Staying focused is something quite challenging no matter who you are. The busier we are, the more we must not lose focus on the things that are truly important. We tend to listen to other people’s opinion and other people’s moods and this affects us very much.
Each one of us has something unique about ourselves, and something to give others. This something about us is in effect what makes us tick. This means that each one of us has our song. When one plays a musical instrument we play notes, and these notes make up the song. One note doesn’t sound very nice, but if we take a few notes and put them together, this makes up a song that is beautiful.
This is also true regarding each one of our personalities. We each have a song that we sing, which is who we are. If we just need to get along with ourselves, it is the same as having only one note in a song. However, my connection with others is the harmony needed in the world for it to exist. More than I want connections with others, the others need me as well.
Different people create different songs and this creates unity. This sounds very nice but it’s very hard to do since when we are speaking and expressing ourselves to others, we might not like so much what the other person is saying back to us. You’re a tone and a special one indeed, and the person opposite you is also a tone and a special one indeed. And yet you might not feel this special moment while you’re engaging in some kind of conversation or even argument. However, if we try to step back from the differences and the different tones, we will realize that everybody’s thoughts and opinions is what makes this beautiful song of unity and togetherness. This concept will help us look differently at arguments or different points of view.
We just finished the holiday of Chanukah, the holiday of lights. Although each candle looks similar to the one before and it just seems like we added one candle each day, this is actually not the case. Each candle is very different, and must be that way since it represents a different aspect of each of our lives and a different person in the Nation of Israel. Each candle represents something and someone different. On Chanukah we prayed on each night for something else, and another quality we have and wish to enhance. Each night gave us strength that the night before had not.
When each holiday ends and the routine and mundane days come about, we must take the magic moments and energies from the holiday onwards. The lights of Chanukah spoke to us and sent us on our way till the next holiday arrives. These eight lights will accompany us in finding the right music for us throughout our days and nights; to give us strength and clarity to know how to act.
The candles and the music that we sing every night both represent something much deeper. By realizing that getting along with one another is the harmony and the beauty of the candles and of the light and song, we will make more of an effort to try to get along with one another knowing that we’re part of a bigger orchestra that makes the beautiful sounds of life.
