The Trust Factor
A daily lesson that focuses on achieving unparalleled success in life using ancient wisdom in modern times.
We will be discussing critical concepts as they are laid out in the book Sha'ar Habitachon - The Gate of Trust. Written 1000 years ago, the author reminds us of the values and wisdom that have allowed humanity to thrive throughout history.
The concept of trusting in a higher power that exists purely for our benefit, puts us in the drivers seat with absolute confidence to achieve greatness.
Eliminate: Fear, Hatred, Anxiety, Depression, Jealousy, Greed...forever!
* Note that some terminology will be in the original Hebrew or Aramaic which I will always follow with the English translation.
The Trust Factor
Episode 73 - Strike While the Iron Is Hot: Resetting Your Life in a World of Actions
Amidst global turmoil and economic uncertainty, many of us find ourselves struggling silently. The Trust Factor podcast offers timeless wisdom to navigate these challenging times, focusing on the fundamental principle that reshapes lives: genuine success requires meaningful action.
Today we explore why simply wishing for change never produces results. "Inspiration is nothing without action," we emphasize, highlighting how fleeting motivation becomes without immediate implementation. Like a blacksmith who must strike iron while hot, we must capitalize on inspiration before it cools. This wisdom isn't new—it's ancient knowledge that counters our modern culture's emphasis on material acquisition at the expense of spiritual and emotional well-being.
The core message resonates powerfully: we don't control outcomes, only our efforts. Using practical examples from basic survival needs, we demonstrate how every achievement requires action—from preparing food to earning money to buy it. Nothing meaningful happens without deliberate effort. Even more striking is the teaching that we shouldn't help those capable individuals who refuse to help themselves, as self-initiative builds essential character.
This episode serves as both challenge and encouragement. When you commit to action rather than wishful thinking, unexpected support often appears. "Help yourself first," we conclude, "and then you'll be surprised when you see how much help comes from everywhere else." If these principles resonate with you, share them with someone struggling silently—this wisdom might be exactly what they need to reset their life.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Trust Factor. This is the episode that guarantees your success when you implement its teachings. My friends, I hope that you're enjoying the podcast. I'm certainly enjoying giving it. However, we are in difficult, difficult times. The world is in what seems to be like a state of turmoil. Things are difficult. Economic conditions around the world are negative. Geopolitical issues around the world are negative. Geopolitical issues around the world are completely unstable. We're not in a regular everyday environment.
Speaker 0:Since the fallout of COVID and the things leading up to it, we've been put into difficult situations, and if you're blessed with not having to deal with some of those difficult situations the really difficult ones then you have to remember your brothers and sisters. There are a lot of people who are suffering and they're quiet about it. They don't talk out, they don't share it because it might be embarrassing for them or for whatever reason. Think about your brothers and sisters If you know or think that somebody would benefit from this age old wisdom to help them reset their lives, because really that's what we're doing. We're taking, or I'm trying to at least use ancient wisdom to help them reset their lives, because really that's what we're doing. We're taking, or I'm trying to at least use ancient wisdom to deconstruct the secular program that we've all been given and forced upon us, whether or not we recognize it. That is completely self-serving to the system and we're trying to replace it with good, self-serving systems that serve you and not them, and we've lost that for so long. We've shifted focus into this constant need to obtain wealth and material growth, and that's the only thing at the expense of your spiritual and emotional well-being. It's not a good place, my friends. That's what we're trying to combat. So, again, if you know people share the podcast, share a link. You can add people to the WhatsApp group, you can share a link to the podcast. It's on Spotify, it's on YouTube, it's all over the place. So do the world a favor and share it if you're enjoying it.
Speaker 0:Let's get back into the book. We're talking now about this concept of cause and effect, and we said that nothing will happen, no matter how much we want it or don't want it to happen. It is out of our control. That's the outcome. We do not control outcomes. Only thing we control is our effort or our desires to do something and our ability to act on it.
Speaker 0:We've said many times, inspiration is nothing without action. That's the biggest tragedy is that we're all inspired throughout our days. We're always being inspired by things that we see and things that we read or things that we hear. And we make commitments to ourselves maybe not out loud, sometimes we make internal commitments, but that inspiration fades very, very quickly if you don't strike. That's why they say strike while the iron is hot. You know where that comes from. When you want to shape a solid structure like a piece of iron, you need to heat it up to crazy temperatures. That's the inspiration, because only at that point, when you strike it with the hammer, does it easily become shaped. So that's the idea Strike while the iron is hot.
Speaker 0:So now we start talking about this concept that we have to earn our living, that this is a world of action. We said this is a world of actions. We're not put in this world like a baby to be able to be given things to us for our entire existence. There's a period of life where we cannot survive without our parents and beyond that, when we become individually responsible and capable for ourselves, then we have an obligation to act, we have an obligation to work, we have an obligation to do things. If you want something, you need to do something about it. Things aren't just going to fall on your lap for the rest of your life. If you get used to that as a child, you get very surprised when it's time to leave the nest. He says and I'm going to read a little bit here because it's worth reading when we examine whether it's necessary for man to strive and exert himself to accomplish his objectives, we find that it is clearly necessary.
Speaker 0:For example and he brings some really low level examples over here, because if this is true, then all the more some of the other deeper examples. For example, he says if someone needs nourishment, even when there's suitable food ie cooked and ready to eat that's placed in front of him, if he does not exert himself to eat it by lifting it to his mouth and chewing it, his hunger will not be sated. It doesn't matter how delicious the meal is, it doesn't matter how much food you have in front of you. If you're not willing to do the basic work, which means picking it up and putting it in your mouth and chewing it and swallowing it, then you're not going to eat. It doesn't matter how hungry you are, you're never going to be satiated.
Speaker 0:Now, that's the most basic example he can give, but he takes it a step further to illustrate even more beautifully. Basic example he can give, but he takes it a step further to illustrate even more beautifully. He says the same applies to a thirsty person when he has need for water, and all the more so should he not have the food until he goes about preparing it by grinding, kneading, baking and the like. So forget the fact that the food isn't funny and you've got to lift it and put it in your mouth. Who prepared the food? You need to prepare it, unless you have a personal chef that you're paying. But even then you need to prepare the food, whether you're paying somebody to do it or you're doing it yourself. It needs to be cooked. And then he says even greater, the more difficult effort will be necessary if he has to first buy the raw food and then prepare it. So if he pays somebody to do it, great, but what if he has to do it himself? He has to go and buy the raw food and then start cooking it. Right, you can go to a restaurant and buy prepared food, or you can actually go and work even harder and prepare the food, and even more, he says, if he does not have the money which to buy it, in which case he'll need to work right, to exert even greater effort than we mentioned earlier, whether by hiring himself out for pay, going to get a job or by selling items, assets and the like. Right, we don't think about these kind of things, but if you do, could you imagine, can't even begin to imagine having to sell your assets to get a meal In order to obtain the money to buy the food.
Speaker 0:In all cases, therefore, man must invest effort, sometimes more and and sometimes less, in order to obtain the objective of being nourished and surviving. All these steps are causes that bring about the effect of man's nourishment and are cogs in hashem's system of supplying man with his needs. God requires man to take these steps himself, but ultimately they are just a means of bringing about the fulfillment of of his decree for each man to receive his preordained income. Let's review there is nothing in this world that will come to you without any effort. My friends, what are we being taught over here? That if we don't make an effort, we cannot expect a result. It's that simple. We are not in charge of the result, but we are 100% in charge of the effort.
Speaker 0:And this is a world of efforts. This is a world of work, of action, of doing. And so if we want to eat, we need to acquire the food, which means you need to work. And then, once you've worked and you've acquired the food, then you need to prepare the food. And once you finish preparing the food, then you have to put it in your mouth and chew it and swallow it if you want to get satiated. That's the way this world works.
Speaker 0:If you need to pay your bills, you need to find a job, unless you have a father who provides for you and wants to provide for you your whole life, in which case poor you, because you don't appreciate the value of hard work. That's a whole other conversation. But even then, I'm sure there are things in your life that you want to do for yourself, or that you should be doing for yourself, which help character build. But at the end of the day, that's not this conversation. This conversation is pointing back to the fact that we are living in a world of action. You have an obligation to help yourself. Now, once you've helped yourself, then he can come and help you, once you've made the proper efforts to show that you really want something. The rest is out of your hands. But if you're not doing anything, if you're sitting on your hands and doing nothing and expecting that he's going to provide you with all of your needs, then you're delusional. It's not going to end well for you.
Speaker 0:My friend Gamara gives an example that if you're walking and you come upon an individual whose cart and donkey have fallen over and he's sitting by the side of the road and asks you to come and help him, and in your effort to come and help him, you see that you're the only one doing the work. He's not doing anything and he's perfectly capable of helping himself. You, my friend, are not allowed to help him. You're simply not allowed to help him. If he's not willing to help himself and he can then you have no right to help that individual. This is a world where we need to be accountable. We need to take actions if we want to see results. Remember that that is character building at the very least, but it is really a rule in life. Help yourself first, and then you'll be surprised when you see how much help comes from everywhere else. Have an amazing day and we'll pick up tomorrow.
