Many of the truths that matter most are brief but powerful. You can read the book itself in an hour or two, but the lessons it contains – largely drawn from Jewish sources thousands of years old – can bless and enrich your life for as long as you live. In addition, practicing the activities described inside will also make you a happier person. What more could one want from a book?
- Learn how to declare a Complaining Fast
- Realize that sometimes having things to worry about is a blessing, not a curse
- Discover why Judaism does not always mandate that we forgive people who hurt us
- And much more…
Albert Einstein is reputed to have said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” In TELUSHKINISMS: WISDOM TO THE POINT, Joseph Telushkin supplies concrete suggestions of activities that can be immediately incorporated into your life.
Select Excerpts:
"Our normal frame of mind and mood should be, “I am happy unless something bad is happening.” Many people are the opposite. They are only happy if something very good is happening. Their happiness is dependent on the extraordinary. But life is not lived in the extraordinary; it is lived in the ordinary. We have to learn to be happy during the ordinary times of life."
...
"If you hear someone say, “I am worth ten million dollars,” what happens to that person when his investments collapse and he is then worth two million dollars? If he loses everything, then what is he worth? Nothing? Our value is ultimately derived from the fact that we are created in God’s image. Therefore, we are holy people."
...
"One of the quickest ways to start appreciating happiness and all the good things in your life now, is to declare a complaining fast. Declare that for a set time period no one in your house – or just you yourself -- will complain about anything. You will suddenly become aware of how many wonderful things there are in your life. It will also become a lot easier to love with joy the people around you. Including yourself."
