How to Overcome Fear

01/18/24 • 29 min

Meaningful Life Skills with Rabbi Simon Jacobson

One of our greatest enemies is a silent enemy. It's called fear. Its power lies not in aggression, not in violence and not in sheer fire power. Its power lies in its inconspicuous and insidious ability to paralyze us; to hold us back and prevent us from moving forward.What effect does fear have on your life? And what can we do to counter it? Being that it's not an overt enemy you really can't measure its consequences in a tangible way. But how many decisions do we not make, how many moves do we not take and how many elements in our lives would be different if fear was not holding us back?The first step to taking control of fear is identifying this invisible enemy that is lurking in shadows. The second step is then confronting and countering it. This is especially relevant in today's volatile climate, in a world with so many unknowns and uncertainties. The wars being waged, the polarization in our society, and so many other shifting standards create a deep-seated disorientation due to the ever changing landscape. There are so many turbulent factors that are contributing to a certain unease, a disruption of norms and of constants you can rely on. Without these solid foundations in place in our lives, our collective and individual fear level only rises. Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in this very pertinent discussion on fear and its consequences. Discover the secret to identifying this silent enemy and explore tools and methods to conquer the fear, and free ourselves of its invisible tentacles -- and live a liberated life, with the courage to spread your wings and actualize your greatest potential.

Previous Episode

How Hatred Consumes and Destroys

I was looking at aerial images of Gaza before and after October 7th. The sheer destruction, the tragedy, the shattered lives and losses that are all so senseless and such a waste. And I thought to myself, what is the root of it all? Why? Who needed this devastation?How could Hamas subject their own people to such utter ruin and destruction?
The answer is one simple word: hatred. It all began with the tremendous potent power of hatred. Atrocities perpetrated against innocent men, women and children with such animosity. A hatred so deep that it actually celebrates the mutilation and the humiliation of other people. You suddenly see before your very eyes how utterly lethal hatred is when it takes over and consumes a person, or a group of people. It can do the worst possible things with the worst possible outcomes. Far worse than any fire and worse than any weapon can cause.
This teaches us not only how to avoid hatred at all costs but also - and above all - how to embrace the antidote to hatred, which is love.
Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in this relevant and critical discussion about the corrosive effects of hatred, as it consumes and destroys everything in its path. By delving into the heart of darkness, into the abyss, we can learn how to counter those toxic forces with enormous forces of positivity, light and love.

Next Episode

What Jews Really Think of Gentiles

What do Jews really think of gentiles?

With Jews in the news yet again, dominating headlines as they so often do -- the war in Israel, rising antisemitism -- all the big timeless questions rise to the surface: Why is the world so obsessed with Jews? What are the roots of antisemitism? Why are Jews hated so much by some people, and respected by others?

But a question that's less often asked is the other way around: what do Jews really think about non-Jews? Ostensibly, one would naturally expect that the Jews developed tremendous fear, animosity and hate toward the nations of the world due to the sheer extent of Jewish persecution perpetrated over the millennia -- expulsions, discrimination, violence, inquisitions, pogroms, and of course, the 20th century Holocaust. Can you imagine anyone not developing massive distrust of gentiles who have historically (with few exceptions) oppressed the Jews throughout history? Take the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were annihilated, with the world remaining mostly complicit through their silence.

But is that really true? Do Jews hate gentiles? Do they look down at them? Antisemitic literature and media would sure have you believe that. (The fabricated Protocols of the Elders of Zion -- the most notorious and widely distributed antisemitic publication of modern times -- is one example). They cite Jewish texts, distorting them as derogatory quotes about non-Jews. But what is the meaning of some of these texts? And how about the concept of Jews being the "chosen people" -- does that suggest that gentiles are inferior?

So what indeed is the true attitude of Jews to non-Jews? You may be surprised and even shocked by the answer.

Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson and discover what Jews really think about non-Jews -- very different from what you would expect. Learn some profound, counterintuitive truths, which will leave you with new and fresh hope, and a gameplan on how to build a unified and loving future -- with harmony between all human beings, Jews, gentiles and all peoples of the world.