There is much ado about the No. 1 song this summer. Will it be "Summer" by Calvin Harris, "Rude" by Magic or "Ain't It Fun" by Paramore? What song captures the season this year?
I do not know the answer, but I do know that in six months we will not remember nor will we care. We will look back at the summer and remember we had fun, went too fast and reflect on what we could have done.
However, there is one way to ensure the music of the summer reverberates into the fall and beyond. It is by discovering the song of the soul. The No. 1 hit will not be found on Billboard's charts or iTunes but inside of you and is waiting to be sung. It is music that will last forever.
I gained this insight during a recent conversation in Starbucks with a good friend. She shared with me her joy upon the occasion of her daughter's bat mitzvah. The feeling was like none other. The wellspring of her emotions flowed not to the beat of the party but to the rhythm of the ritual. Seeing her daughter assume her role among Jewish women evoked a deep and profound inner peace and happiness. I asked her, "Was your soul singing?" She smiled and said, "Yes."
Our soul sings when we live in sync with our deepest aspirations. The feeling of joy warms us inside for we know our deeds reflect our destiny.
Unlock the song in your soul this summer.
My soul sang this week in an apartment building in Stamford, CT.
My daughter Elisheva and I visited an elderly man, Stuart Salzman, the lone Holocaust survivor of his family. He possesses a warm smile and an upbeat spirit despite having endured five concentration camps. We first met in the spring when he sought guidance for the inscription on his tombstone. Wanting to be remembered for his faith, he chose a Star of David and Menorah to grace the stone. Despite the horrors he experienced, he never lost hope.
During my initial visit, I noticed that he did not have a mezuzah, the traditional emblem of a Jewish home, on his doorpost. I asked him if he would appreciate it if I brought him a mezuzah and he agreed enthusiastically. Yesterday, as we performed the mitzvah, he shared with me how happy his father would be, a father whom he last saw when the Nazis abducted him over 70 years ago. Together, Stuart, Elisheva and I recited the blessing. We transformed a moment in time into an eternal one. Stuart embracing the spirit of his father, of blessed memory, together with me and my daughter. In that moment, our souls sang.
When you know you are in the right place in the right time and doing the right thing, your soul will sing.
Here are five suggestions to discover your summer song.
1.Volunteer Weekly
2.Turn off your cell phone or PDA for 24 hours or more.
3.Take a walk by yourself or with a friend or family member.
4.Reflect 15 minutes daily on your life purpose.
5.Study, Pray and Love
We are at midpoint of the summer season. July 4 is a memory and Labor Day beckons.
The songs of summer will fade away but if you sing the songs in your soul it will change your life forever.