What if I don't have to... I GET to? What if instead of performing a mitzvah, you live the mitzvah? What if you do it with actual joy? That was what caused Noach to have chen in the eyes of H'shem, says Rav Moshe Feinstein. Every mitzvah Noach performed, he did joyfully. If every other New Year's resolution you took on flies like the wind and only this stays, you will have revolutionized your entire life and caused H'shem and others to be drawn to you. So forget the long list. Forget the guilt. Forget trying to be perfect. Just shift from performing to living. From "I have to" to "I'm privileged to ." From going through the motions to actually enjoying it. That's it. That's the whole revolution. Live it.

  The Biderman brings down from the Arizal a haftacha :  Whoever rejoices throughout all seven days of Sukkot is promised a good year. Think about that. Not just hoping for a good year. Not just praying for one. But actually receiving a promise - simply by choosing joy. We just came through Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur - where we stood in judgment and our fate was written and sealed. And then... Sukkot arrives. We step into fragile huts, and the Torah commands us to rejoice . That's the sukkah's lesson. We're vulnerable and exposed, but not afraid. Because we trust. Let's get practical How can we get this done: The mind cannot do two things at once. When you're truly grateful, you can't be upset. When you're genuinely happy, you can't be angry. When you truly recognize that H'shem is in charge - you can lean on Him. You can push away anger and disappointment because you trust that H'shem will fix everything. So choose joy these seven day...

  Rav Jonathan Sacks z"l taught that we as a people must take responsibility for our actions and the reactions they cause. While everything ultimately comes from H’Shem, as humans, we must acknowledge the consequences of our choices. H’Shem created a perfect world—as stated in Bereshit seven times—and it is through human free will that we either preserve or disrupt this perfection. We have the choice to recognize the beauty in H’Shem's creation and enhance it, or to misuse it and bring suffering upon ourselves. H’Shem loves us unconditionally and awaits our return. He desires for us to see the uniqueness in one another and recognize that each person has something valuable to contribute to His nation. When we genuinely celebrate the success and good fortune of others, we demonstrate to H’Shem how much we value His happiness. Conversely, when we harbor jealousy and question why others prosper, we reveal that we consider H’Shem's joy in His other children unimportant. H’S...