ESSAYS| 2018

ESSAYSss| English

The End of Procrastination

By Shterna Karp, Brooklyn, NY

Essays 2018 / Finalists

MyLife Essay Contest 2018 The twenty minutes it takes from when the alarm goes until you are out of bed… The stack of books waiting to be read… The mending and fixing that still needs your attention… Supposedly only 20% of the population procrastinates,(1) but the number would probably be higher if people got around

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How to Be a Warrior, Not a Worrier

By Devorah Block, San Antonio, Texas

Essays 2018 / Finalists

MyLife Essay Contest 2018 If I would try to contain the contents of this entire essay into two sentences it would be the following: 1) You have power to create your own reality. 2) The resolution to all of your challenges, hardships, and uncertainties lies entirely in your hands. Since that sounds like blaspheme and

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Finding a Geulah-Life of Bliss & Joy, In a Place Called Golus

By Levi Ginsberg, Brooklyn, NY

Essays 2018 / Finalists

MyLife Essay Contest 2018 In this essay, I would like to analyze the concept of “Daas” (lit. knowledge), as explained in Chabad Chassidic philosophy; and how through developing the quality of Daas, one can achieve a life of utter bliss and tranquility, free of any feelings of anxiety, depression, helplessness and insecurity. Concepts that we

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Rectifying Chaotic Marriages

By Yonason Johnson, Melbourne, Australia

Essays 2018

MyLife Essay Contest 2018 The Chassidus-model for achieving deeply-connected and lasting marriages One of the major issues facing our society is the struggle to achieve peaceful and loving marital relationships (shalom bayis). Many married couples today face difficulty in building a strong relationship. In America, 45-50% of first marriages end in divorce. Whilst divorce rates

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Self-Worth and Selflessness

By Rivka Goldenberg, Brooklyn, NY

Essays 2018

MyLife Essay Contest 2018 A captivating tale of Gold, Dirt, and a Shipwreck I am Dirt. I am the lowest of the low. I am stepped on, I am crushed, and I am swept out of everyone’s homes. On my own, I am utterly and completely useless. I imagine, though, that if I were to

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Not On Our Own

By Shlomo Sherman, Las Vegas, Nevada

Essays 2018

MyLife Essay Contest 2018 Amidst today’s cornucopia of vices, foibles, compulsions and addictions, many have been searching for a solution, for some trick or life-hack, to free them from the clutches of destructive habits and behavior. How do we break out of this loop? How do we take the next meaningful step toward fulfilling our

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The Struggle is Real: Using Chassidus to Reframe Challenges

By Chana Colin, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Essays 2018

MyLife Essay Contest 2018 Challenging life events are commonplace in the human experience. Some individuals are more prone to experiencing struggle–as a result of geographic location, social status and environment, among various other factors–and some endure more seemingly severe struggles than others, which, Chassidic thought explains, is relative to the individual’s ability to handle the

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Overcoming Lifes Challenges with Emunah and Bitachon

By Esti Loeub, Vancouver, British Columbia

Essays 2018

MyLife Essay Contest 2018 Unfortunately there are many external and internal challenges that we all face, yet some people seem to be presented with more painful situations and challenges in life than others. How do we stay strong in the face of these challenges? This essay will discuss the methods that Chassidus teaches us how

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Slow and Steady: Accomplishing Goals the SMART Way

By Mushka Silberberg, Lincolnwood, Illinois

Essays 2018

MyLife Essay Contest 2018 Living in an ‘all or nothing’ kind of way is a fun kind of way to live. Seeing immediate results is exciting, just as living off of inspiration is energizing. However, there is one caveat to this ‘inspiration-fueled’ lifestyle: each bout of motivation is usually short lived. Take, for example, the

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Combating Burnout: Bring Light to Others, Bring Light Upon Yourself

By Chaya Mushka Kosofsky, Brooklyn, NY

Essays 2018

MyLife Essay Contest 2018 We all suffer from “burnout syndrome” every so often. Many of us have days when we resort to our mechanical mode and we operate on auto- pilot. Rather than feeling excitement, enthusiasm and gratification, we feel helplessness, despair and apathy. Then we tend to blame our physical and emotional exhaustion on

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