Defense

My wife and I started watching a movie last night called "Defending Your Life". The premise of the movie is that after you die you go to Judgement City where you must defend your actions throughout life and show that you faced your fears. I don't know if that will be the primary issue discussed after 120, but the idea of having to defend your actions in this world is still something that we have to keep in mind throughout everyday life.

Puzzling

I was talking to my wife in between shacharis and mincha of Yom Kippur and the discussion turned to the fact that there is a master plan for everyone and you can either choose to go along with it or you can fight against it. But either way, HaShem has a goal in mind for you and there is no other place for you to possibly fit in.
We've been very into puzzles this year and we were discussing this idea based on a puzzle metaphor. Each piece is only part of a part of the picture. It's essentially an odd shaped piece of cardboard with a few colors in obscure shapes on it. But if you find the pieces that fit around it and fill in its gaps, and the pieces whose gaps it can fill, then a picture begins to form. And the more pieces you get that can come together and complement each other, the more amazing the picture.
On the other hand, if you want to try to hide your faults and claim that they aren't there, you are a complete individual who needs help from nobody and you can do it all on your own, then you will remain that pathetically odd shaped piece of cardboard and the holes that you have will be even more noticeable than when you allowed others to help you fill them.
Additionally, there is just no way for you to fill someone else's shoes. You don't have the strengths that complement those around that other piece. You don't stick out at the right angle, or the coloring may be off. And if you try to occupy someone else's space, you leave yours empty still. The only way for the entire picture, and ultimately the entire world, to come together in a beautiful creation is for each piece and person to consciously decide to find his place. Look at his shape, his strengths and weaknesses, and see where those can be used to help others and who can help him fill in his own gaps.

Change

Obviously Aseres Yemai Teshuvah is a time for change. It's a time to honestly look in the mirror and say, "I will be different from here on out." Of course it is hard to make a complete 180 degree turn-around, but if you start with something small and build on it you can get far. The first step is making the commitment to turn that 180 degrees. Then take baby-steps in order to get there. Once you see that you can keep to a small commitment you'll realize that you can make progressively bigger ones along the way.

Wake Up

This week my wife said something to me which was kind of a wake-up call. It's something I could have brushed aside and "answered" but instead I just said, "You're absolutely right". Usually when I hear a wake-up call (whether figurative or actual) I'll hit the snooze and keep on sleeping, but I think it's important, especially at this time of year, to not do that. Don't make excuses or brush things off to the side. When that alarm comes and you know deep inside that you should listen to it and wake up, do yourself the favor and wake up.