Rebuilding Series: One Tilt Can Change Your Life. By Marshall Lestz

Rebuilding Series: One Tilt Can Change Your Life. By Marshall Lestz
Good Morning Everybody,
When I was a kid, and I’d go with my mom or dad in the car, I used to love sticking my hand out the window when we were going fast. I don’t know if this was a common “kid thing” to do or not…. But maybe you remember doing this– if you were sitting in the backseat behind the driver and you stuck your left hand out the window with your hand flat, palm facing down, nothing would happen– the air would just blow right past your hand. But if you ever so slightly tilted your hand clockwise down, the wind would immediately push your hand down. And if you tilted it ever so slightly counterclockwise, it would send it flying upwards.
I was thinking… as we approach another new year, we can sometimes psych ourselves out that we need to make giant changes in our lives. But big improvements don’t always require big changes. Oftentimes, we simply need to tilt in a different direction.
Just like holding your hand out the window– when you hold your hand flat and do nothing…nothing changes. Status quo. But one little tilt in the right direction can help us start flying. We begin to soar!
And it’s interesting…that little positive “tilt” can set us on a course to making great progress in two different ways. (At least 2 different ways.) It can lead to slow gradual progress, which over time adds up and up and UP. That’s the most common way personal growth occurs. But sometimes one little “tilt” leads to extremely fast growth.
I remember, about 25 years ago, I wasn’t davening any of the formal daily prayer services. I didn’t even know such prayer services existed. But as I started learning more about Judaism, I eventually decided to set a goal to attend morning services once or twice a week. And after I did, an incredible thing happened– I went every single day. The reason I call it incredible is because I didn’t need to force myself or use any willpower at all. The motivation was just there. Something clicked; it was like Hashem just needed me to make the first move. It was a tremendous gift.
When we make a tiny little tilt in the right direction, Hashem helps us soar. It’ll typically happen slowly and involve our ongoing effort. Which is beautiful and heroic. But it can also happen much more quickly. Which we shouldn’t expect, but I think it is worth knowing that it can happen… we’ll never know unless we try.
So what’s that little “tilt” you’re ready to make?… Or that you want to make but feel apprehensive about? Or you deep down know you should make but have been putting off?
Don’t look at it as a huge, giant undertaking. Just look at it as a tiny little tilt.
A gentle tilt, that with Hashem’s help, has the potential to take you to incredible heights.
Have an up, up and away kind of day everybody,
Marshall
Keep on Building!