How do I hold on to my internal sense of expansiveness when the external world makes me feel boxed in by frustration and powerlessness?
When world chaos makes my sense of self shrink, and I lose my way on the sea of societal vitriol and greed, I use two Mussar middot (traits) to steady overwhelming feelings: Ometz Lev (strength of heart, courage) and Zerizut (determination). When I feel off balance, Ometz Lev and Zerizut become my life lines, pulling me back to the shore of my soul. They help me say, ‘I refuse to be swept along by my reactions. I remember my own inner moral compass, and I have the power to choose how I behave...
