My Mindset for Rosh Hashana and the Ten Days of Repentance

Rosh Hashana and the Ten Days: This is THE TIME to slow down and simplify life, listen the quiet guidance of Hashem within us, and BE what it is we’ve been wanting to become!

Here we are, two days ahead of Rosh Hashana followed by the ten days of repentance. Wherever I am in the avoda of teshuva, tzedakah and tefilla, I am now slowing down the actions and concentrating more on the mindset conducive to connecting to myself and to Hashem on a deeper and more real level.

Rosh Hashana and the ten days of repentance are where the mindset, which leads to a heart-set, really count. Because it’s our heart that Hashem examines during this time, right? This is THE TIME to slow down and simplify life, listen the quiet guidance of Hashem within us, and BE what it is we’ve been wanting to become.

On the first day of Rosh Hashana we read about Yishmael and the concept of Ba’asher hu sham. The concept that Hashem judges us based on who it is we are at this very moment – our mindset and what is in our heart right now, as opposed to what we were yesterday or what we may do in the future.

I want to share with you my personal three-part plan for these high and holy days. It’s a three-part plan for my mindset and for what I will be putting my attention on in light of the above ba’asher hu sham concept.

The concept that Hashem judges us based on who it is we are at this very moment – our mindset and what is in our heart right now!

First and foremost: to remove my masks – the way my prideful, ego-driven self, portrays itself to people. Because if I have a mask on, how can I expect Hashem to judge the real me? And to bestow the real me with a sweet new year? So, I am going to try really hard to be real and ego-less. I know, good luck with that one!

Secondly, I’m going to focus on everything that I DO have; on all the abundance that Hashem has indeed bestowed upon me and my family.  NOT on what I don’t have and why don’t I have it. I have, I have, I have… I have a good husband and healthy kids. I have a home, food, clothes, friends, teachers, shlichim, health. I have!

It’s our heart that Hashem examines during this time!

Finally, I’m going to focus on and remind myself that God is good and everything He does is good.  Yes, I know this is for a fact, but with the world the way it is right now, my stress and anxiety is often through the roof because things don’t exactly look that good sometimes. But on Rosh Hashana and the ten days of repentance, I am putting  the anxiety aside and focusing on the ultimate reality – God is good, God is good, God is good. Even though I don’t understand anything about the way God runs this world I know that He is Good and He does only good. God is Good. God is Good. God is Good.

By the way I’m writing all of these points down for myself on a sticky note and posting it on the fridge and in my siddur because otherwise I for sure will FORGET. The yetzer hara literally makes us forget the most simple and the most important things! And before we know it, right there on the Day of Judgement we are thinking about everything we didn’t do, didn’t become, don’t have, and what will be… and the anxiety and negativity goes through the roof. We don’t want that to happen because Hashem judges us according to the concept of ba’asher hu sham – the person we are right at this moment.

What will you be putting your attention on? What will be your mindset, what will be in your heart, what will your energy be like, your emotional state? Jot down a plan and come prepared on the Day of Judgement and the days following it. May you reap the sweetest blessings for the coming year!

Kesiva ve’chasima tova!