Life is traumatic; it's not just you; it's all of us; we're all traumatized by life in this world. Why? Simple; you carry a divine soul enclothed in a human body compelled to work with a materialistic world to achieve its ultimate mission. It's no surprise that we feel the way we do.
The solution to this human challenge can be found in this week's Torah portion Chayei Sarah. The Torah tells us that Abraham, the first Jew, was 137 years old and had just lost the love of his life, his soulmate and partner in all things, Sarah. At this point, Abraham has experienced countless traumas: leaving his home, being thrown into a fiery furnace, famine, almost sacrificing his son Isaac, and many others. Yes, G-d promised Avraham some great things for his faith and commitment to the divine mission, but he had yet to realize those blessings. He didn't own any of Israel, the land he had been promised; his son Yitzchok, who was to succeed him and father a multitude of people as numerous as the sand and the stars, was still single. At this point, Avraham could have been drained, depleted, and destroyed by the countless battles he had faced physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
Avraham's response to the moment is an eternal lesson for all of humanity, especially to the Jewish people, his spiritual descendants. He focused his attention on the future and took the actions necessary to move his mission forward. He purchased the Cava of Machpeila to bury his wife and start to bring Israel under his sovereignty; then, he sent his servant Eliezer to find a wife for his son. Only once he had secured the future did he look back on the challenges of his past, now with the strength to put it in the context of his journey.
Today, each of us carries the traumas of our time on earth plus the multi-generational baggage that comes with being Jewish, a people persecuted for thousands of years. If you spend too much time reflecting on the past, it will probably cripple you, at the very least, slow you down. We must keep pushing forward and focus on fulfilling our divine mission to make this world a meaningful, purposeful place for all people. Only when we are actively engaged and productive can we pause to consider how far we've come and all we've achieved.
Mission: When you feel like the past is pulling you down, push forward and get productively active. Then, once you've got positive motion, you can reflect on your past journey.