WHY AM I HERE?

WHY ARE YOU HERE?

I’m not talking about what you do for a living, your social or family responsibilities, or even our personal goals. I mean - WHY WERE YOU PUT ON THIS PLANET? I'm absolutely going to throw up the next time I hear a person tell me they were placed here..."to honor and glorify G_d." Really? No kidding? HOW?

Seriously... to many people (rockstars included) are bouncing around from one thing to another... with no direction, purpose or real motivation. So humor me for few minutes... what the worse that could happen?

Here's what I want you to do... (yea you) even if you think you've got your life all figured out.

1. Get a fresh sheet of paper or cozy up to your computer and open a Word Document.
2. At the top of the page type or write, “THIS IS WHY I'M HERE!”
3. Start writing or typing whatever comes into your pretty little head... don't list different "Jobs" or "Job Titles"... Write sentences or partial sentences... short phrases work to!
4. Keep doing step 3 until you find an answer that makes you cry. THIS I WHY YOUR HERE!

When I first heard about this I actually laughed out loud... but, long story short... it took me about 20 minutes to hit the thing that broke me into tears... I'm not super macho... but I don't cry at the drop of a hat either. Honestly, the first few moments were spent working past all the BS and clutter that I had conditioned myself to believe about myself and why I was placed on this earth. You might say the 10 minutes or so were a real mental enema for me....(it might take you a little longer if your really full of .... well you get the point). Alot of "crap" will come from your mind and subconscious conditioning. But when you hit the true answer, you'll FEEL it! It will feel like it’s coming from deep within you. If your a pretty surface, emotionally shallow individual, it will take a lot longer to get through all the BS and fake nicey, nice garbage. But if you keep going you’ll be strike a nerve and break yourself on the shores of your destiny... and it will be emotional. How much, depends on how free you are with expressing yourself. Nevertheless; the answer that breaks you, is WHY YO ARE HERE!

As you go through this exercise, some of your answers might sound redundant. You may even re-list the same answers several times... that's ok... just keep going. Just keep listing whatever pops into your head (just so long as you just keep writing.) At some point, you may want to quit... push past this resistance, and just keep going. You'll hit a few answers that seem to give you a little surge in your emotions, but might not make you cry. Highlight those answers as you go along, so you can come back to them as a specific vein of thought. Each of answers is a piece of why your here... find the common thread that runs through all these kinds of answers, cause you’re getting warm.

Keep going. It’s important to get alone and not be interrupted. I know in this day and age it's hard to do but you deserve to invest this time in yourself. If you keep at it, you’ll get there. When I did this, it took me 20 minutes, I'll blog about it soon. When you find your own unique answer to the question of why you’re here, it will resonate within you deeply.

Discovering why your're here is easy... the hard part is staying focused and not getting distracted with "good" ideas that keep you from pursuing the "best" ideas.

So go for it... what do you have to lose besides a little time? Your just going to surf facebook tonight anyway... why not invest in your inner "rockstar" and CHANGE THE WORLD - GO! >>

30 D A Z E

So... allow me to start with a story... I will quote directly from the book "Everyday Holiness" by Alan Morinis starting on page 15 and I quote... "When asked how he had had such an impact as a great sage and leader in the twentieth-centruy Jewish world, the Chafetz Chaim answered, 'I set out to try to change the world, but I failed. So i decided to scale back my efforts and only try to influence the Jewish community of Poland, but I failed there, too. So I targeted the community in my hometown of Radin, but achieved no greater success. Then I gave all my effort to changing my own family, and failed at that as well. Finally, I decided to change myself, and that's how I had such an impact on the Jewish world.' "... end quote.

I have spent the better part of my adult life trying desperately to "change the world." When I reflect back to my 23rd year on earth, I realize that when I reached my end and decided to live for something outside of myself, that moment, that decision, that one choice 15 years ago branded me or scarred me so deeply and so profoundly that I have been on the quest to change the world ever since. At least I thought that's what I was doing... in reality though... I have only been effective at changing myself. I am not who i was 15 years ago.

Time won't allow me to go into detail... but to put it simply... the world is a better place without the "old Roman" around. Oh sure... if i put myself on a large enough timeline or compared myself to the whole of human history, there would be worse offenders to the human race than who I use to be. However, the point is not to justify my actions next to more evil men... my point is simply that I set out to change the world and in the process... I changed and thus I have made the world a better place by simply not remaining who i once was. I've yet to cure cancer, write a book that brings hope, feed thousand of starving people in third world countries. But I have wrestled with my self-centeredness, I have learned how to respect my elders and open the door for women and children. I have learned to smile at strangers and say "please" and "thank you" to waiters and waitresses as well as cashiers. I have learned to nurture a woman's heart (my wife) and I have learned when to work and when to play (with my children). In learning those things... I have spared the world of my own self-importance. With me out of the way... I think i might have made the world... (at least the small speck that i influence) a better place.

I say all of this to prompt all you rockstars, teachers, pastors, politicians, moms, fathers and factory workers... to question yourself, to ask yourself if the world has become a better place because of you or if your "fame"(..no matter how great or how small...) would be better served becoming a better you? Here's what I mean...

Hollywood is full of "do-gooders" and charities. Millions of dollars are at work because of wealth and fame... but what if "celebrity" became a platform of vulnerability? Instead of being spoiled, addicted, broken, divorced, miserable and "Me focused", what if we used our influence... not matter how small or great... to change our lives, become better and do it openly in front of the whole world? What if we humbly and contritely allowed those we love to see us change from who we were... to who we could be... not for our glory and the pats on the back but so the "perfection factor" could be destroyed and others might in turn live vulnerable lives... not hidden... not secretly addicted to food, drugs, drink, porn or status, but openly honest for the sake of a better you and a better us.

I know what your thinking... the world's not ready for such honesty... however, I think it has to do more with transparency than honesty. To be transparent is to be brave and not hide... which is to live honestly... but I don't believe we owe the world an honest, detailed, explanation of our past. We just need for them to see us currently becoming better... and "being better" is something we can all spot universally. I have never given explanation or excuse for who i once was... i don't need to. It's no one's business. I just decided to go from worm to butterfly in a clear cocoon. Not for glory... but to help my circle be brave and choose to change the world by ridding it of their former selves.

Imagine all the good that could have come from all the dead rockstars... if they would have went social and transparent instead of lonely and hidden. Suicide is not the way to change the world... because we don't live in a vacuum and everything we do effects someone else... so effect them for good.

So how does one begin the process of ridding the world of their former self?

1. Inspect. Is the world a better place because of your actions or are you adding to the noise?
2. Decide. You are worth more to the human cause alive, than dead... so put self-pity and doubt behind you and go for it. Decide to openly be better so your courage will cause others to openly be better.
3. Transform. You must do this outside of yourself... because we are selfish creatures and we all have myopic motives. You have to realize life is about others and not just yourself and the point of transparency is "others" motivated. You will never truly see transformation if you don't see yourself or at least certain attributes of yourself as part of the problem. (This is a great place to add that I am personally always in process of change and improvement... this is a lifelong process for me... I will continue to change the world by openly and transparently ridding myself of things that promote darkness and evil in the world and in others)

Some practical advice: Since you have the rest of your life...

• Pick one thing at a time. Pick one habit you would like to start or one you would like to REPLACE, not quite... (because idleness is the devils's playground)
• Once you pick something... dedicate 30 days to it. Health, diet, exercise, foul language, manipulating people, frowning, etc. (be sure to replace bad habits with good... don't just stop bad habits)
• If you fail... don't hide... your courage will foster hope in others.
• NOW GO!

Beginnings

Hello Everyone...

I wrote my first blog last week and it mostly covered "Theological" beliefs or "Religious theory" if you will. My first blog was intended to lay a foundation for the reader or future reader of this blog from which to launch a thought process I call... "Torah for Rockstars." I might also add... it will be the last time you see a blog like that on this particular page. I have other outlets in my life to espouse theology and theological ideas (as i'm sure you do as well.)

This blog's "feel" is meant to be more like if a Rockstar or any other non-religious or common person were to begin grasping the universal principles and instructions of G-d. Perhaps it might even come from the perspective of one questioning the very exsistence of a higher power.

Before wrestling with WHO G-d is, perhaps we could all submit ourselves to some universal truths and work our way from that which is concrete into the more abstract. Perhaps we could find rest and peace in the the things we agree upon universally and then politely disagree on those handful of items that we tend to want to kill each other over. I suppose you should know that my intention will be to shoot from hip, and my suppositions may even seem very random at times. THIS IS NOT A THEOLOGY CLASS! Nor will attempt apologetics or hermeneutics. I simply want to open up dialog. I want to create a fun, off the cuff way to take complex ideas, principles and processes, find out how many things we can all agree or find common ground in and then take THOSE principles and apply them personally in order to change the world. In the process, I may "stir the pot." I may say some things that make you mad. I may make a commet that makes you laugh hysterically. I may say somethings tongue in cheek, that cause you to blush or be embarrassed.

Please understand going in... this blog is written to rockstars and everyday people about universal things we should all ponder and think about. I'm in no way a universalist. I believe in an absolute wrong and an absolute right... I'm simply exhausted from focusing on the really small ways we can't all get along... And I simply want to see how much good we can do if rockstars, pastors, mill rats, house moms and beggars shut up for once and started listening to each other. READY, SET GO!

Who I am, and what "Torah for Rockstars" is all about!

Welcome to my blog, Torah for Rockstars. My name is Roman Asbill and I am not Jewish by birth or religion. I am a Goy (Non-Jewish), a G-d fearer. Basically that means:

• I am a monotheist (I only believe in one G-d)*
• I believe that one G-d clothed Himself in humanity in the revelation of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah
• I believe the death and resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus) grafts me into the commonwealth of Israel (in no way replacing the Jews or minimizing their leadership, covenants, role or position as His bride and the "apple of His eye".)
• I believe the Torah (the principles and instructions of the one true G-d) are applicable to all of humanity.
• I believe some of the principles and instructions are mandatory for all of humanity, under penalty of death (after all, the wages of sin is physical death...which we all inherit.)
• I believe some of the principles apply only to certain people... (beards for men, menstrual purity for women, laws regarding the priesthood, military, the native born or Jew, the nations.)
• I believe all of humanity (Jew or Gentile) is invited to follow the Torah (principles and instructions of G-d) to as high a standard as they choose.
• I believe there is life in the commands of G-d, when done out of love toward G-d and not legalism under man.
• I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT SALVATION IS OF WORKS (lest any man should boast)
• I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT KEEPING THE TORAH SAVES OR PUTS YOU IN RIGHT STANDING WITH G-D
• I believe the Torah (principles and instructions of G-d) are the instruction manual for a long, fulfilling life here on earth.
• So you might ask... Are we obligated or invited to follow the Torah? To which I simply answer... Yes.

I realize some of you may or may not understand the bulk of what I just wrote. Some of you may care or find yourself concerned with what I just wrote. Some of you may not care at all.

I wrote the above for all the "theological terrorist" that visit this blog. I need to tell you right now... THIS BLOG IS NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT. I am not here to argue the minutia of the Law. I am here to make the Torah understandable to the common man and to show the world the benefit of a Torah lifestyle based on the Halacha (Jewish law) of Rabbi Yeshua (Jesus the Messiah)

My only hope is to take what has become complex and make it simple again... This blog is not about Salvation... It is about being a decent human being and living life according to the Words of G-d... Never the less, I will state this emphatically here and now for all the world to see and silence the critics (lol...critics will never be silent). Salvation comes ONLY from the hand of the One true G-d... I simply believe that He loved us enough to humble Himself and put on flesh in the form of Yeshua the Messiah and that He came and lived the Torah so we would know how... I also believe He expects us to use our brain, to take every situation into consideration and not compromise for the sake of pleasure and ease... Yet on the other hand to not allow those principles to become the goal... But to pursue these principles and instructions through the interpretation of Yeshua in order to reach the Goal. What is the goal you might ask? That's the point of this blog...and I will spend my life toward that end!

* I do not spell out any name for G-d as to not offend the Jewish people who may read this blog. (if you are non-Jewish and offended... Get over yourself!