“I didn’t have time.”
“I lost track of time.”
“I ran out of time.”
It is very likely that you have used one of these excuses in the past, perhaps, in the no-so-distant past. True, it’s virtually impossible to accomplish everything we hope to in a single day. No matter how much we get done, it seems there is always something more we could do. But the cause for significant discrepancies between what we intend to do and what we actually do, often stems from our misplaced priorities.
“When we come into this world,” says Michael Berg, “we are given the exact amount of time that’s necessary to complete our spiritual work. Each of us has specific tasks to perform, and your tasks may be different from mine, but Kabbalah tells us that our transformation can be completed in one lifetime. We have enough time, but we also don’t have any time to waste.”
The responsibility remains with us to use our time wisely in order to meet our spiritual goals, reach our highest potential, and effect change in the world around us. Unfortunately, most of us do not. We become so involved in everyday life that we lose sight of our larger purpose. In the end, many of us leave this world without accomplishing even a fraction of what we came here to do. So, how do we make the most of the time we have?
Start by making a list of your spiritual goals. Think of it as a spiritual bucket list—some short-term and long-term things that you would like to accomplish in this lifetime. For example, perhaps you have always wanted to travel to another country to work with underserved communities. Make that a long-term goal and start by working with underserved communities in your own town. Or make it a goal to share more and more and set a benchmark for sharing your time.
Once you’ve made a list of goals, examine what you are already doing to move closer to meeting those goals. Now is the time to be brutally honest. Ask yourself, what could you be doing more of? Where are the gaps between your desires and your reality? What do you need to do to narrow those gaps?
Make a list of all activities that could help propel you closer to your goal. Write everything that comes to mind, even if it seems unrealistic at the moment. Then choose four things that really resonate with you and can easily be slipped into your week. If there is something that really calls to you, but isn’t attainable right now, take note and turn it into a long-term goal.
The Kabbalah Centre teaches that we should always strive to do more. The key to continuing on the path to transformation is constant reflection. It is necessary to pause periodically and look back at what we’ve accomplished and ask ourselves: How can I do more? Our spiritual goals need not be set in stone. They can and should evolve as we do, becoming bigger as our capacity to make significant changes in the world increases. As we grow, so do our spiritual responsibilities.
If setting spiritual goals feels overwhelming and you’re not sure where to start, consider making time for volunteer work each month. Sharing is an important way to connect with others and bring more Light into the world. When you begin to feel comfortable with that, try increasing the time that you give or start to volunteer weekly. The Kabbalah Centre teaches that stepping outside of our comfort zone (especially when sharing) helps us to reveal the most Light. If you don’t already, you may also want to set aside time to connect with a spiritual advisor or reflect weekly. Consciousness is key to personal growth.
“We have no time to spare,” says Michael Berg, “and we must build our entire lives toward achieving transformation.” By creating spiritual goals and working towards them efficiently, we can not only bring more Light into the world, we set ourselves up for reaching our highest potential in this lifetime.
