Act Your Age Not Your Shoe Size

So my new laptop was just not meant to be. I originally had invested in what i thought was a really awesome i3 processor and it was funky looking to boot..i mean it was a great deal and i was super excited! When I told my supervisor at work that i had gotten the i3..she looked at me in dismay..but i thought you were going to get the i5?

I explained that i really have no need for that kind of processor, I'm not a gamer by any means..the i3 suited my needs just fine..and besides it was about $200 cheaper..for the i3..she looked at me..shook her head..girl, don't you know that you always go for one step higher than what you need? You never buy what you need now! what happens when you start school again? You don't know what kind of programs you need to be running..

That lesson made an impression on me. Always aim higher that what you have now..aim higher than what you need. (I went back an exchanged it for an i5, it is waaay cool!) Everyone has heard the old quote..

Reach for the Moon, Even if You Miss You'll Land Among the STARS

When I was looking into seminaries (many eons ago) I looked into places that were slightly higher than where i was holding then. Sure it would have been easier, less complicated, and more comfortable to attend a school which was geared to girls at my level and continued at that same plane..but where is the challenge in that? Where is the growth?

When a person is training..first you start at your level..then the only way to advance is to raise the bar slightly higher than where you are now. If you always stay here you are never moving..your never growing..your not changing. 

R'Noach Weinberg z"l, in his 48 ways of Wisdom classes, talks about this concept. He says that a 5 year old acting like a 5 year old is precious, its beautiful..but if you have a ten year old acting like a 5 year old? a tragedy! He goes on and on..a ten year old is beautiful..but a 15 year old acting like a ten year old? Tragic! 

At these ages we expect development,...we expect change in young children. But when does the expectation stop? A 15 yr old is beautiful..but a 20 year old acting like he is 15 -TRAGEDY! and this next one struck me..and what about a 25 year old acting like a 20 year old? is that tragic?

I'm not quite yet 25 but I'm on my way..how different am I today at 22 than when I was 20? Am I going to be a tragedy at 25 because i never aimed to change? Because I never strove for anything greater than what i am now? Complacency, says Rebbitzen Heller, is death in living. We can never just sit and say that this is good enough...that this enough for me...always strive to be a little better..even if it puts you out a few more dollars..even if it does make you uncomfortable..bcz that is the only way we will achieve greatness. 

Better to be the tail of the lion than the head of a fox

If we can take the message of the Mishna to heart..and really apply it..its incredible the growth we will see.. 

May we all be zocheh to use every day for growth..so we can look back and see the change in our years..

may any inspiration from this post be a zechut for a refuah shelaima for R' Asher Ben Gohar