Move Towards the Light

Watch Related Video

There is a story I heard some time ago about a man named Rabbi Akiva, who lived in Palestine. He was considered an extremely good person and also a sage. He became the greatest scholar of his time (he lived in the second century) by his consistency. He attended school later in life, at age 40, and it was at this same age of 40 that he became a ba’al teshuba (a Jew who returned to traditional Judiasm). Prior to that time, it is said he actually hated the Jewish sages.

Following the Bar Kochba rebellion against the Romans, the then rulers of Palestine, in about 82 A.D., it was ordered that Rabbi Akiva be executed publicly. When the day for Akiva’s execution came, all of his students were in shock that such a great man could be executed. They could not believe that such a good man could be unfairly and wrongly executed. However, the Rabbi did not care who was responsible for the injustice against him, and he was very calm and content. He was not concerned with blaming anyone else for what had happened to him, and chose not to be angry, fearful, or sad. He was being executed because he had violated the Roman decree of not teaching Torah in public. He had been warned, but had disobeyed, because in his opinion Jews without Torah are like fish out of water-they will soon die. Several other sages had been executed for exactly the same reason prior to Rabbi Akiva’s execution.

What is so powerful about this portion of the story is that most of us in this sort of situation would be concerned about being a victim. Most of us are always looking for one reason or another to label ourselves a victim. Someone else is responsible for an injustice against us or whatever else may have happened to us. It seems we have never possibly brought misfortune upon ourselves. Even those of us who have done something wrong never feel as if punishment is deserved. A great many people out there spend their entire lives blaming others for the circumstances that they face.

As Rabbi Akiva was being executed, the students standing near him were very upset about the tragedy and injustice occurring before their eyes. They asked him how he could appear so serene while he was about to be burned to death. He answered them that it was because he previously wasn’t sure if he would ever have had the chance to do a Kiddish Hashem (public sanctification of God’s name) before he died, and now he had that opportunity-by saying the Shema (a common Jewish prayer) as he was dying. In reality this would be the best moment of his life on earth.

When I first heard this story I wondered to myself how this particular episode could be the best moment in his life. How could a man about to be executed for a crime, which should have never been classified as a crime in the first place, believe that what was about to happen to him was going to be the best moment in his life? What good can possibly come out of accusing and killing an innocent man?

The reason that I believe Rabbi Akiva approached this the way he did was because he had been given the opportunity to come face to face with evil. He chose to see the worst thing that could possibly happen to him as an opportunity to confront and to rise above evil. He chose to see this act against him as a service to God, and an opportunity to resist becoming angry, blameful and negative. Instead, he confronted his execution with calmness and conviction, choosing to be a force for good in the world.

One of the most negative things we can do is leave our minds open to others’ negative influences. When most of us come face to face with negative influences, thoughts and ideas, we too turn negative. There is a lot of noise out there in the world, and most people in the world become one with this noise instead of resisting it. For example, in facing an unjust execution, most ordinary men would be led kicking and screaming to their death. Here however, Rabbi Akiva faced his execution with calmness and conviction, despite being wrongfully sentenced to death.

Life is about dealing with positively and negatively charged poles–light and darkness. Every situation and every emotion has its opposite, just as life itself has its opposite. We are continually facing either positive people and circumstances, or negative people and circumstances. We are facing the opportunity to move to the side of negativity, or the opportunity move to the side of positivity. Life is a struggle between bringing the light into our lives and bringing the darkness into our lives.

• When we see a child smile at us, it brings light into our lives.
• When we meet someone and have a connection with him or her, it brings light into our lives.
• When we get our dream job, it brings light into our lives.
• When we get a promotion, or a raise, it brings light into our lives.

The best moments in our lives are when we allow the light to overcome us, and the worst moments are when we allow the darkness to overcome us. Darkness is represented by many things:

• When someone attacks us, or accuses us unjustly of something, it brings darkness into our lives.
• When we are in a situation wherein we and/or others are gossiping negatively about someone, it brings darkness into our lives.
• When we cheat, lie, or steal, it brings darkness into our lives.
• When we try to hurt others, it brings darkness into our lives.

The way you think on a day-to-day basis, the people you associate with, the places you go, the things you do, what you read, what you watch on television and the things you say are all an expression of either darkness or light, the positive or negative.

What does any of this have to do with your career and life? I believe that what I have described above is among the most powerful of lessons that you can ever learn. When you are overcome by the light, the light cannot help but be part of who you are, a part of your entire world. The more time you spend around the light and what is positive, the more your life is likely to be positive as well. If you spent all of your time hanging around drug dealers it would probably be very difficult for you to remain part of the light. Similarly, if you spent all of your time hanging out in a bar in a bad neighborhood with a bunch of drunks and strippers, it would also be very difficult for you to remain part of the light.

The light is everything that is positive and good in the world. The power of the light is something that transforms all those who are around it. You should do everything within your power to remain connected to the light. The more you are around the light, the more you become like the light. Your goal should be to become like the light and maintain contact with what is good, positive, happy, spiritual and uplifting. Similarly, at the same time you should be doing everything within your power to avoid darkness.

• You can move towards the light by–rather than looking for what is wrong, looking for what is right about your life and the people in it.
• You can move toward the light by–rather than trying to get revenge, offering forgiveness.
• You can move towards the light by-rather than worrying, taking charge of your situation.
• You can move towards the light by–rather than fearing something, becoming courageous.
• You can move towards the light by–rather than associating with bad people, associating with good people.
• You can move towards the light by–rather than raising your voice and getting angry, approaching the situation calmly and in a friendly manner.
• You can move towards the light by–rather than talking badly about others, refusing to participate in such discussions.
• You can move towards the light by–rather than complaining about your life and the people in it, appreciating all of it.
• You can move towards the light by–rather than doing something destructive, doing something constructive.
• You can move towards the light by–rather than not working and being productive, working and being productive.
• You can move towards the light by–rather than being a victim, deciding to be the one in control.
• You can move towards the light by–rather than taking from others, giving to others.

The best piece of career advice I can give you is to always do everything within your power to move towards the light–and never away from it. The more you truly live going towards the light, the happier, more fulfilled and better off you will be. The more you are going away from the light, the more pain and suffering you will encounter in your life.

INTERESTED IN IMPROVING YOUR CAREER? CHECK OUT …

THE CAREER TRANSFORMATION SYSTEM™ the most powerful and controversial career strategies ever revealed. SIGN UP NOW!

Resources
Search Jobs
Post Your Resume to 65+ Job Sites
Resume Service

Related posts:

1. The Power of Resistance in Your Career and Life
2. You Need to be in Favor with the Right People
3. The Greater Your Purpose, the Greater the Obstacles You Will Face
4. Surround Yourself with Positive People
5. Look for the Cause
6. The Power of the Positive