Rabbi Marc D. Rudolph

In his poem, “The Speaker” Louis Jacobs writes of the danger of sleepwalking through life

The speaker points out that we don’t really have
much of a grasp of things, not only the big things,
the important questions, but the small everyday
things. “How many steps up to your back yard? What
is the name of your district representative? What
did you have for breakfast? What is your wife’s
shoe size? Can you tell me the color of your
sweetheart’s eyes? Do you remember where you
parked the car?” The evidence is overwhelming.
Most of us never truly experience life. “We drift
through life in daydream, missing the true
richness and joy that life has to offer.” When the
speaker has finished we gather around to sing
a few inspirational songs. You and I stand at the
back of the group and hum along since we have
forgotten most of the words.

Perhaps we can counteract this tendency if we follow the Jewish practice of reciting 100 blessings a day. During the average day there are countless opportunities to recite a blessing: when we arise in the morning, when we wash our face, when we eat our breakfast, when we see a friend, when we worship, when we behold a rainbow, or lightning, or a tree or any number of natural wonders of the world. We don't have to carry a prayer book around with us or memorize a lot of different blessings. We can be spontaneous and say a blessing in our own words. Thank you God for .......... 

Try it and awaken to the richness and joy that life has to offer.