by Ruth Adams

Created on: June 17, 2008   Last Updated: July 02, 2010

"Choose Life"

"I have put life and death before you, that you may choose life".

Before a person was born, they were in such a nice place (The garden of Eden) that when they had to come down to this physical world it was very disappointing. Therefore a person might feel that they don't really want to live. They acknowledge their existence; but deep down they're constantly craving the place they left behind and wishing they were back there.

There's a parallel to this in the Jews leaving Egypt. Egypt, with all its pain and slavery, was nonetheless like a womb. The Jews suffered but they didn't have to take responsibility for themselves. They could just be victims without taking full responsibility for their actions.

All times and types of persecution are similar to the Jews' slavery in Egypt. When you're a victim you're not fully responsible for your actions. You're also not fully alive.

Sometimes a person going through hardship can confuse G-d with Pharaoh: "G-d obviously wants me to suffer". Their religion becomes an unpleasant slavery. This is a having a victim mentality.

Being a victim can manifest itself subtly as well as blatantly. You can be a "victim" of your conditioning; of the abuse you suffered in the past; of your lack of tools; of your victim mentality; of your self blame or of your craving to blame others. A person in this position might also feel that G-d is their slave owner, while they "wait" passively for salvation.

That's not what He means by "choose life".

When you choose life, you leave the familiar. You embark on an adventure into the unknown. On some level you let go of being a slave and you take responsibility for your survival. You live up to the role assigned you as co-creator.

Being co-creator means you have faith. Instead of saying "G-d wants me to suffer" you let go of a passive picture of yourself as having to be the recipient of suffering; and you become active in co-creating your reality which includes co-creating your thoughts. If you admit that you're important and deserving of happiness; you'll realize that G-d has "admitted it" too.

Acknowledge your pain, because that is what allows it to heal and that is what also increases your sensitivity to others. At the same time; grab hold of your identity as something totally independent and transcendent of being a victim. Don't be a victim, because victims get blamed. Allow yourself to do what you want and need to do. Don't say "you can't" because of your spouse or your children. Don't

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