Rosh Hour: Ten Soul-Searching Questions from the Driver’s Seat of Life

Here we are again. The Jewish New Year is upon us. It's Rosh Hour! Though using a metaphor to evoke solemn days meant to happen inside a Shul and not a car seems, slightly off, rightly so —then all the more reason to keep in mind, that it's a metaphor. And a metaphor is good when it causes a light to go on in your head. Jung used the car as a symbol to measure one's movement in the inner psychic life of a person. But let's keep it simple and try to harvest some ideas to develop a grid of aspirational reflections, soul searching questions, geared towards the positivity of setting attainable and thoughtful goals for the upcoming new year—

Here they are in list form. Feel free to add your own take. Also, I'm choosing to voice this in first person to avoid sounding preachy and above this. On the flip side please don't exclude yourself—I've written this to encompass a broad range of human characteristics—in the hopes of people recognising themselves somewhere on this diverse spectrum of human behaviour and emotional well-being.

Do I feel seated SECURELY in the drivers seat of my life? Or, do I let everyone and everything around me drive me wherever they determine I need to be— even as I'm knowingly turning my back on my own self?
Do I feel like I am TOO obsessed with being the sole driver? Is it time to learn to trust others around me and give them a chance? Is it possible that I am closed to tne idea of allowing others to help me when I need it? If so what is driving that reluctance?
Do I stay in my own lane? I recognize the need for boundaries in order to foster a healthier and more robust self, but at what point do I run the risk of my boundaries solidifying into walls?

Have I gone to an extreme and as a result find myself perpetually distrustfull and emotionally isolated? Phew that's an intense one.

Am I stuck at an intersection and unsure of which direction to take in my life? Do I find myself stuck in the existential crossroads of my life? How might I use Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur motivationally—to chart a new map of my life with precise directions and a clearly marked destination? Can I re engage with my life with clearly defined goals and go at it with a renewed sense of purpose? When I have legitimate cause to change lanes am I paying attention to the blind spots that could damage me and others, or am I fast tracking a process that requires patience and incremental change—am I setting myself up for an even more acute discomfort down the road, in my eagerness to avoid the discomfort I'm feeling now?
Is my tank on empty? Why is that? Is there a leak in the gas tank? That would explain why I keep trying to move forward but despite showing up with my best goal oriented self, my energy is depleted far too quickly. Am I just getting old? Why does it feel sometimes like my soul is leaking out of my body? What are some ways I can adress this during these upcoming days?
Am I speeding? Perhaps it's time to slow it down? Am I driving recklessly? At what point have I become caught up with living life in the fast lane?
Am I caught up in status and an insecure need to project an aura of success, of having "arrived"?
Am I too controlling? Why can't I get why people get so irritated with my back street driving? Or am I not nearly engaged enough and remain silent and passive while being driven unsafely?
Have I put in the appropriate effort and time to reach and cross the vital thresholds in my life—those that would signal my solidness and trustworthiness? Am I ready to receive the "keys to the car?"
Does my car have enough power and speed to get me where I need to be? Is it possible that sometimes I'm working with too much power? Does greater horsepower always equal aggression? Would deploying in turbo charge mode, in order to surge forward when passivity sets in, be a good example of an effective harnessing of that greater power?

Ok dear friends that will do it for now. Wishing you all a Kesiva Vachasima Tova and a happy and healthy new year

Much Love,

Rabbi Yossi