The universe is full of wisdom, patterns, order, life, and consciousness.
So it is hard to believe the source of all of that is blind and unaware, like a rock.
This belief is also emotionally healthier.
What changes if the Source of life is intelligent?
If the source of life is intelligent and giving, then life is not random.
Your choices matter.
Your relationships matter.
Your goodness matters.
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Relationship with the Source of life begins with awe.
How does awe grow into love?
Awe begins when a person feels that life is a gift, that the Infinite Creator is present, and that their choices truly matter before Him.
The fear comes from realizing that your choices have real meaning.
The wonder comes from realizing that the Creator’s goodness is greater than you currently understand, and that He desires a relationship with humanity.
Healthy awe then awakens love when your trust increases that He is good.
Love wants greater closeness, and that intimacy can contain sadness because more of the Creator’s goodness could still be revealed in you and in the world.
It also contains joy because deeper relationship is possible.
What is free choice actually shaping?
Free choice therefore means you are not only choosing actions.
You are also helping shape the emotional world your nervous system practices living in.
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Spirituality is no longer about escaping the world or feeling special.
It becomes about improving your personality.
Growing in honesty.
Growing in compassion, healthy boundaries, and self-forgiveness.
Growing in responsibility.
What does Jewish mysticism teach you to think about?
Jewish mysticism teaches what to think about so this way of seeing the world becomes natural.
It helps a person understand suffering, success, relationships, beauty, and even mistakes in a healthier way.
Over time, a person can move from hating parts of life to loving life more deeply, because they begin to see everything as another opportunity to deepen their relationship with the Creator.
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That is why these teachings can build healthy self-esteem.
How does this build self-esteem and emotional skills?
A person begins to see that they are not random.
They were created with purpose.
Their choices reveal goodness.
According to Jewish mysticism, this is how human beings become co-partners with the Creator in creation.
Adam and Eve were created with limited emotional skills.
Human life is about developing the emotional skills needed to reveal more goodness in the world.
Every act of honesty, compassion, responsibility, forgiveness, humility, and healthy boundaries continues that work.
And life becomes an ongoing conversation with the Creator.
"The universe is filled with wisdom, patterns, and conscious life. Why believe its source is less intelligent than what came from it?"
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Visited this profile to learn emotionally healthy beliefs about the world of souls, and hundreds of guides to Jewish mysticism.
Questions people ask
Why does it make more sense that the cause of everything is intelligent?
Because of what the universe already shows. It is full of wisdom, patterns, order, life, and consciousness, so it is hard to imagine that the source of all of that is blind and unaware, like a rock. This belief is also emotionally healthier, because it means life is not random and your choices matter.
Why does healthy awe involve both fear and wonder?
Awe holds two feelings at once. The fear comes from realizing your choices have real meaning, so they are not empty. The wonder comes from realizing the Creator's goodness is greater than you currently understand, and that He desires a relationship with humanity. As trust grows that He is good, awe awakens love.
How can Jewish mysticism help build healthy self-esteem?
It changes what a person believes about themselves. Jewish mysticism teaches what to think about until this way of seeing the world feels natural, so suffering, success, relationships, beauty, and even mistakes land in a healthier way. A person begins to see that they are not random, that they were created with purpose, and that their choices reveal goodness.
Which emotional skills does this way of living ask for?
They are named plainly: honesty, compassion, healthy boundaries, self-forgiveness, responsibility, and humility. Adam and Eve were created with limited emotional skills, and human life is about developing the emotional skills that reveal more goodness in the world. Every act of them continues that work, so spirituality becomes personality growth, not escape.
Explore the NextSelf Blog. Start with this post explaining the world of souls. And my Youtube.
The blog lists all the difference patterns to study, understanding patterns is how one can develop 'Daas' [felt knowing].
Update: As awe, trust, and love deepen, they can allow greater openness and intimacy with the Creator. That intimacy can include sadness when you notice how much more of His goodness can be revealed.