Avoiding the Confusion

There’s nothing more dangerous than following false doctrines such as those that come from lack and uncertainty. They confuse and enslave us. Truth is what sets us free. It takes a strong desire to seek out the truth in a world immersed in falsehoods. When we feel overly competitive, straining to reach success and stepping on others in the quest for honor and notoriety, we buy into the mentality that success is solely a product of our own power, hard work and determination. This notion leads people astray.

When we feel that we must take from others in order to have what we want, we miss Torah’s whole point, which teaches the opposite. While it is good to have a plan to reach goals we set for ourselves, we need to understand that Hashem’s purpose for creating the world is not all about attaining public recognition for accomplishing something grandiose.

Torah challenges us to refine ourselves and focus on being grateful and honest. We must crack the shell of selfishness and care about the feelings of others.

The non-Torah mindset leads to confusion and the confused mind leads one to do selfish things that may seem logical because “everyone” is doing them in order to “get ahead”. However, these things run contrary to Divine truth and wisdom. They lead us to waste precious time on spectator-type activities, leisure past times, feel-good pursuits, and even an inordinate amount of time on preparing for and immersing ourselves in our careers.  Ultimately, misappropriation of time leaves us feeling empty and depressed, craving something new to bring us up.

Secular ideologies, such as, “College is the road to success” mislead so many people who are running after achievement as the goal of life. Confused and frustrated young adults jump on the bandwagon in the name of profit over values. Not only do the institutions of “higher” learning compromise standards to lure more people. There is no moral standard when human judgment is allowed to decide what is right and what is wrong.

When we ignore the belief in a “Higher Power” Who has clarified standards of ethical and moral behavior for all of us, then the only outcome chaos and confusion. We are experiencing both on all levels including, but not limited to, the educational arena from elementary school all the way up to the college campus.

Never before has there been such immoral behavior infiltrating educational institutions. At the expense of wholesomeness and innocence, we allow our children to be involved in the world of falsehoods so they can be “open” minded. A wise man once said, “We must be careful not to become so open-minded that our brains fall out.” This is a very dangerous place to be.

Don’t think for a moment that morality and ethics are irrelevant in educating our children. Without both, a society cannot sustain itself. To be educated is to be able to define right and wrong as taught by Hashem in His Torah. That is our primary job as parents and teachers.

To be a kind, generous, appreciative, and compassionate individual, one must seek Torah wisdom. It’s the source of learning good character traits and the only way to avoid the confusion of social convention and political correctness.

Hashem’s word is truth, and only truth can produce enough light to transform the darkness. When we apply the teachings of the Torah, we gain clarity of purpose that helps untangle the web of confused priorities that have usurped common sense and reason at all levels of society. I invite you to learn with me practical Jewish spirituality and Torah principles, all of which are taught by our esteemed spiritual guide, Rav Shalom Arush. Purchasing his amazing books is a positive first step.

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Lori is an educator, truth seeker, and Life Optimization Coach in southern California. She can be reached at thechaiway@gmail.com