Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, a great Torah leader in the 19th century, founded a school of thought called mussar, which emphasizes the psychology of spiritual practice. While reflecting on his life, he said:

In adolescence I aimed to change the world -- to right the wrongs of humanity on a global scale. I envisioned an end to war, oppression, injustice, and strife. Soon I realized that I would have to change my own community first. Only after succeeding here, could I hope to impact upon the world. So I set out to improve education, mediate quarrels, and introduce proper priorities into local politics. Finally, I saw that my real work was with my family. I must begin by changing and perfecting those closest to me -- my wife and children. Only later did I see that my true focus of effort must be myself -- that to become a kind and decent human being was a life's worth of work. And if, with the grace and assistances of G-d, I could succeed in this most difficult of tasks, I would be making the greatest of all possible contributions to my family, community, and even to the world.

Peace of mind is contagious. A deep, abiding sense of joy and trust radiates to all around and sparks happiness in them as well. No person is an island. You affect the world around you, especially those whose lives touch yours. As you become more secure with yourself and your place in the world, you become more effective in all you set out to do. Furthermore, your relationships with family and friends will improve. In this way you add to the riches of creation.

There is a catch here. Only true joy and true peace have this power to effect your life. Only they endure. Illusory joy always crashes. The pleasure is negated by pain, the joy by sorrow, the peace by anxiety, in an endless roller coaster of highs and lows.

Thus, the obvious question is: What makes some happiness authentic? What constitutes true peace? It is that joy which arises spontaneously in the heart as you deepen your relationship with the Eternal. Each step of growth and wisening can always be revealed as this. In an infinity of guises, this is always our heart's desire.

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