Hungry for More by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

Life C ach Hungry for More

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

I’m starving!

Are you one of those people who feel that way first thing in the morning?

Really interesting, huh? You haven’t exerted one ounce of energy yet, and your body is already calling for reinforcements. What a demanding housing you’ve been saddled with.

Of course, you must be concerned about this upcoming fast day.

You are probably only out-tortured by the daily coffee drinkers. Unless you need both.

Coffee drinkers are not even sure they can get up for the fast day. And when they do, fighting that headache is a major added occupation of their all-day drama.

My Achilles heel happens to be eating at night. So five minutes after returning from shul on Kol Nidre night, I’m already trying to hold myself back from an all-out attack on the kitchen.

No matter what our difficulty is, all those challenges relate to our minds and bodies.

But what about our souls?

Not the soles of our shoes. Which do get a little shout-out since we cannot wear leather.

And not the other souls in our neighborhood, though, we do have an effect on them but usually indirectly.

But our very personal, perpetually with us, soul. What about the food it needs?!

This is the day we need to focus on that food plan.

It needs a very specific diet. And I don’t mean the nouveau organic or vegan or gluchewing all that calls for and therefore forget the amazing recipes that we have built right into us.

So, even though it isn’t always easy to step out of the “feed my body” mode, Yom Kippur is that one day we get to really think about which continuous side dishes we want to carry with us throughout the

We certainly must have a really strong soul appetite if we just need one day to get this figured out.

ten-free ones we are obsessed with.

Rather a diet of consciousness, kindness, and commitment.

A diet of food we self-create from within and therefore can tap into day or night so that we are never starved for it.

We should think about the menu we would like to cook up for this year to feed that part of us.

We don’t want to get distracted with the peeling, unwrapping, stirring, or year every day to nurture our spirit while partaking in our physical food.

Because we need both to survive.

And sometimes, unfortunately, we get too distracted with the physical menu. Because it gives us an immediate sense of satisfaction and we think that’s the most terrific feeling we can have. But it does call for constant refilling. And it comes with the daily grind. We must work to afford it, then shop for it, be creative in preparing it, then flavor it, and clean up after it.

As opposed to the longer-term delicious satisfaction we get from truly wholesome living and giving.

G-d gives us just one complete day to work on our other menu. The one that nourishes the soul with no distractions. It doesn’t mean we don’t work on it all yearround, but this is the grand board meeting. The one time a year when we meet and refocus and re-decide what we’ve accomplished and neglected and plan anew for the year ahead.

It’s one day! Ratio-wise, it’s amazing! We certainly must have a really strong soul appetite if we just need one day to get this figured out.

So let’s eat it up!

That should keep us full the whole day!

And that way we’ll cook up a hearty, healthy, and fulfilling year for ourselves to get satiated on.

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.