MISHIGAS

My grandparents spoke a language called Yiddish.  It is a combination of German, Hebrew, and their local Belarusian- Lithuanian dialects.  Today it is considered to be an endangered language because according to Wikipedia:

Eighty-five percent of the approximately six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust were Yiddish speakers, leading to a massive decline in the use of the language.

I often wish that I was more fluent in Yiddish, because there is an expressive use of words in that language, that we don’t have in the English language.  We often find ourselves awkwardly trying to translate such emotionally rich expressions.  In this article I am going to to give you a few examples.  The first word is  spilkes. This translates as “ants in your pants” which is another way of saying that a person is extremely restless and they can’t settle down and they can’t sit still.  Saying that a person has spilkes is  so much more expressive than saying they can’t sit still.

The second word is mishigas or mishigahsa , and that is what I would like to discuss in this article.

Mishigas  roughly translates as a superstitious type belief that an individual strongly believes to be true.

For instance,  if someone believes strongly that walking under a ladder or breaking a mirror, or stepping on a crack in the sidewalk,  or Friday the thirteenth will bring them bad luck, then that could be considered to be their mishigas.  This also applies to that lucky hat. Remember Dumbo’s lucky feather.  In the Disney classic, he believed that he needed that feather In order to fly, when in fact, the power was actually coming from within himself and his strong beliefs.

My question to you is: what is YOUR mishigas?

It is worth taking a look at what you absolutely believe to be true .

 But for goodness sakes, do not ever insinuate anyone’s  beliefs or customs are superstitious or mishigas!  This is a recipe for disaster.  Because it is in their strong belief in their own private mishigas that gives it power.  The strong conviction, dedication and repetition can create their own placebo effect and manifestation.  Never would we want to destroy the amazing power that can be created.  And if you are in the middle of a group of believers and you declare that their convictions are merely superstition, you will be labeled as a nonbeliever and quickly shut down and shut out because we never want to disrespect or disrupt anyone else’s strong beliefs.  When someone believes something with all their heart, they do not want to be confused with the facts. This is something that no one can argue anyone out of, so save your effort and breath.

 It is very easy to get wrapped up or overly involved in other people’s strong beliefs.  My point is that sometimes it can be helpful to step back and reevaluate what is relevant for you.  Often we have to find our own way energetically.  It’s important to not put anyone else’s inner guidance above your own.  Be your own guru.  Listen to the wise one inside.  Regarding this topic, I would like to share with you another excerpt from  my book, “Empath is Not a Four-Letter Word”.

Be Your Own Guru

 I have had the privilege of knowing many amazing teachers, however, the ones who are the most admirable were the ones who taught me to rely on myself, not on them. Please take my advice, and do not give away your power. Put no other person up on a pedestal.

Everyone has strengths and flaws. No one can tell you how to live your life better than your own wise inner guide. Respect and learn from your teachers and elders. Learn from their lessons, but do not follow blindly.

I have learned that even the most acclaimed psychic forecasters are still plagued by at least a 2 percent garbage ratio. That means that most of the time, their intuitions are right on, but occasionally, they are getting garbage. The problem is that there is no way to know when that little bit of garbage is popping up.

This keeps us guessing, for if we knew everything for complete certainty, perhaps we wouldn’t live our lives fully. The important thing to remember is that no matter how powerful, famous, or amazing another person may be, always let yourself have the final word. It is your life, and no one knows how to live it better than you.

We were all  born with a very complicated bio computer called our brains, however few of us received the operations manual.  If you would like more life hacks, check out my handbook in  Part Two of my book. It offers basic guidelines in regard to proper use and maintenance of your brain and it is my best advice on how to have a happy life.