Word Prompt – NUDNIK – Sara Blau

Nud·nik/ˈno͝odnik/ – noun: a pestering, nagging, irritating person; a bore.

We usually picture a nudnik as a beggar who won't quit, the relative who keeps asking questions, the little sibling or spouse who won't let something go. But I've come to think of the nudnik as something internal.

Inside each of us there is constant conflict. That's the nature of being human. I have a neshama that wants nothing more than to be one with Hashem – selfless, reaching upward. And then there's the nudnik. The other voice.

I thought I'd worked on the selfish part of myself, and here he is again. I thought I'd built patience, learned not to indulge – and there's that nudnik whispering: just do that thing. Pestering, begging, relentless.

Here's what I've learned. If you've ever dealt with a real nudnik, you know that no matter how many times you engage, he'll always have a comeback. He'll always outdo you. He's a nudnik, after all.

So, I don't engage. No arguing. No rebuttals. No long-winded debates – that's exactly what he wants.

The most effective thing I've found to counter an intrusive thought or a temptation is simply to notice it: There's that nudnik again – and keep walking.

He won't stop knocking. That's not the goal. The goal is to live your life without letting him distract you or pull you off course. Let him knock. You've got somewhere to be.