THOUGHT OF THE WEEK - 01.24.25

If you seek sudden inspiration, then work at it every day for a year or a lifetime. That is how it comes. As a famous golfer is said to have said when asked for the secret of his success: “I was just lucky. But the funny thing is that the harder I practice, the luckier I become.”

The more you seek spiritual heights, the more you need the ritual and routine of halacha, the Jewish “way” to God. ? This is a direct quote from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

We live in a world of silver bullets, immediate gratification, and instant change. I call it the “what have you done for me lately” society.???? On a daily basis, I’m asked for my opinion on psychedelic-assisted therapy; is it good, is it bad, and should I or shouldn’t I do it? ?

I don’t want to get into my personal view on psychedelic-assisted therapy or psychedelic journeys in general, other than to say there is a place for it in society, just as there is a place for gastric-bypass surgery and a place for medication-assisted drug treatment, etc. ? Yet—and most importantly—these are tools, not silver bullets. If you have gastric-bypass surgery and don’t treat the underlying source of the pain, then it’s very possible you will end up gaining back the weight that the surgery helped you lose.??

Just like drugs and alcohol are a short-term solution to a long-term problem, so too can recovery, self-help, and immediate gratification be a short-term solution to a long-term problem.?? Recovery solutions that have immediate effects i.e., psychedelic-assisted therapy are incredible springboards that can accelerate years of therapy, yet they are a tool and a means to an end, not the end itself.

There are no such things as shortcuts without hard work attached. Overnight success happens overnight...?in 20 years.?? How do I stay accountable to a process that takes so long to show results? ?

I would truly love to hear your feedback on that question. ? My answer is routine. Daily gratitude, daily meditation, daily exercise, daily prayer, daily writing, daily devotion to your goals even if they are 5, 10, 20 years off. It’s truly the hard work that pays off, not the results. The results are the confirmation that the hard work was worth it. ?

This week, create a routine and stick to it. You may not know it and you may not feel it, yet I swear it will have a positive impact on your life. ?

Accountability, Community, Unconditional Love

Asher

I want to remind all?of?you that you can hear more on my?podcast, Showing Up. We have lots?of?amazing shows with interesting guests on a variety?of?personal development topics. It would be great if you could also rate 5 stars, review and subscribe to?the?show.?https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/showing-up-with-asher-gottesman/id1489856285y?