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Articles -
Holidays
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Atone:
"At One" to Prosper
by Marilyn
Jenett
Yom Kippur
We
are in the midst of the Jewish High Holidays and this
Sunday at sundown begins the most important holiday in the Jewish
calendar.
In reflecting on the meaning of this holiest of days in Judaism, I ask
myself, do we have to be Jewish to benefit from the meaning and the
message it provides? The meaning is a universal one, a human one, not
just a Jewish one. More specifically, it's a spiritual one - very much
aligned with our prosperity work in the areas of forgiveness and
release and our oneness in Spirit.
I have written at Christmas about the birth of a new "anointed"
consciousness and the importance of being a good receiver as well as
giver; at Easter as a time to resurrect our dreams and desires and
nurture them with prosperous and life-enhancing thoughts; at
Independence Day about our personal freedom from the tyranny of
negative thinking and past conditioning.
Born a Jew, I removed myself from the practice, culture and tradition
early in life in order to follow my chosen spiritual path instead of a
religious one. I have no affiliation to religion, but have always
believed that the common denominator in all religions should be the
love for the Creator and love for all mankind (and that includes
ourselves), and religion should serve as a path to a personal
connection to the Source.
I feel drawn to reflect on the powerful wisdom that this Jewish holiday
provides and ask you to reflect on its meaning for your own spiritual
growth and prosperity consciousness.
From www.answers.com/topic/yom-kippur:
Honest self-examination,
communication with one's Maker, commitment to
become a better person — all these are encouraged throughout the year
in various religious systems, but there is one day on the Jewish
calendar that is tailor-made for such activities: Yom Kippur, the Day
of Atonement.
Yom Kippur is celebrated on the tenth day of Tishri, i.e., ten days
after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It is the culmination of ten
days marked by increased levels of prayer, charity and other good
deeds, and the seeking of forgiveness from anyone one has harmed,
purposely or inadvertently, during the previous year.
This day, the holiest and most solemn in Judaism, is also among the
most joyous, as it affords one the opportunity to rectify past wrongs
and face the future with a slate wiped clean.
Formerly
on www.everythingjewish.com:
…Everyone's reason is
different, but what doesn't change, is the
acknowledgment of the power and awesome consequences of Yom Kippur. Yom
Kippur makes you stop and consider your behavior toward man and G-d.
Too often, our lives, our families and our businesses get in the way
the rest of the year. Immersing oneself in the day's prayers and
confessions helps to level the playing field.
In the synagogue, you can sit next to the head of a giant corporation
or you can sit next to a clerk in a store or an office. It doesn't
matter to G-d, and that is something too often forgotten in the hectic
pace of life.
On Yom Kippur, we are reminded that what we do for a living has no
correlation to our worthiness before G-d. Everyone is equal. The only
thing that matters is our behavior to our friends, our spouses, our
parents, our children, and our community. Succeed in these areas, and
the reward in the world to come and in your lifetime, will outweigh
even the richest and most famous.
Maybe that is why Jews all over the world dedicate Yom Kippur to their
spiritual well being more than any other holiday in the Jewish
calendar.
[End
of excerpts]
Atonement:
Amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong
Atone:
To make amends or reparation
Atone:
To bring into unity, harmony, concord, etc. (obsolete)
I like the obsolete definition of atone. And my definition: Atone = At One
Here is
something that I would like you to contemplate…
In
our prosperity work, it is often easy for us to recognize those hurts
and resentments that we harbor or have buried as a result of the wrongs
– perceived or real – that others have done to us. Lesson Four of the Feel Free to Prosper
program deals with the release
and forgiveness of the thoughts and emotions that prevent us from
becoming open channels to the prosperity that we want in our lives and
that interfere with our mental and physical health.
Do we give
as much thought to whom WE may have hurt in the past and the effect it
may have had on their own consciousness as well as ours? The fact that
we all have situations to atone for – and these may be minor
infractions or they may be of major consequence – means that buried in
our own consciousness are the remnants of those deeds and the negative
emotions (guilt, sorrow, unexpressed remorse, etc.) that also serve to
interfere with our ability to grow and prosper.
Do we give
thought to how we have hurt ourselves in the past and how the lack of
self forgiveness also interferes with our growth?
Isn’t this holiday a good reminder for all of us – Jewish or not - to
“face the future with a slate wiped clean?”
Sometimes
we can make physical amends and connect with those we have wronged in
the past. I have a good friend who told me one year about a situation
in high school when he had treated a female friend badly while they
were out socializing and it ended the friendship. Now in his 30s, he
couldn’t stop thinking about what he had done, which was not in line
with his character, and he went on a search to find her to
apologize. I have great respect for him for doing that. His soul needed
to be free of the buried emotions connected with the event but he was
truly sorry for the pain he may have caused her. I recall the movie Flatliners some
years back that dealt with this very theme.
It
is not always possible to make physical amends to others if they are no
longer in our lives or have died, but we can atone in Spirit, ask their
forgiveness through Spirit, and release in our consciousness the
burdens that are holding us back. We are all connected in Spirit and
they will hear us in Spirit. And Spirit will smile on us. We will be At
One.
~ Marilyn
Many
situations in life can be resolved and healed, and peace and harmony
expressed, by a special spiritual practice known as "release." It is
the fastest, surest way to turn situations around in human
relationships - at home or in business - and also to "let go" to allow
the Universe to manifest our desires in all areas of life. Read about
the Release
is Magnetic Audio Program here.
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PERMISSION
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in
print, as long as the following text is included and the article
appears in its entirety and unchanged.
© Copyright 2009 Marilyn Jenett, Feel Free to Prosper
All rights reserved
Marilyn
Jenett, an accomplished business owner in the corporate arena, founded
the Feel Free to Prosper program to mentor and teach others to become
aligned with Universal laws and accept their right to prosper. For more
information, visit
www.FeelFreetoProsper.com.
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