"Not dead,can't quit"

-Navy Seal Mantra

When I went to bed last night I had already planted the seeds for the pity party I would be throwing for myself today.

20 years ago, when my life in the textile industry was coming to a crashing. I walked away from the work I had been engaged in for over two decades.What ever the circumstances may have been that caused this shift is irrelevant.It was time to move on. 

The last vestiges of Winter were waning and Springtime was just around the corner. So was Passover. The very first decision I made as I walked I handed over my keys and headed towards the door, was not about how I would earn a living, or even how I was going to support my family,or how I was even going to tell Susan. No the one thing I clearly remember thinking at that time was now I can take my children to shul on the holidays. I had in front of me the opportunity to change something in my life that I was unhappy with and that did not resonate with me.

My kids were 8,6 and 4 years old at that time. When the holidays would come,I would keep them out of school. Susan would do her best to get them to services. Yet I would go to work.There was just something wrong with that for me.

I was not being the example I wanted to be for my kids. It didn't make sense that my going to work was any more important then there going to school.

All of that changed as I drove home to fill Susan in on this turn on the road of life that was now before us.

I made the commitment that on holidays I would be with my family.

I had no job.

I had no idea what I would be doing next.

I only knew that from that day forward, the holidays would be observed.

Eventually,as my business developed and my life moved forward,I realized that there were times when I could not just completely shut down on the holidays. I made the choice to go to services in the morning, have lunch with my family and then go about doing whatever work I felt I needed to attend to. It was in my eyes a legitimate compromise.

And that is what I have done for the last 20 years. Now, truth be told, the kids have made their own choices as they have grown up and entered the working world. They no longer join me on all of the holidays. I am happy when they do and when they can.

Today however,circumstances dictated that no one would be here at all today.On this gloriously beautiful Autumn morning, Susan and the girls headed out very early this morning to South Jersey. Susan's dad has a number of tests today and they are going to accompany him and look after my mother in law.

Max of course had to be at work .

So here I was,sipping my coffee by myself in my beautiful Sukkah.

Poor me!

Then my mentor Darren Hardy reminded me of just how ridiculous this pity party I was throwing is.

He said:"feeling sorry for yourself? go visit a burn unit at a local hospital" or "go drive the streets on that part of town where people are living in a box on the street".He reminded me of people who have overcome unbelievable obstacles and challenges that many others would have just crumbled under.

He offered up the following mantra he heard from a Navy Seal friend of his:

"Not dead,can't quit"

So the pity party is over!

Life's challenges? They exist,we take them on.One step at a time.

Darren adds:

"Rich, poor, old, young, ugly or beautiful, no one avoids obstacles.
It’s how you choose to deal with them that determines your destiny."

There is rarely a day, when I do not find some new challenge. 

Every day when I wake up,I get to choose happy.

Every morning I can recite Modeh Ani, a simple two line prayer. Jews recite this prayer as we awake from our sleep and welcome a new day.

Pity party done!

The family is coming over tonight for dinner. I am off to shul and then a full day of "stuff".

I ain't dead....so I can't quit!