As I rolled out of bed at the early hour of 4:30 am, I quickly mumbled “Modah Ani”, my morning gratitude prayer, before my feet hit the floor. But I didn’t feel like it.  For at the same moment that I felt gratitude to G-d for restoring my soul within me and gifting me another day of life,  I felt grumpy and tired. Upon returning from out East, my internal clock remained fixed on New York time, though my sleep-deprived body was here in the midwest.

As an orthodox-chassidic Jew, I arise every day with the “Modah Ani”  prayer : “I offer thanks to You, living and eternal King, for You have mercifully restored my soul within me; Your faithfulness is great.”  While sleeping, 1/ 60th of my soul is recharged in the higher worlds. Upon awakening, I offer gratitude to my Creator for not only returning my soul to my physical body, but having faith in me to transform this lowest of worlds into a dwelling place for infinite light and goodness.

The hebrew word “Modah” stems from “hoda’ah,” meaning acknowledgement and humility. By recognizing  that my life-force comes from a higher power, I become a vessel for G-d’s blessings and guidance in my life.  This empowers me to achieve and co-create in ways I could never do left to my own strength. I now show up, not from a place of ego-vanity, but from connection to Source; by “emptying” myself before something greater than me, I am filled with capacities beyond my humanly perceived limits.

Similarly, I found this theme of moving the ego aside to allow the divine in, paralleled in the Martha Beck coach course. This further encourages me to serve not just with my own talents and capabilities, but to receive the infusion of divine guidance from Above.

Though sometimes my eyes are weary and I feel a bit small,  I approach my day with strength and confidence knowing that  G-dly light is enlivening and empowering me to transcend my personal limitations.  From this place, magic abounds.

Now, where’s my coffee?