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Want to live a more religious life but don't know where to start? Here are some ideas:

Get into the habit of praying, even if it's short and in-between a busy routine. You can worry about putting intentional time away for prayer later; it's just important to start.

Maintain an attitude of gratefulness. Hashem has blessed us with a life where we get to witness His creation each and every day. As the Talmud says, do not be overwhelmed by the state of this world! It's definitely hard at first, but now finding beauty and good in God's creation is like second nature to me.

Thank Hashem at least once a day; it may seem like very little, but I didn't even thank God weekly. Doing it just once a day can (and hopefully will!) change your perspective and nurture your relationship with Hashem.

Don't try to sit and read the Torah all at once! While I admire the devotion of those who read the Torah every day to study it in depth, I'm often too busy or forgetful to do so. What I do, is I read the Torah over the course of the week and reread the portions that move me.

Once you're used to prayer and reading the Torah, I would begin the practice of reading one page of the Talmud each day! However, if you have a tight schedule, then reading the Torah is more than enough to praise Hashem.

Begin to cut out and/or limit the amount of "forbidden" food you consume. Everyone's lives are different and not everyone is able to keep kosher (I would be lying if I said I do it regularly myself); however, this practice may be deeply fulfilling to some so I'm including it in here!

Find community! Follow blogs that inspire you to follow Hashem and lead a life dedicated to Him. It can be overwhelming and isolating at times, so finding community whether online or in person is so, so important

Forgive yourself. You're imperfect and that's okay. We all fall short of God's kindness and beauty. It's our effort to exist in God's image and to follow the way of life He commanded us to that counts.

It's okay to not get it right the first time. It's okay to be disorganized. Faith is hard and life is messy. It's your effort that proves your love and devotion to Hashem, not about whether you have the practice of Following Him just right. I hope this list is helpful to some 💖✡️

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    — Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, The Infinite Light: A Book About God

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illustrations by skip liepke for wuthering heights

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i struggle getting things done on some days. it’s very hard. but i think of how lapsing into habits or behaviors that you thought you’d overgrown is often seen as regressing— but i’ve come to see it as a natural cyclic part of life. like spring and winter, death and rebirth. 

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The Green Knight

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The Lincoln County, MO Drug Task Force arrested a pirate.

When arrested he begged to walk the plank, he decorated a pontoon to sell drugs from. Which he required customers to say, “Ahoy matey, I come to purchase ye party favors.”

His nickname was Red Beard.

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delete tiktok and stop watching reels my only advice for the world

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I hope this email finds you the sole survivor of a doomed Arctic expedition

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fucking sobbing bawling my eyes out crying at this comment

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Early draft of "Lover, You Should’ve Come Over" from the book Jeff Buckley: His Own Voice.

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The Franklin Search Expeditionː HMS Resolute, Assistance, Intrepid, and Pioneer wintering in the Arctic, 1850-51. Attributed to Lieutenant William Henry James Browne (d.1871)

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has a breakdown about what a lonely life it is. goes for a walk with headphones in. purchases a beverage at the supermarket. you know how it goes

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Maybe you are searching among the branches

For what only appears in the roots

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Top - - "The Witching Hour" by Andrew Wyeth 1977

Bottom - - Andrew, his wife Betsy and their dog

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A Field in England (2013) dir. Ben Wheatley

I think I have worked out what God is punishing us for. Everything.