Recipe for Enchantment - The Secret Ingredient is Right in Front of Your Nose!
by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein

There is an old Jewish tale about a frustrated husband.  He goes to his Rabbi for advise, despairing over his home.  His wife is simply not a good housekeeper and he is not enjoying his home nor his wife.  And to top it off, his home is so small, they have hardly enough room to walk around!

His Rabbi suggests that he bring his horse into the house, and lets him sleep in the living quarters, rather than the stable.  This puzzles the man, but he greatly respects his Rabbi, so he goes home and informs his wife that his trusted horse will now habitat the house with them.  His wife is also puzzled, but she is good natured and whatever the Rabbi suggests must have a silver lining.

However, after a number of days, it becomes harder and harder to live with their horse.  He neighs at night, he is not potty trained and he eats a lot of hay!  The man finally goes back to his Rabbi.  He complains and expresses distress.  This time the Rabbi tells him he must keep the horse in the house, but also bring into the house all of his chickens, including the rooster.  Now the Rabbi is even more puzzled but again respects his Rabbi.  His wife, once again, agrees to go along with the new additions.  They struggle to navigate in their home between the horse, his hay, the chickens, all their eggs and little chicks and the rooster, who is very noisy.

After a few days, the man is almost out of his mind.  He can't stand the noise, the feathers, the smells, the little live chicks underfoot, the rooster singing his praise of a new day at dawn, the constant neighing, the chicken fed, etc.  He goes back to his Rabbi, this time desperate.  "You must help me!  I can't live like this!"

The Rabbi, quietly said, "I have just the solution.  I want you to go home and move your horse back to the barn.  Also, put all of your chickens back into the henyard and tomorrow come back.  Then we will see what else we have to do."

The man goes home, tells his wife and they remove all the animals.

The next day he goes back to the Rabbi.  The Rabbi asks, "How are you?"

The man said,  "I am so happy.  My house is so large without the animals and my wife appears to have turned into a very good housekeeper!  I am a lucky man!  I won't need anymore help."

The Rabbi was pleased, so were the husband and his wife, and I would imagine so were the animals.  Thus the tale ends.

Lesson from this Recipe for Enchantment:  Let us all remember, especially in this time of woe for all of us suffering after hurricane Katrina, including people and animals, that contentment, joy and a life of meaning are usually just as close as our very own noses!

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, originator of The Enchanted Self®, a method of bringing delight and meaning into everyday living, invites you to view her new line of ENCHANTED WOMAN products, downloadable e-books, and free gifts at http://www.enchantedself.com. Chat with others in Dr. Holstein's e-group, http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/enchantedself/, and sign up for her free e-group at www.enchantedself.com. Order her book, The Enchanted Self: A Positive Therapy, or the CD-rom or tape version and her book RECIPES FOR ENCHANTMENT: The Secret Ingredient is YOU!, or the ED-rom version, at http://www.enchantedself.com/ordering.htm

The Enchanted Self® is a registered trademark of Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein