Introspection: A Scheduling Balance

I don’t wear a Wonder Woman costume or a cape, but I do have superpowers. One, which I developed and worked on over time, is called seder, or order. This is a concept that is well embedded in our traditions. In the first few verses of Torah, God creates order out of chaos as creation unfolds. Our Passover celebrations include attending seders; celebrations where we often chant the order of the rituals at the beginning of our evening. When we write a sisterhood Shabbat service, we need to follow a specific order in our prayer services using a model siddur. Plus, we have several tools in our secular lives to help organize our schedules and to keep track of our commitments.

It often feels like, due to the impact of being able to receive instant updates of events happening anywhere in the world, that we are engulfed in chaos. Not only do we have to be concerned about organizing our personal lives, we are also bombarded with so much information to absorb that we feel the need to respond to more and more outside events and situations. We are concerned about the health of our family and friends as well as the safety and wellbeing of our communities, the complex issues within our societies, and the rise in hateful rhetoric all over the world. Women of Reform Judaism can assist in focusing us so that we are able to speak out and to act, but what can we do for ourselves to keep our mental, emotional, and physical health in balance? If we feel internal chaos, we risk becoming less effective.

Being involved in Mussar study has led me to conclude that it is up to me to maintain a balance between constantly responding to the outside influences in life and maintaining an inner introspective life. We have set times in our Jewish calendar to stop, such as Shabbat, so why not build set times into our secular calendar on a daily basis? The first thing I used to assist me in this balance was that superpower of seder.

Starting slowly, I carved out 15 to 20 minutes for self-care each day. I spent that time reading a romance novel or taking photographs of flowers and birds. Sometimes I would evaluate my daily activities, thinking about if what I was doing was effective and, if not, how I could improve. I asked the people I am closest to how they spent their self-care or introspective time. My spouse responded that he meditates for 15 minutes twice a day, which improved his ability to function. My father said he started his day by reciting morning prayers, gifting him with a spiritual and emotional calm. Some friends love to keep a gratitude journal, which they fill out at the end of their day. Others find physical activity to be meditative, either running or walking in nature, taking up Tai Chi, yoga, or Krav Maga. Each of us can find something that brings us peace and comfort; each of us can find a few minutes a day to treat ourselves with kindness. Eventually I increased the amount of time I would dedicate to inner pursuits, and added meditation, Torah study, and Mussar practice to my calendar. Even in my volunteer work, I would often end a meeting by stating, “I love what we accomplished. Let me ruminate on this for a few days and let you know if I have additional thoughts or input.”

2024 was an especially difficult year. We are saddened by the situation in Israel and reeling from the rise in antisemitism worldwide. Those of us from the United States have lived through a divisive election. We are all faced with a future of unknowns. We are bombarded with daily news cycles, which include opinions on what has happened and what could be happening next. We worry about the health of our planet and how that will affect our children and grandchildren. With all this overwhelming outside input, I invite you to try to build in time for a bit of introspection.

If you enjoy guided meditation, or are willing to give it a try, the Institute for Jewish Spirituality conducts an online meditation sit from 12:30 to 1:00pm Eastern time Monday through Friday.

Many of us are social justice advocates united in standing up for and speaking out for WRJ’s High Priority Issues. We continue the work our foremothers began. The work can be rewarding, and at the same time exhausting. Here is a resource to help you strengthen your resolve.

I wish all of you moments of quiet introspection and peace as we navigate our world through 2025 and beyond. Let’s meet up at the Rabbi Marla J. Feldman Social Justice Conference to learn, take action, and to rejoice in friendship and love.