Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? Did you have any particular experiences/stories that shaped your adult life?

I grew up in Spring Valley, NY, a suburb of New York City. I have five brothers of which I’m the third.

My father’s background shaped me significantly. My father was a young boy running around Europe during World War II to simply save his life. My grandfather was murdered in Auschwitz when my father was only 8 years old. Once in America, he moved through different foster homes. Despite all this and the many inner struggles this surely created within him, he raised a beautiful family. This is deeply inspiring to me when I find myself struggling.

I am the most sensitive amongst my siblings. I was introverted and very insecure. This led to many painful moments during my childhood and beyond. With time, I came to see the other side of each of these challenges, their blessings. They are now amongst my greatest strengths.

What is something you wish you would’ve realized earlier in your life?

The things that challenge me most will become my greatest assets.
The parts of me that make me feel different are what others respect and need from me.
What others say about me or do to me is a far greater reflection of who they are, not of who I am.

At the same time, I have learned that life is a process and we do not realize things earlier than when we are ready to. Therefore, I do not live in a space of wishing. I accept the pace of my process as part of who G-d designed me to be.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

Many educators lean heavily on knowledge, novel ideas, and profound thoughts as their method of inspiring and influencing their community. I have learned that what influences others far more than what we know is who we are. One’s being matters more than anything else. As the saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Tell me about one of the darker periods you’ve experienced in life. How you came out of it and what you learned from it?

During my teen years, I was very sensitive, self-conscious, and insecure, very often putting me in a depressed state. With time, I have learned that sensitivity can be a handicap or an asset. When we are sensitive about ourselves, it shuts us down. When we are sensitive to others, it makes us more beautiful. As I became aware of this and began using my sensitivity towards others, I found my self-consciousness and my insecurities decreasing, and my happiness increases.

What is one thing that you do that you feel has been the biggest contributor to your success so far?

I have always been attracted to pursuing self-development. I am on a continuous journey of reading and practicing different behaviors to become a better person. While life moves like waves, with its ups and downs, I go through it all with yet another book at my side, a podcast in my ear, or a lecture I am watching. This has unknowingly led me to create my own podcast, writing a book, and becoming a coach.

The greatest contribution to who I am today has come from my attending a Rabbinical College that spent 3 hours a day studying a unique spiritual philosophy known as Chassidic philosophy. This taught my mind to acclimate to abstract and elusive ideas at a young age, giving me depth and insight into everything I experienced. It also compelled me to look more deeply within myself, my actions, my motive, and my drives. These studies are behind everything I share in my book, It’s Within You.

What is your morning routine?

I wake up at 5:35 AM. Before getting out of bed I verbalize an affirmation in Hebrew which means, “I am thankful to You, living and eternal King, for having compassionately restored my soul within me; Your faithfulness is great.” I shower and have a coffee. Then I spend around 45 minutes in prayer. I have found that beginning my day with acknowledgment and prayer to G-d, develops humility while reminding me of my connection with the Infinite, making all possible.

What habit or behavior that you have pursued for a few years has most improved your life?

When there’s something I’m inspired to do, I commit to it despite being constrained by my fears or circumstances. Once I’m committed, I feel compelled to follow through. This has gotten me to accomplish many things I otherwise would not have accomplished.

What are your strategies for being productive and using your time most efficiently?

My phone is always on vibrate. Any numbers it does not recognize are silenced. Most recently, I removed Safari from my iPhone. We live in a time when there are so many things distracting us. As I become more aware of the importance to focus on one thing at a time and the quality and value it adds, I am motivated to take further steps to remove distractions.

What book(s) have influenced your life the most? Why?

The Thirteen Petalled Rose by Adin Steinsaltz. The first time I picked it up, I simply could not understand it. A few years later, I was able to begin understanding it. It explains some of the fundamental concepts about the science of spirituality and the Divine. This book expanded and deepened reality for me. It anchored the knowing that reality sensed through our five senses is only a glimpse of a far more expansive reality that lies “beneath the hood.”

Do you have any quotes you live by or think of often?

“We work in the efforts department, G-d works in the results department.” One of the greatest sources of human pain is when we own that which is beyond our control. In any situation, it is important to assess whether we did all we can. Once we determine that we have, it is time to let go. As the serenity prayer so powerfully states, “G-d grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

Another quote I think of often is, “We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.” The amount of bias and agenda we bring into anything is far more than we realize. The more we realize it, the more we can get ourselves out of the way and the more our inner light can shine. This is what I work on and this is what I help my coaching clients do in my work with them.