Rabbi Pinchas Taylor Of American Faith Coalition: 5 Steps That Each Of Us Can Take To Proactively Help Heal Our Country
Set Meaningful Goals: Establish goals that align with your values and interests. These goals can be short-term or long-term, big or small. Having something to work towards can give you a sense of purpose and a feeling of accomplishment when you make progress or achieve your goals. Believe it or not many people, especially young people, are not taught to set specific short term and long term goals, other than vague bucket list items that define “success.”
As a part of our series about 5 Steps That Each Of Us Can Take To Proactively Help Heal Our Country, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rabbi Pinchas Taylor.
Rabbi Pinchas Taylor is the Director of the American Faith Coalition, and formerly a member of the Governor of Florida’s Faith advisory board.
He is a best-selling author and lecturer and has spoken across the globe in a wide variety of venues. His books Pillars of Faith and A Jewish Guide to the Mysterious are great works of insight and scholarship into the spiritual realm.
Rabbi Taylor has been called the “Celebrity Life Coach” for his work with actors, athletes, and other public figures and founded “The Ark,” a successful faith-based study and coaching program.
Rabbi Taylor is a certified cognitive behavioral therapy practitioner, a certified clinical trauma specialist, a member of the American Counseling Association, and the Association for Conflict Resolution. He is often a contributor on national news outlets.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I grew up in South Florida in a mostly secular Jewish family. At age 15 I decided I wanted to become a rabbi, after enjoying learning, teaching, spirituality, and most importantly people. I began pursuing an Orthodox Jewish lifestyle from that point on and haven’t looked back since. Currently I live with my wife and 7 children in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
In my Jewish studies it was a series of books called “The Torah Anthology,” which went in depth into the Hebrew Bible in a way that I never imagined possible. I remember really having a fascination and clear understanding of things based on this great work. In business and life mindset I was highly influenced by Tim Ferris’s “4 Hour Work Week.” Seeing the flaws and limited worldviews that so many people fall into was eye-opening and I began to make changes in the way that I viewed the work I was doing.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
“Never give up.” It was a saying my grandfather always lived with and it’s amazing how empowering and affective those 3 words have been for me in confronting anything I was trying to accomplish.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership is the ability to influence others to act. A leader motivates people to change, grow and achieve common goals. Leadership is a neutral tool; in that it can be used for good or evil. A great leader will first develop his or her own leadership skills and self-growth wisdom and then inspire others through living and modeling his life.
In life we come across many people, some who inspire us, some who change us and some who make us better people. Is there a person or people who have helped you get to where you are today? Can you share a story?
I think I have had several people that played a tremendous role in getting me where I am today. I think we can all agree that a mom is your first friend and best friend. I have also had some great mentors and teachers, both before and after my religious and rabbinic training. My grandfather, I believe, played a special role as well. I don’t think I realized the extent of it until he passed away ten years ago. He was a World War II veteran, and hard working following the war. He taught me determination, values, and American patriotism. He was also exceedingly humble. Sometimes, unfortunately we only reflect upon these types of things, and recognize the gravity of the impact, after the person is no longer physically present.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. The United States is currently facing a series of unprecedented crises. So many of us see the news and ask how we can help. We’d love to talk about the steps that each of us can take to help heal our county, in our own way. Which particular crisis would you like to discuss with us today? Why does that resonate with you so much?
I’d like to focus today on the feelings of hopelessness and lack of purpose that is growing and plaguing people, especially young people in this country. Data collected over the past few years suggests one in four adults aged 18 to 24 have considered suicide. Other similar polls and studies show that the same age demographic had felt down, depressed, or hopeless. This resonates so much for me because it may perhaps be the root of many of the other issues facing our country.
This is likely a huge topic. But briefly, can you share your view on how this crisis evolved to the boiling point that it’s at now?
Stress and Lifestyle Changes: Modern life is often marked by high levels of stress, including work-related pressures, financial burdens, and relationship challenges. Rapid changes in lifestyle, such as increased urbanization, technology dependence, and social media use, have also been linked to higher rates of feelings of hopelessness and purposelessness.
Social Isolation: Feelings of loneliness and social isolation have become more prevalent. Factors such as limited social support networks, increased use of technology for social interaction, and shifts in community and family structures can contribute to a sense of disconnectedness and depression. This has become exacerbated with the Covid-19 lockdowns and largescale shift to remote work environments.
Decline in Faith and Values: Faith values, no matter what faith, give greater context to our lives. It helps us to align with something Higher than ourselves and provide a meaningful framework of why we do the things we do. Furthermore, the shared values of the United States, which are primarily founded upon the Hebrew Bible, have been the backbone that united us in faith, history, and culture. Without being grounded in something higher and meaningful, it is very easy to get washed away in the flood of contemporary life.
Can you tell our readers a bit about your experience either working on this cause or your experience being impacted by it? Can you share a story with us?
I help people reach a Higher Life through a Higher Power. The best way to activate and cultivate the relationship with the Higher part of us on the inside, is to connect with the Higher part of existence on the outside.
I see many people struggling to live meaningful lives and have a variety of methods in helping them live with purpose. This is done primarily through, group study, individualized coaching, and establishing faith centers across the United States.
I am a rabbi by profession but do extensive coaching work with people of all ages and backgrounds. Several years ago, I was working with a freshman in college. He was stressed, felt hopeless, insecure, lonely, and had an overall lack of drive. Within 8 weeks during his summer break, we were able to take him to a place where he embraced and thrived during his sophomore year. This was done through crafting a schedule together that helped balance work/ play, initiated a fitness schedule, and got him involved in a local faith community. The kid wound up graduating like a rockstar. He lives with passion and is very purpose driven.
Ok. Here is the main question of our discussion. Can you please share your “5 Steps That Each Of Us Can Take To Proactively Help Heal Our Country”. Kindly share a story or example for each.
For lasting change in the ills of society, the change must begin from changing the inside, rather than the outside. When you change the man, you change the world. There is a wonderful story that illustrates this point:
“There was a man who had a little boy that he loved very much. Every day after work the man would come home and play with the little boy. He would always spend all his extra time playing with the little boy.
One night, while the man was at work, he realized that he had extra work to do for the evening, and that he wouldn’t be able to play with his little boy. But he wanted to be able to give the boy something to keep him busy.
So, looking around his office, he saw a magazine with a large map of the world on the cover. He had an idea. He removed the map, and then patiently tore it up into small pieces. Then he put all the pieces in his coat pocket.
When he got home, the little boy came running to him and was ready to play. The man explained that he had extra work to do and couldn’t play just now, but he led the little boy into the dining room, and taking out all the pieces of the map, he spread them on the table, together with some scotch-tape.
He explained that it was a map of the world, and that by the time he could put it back together, his extra work would be finished, and they could both play. Surely this would keep the child busy for hours, he thought.
About half an hour later the boy came to the man and said, “Okay, it’s finished. Can we play now?”
The man was surprised, saying, “That’s impossible. Let’s go see.”
And sure enough, there was the picture of the world, all put together, every piece in its place.
The man said, “That’s amazing! How did you do that?” The boy said, “It was simple. On the back of the page was a picture of a man. When I put the man together the whole world fell into place.”
A shift in economic or political policy can never significantly aid humanity without a focus on improving the moral character of the people, and ultimately, the quality of the people ultimately proves more decisive than the nature of the system. It is not so much through political actions, but through putting ourselves together, that we put society together as a result. So, each step is rooted in “thinking globally but acting locally.”
The following are 5 steps for someone feeling pains of purposelessness:
- Education. Take time to reflect on your personal values and interests. What activities bring you joy and fulfillment? What causes or issues are important to you? Understanding your values and interests can help you identify areas where you can find purpose and meaning. Educate yourself from appropriate sources on a spiritually oriented life. Read books on mindset, mindfulness, and self-improvement. Allow yourself the opportunity and open mindedness to give real consideration and examination to a faith tradition, and not relying upon what you learned in Hebrew School or catechism growing up. Beginning or enhancing your relationship with God, can be very helpful in
- Community: Everyone needs to feel like they belong somewhere. Not only is this true (although sometimes not achieved) within your immediate family, but that you belong to something larger than yourself. Cultivate relationships with family, friends, or like-minded individuals who share your interests or values. This can be a social club, groups centered around your hobbies or creativity, religious institutions, or volunteering. Engage in meaningful conversations, seek support when needed, and collaborate on projects or initiatives that align with your shared values. Allow yourself the opportunity to be around others who share similar goals and visions, and let your impact together elevate your sense of purpose.
- Find a Mentor: Find someone you respect and consider a successful person, not necessarily in or only in the financial realm. Ask them to mentor you. If not in an official capacity, have meaningful conversations and glean whatever you can from the relationship.
- Set Meaningful Goals: Establish goals that align with your values and interests. These goals can be short-term or long-term, big or small. Having something to work towards can give you a sense of purpose and a feeling of accomplishment when you make progress or achieve your goals. Believe it or not many people, especially young people, are not taught to set specific short-term and long-term goals, other than vague bucket list items that define “success.”
- Become a Mentor: You are certainly farther along in the process of life in some area than someone else. Become a leader, friend, and teacher for someone else. This could be helping someone else in the same struggle get out of their challenge. In the recovery world, this is the last of the 12-steps to be an example and potentially a “sponsor.” In the Judaic world it’s reflected in the notion that “If you know aleph, only the very first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, you should teach aleph.” Sharing your experience in wisdom is valuable for the other person but also valuable for you in the sense of overcoming purposelessness.
It’s very nice to suggest ideas, but what can we do to make these ideas a reality? What specific steps can you suggest to make these ideas actually happen? Are there things that the community can do to help you promote these ideas?
Since we are talking about the subject of purpose, there are 4 introspective questions we can ask ourselves that will give us a clearer view of our unique purpose in this life. First question is what are your talents? These aren’t necessarily things you can enter a talent show for, but things that you have a knack for that set you apart. This can be things like being a good listener or a sense of humor. Secondly, ask yourself, what are my passions? What gets me fired up and excited? The things we are drawn to, along with our talents, play a role in finding our unique purpose. Thirdly, what are my unique experiences? Everyone has unique situations that they had which shape their ability and give them an edge over others. Sometimes we find a negative experience becoming channeled toward something positive, like a victim of abuse being drawn to help other victims of abuse and coupling their challenging experiences with their talents and passions to laser focus their ability to achieving their purpose. Lastly, what is my circle of influence? Life has brought you to a certain location, with certain people in your life, relations, and acquaintances. Utilize your current situation as a backdrop to help you along the way in establishing your purpose.
We are going through a rough period now. Are you optimistic that this issue can eventually be resolved? Can you explain?
Yes. I’m optimistic. There are different ebbs and flows, trends and pendulums in society. I believe that faith with swing back into vogue at some point and people will be renewed with a sense of purpose, with this at its core.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
There was an amazing story that was told by a Holocaust survivor. He writes how the Nazis forced masses of people into open cattle cars in the middle of winter. As the trains ran during the night, the cold was tremendously painful. An old man asked a young boy, to rub his arm in seeking warmth. The boy did it for a few minutes but stopped after becoming tired. The old man begged him to continue, because it was the only way that he could possibly remain warm. The boy continued rubbing the frail skin of the old man until they both fell asleep from exhaustion. When they awoke in the morning, they found that they were the only ones still alive in the cattle car. The boy, who was now telling this story as an old man, said that from that moment on, he realized that the only reason he stayed alive was because he was warming the old man on the train. His message was that if you want to keep yourself warm, you must warm another. Likewise, nobody can bring light and warmth to themselves in their life without bringing light and warmth to our society.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
It would probably be either Thomas Sowell or Ben Shapiro, for their strong and clear commitment to traditional values and understanding how to implement those ideas successfully in a modern world.
How can our readers follow you online?
Through my website pinchastaylor.com or Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube @pinchastaylor
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you continued success on your great work!
Rabbi Pinchas Taylor Of American Faith Coalition: 5 Steps That Each Of Us Can Take To Proactively… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.