SEFIROT OF THE SEFIRAT HAOMER

By: Rabbi Yitzchak Schwartz

GVURA—the empowerment of
SAYING NO

***NO CAN BE EMPOWERING

Although saying no, by definition, would seem to be dis empowering , when
you look closer at the impactcaused by saying a good, well placed 'NO',
you'll findit to be very empowering.....and that's the way it should be---we
are after all dealing with the expression of one of the Holy Sefirot, and
when it is expressed properly and harmoniously, it [like all other Sefirotic
expressions] possessesthe means to empower and elevate and sanctify our
lives....

Let’s explore what type of 'No Sayings'in our own past have been
empowering--and we will derive from these, the lessons required to
empower our lives now and in the future

***GVURA IS SAYING NO

Let’s take a step backwards….lets’ examine a list of descriptive terms that
desribe the Sefira GVURA [drawn from a variety of sources]….our goal is
to see how SAYING NO is [at least one] theme that is central to all these
terms;

1. restraint
2. discipline
3. judgement
4. justice [DIN}
5. boundaries
6. fear [of losing something good]
7. rejection
8. strength
9. rebuke
10. constrict [conceal]

When we examine these terms, we can see that the functional feature at
work---the inner voice common to all the terms is SAYING NO…..whether
we restrain, we fear, we are repulse or repulse others, we exercise restraint
or we display strength---we activate the inner directive of SAYING NO

***EMPOWERED NO SAYING FROM THE PAST

Let’s now take a look at a possible list of empowered no sayings that we
may have experienced in the past [it’s actually a list that I came up with
upon examining my own most empowering no sayings]….let’s try to
discover from the list the factors or tools that empowered us, so that we can
derive these tools or meditations for facillitating future empowered no
sayings;

1. refusing to say yes if there’s a strong INNER NO
2. refusing to say yes when it contradicts my inner lower self
3. saying no to worry
4. saying no being in need of finding favor in the eyes of others
5. saying no to commitments that do not represent my total self
expression
6. saying no to in authenticity
7. saying no to lack of total utilization of my resources
8. saying no to a situation where I find myself being used, abused,
controlled, intruded upon, taken advantage of or enslaved by others
9. saying no to wasting time
10. saying no to surviving rather than thriving
11. saying no to settling for less than the best for my beloved ones
12. saying no to senselessly just doing what everyone else is doing
13. saying no to being overwhelmed and overextended
14. saying no to danger
15. saying no to risky , doubtful commitments
16. saying no to non-holistic partial conclusions

SAYING NO EMPOWERMENTS

RE-EMPOWERMENTS

A. Recall past empowerments [see the list above to
guide you to discover your own most empowered no sayings]
and experience the empowerment that you gained.

B. Examine which 2 or 3 factors empowered you the
most in your past empowerments [like the feeling of
liberation or transcending…etc…]

C. Now identify the possible dis-empowerments that
you expect or anticipate to cope with in the future [similar
to your past dis-empowerments that you needed to
overcome most likely]

D. Now re-empower yourself by drawing on your best
past 2 or 3 empowering feelings [B above] to say No to
your present and anticipated future disempowerments.

CAN’T STAND IT ANYMORE TRANSFORMING

A. Identify the challenge[s] of your life that are
intolerable.

B. Experience the full emotional impact of this
intolerable experience….work yourself up to
the point where you simply cannot stand it
anymore---where anything would be preferable.

C. SAY NO in one of 2 ways;

1. Allow a whole new way of coping or way of being
enter your mind and go with it.

2. Create or Co-create or project a brand new
way of coping or a brand new set of circumstances….


Blessings,

yitzchak

Website: http://www.paradiseprinciple.com/

Email: yitzchakschwartz@msn.com