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This post is part of Jewels of Elul, which celebrates the Jewish tradition to dedicate the 29 days of the month of Elul to growth and discovery in preparation for the coming high holy days. This year the program is benefiting Beit T’shuvah, a residential addiction treatment center in Los Angeles. You can subscribe on Jewels of Elul to receive inspirational reflections from public figures each day of the month. You don’t have to be on the blog tour to write a blog post on “The Art of Beginning… Again”. We invite everyone to post this month (August 11th - September 8th) with Jewels of Elul to grow and learn.

Ain Sof

In every moment you are a blank canvas.

You know how they say the human body regenerates itself, replacing each of its own cells, every seven years? Well, it’s not precisely true. But it’s interesting to ponder nonetheless the capacity of the human being to regenerate at least parts of itself — indeed for all of nature to essentially will itself into being, and to recreate and reiterate itself against the onslaught of one’s perpetual demise.

In every moment you are a blank canvas.

It is professed in the Jewish tradition that in each moment the Universe wills itself into being through a conscious act of creation. Each form that the Universe takes, from the tiniest atom to the densest star, from the most insignificant microbe to the most terrifyingly mammoth giant squid, from the simple perfection of the DNA strand to the chaotic complexity of the human imagination: all of this and everything else is an intentional act of the Creator.

In every moment you are a blank canvas.

About that human imagination, about how we imagine ourselves: As we are made in the image of the Creator, so too we are the Creator of ourselves. Just as the Universe wills itself into being in every moment, so too we will ourselves into being in every moment and at every moment we are choosing who and how we wish to be.

In every moment you are a blank canvas.

Therefore in every moment, at all times ad infinitum, we are in control of (at least part of) our destinies and capable of manifesting our little portion of the Universe in accordance with our own will.

In every moment you are a blank canvas.

Which is great news, in fact. Because that means every human being has the potential to be the best they imagine themselves to be — to defy expectations and to rise to exceptionality and spectacularity. It is our choice in every moment, just as the Creator is faced with a choice in every moment: “Do I wish to manifest myself into [INSERT YOUR NAME HERE]?” — your choice is, “Do I wish to manifest myself into this version of [INSERT YOUR NAME HERE]?”

In every moment you are a blank canvas.

The merit of our human existence is what we choose to do with the choices we are given. We most honor the Creator who chooses to give us life and Choice, by choosing to be the best possible versions of ourselves. Because the Truth is, we’re not merely made in the image of the Creator, we’re made of the Creator. And how we treat ourselves, each other, the planet, and everything in the Universe is really all about how we treat our Self, because we’re all the One. Seen?

In every moment you are a blank canvas.

So honor the Creator, and others, and yourself, ie., You — honor Yourself — by being the best You that You can be. Because You are the Creator and you need to stop hitting Yourself. Why are you hitting Yourself? God, please stop hitting Yourself.

In every moment you are a blank canvas.

Ignore every fatal instinct. What you’ve got to work with is completely irrelevant.  It’s all about what you do with it.

You are the Creator. Your moment is now. Go do You.

Be who You are. That Which Will Be.

In every moment you are a blank canvas.