—or reaching out to you?
One time, my son kept getting upset and arguing a lot.
At first, I felt annoyed. But then I understood something important:
He wasn’t trying to cause trouble. He just wanted more of my attention and closeness. What if life’s hard moments work the same way?
Every time I’ve faced something difficult or disappointing, it wasn’t just bad luck.
It was G-d asking me to get closer—wanting real conversations, honesty, and a true relationship.
But here’s what I learned:
To really answer G-d, I had to stop reacting automatically.
By automatically, I mean:
1. My fight reaction (criticizing others or myself).
2. Flight reaction (avoiding difficult conversations with myself or others).
3. Freeze reaction (not taking action).
4. And fawn reaction (being too agreeable).
These reactions protected me before, but they’re the opposite of humility and kept me away from real connection.
When I chose kindness and humility instead, the hard moments changed:
They became ways to know G-d more, have real talks, and feel connected.
Now, whenever life gets tough, I stop and think: Is this just G-d quietly saying, “Come closer”?
If you want to go deeper into this work, explore the NextSelf 2026 and 2025 Indexes.
It organizes the core ideas on awareness, compassion, boundaries, and how they build real relationship and responsibility with The Creator.
NextSelf 2026 Index
NextSelf 2025 Index
