ive done this for a few years now, sometimes more other times less, and when I do it more often it always makes me reconnect