Hello Mi Neighbour | Learn quickly, live wisely and enjoy life completely

Hello mi neighbour! Even if you are rushing, please pause a minute for some words of wisdom about life. My sharing partner today is Rabbi Henry Sacks, British Orthodox Rabbi, philosopher, theologian, author and politician. These free words could save you millions!

“Wisdom is free, yet it is also the most expensive thing there is, for we tend to acquire it through failure, disappointment”, and sometimes grief. If wisdom can be acquired, vicariously, from the mistakes of others, we could save unnecessary heartache, pain and misery. Let’s learn quickly, live wisely and enjoy life completely.

Sometimes the wisdom gained through painful experiences provides no benefit for the individual due to the brevity of time. The elderly executive who left his elderly wife for a younger woman, because she was better able to ‘execute,’ soon found that within a short while the youngster was moving on to greener pastures because he could no longer ‘execute’. Could he enter his mother’s womb and become young all over? No way!

The Rabbi says we should always “respect others even if they disrespect us and we should not seek publicity for what we do. If we deserve it, we will receive it”. It is important to note that we are the greatest beneficiaries of the good or evil that we do to others. Do good, always.

A word from the wise to the wise and otherwise is that shortcuts often stymie one’s progress because true success and achievement come with great effort and hard work. The Rabbi advises that we “keep our distance from those who seek honour” and be careful about those who are consumed by self-love. They will shred you and find another victim as quickly as a leaf quietly falls to the ground.

‘The great judge’

In our interactions and decision-makings, we must be mindful that God sees all that we do. Whenever we deceive others and cut corners, etc., we do so to our own hurt. Be careful. People who are quick to judge others are seldom correct, and will be judged by the Great Judge. Please note.

Time, being short, must be used wisely: not to be wasted on poisonous gossip, caustic envying, destructive anger or malicious criticisms, but in building and empowering one another for the betterment of the human race. Every moment spent doing a good deed on behalf of someone else is time well spent.

Because life can be demanding and stressful, we should not allow people who are careless, cruel, thoughtless, offensive, arrogant, harsh, destructive, insensitive, and rude to sap our energy and rob us of our daily blessings. Let’s bear in mind that some of them may have serious issues which are not being treated.

To survive in any environment, befriend the strong if you are weak. Collaboration with others who have different gifts is always a plus for success. If something goes wrong, take it easy with the blame game and ask, “how can I help to put it right?”

If you want others to give, you must give. If you want others to respect you, you must show your respect for them. If you want others to smile, you must smile. Oftentimes, “how the world treats us is a mirror of how we treat the world. Be patient. Sometimes the world is slower than you are”.

PLEEEASSE, help someone from list below.

THANKS TO NEIGHBOURS

- Support Angela, St Andrew, for clothing for entire family.

- Annmarie, for food items.

- Annette, for food items.

NEIGHBOURS’ REQUESTS

- Sheron, St Mary, asking for concrete ply to construct bathroom.

- Mays, Westmoreland, asking for two doors.

- Joyce, needs a pair of size seven shoes for grandson attending high school.

- JD, Kingston, needs small and XL clothing for female. Sizes seven and nine shoes also.

To help, please call Silton Townsend @ 334-8165, 884-3866, or deposit to acct # 351 044 276 NCB. Alternatively, send donations to HELLO NEIGHBOUR c/o 53 Half-Way Tree Road, Kingston 10; Paypal/credit card: email: zicron22@yahoo.com. Contact email: helloneighbour@yahoo.com. Visit hellomineighbourja.blogspot.com. Mr Townsend exclusively manages the collections and distributions mentioned in this column and is neither an employee nor agent of The Gleaner.