There’s something happening beneath the chaos and the rapid, unprecedented change.

Life is getting tighter.

It’s like we’re being quietly trained to stay within a narrow band of emotions, opinions, options, beliefs, and behaviors – many of them not even our own.

It’s hard to notice this, in part because we’re bombarded with endless noise.
But there’s another reason as well.

It’s not that you’re weak, or asleep. And it goes far deeper than psychology or mindset.

It goes all the way back to the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, when the story of exile actually began.

Exile didn’t start when Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden. It started when they ate from the Tree of Knowledge and suddenly saw themselves from the outside for the first time.

Think of an elevator dropping from a high floor to a shuddering stop on the ground.

They fell, in an instant, from vast, illuminated presence and multi-dimensional awareness to a closed and cold state of self-observation colored by vulnerability, incompletion and fear.

This ushered in the shame, fear, and self-conscious inner judgement that every human being now carries at their core.

These emotions are not only painful
They disconnect us from the truth, trust, and aliveness of our souls.

And once you start seeing - judging - yourself from the outside, you stop being yourself from the inside.

It's a short step to forgetting who you are and where you came from.
It makes you feel far too finite to be safe in a very unpredictable world.

That’s why predictability has become a survival strategy for pretty much every human being. But survival strategies come with a cost.
And predictability is also a cage.

Every oppressive system — ancient or modern — knows this.
They’ve all operated on one principle: “If we can predict you, we can control you.”  And the world we’re living in today has perfected this far more than any Pharaoh or empire ever dreamed of… and force is barely necessary anymore. 

Instead, the control is built on:

• AI algorithms

• social pressure

• leveraging childhood conditioning

• creating relentless financial strain

• increasing pressure to be acceptable, agreeable, and not make waves

• and trauma that gets treated as a disease
  

At this point, many of us are starting to sense that we’re living a life shaped by something outside of ourselves… but we don’t know how to get back in.

Here's what I believe to be the missing piece.
You begin to reclaim your freedom when you understand that the control grid is not just “out there.”
It’s inside you as well.

Without a doubt, there is a control grid in the world — technological, informational, financial, military, medical, and cultural. 
But it works only because of the internal one.

Your identity — the “me” you think you have to be in order to function, to be accepted, to be minimally safe - is an internalized, personalized version of the larger control grid.

Your Identity is simply the nuanced and multi-level set of rules you’ve internalized about who you’re allowed to be.

It tells you which parts of you are unacceptable, which desires are dangerous, which behaviors are inappropriate, which longings are unrealistic, and which dreams you should outgrow before you look like a fool.

Identity demands predictability — and this is the foundation upon which the whole control grid is built.

To reclaim your freedom, you must stop believing that the cage is you.

You don’t break the identity's control by fighting it.
You break it by refusing to lie to yourself — and refusing to listen to lies.

For this you need compassion - and the ability (and willingness) to see the truth without judgment and without shame.

If Adam and Eve had been able to stay with the truth instead of hiding, human history would have unfolded very differently.
But they were experiencing shame and fear for the first time. There was no precedent to what had happened to them. No wonder they panicked and hid.

We, on the other hand, have vast experience with emotions. And now, in these times, many techniques that teach us how to step back and see our emotions for what they are.

And once we are not ruled by inner fear and shame, our identity loosens its grip.
We regain the power to choose.

It is profound to realize this with your mind... and even more so when you start to practice it when you are triggered.

But real freedom doesn't come until this truth is made real in your nervous system. Only then do you stop thinking, living, and choosing as if you’re trapped in an invisible cage - and start to feelfree, sovereign, and alive.

That’s the one thing no control system (external or internal) knows how to handle. And when you begin to connect to the part of you that exists before identity, before exile, before shame or fear - no control grid can predict or define you anymore.

So here’s my invitation to you as we move into 2026, with the light rising and the world on fire:

Ask yourself these questions... and listen deeply for the answers that arise from beyond and within what you believe you know.
Feel what they bring up in your body.
Allow those feelings to flow. 
This is the first step to freedom that is embodied - the only kind that is actually free.

• Where have I been living in a cage that might not be real?

• What emotions have I been trying not to feel — and what would happen if I met them with compassion and love?

• Where have I decided that I have no choice?

• Which soul desires am I suppressing because they feel unpredictable?

• What version of me am I refusing to embody?

• And… what might happen if I decide to change this now?

Love and blessings for an joyous and miraculous 2026.  

‘Two Kings. One City.’

Which One Do You Want In Control?

——

🥜 In a Nutshell

Tanya teaches that we are not made of one unified inner voice.

We have two souls sharing one body.

And they are not coexisting peacefully.

They are at war.

The body is called a “small city.”

And the Divine soul and the animal soul are like two kings fighting for full control of that city.

Not partial influence.

Not occasional cooperation.

Rule.

Every thought.

Every word.

Every action.

The struggle we feel inside ourselves is not a flaw.

It is the battleground where we decide which king will rule our body and mind.

——

Keep reading for a deeper dive into today’s Tanya…

——

Yesterday, Tanya showed us that we have two souls, each with its own home and way of functioning.

Today, the Alter Rebbe removes any remaining confusion.

They are not living side by side.

They are at war.

The body is a “small city.”

And each soul wants its inhabitants, the mind, heart, speech, and limbs, to obey its will.

——

The Divine Soul’s Strategy

The Divine soul does not win by crushing the body.

It wins by filling it.

First, the mind is filled with ChaBaD,

* wisdom,

* ⁠understanding, and

* ⁠deep awareness of Hashem’s greatness.

From that clarity, real emotions are born.

* Awe in the mind.

* ⁠Love in the heart.

That love begins on the right side of the heart, the home of the Divine soul, and then overflows into the left side, where the animal soul’s desires live.

Not to suppress them.

But to overpower them with something stronger.

Love of Hashem replaces love of pleasure.

The same energy that once chased physical desire is redirected, and at higher levels transformed, into longing for G-dliness.

This is what the Torah means by:

“With all your heart”

with both inclinations.

——

No Neutral Ground

The Divine soul wants more than obedience.

It wants the body to become a ‘chariot’, an instrument with no agenda of its own.

Thought filled with Torah.

Speech filled with Torah.

Action filled with mitzvot.

“No foreign influence shall pass through.”

Not because the animal soul disappears,

but because it no longer runs the city.

——

The Deeper Truth

Even the pressure of the animal soul has a purpose.

Like the Zohar’s parable of the harlot sent to test the prince, the challenge itself secretly wants to be defeated.

The struggle exists for your victory.

——

The Message

One body.

Two souls.

One city.

Your inner conflict is not a sign of failure.

It is the arena where your sovereignty is decided.

The question is never whether there will be a battle.

The question is:

Which king is ruling right now?

When the mind fills with truth,

the heart follows,

and the whole city becomes a home for holiness.

Here Are Three Truths About Hashem

That Make It Safe to Breathe and Relax

———

1. Hashem is all-powerful.

Nothing is too big.

Nothing is stuck.

Nothing is beyond His ability to fix, move, heal, or transform.

2. Hashem is all-knowing and infinitely wise.

He understands your life better than you ever could.

He sees every variable, every hidden factor, every future outcome.

He doesn’t just know what is happening.

He knows what is best and how to bring it about.

3. Hashem is infinitely loving and caring.

He cares about you more than the kindest human ever could.

More than anyone who loves you.

Even more than you love yourself.

When these three truths are real to you, worry has nowhere to live.

You can breathe more easily.

You can let go.

You are not carrying this alone.

What you are carrying can be released into Hands that are infinitely stronger, wiser, and kinder than your own.

There is truly no need to worry!

Life doesn’t always unfold the way we imagine it will. Along the way, we may stumble, lose momentum, or drift from the path we once felt so sure about. But a detour is not a dead end. What matters most is not how far we may have wandered, but our willingness to find our way back, one small step at a time.

You are not the sum of your past mistakes. Each day arrives with the invitation to realign, and to begin again with clearer intention and renewed resolve. Guilt and fear may try to convince you to stay where you fell, but they have no authority over your future. Progress, even when slow and uneven, is still progress.

The past is not a compass for your future. Missteps are meant to guide your next steps, not prevent them. Give yourself permission to chart a new course, informed by experience but not imprisoned by it. Every choice forward, no matter how small, loosens the grip of yesterday.

The past has its place – it shaped you, taught you, and may have even broken you a little. But healing doesn’t happen by staring in the rearview mirror. Growth begins when you find the courage to pursue what you deserve. Rebuilding can happen quietly, piece by piece, one honest step at a time. Setbacks aren’t the end of your story – they’re the chapter where your comeback begins.

Inspired by the teaching of Reb Noson of Breslov (1780-1844)

The wheel of time continues to turn, and once again we find ourselves on the precipice of a New (Solar) Year. ⌛ One of the best practices to implement during this time is self-reflection both to celebrate your personal growth and reorient to newfound desires and dreams.

To initiate this practice, we encourage you to use the comment section below to tell us one lesson you learned in 2025 and one blessing you're looking forward to in 2026.

Let's hear it. 👇🏼

Rabbi Natan of Breslov teaches:
One of the most powerful ways to neutralize an evil eye is not to confront it.
Not to expose it.
Not to fight it.
But to look at the person with a
Good Eye.
The evil eye feeds on judgment.
It survives on reaction.
It grows when you engage.
Kindness cuts off its oxygen.
This is not weakness.
This is spiritual authority.
When you refuse to lower your vision, the evil eye has nowhere to land.
So yes—kill the evil eye with kindness.

Dip First

By Tzvi Freeman

The Baal Shem Tov once said that he would rather be buried in the ground and return to the earth than rise to heaven in a fiery chariot like Elijah.

Why?

Because through an initial dip downward, you can reach much higher. And the lower the dip, the higher the reach.

So if it seems to you at times that life is pulling you down, burying your soul in mundane, earthly matters rather than letting you soar freely to the heavens...

...know that in all these mitzvahs here on earth you are gaining the power and momentum to rocket upward beyond the heavens, higher than you could imagine.

In the view from above, everything is always moving only upward.

Torat Menachem Hitvaduyot, vol. 5, pg. 192

When Discernment Becomes Distortion: Finding Balance in a Noisy World

There is a subtle shift that can happen when we spend too much time looking for what is wrong with the world. And you’ll recall the phrase, “Energy flows where attention goes”.

It often begins with good intentions, truth-seeking, exposure of corruption, a desire to protect others from deception. These are not bad impulses. In fact, they are often born from conscience and care. But over time, if all our attention is trained on darkness, something changes. Our perception narrows. Our nervous system adapts. And eventually, everything begins to look suspicious, even when it may not be.

On the other end of the spectrum are those who wear what we sometimes call “rose-colored glasses.” They see only the positive, dismiss uncomfortable information, and cling to optimism as a shield. While this outlook can feel lighter, it too is a narrowed perspective. Avoiding shadow does not make it disappear; it simply leaves us unprepared to recognize it when it matters.

Both extremes limit perspective.

The Hammer and the Nail

There is an old saying: when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

In truth-seeking communities—especially those built around exposure—this dynamic can quietly take hold. If exposure becomes the primary tool, then every issue begins to look like a cover-up. If one’s role is defined as the revealer of hidden truths, then disagreement can feel like resistance, and nuance can feel like betrayal.

This doesn’t mean corruption doesn’t exist. It does. History makes that clear. But discernment is not the same as perpetual distrust. When exposure becomes the only lens through which reality is viewed, discernment can quietly collapse into reflexive suspicion.

At that point, the danger is no longer only external. It becomes internal.

The Wolves We Feed

Many cultures share a version of the story about two wolves locked in battle inside us. One represents fear, anger, and resentment: the other representing compassion, clarity, and wisdom. When asked which wolf wins, the answer is simple: the one you feed.

This teaching is often misunderstood as a call to ignore darkness. It isn’t. It’s a reminder about focus and spiritual nourishment. It’s about finding balance.

If we feed ourselves exclusively on outrage, betrayal, and doom, we begin to embody the very energy we claim to oppose. Our language hardens. Our humor turns mocking. Our certainty grows brittle. In trying to expose manipulation, we may unconsciously adopt its tactics; ridicule, repetition, and emotional pressure.

An uncomfortable question quietly emerges: Are we becoming that which we seek to uncover, disclose, or even mock?

The Law of Attraction, The Law of Effect and the Need to Belong

Across psychology, neuroscience, and spiritual traditions, one principle appears again and again: attention shapes experience.

This is not just philosophical. In psychology, it is known as the law of effect, first articulated by Edward Thorndike, which shows that behaviors and mental patterns that are reinforced tend to become stronger over time, shaping how we perceive and respond to the world.

Modern neuroscience supports this understanding as well, demonstrating that sustained patterns of attention influence emotional regulation, perception, and brain connectivity. In other words, what we habitually focus on does more than shape opinions. It shapes how we interpret and experience reality itself.

This idea also echoes what many spiritual traditions describe as the law of attraction: that which we consistently focus on tends to amplify in our field of experience. Much like social media algorithms that deliver more of what we engage with, regardless of whether it is accurate, helpful, or harmful… our attention attracts reinforcing information, emotions, and perspectives. It does not evaluate meaning or truth; it simply responds to interest.

When fear or outrage dominate our information diet, the nervous system may gradually orient toward constant alertness. Over time, this can make it more difficult to remain grounded in discernment, as perspective narrows and reactions begin to replace thoughtful response.

In a digitally driven world, are we increasingly encouraged to take sides, or are we quietly being trained away from exercising free will?

Break the Chain and Return to Stillness

Meditation offers a quiet counterbalance to cycles of reactivity, narrowing perception, and fear-driven attention.

In those moments, attention is intentionally withdrawn from conflict, analysis, and narrative, and placed instead on qualities such as presence, compassion, gratitude, and joy.

Nothing is being solved or debated; awareness is simply resting. And yet, over time, this practice subtly reshapes perception. What we cultivate internally—calm, openness, coherence—tends to echo outward, drawing experiences and interactions that reflect those same qualities.

Below are seven ways meditation can actually change the brain, supporting the process of breaking attention loops and strengthening inner balance (adapted from Forbes):

Reduces stress reactivity — meditation helps lower the brain’s stress response, making fear-based attention less automatic.

Improves emotional regulation — regular practice enhances the ability to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively.

Strengthens attention and focus — meditation trains the brain to sustain attention and shift it intentionally.

Enhances self-awareness — increased insight into one’s own patterns makes it easier to notice when attention has narrowed.

Promotes neural integration — meditation supports connectivity between brain regions involved in executive function and emotional balance.

Increases gray matter in key areas — long-term practice is linked with structural changes in regions associated with learning and memory.

Boosts resilience and empathy — meditation fosters a wider, more flexible way of engaging with internal and external experience.

You can read more about these benefits in the full article here:

“7 Ways Meditation Can Actually Change the Brain” (Forbes)

When we change what we broadcast internally, we often notice the world responding in kind, offering more of what reflects the state we’ve chosen to inhabit. And when we consciously withdraw attention from what we don’t wish to perpetuate, we interrupt the cycle that keeps it energized. What is no longer fed naturally begins to lose momentum.

Regaining the 5,000-Foot View

Balance does not mean disengagement. It means altitude.

At 5,000 feet, storms are visible without being overwhelming. Patterns emerge that are impossible to see from ground level. There is movement, but also space. It’s like floating in calm waters while waves move beneath you—or standing in the eye of the storm, where clarity exists even amid chaos.

From this vantage point:

We can acknowledge wrongdoing without assuming universal corruption.

We can recognize progress without declaring blind victory.

We can remain open without being naïve.

We can be cautious without becoming cynical.

This is the difference between immersion and orientation.

Sovereignty and the Pressure to Take Sides

Many of the most polarizing issues of our time—COVID, election integrity, geopolitical conflicts—carry an unspoken social weight. People often feel compelled to “take a side,” not only to express values, but to belong.

Yet true sovereignty does not require alignment with any camp, narrative, or authority. It asks something quieter and more demanding: the courage to sit with uncertainty, to hold multiple perspectives without outsourcing judgment, and to resist the comfort of borrowed certainty.

Belonging that comes at the cost of inner authority is simply another form of dependency.

A Maturing of Discernment

Perhaps this moment is not only about uncovering truth, but about how truth is held and shared.

Not every issue requires a side. Not every disagreement requires persuasion. Not every narrative requires amplification.

Sometimes the most sovereign act is to pause, widen the lens, and ask: how does this make me feel?

Is this information expanding awareness, or narrowing it?

Is it empowering discernment, or recruiting belief?

Is it bringing clarity, or simply reinforcing what I already think?

Jumping Off the Bandwagon by Deviant Art SFCDMU

In a world saturated with information, the rarest skill may be knowing where to place our attention… and when to step back.

Sovereignty does not require us to jump onto a bandwagon or shout our viewpoints from the pulpit. It asks us to be true to our nature, while allowing the space for others to do the same.

Because clarity doesn’t shout or push, and it doesn’t need everyone to agree.

It simply stands—steady, spacious, and free.

My advice is simple: Be the change you want to see in the world, and notice how the world begins to mirror who you are.

Kat Carroll

I Want to Grow – The Power of Holy Will

"הבא לטהר מסייעין לו" – One who comes to purify is helped from Above.(Yoma 38b)

Your desire is your superpower.

The Sages teach: if you want to come closer to Hashem — Heaven opens doors. Your will ignites His response. It begins with one simple step: carve out sacred time for Hashem. Maybe it’s a weekly shiur, maybe 10 minutes of learning or hitbodedut. Whatever it is, show up consistently, and Hashem will fill your vessel with light.

Torah is not just wisdom. It’s a love letter from the Creator to you. When you learn, you’re reading Hashem’s personal words — tailored to your journey, your needs, your soul.

And when you do a mitzvah? You're not just “checking a box.” You’re building a tzavta — a bond — a sacred companionship with the Divine.

Have You Ever Paused To Consider...?

Have you ever paused to consider that the happiness you seek might already reside within you? Living intentionally means aligning with your true self, rather than conforming to external judgments. It's about choosing to connect with your innate goodness, love, creativity, and the abundant blessings life offers.

Within each of us lies a core of perfection. By turning inward, we can reconnect with this authentic self, returning to the source of our being. Life is a journey of remembering and awakening to this truth. Before birth, we understood life's essence with clarity; over time, we've simply forgotten. Yet, a part of us always remembers, guiding us back to our true nature.

 Embrace your inner light and live in harmony with your deepest truths.