Going for Broke - Saying it Like It Is

On Ozempic, psychedelics, and spirituality vs religion.

I wonder what it would be like to be nonchalant.

To have this “nothing affects me” vibe.

G-d did not create me that way! I’m very chalant. I care about many things. I have a lot of opinions and I don’t want to keep them to myself.

Sometimes I question whether it makes sense to share my thoughts but then I ask myself: What would the world be like if we all felt that we couldn’t fully express ourselves?

BORING.

I think it gets tricky when:

1. People share their thoughts in a combative way, and that is never going to land well. Delivery matters.

2. People share their opinions as facts or as “experts” when they clearly are not and have no credentials to back it up. In the age of influencing, everyone is an “expert” and that just makes people want to shut it out and ignore it all.

3. We lost our ability to hear people out. We are easily triggered and we can’t see that there is nuance and exceptions to the rules. Maybe you’re the exception but it doesn’t mean that what someone else is saying doesn’t hold some truth. Maybe your experience is different, doesn’t mean other people’s experiences aren’t valid.

4. It can be hard to discern what’s real. We see something, absorb it, shapes how we see an issue, how we think, and sometimes it’s simply made up! Unbelievable! But it’s up to you to be aware of that! Always verify the things you see/hear. Just saying.

5. We are scared to change. Yet it really is ok to change our opinion!
   This is what it sounds like: “After some thought and life experience I changed my opinion” or “I used to feel one way; now I feel differently.” Look at that, we are still alive :). To think that we are going to go through life never changing our mind, is ridiculous. You are so much cooler when you own it and most often people respect you for it.

With that long five-level intro, are you ready for some of my opinions? Not as an expert–I’m not telling you how you should feel or think, I’m just telling you how I think and feel. These are my observations and as we’ve established, I don’t feel like keeping them to myself.

So, what’s on the hot seat?

• Ozempic/ weight loss drugs

• Psychedelics

• Spirituality

I know that these are huge topics and seemingly have nothing to do with each other, but I’m seeing a common thread. I didn’t jump on the bandwagon to share these thoughts right away. I sat and observed them for years and some of my opinions shifted with time. I really didn’t want to make a fast judgement or share knee jerk reactions.

Ozempic & Weight Loss Drugs

As a kid who grew up in the 90’s, in the age of super models and one body type that was celebrated, it’s very jarring to see the current culture around body image. We are worshiping body size above all else. If you would tell me that the majority of people who are using weight loss drugs are people with serious health conditions, or a serious amount of weight to lose, I would feel differently, but that’s not what’s happening. We are normalizing taking a pharmaceutical to rid ourselves of “the last 10 pounds” or the “stubborn baby weight.” Often, those “last 10 pounds” are not even meant to be lost. And because we live in an age where we know so much about each other, it’s more than a personal journey. It’s what our sweet impressionable children are seeing. Lose weight at all costs! Whether you need to or not!

How are we back here after years of making such a huge effort to support and showcase all types? G-d didn’t make us all looking the same and my goodness, with Ozempic, Botox, fillers and who knows what else, we are heading into a society where we all look the same. Little skinny wrinkle free plump lip robots.

I’m not here for it.

While I’m at it, on to the next topic:

Psychedelics

Ok deep breath (I just took one, you should too).

Again, there are legitimate uses for this. Do I think it’s gone too far? Yes I do. I keep hearing psychedelics are like ten years of therapy at once. Red flag. There are no shortcuts. Remember learning about the long, short way? That’s a real thing. You know you can get to an enlightened state without any substances, it just takes a lot longer and it’s a lot harder. I am a Lubavitcher and the basis of Tanya is all about hard work, not the instant resolutions. If you’re backing up your psychedelic journeys with real therapeutic work with a licensed therapist (not a life coach), then maybe, but again I don’t think that’s what’s happening. Most of the time, we’re grasping and looking for anything to get relief and often it’s temporary and possibly detrimental.

Anything that requires us to not be fully present and conscious while we try to heal makes my inner alarm-bells go off. I get it, some things can be really really painful, and maybe that’s the only way, and yes maybe. So that puts you into the category for legitimate use, but hopefully with really careful supervision, it’s not a joke. I was tempted many times to give it a try, but something always held me back. And after many years of seeing it play out, I’m glad I listened to my inner voice.

I should probably stop here, but I’m sure I ruffled a lot of feathers already (not my goal, but it comes with the territory) so I’m going for broke.

Spirituality vs. Religion:

This might be the hardest one of the three topics to talk about. It’s so confusing and we’re confusing the heck out of our kids. Honestly, I’m really confused myself. Judaism isn’t a feel-good religion. Do we want to feel good serving Hashem? Absolutely! Guess what? That comes with a lot of intention, and a lot of surrender. If you feel like you’re not there yet, and you can’t do all the “stuff,” guess what? None of us can! It’s not about perfection; it’s about the journey. It’s about being honest with yourself. It’s about facing the things that are hard or the things you don’t align with as “your truth,” which is simply your visceral reaction to THE TRUTH. If you believe in the Torah as the TRUTH then this needs to be said, if you don’t believe in the Torah, then all this is irrelevant anyway.

I truly don’t want to, or need to, know what you do or don’t do in your relationship with Hashem. Yet, the way the world is currently operating, everything becomes our business. We must realize the impact that we are having. Breath work isn’t a substitute for religion; psychedelics isn’t a substitute for religion. Feeling spiritual and loving G-d is great and important, but that’s not all it takes. There are so many tools that can enhance our relationship with G-d, but it can’t substitute it. Meditation is a Jewish concept!! Being grounded and present is a Jewish concept! Being emotionally, physically and mentally healthy is a Jewish concept! All these things can be done within the G-dly framework.

It’s really hard to say these things, and maybe I shouldn’t, who knows. I hope it can be received in a positive way, in a way that makes us think and reflect. It has the potential to sound judgmental, but I’m not judging any individual (as humans we do judge, and we actively have to try not to). We don’t ever know anyone’s whole story and so it’s about a particular person’s choice or a particular group of people. It’s me digging deep into who I am and how I believe Jews are to connect with Hashem and how we interact with new-age ideas that can help but are often being used as substitutes for Torah-oriented spiritual living. I am questioning the movement that it’s becoming. In Montana we believe strongly in the idiom of “live and let live” but at what cost? At what point do I need to speak up? Why can’t I share my opinion on these hot topics without fear of repression? I don’t need to conform.

This is about the trend. The trend that’s telling our youth that Torah, Chassidus, and Jewish values which has trained us to do the hard work is irrelevant because we have quicker fixes that are more attractive.

If you know me, you know that I have lots of questions, struggles and circumstances that push my comfort level in a big way. I’m constantly working on my authentic relationship with Hashem. So, this isn’t about me having it all or thinking that “I’m smarter” than anyone else and have figured out how to have a perfect relationship with G-d. But let’s be real and honest, and call our struggles, struggles. Own the parts of Torah we don’t feel aligned with or frankly not interested in instead taking our modern inventions and trying to fit it into the Torah. We are all a work in progress, ain’t anything wrong with that, but it can be just that.

So, what’s the common denominator here? It’s this trend of trying to avoid what’s underneath, trying to find faster ways to feel healed. It’s neither new nor very effective. In the 60’s we were all about psychedelics. It didn’t work long term. In the 90’s we were all about being skinny and somehow that would be the path to happiness. Guess what? It didn’t work long term. It seems that what stands the test of time is Torah. The thing that G-d gifted to us is our true path to connection.

I know that there is so much religious trauma out there and it’s very real. Religious trauma usually comes from humans who use Hashem’s Torah as a power trip or worse! We must never sweep that under the rug! We must do better. I think that’s the job of our generation to heal from all of this. And maybe psychedelics and breath work and whatever else it takes is a part of the process, but I hope we don’t forget the point of it all which is G-d and His ideas.

Very important: Don’t take my word for it. Think about it, allow yourself to hear all sorts of opinions and thoughts. Dig deep, do your research, and then make your own decisions!

I truly love you all!

Your brave, or very stupid, friend,

Chavie