7.20.25 ~ Shark Tank

Good morning!

Shabbat morning zoom call: "Humility, the key to leadership" or "Do you have what it takes to be a godly leader?"

This past week's Torah portion is filled with zealousness for God's honor through humility,  violence, reward and peace, overcoming public opinion, foundational truths about your future inheritance in the Land, true leadership and the ultimate list of appointed times; with threads of 'never give up' woven throughout the tapestry narrative.

During a research experiment, a marine biologist placed a shark into a large holding tank and then released several small bait fish into the tank. As you would expect the shark quickly swam around the tank, attacked and ate the smaller fish. The marine biologist then put a strong piece of clear fiberglass into the tank Creating two separate partitions. He  put the shark on one side of the fiberglass and the new set of bait fish on the other. Again, the shark quickly attacked this time. However, the shark slammed into the fiberglass and bounced off.

Undeterred, the shark kept repeating this behavior every few minutes. To no avail, the bait fish were unharmed in the second partition; eventually, about an hour into the experiment the shark just gave up. This experiment was repeated several dozen times over the next few weeks each time the shark got less aggressive and made fewer attempts to attack the bait fish until eventually, the shark got tired of hitting the fiberglass divider and simply stopped eating altogether.

The marine biologist then removed the fiberglass divider, but the shark didn’t eat the bait fish. The shark was now trained to believe a barrier existed between it and the bait fish. Consequently, the new bait fish swim wherever they wish free from harm.

In this experiment and metaphor for life, you are the shark and the bait fish are all the opportunities that surround you every day. It's a fact, in this dynamic world, that we don’t lack opportunity, we only lack courage. We have been trained through failure, through defeat , through rejection, through discouragement, through embarrassment and heartache to not even try anymore.

Let's be specific:

• You see somebody that you’d like to meet, but you walk away because you felt rejected once before.
• You are presented with a learning opportunity, but you pass on it because you bought into something before and it didn’t work. You need to confront a coworker, employee or a client, but you don’t because you’re afraid you might lose their friendship or business because that’s what happened before.
• There’s a chance for you to speak up to contribute, to share yourself, but you don’t because people might judge you, or it might be annoying to others as it had been in the past.
• You want to discuss something vulnerable with your spouse, but you clam up instead, because you’re afraid that they will use it against you.
• You want to reach out lovingly to a friend, but you’re afraid it will be uncomfortable and you’ll be embarrassed.
• You have a great idea, but you don’t submit it because it might be rejected and you’ll feel stupid.
• You’re presented with an advancement, a promotion, a new opportunity, you don’t follow through because you don’t want to fail or get let down again.

We are constantly having things happen to us whether you recognize it or not. No matter what’s happened in the past, you have to renew your mind and think like a powerful shark.

A question we should ask ourselves is: How about me?  What opportunities, what conversations am I not taking advantage of that are starving me of growth, advancement and next level success? If nothing comes up in your mind and your brain doesn’t want to admit all those things that you have consciously or unconsciously shined away from out of fear, at least pay attention throughout your day of all those baitfish opportunities that are swimming around you all day every day...you're not being honest with yourself.

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. (Matt. 10:22)

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. (Matt. 11:12)

To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.
(Num. 26:54)

Happy first fruit of the wine! Day 50

Shalom,
Alan