Happy birthday to the world, Happy birthday to you! What sweet honey of a birthday gift can you give yourself this year?
1. I had a mentor who used to say, "Be sweet." This year on Rosh Hashanah, take the "Have a Sweet New Year" symbolism literally and find ways to bring kindness and gentleness and loving care into your interactions with the world around you and especially with yourself.
2. Honor this important time cycle. Do you remember where you were last year on Rosh Hashanah? Take a minute to think and talk about how you have grown, new things in your life, what you have let go of, etc.
3. Give yourself a birthday treat – don’t just dip apples in honey, treat yourself to your favorite sweets! It’s a birthday party!
4. Make a wish on the new moon in honor of renewal and rejuvenation.
5. In the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, CHECK IN with yourself. Need inspiration? Have a look at my friend Amichai Lau Lavie’s "Prepent" blog where he has taken the last 30 days to do just this. It is a High Holy Days Journey of 40 ways in 40 days to find your focus. (It’s never too late to check in.) Need more inspiration? Check out my friend Craig Taubman’s Jewels of Elul, a compilation of 29 Jewels from a remarkable collection of extraordinary and diverse people.
6. "Nap" and "Time Out", these aren’t just for your kids’ health. It IS true that giving yourself the gift of time will help you find and feel clarity. And you deserve it.
7. Do Tashlich. This is an excellent Jewish practice when you literally "cast off" what you are ready to let go of and/or the past year’s transgressions, by throwing bread into a living, flowing body of water like a river or lake. Don’t live near living waters? Get creative!
8. Start a new family tradition. Whether it’s spinning in circles to honor the cycle of life or lighting holiday candles and singing the blessings together, traditions create memories. These are the things that make us who we are.
9. Volunteer. Mitzvah goreret mitzvah. One act of kindness leads to another. It’s amazing how much a small act of service can create perspective in your life while contributing to the flow of generosity of spirit around you.
10. Write down and post in a place where you can see it, the things you would like to do for yourself every day or every week.
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Posted in Activities for home and classroom, Holidays, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur
