The owner of a modest grocery store foresees a serious blow to his business when two sizable supermarkets suddenly open on either side of his shop.
Determined to succeed, he quickly erects a large sign on his front door that reads “Main Entrance…”
We are all surrounded by major supermarkets. Mega influencing factors surround us.
And it can sometimes feel like we are swallowed up by our environment. “What do you expect from me? This is the environment I find myself in!”
Here we have a powerful lesson. No one can decide where our main entrance is. That is a decision we have to make. Once we decide where the main entrance is, we are in control of the situation!
Neighbors and neighboring situations can throw ideas at us. But, only we can decide what will enter our heads. Mankind has been granted the biggest gift, freedom of choice. We choose what and who shall enter.
It gets better. Once we open our main entrance, we can positively change the “great influences” that surround us. A small candle dispels a lot of darkness. When we frame our interactions with a mindset of positively impacting those around us, the chain reaction we trigger can have an incredibly far reaching effect.
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Mendy
