Climbing the Mountain: Faith, Effort, and the Power of Showing Up
This week’s parsha, Vayeira, makes me wonder, how do you know when you are doing Gds will?
Last week, Hashem told Avraham to go, to leave behind everything familiar and trust Him.
This week, the call comes again, and it’s even harder: take Yitzchak and bring him up as an offering.
There are no details. No clear instructions. Just faith.
And Avraham says, Hineni — here I am. Ready to do what You ask.
But I always wonder…
Did Avraham really know what Hashem wanted?
Did he hope there would be another sign?
How did he recognize the ram as the answer?
From our perspective, it seems obvious. But in the moment, when you’re living it, how do you know you’re doing the right thing?
Just Keep Showing Up
Avraham just keeps showing up.
He’s over 100 years old.
Climbing mountains.
Doing hard things.
Moving his growth needle one step at a time.
I don’t get direct messages from Hashem (wouldn’t that be nice?).
Most days, I’m just trying to listen for quiet direction and trust that my effort counts, even when the outcome isn’t clear.
Some days I show up at 100%.
Other days, only 50%.
Both are okay.
Because showing up is the point.
Progress, Not Perfection
Next week marks four years since my bariatric surgery.
Some people think that’s “cheating,” but I don’t.
I used a tool available to me, and it’s still hard work every single day.
I lost 60 kilos, and over the past year, after surgery for my myoma, I’ve gained back 15.
I’m still working to take it off again.
But even with that, I don’t see failure.
I see commitment.
Because maintaining progress is part of the work, even if sometimes it feels like the mess is worse than when you started.
Progress Is Still Progress
This week, three conversations reminded me how often we mistake “unfinished” for “failure.”
One woman who joined my Paper Purge last time said,
“I failed, I didn’t finish.”
I told her, you can’t undo 40 years of paper in 3 hours.
Progress is still progress.
Another woman told me she dreams of making Aliyah, but with everything going on, she just couldn’t see how it would ever work.
She said an influencer was telling people to just come, and she thought that sounded crazy.
And I told her, that was me.
I came without a job, without a perfect plan, without knowing how it would all turn out.
But I trusted that Hashem would meet me where I was.
Eleven years later, I’m still here, still building, still learning.
Taking that leap changed everything.
The One-Dollar Kind of Commitment
And then someone asked me why I charge $1 for a trial session.
It’s because that $1 makes it so much more likely people will actually show up.
When you invest, even a little, you have skin in the game.
And when you don’t, most people never end up playing.
That tiny commitment, the one-dollar kind, is what starts real change.
And this is also why I keep my programs affordable.
I design them so that I can help the most people, while still keeping them accessible and sustainable.
Because everyone deserves the chance to get organized and feel calm, not just those who can afford luxury coaching prices.
Hashem Doesn’t Need Perfection — Just Participation
We’re so afraid to fail that we forget every small act of courage builds us into who we’re meant to be.
So when I look at Avraham’s tests, I see this:
Hashem doesn’t need perfection.
He wants participation.
He wants us to take the leap, even when we don’t see the landing.
Take Your Step
Maybe for you, that leap is showing up to The Paper Purge next week.
Maybe it’s finally letting go of the things that don’t serve you.
Maybe it’s saying yes to real support inside the Journey to Organization community.
Whatever your mountain is, take the step.
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