(10/40) Big small ...

Technically, it's not in the Bible.

But it ought to be.

Don't go around trying to make yourself feel big by making other people feel small.

It's just wrong.

Thanks.

With all my love,


Rabbi Brian


And, if you care to, click here to see comments on the streetprophets site where this article also went up this week.

(09/40) Frogs and Stress

Someone told me that if you place frogs into boiling water, they will promptly jump out. On the other hand, if you put frogs into cool water and gradually raise the heat, they will just stay there until they boil to death.

We are like those frogs.

The stress in our daily lives adds up slowly, so subtly that we don't even notice, until we (figuratively) find ourselves in boiling water.

Stress raises the levels of Interleukin-6 in the blood. Higher than normal levels of this chemical are associated with heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, type-2 diabetes and certain cancers.

Moreover, people who are stressed are no fun to be around.

I grew up on the only small island in the world that encourages stress - Manhattan. The zeitgeist of the over 8 million souls who live there is that small levels of stress will make you sharper, more productive and more clever.

But it's simply not true - stress kills.

Life isn't meant to be stressful.

Really.

• Take a breath.
• Ask yourself, "How important is it?"
• Meditate on the following, "The proper response to the inevitable is relaxation."

With love,

Rabbi Brian

---

An important note

The story of the frogs isn't true! I just found out that researchers at the University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, put this popular analogy to the test.

The frogs will jump out! (For the link: click here)

Regardless, stress is still bad.

(I've always been a bit skeptical of lessons from the animal kingdom. When I first heard "a tiger can't change its stripes" - a phrase used to underscore the moral that some things just can't be changed - I said, "but a chameleon can change its appearance.")


And, if you care to, click here to see comments on the streetprophets site where this article also went up this week.

(08/40) Yes, and ...

Yes, and three shoes.
A life lesson from Improv.

Last August, I was recruited to play some Improv games — the type that have been made popular by the show Who’s Line is it Anyway.

Not knowing much about the topic, I asked everyone I knew who might have some expertise in the subject what he or she thought the most important things would be for me to keep in mind.

Repeatedly, the advice I was given was to always say ‘yes, and . . . .’

Everyone agreed that I should avoid saying "no" because it would inevitably shut the scene down, thus ending the fun.

I was told, for example, if someone in a scene said to me, “You certainly love guacamole!” my response should be, “Yes, and . . .” and then I should add some new information.

Here are two examples:

• “Isn't this the best zoo you’ve ever visited?”
• “Yes, and the orangutans here sure are the tastiest!”

• “Do you want some ice cream?”
• “Yes, and three shoes . . .”

I quickly realized that this tip wasn’t only useful for improvisations — it was a life lesson too.

The word “no” really puts a stop to things.

Look at the difference between these two responses:

• “Do you like the soup?”
• “No, it needs salt.”

• “Do you like the soup?”
• “Yes, and I could use some salt.”

When someone tells me that they want something or asks me a question, I have the option to affirm them or to shut them down. I know when I've been in their shoes that the former is much more pleasant.

How about making a commitment to test this out for a little while?

(You already know the answer, it's "Yes, and . . . ")

With love,

Rabbi Brian


And, if you care to, click here to see comments on the streetprophets site where this article also went up this week.