What we cherish is a window into who we are

On April 15, 1912, as the Titanic was sinking, wealthy Canadian passenger Major Arthur Peuchen returned to his stateroom. Among his possessions were hundreds of thousands of dollars in stocks and bonds -- the equivalent of millions of dollars today.

Peuchen left the fortune behind.

But before making his way to a lifeboat, he chose something else from his stateroom to take with him. At a moment like that, what could possibly have been worth taking?

✨3 Ideas

1. Look at what shapes your days

We all have things that we say matter deeply to us -- family, friendship, learning, health, helping others. But there’s another way to discover what our soul truly values.

If you want to know what you truly cherish, look at what receives your time, attention, and energy. 

What we do reveals our priorities. Our calendars and habits can reflect devotion that our words don’t. What receives the scarce currency of our lives is evidence of our soul’s deepest desires.

2. Notice what you admire

Consider what draws your praise. Maybe it’s a friend’s generosity, an athlete’s determination, a parent’s devotion, or someone’s courage in standing alone.

What we praise in others reveals the qualities we cherish ourselves. 

The people who impress us hold up a mirror to our ideals. So do the achievements, choices, and character traits that make us say, “That’s admirable.” Recognizing the value of those qualities tells us something about what our soul longs to become.

3. Who do you want to become?

Imagine yourself five years from now. What would you most like to have accomplished, changed, learned, created, or become?

Who we aspire to become reflects what we cherish. 

Our aspirations don’t merely tell us what we hope to accomplish. They reveal the direction in which we want our souls to ascend. Perhaps the deeper question isn’t what we hope someday to have or even what we hope to do, but who we hope to become.

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📜2 Quotes

“The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but people by their words of praise.” — Proverbs 27:21

“Tell me who you admire, and I will tell you who you are.”
— Charles-Augustin Sainte-Beuve, French literary critic

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❓1 Question

What does the way you spend your free time illuminate about what you cherish?

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As the Titanic was sinking, Peuchen took three oranges and a favorite tiepin from his stateroom. He left behind a fortune in stocks and bonds.

Why the oranges? Peuchen never explained. But as an experienced yachtsman, perhaps he understood what his fortune could no longer provide in a lifeboat in the freezing North Atlantic. Three oranges might save his life; stocks and bonds couldn’t. 

And like Peuchen, our choices reveal what we truly cherish. What we choose to give our time and attention. What we choose to praise. And the person we aspire to become.

Until next time,
Wishing you a week filled with what you cherish most,

Rabbi Ze'ev Smason

P.S. What would someone who knows you well say are the three things in life you most cherish? I’d love to hear your answer -- just reply to this email.