I just finished Mitch Albom’s wonderful new book, “Have a Little Faith” and I want to tell you, if you are having a few questions about spirituality, what life is about and where to go from here, I can’t recommend it highly enough. The story begins when Mitch, the author of Tuesday’s with Morrie, is asked to give his home congregation’s Rabbi’s eulogy. On it’s face, not an unusual request, a famous writer is a logical choice to honor a group’s leader.  the twist? The Rabbi, the founder of Mitch’s New Jersey temple, asked Mitch to do it himself.

Like a lot of Boomers, Albom’s  spiritual life had lapsed and he found himself having to deal with issues of his own faith as he prepared to speak about a man who helped build his spiritual foundation. Over 7 years of visits and new found friendship, we journey through Mitch’s ambivalence, his fears, his questions and ultimately his love for his elderly teacher. A book about a Rabbi, Have a Little Faith, is not just for Jews, Mitch asks and gets answers to questions that anyone, of any religious tradition, would appreciate. Mitch helps us relate to his New Jersey community and his Detroit home, by showing us how the clergy (and anyone for that matter) is most effective when they come from a place of humility and love. We can learn much by admitting we don’t have all the answers. Love, it turns out, is a verb and Mitch tells us, first hand, about people who use the love of God to help others on this earth.

If you’ve seen Fiddler on the Roof, you know that tradition and ritual are important to any faith, as Mitch’s Rabbi said, “We are what we do, not just what we believe.” And it led me back to thinking about our goal discussions at the beginning of the year. Remember, about 6 weeks ago before blizzards, Valentines Day, and life began to get in the way?

We talked about doing 5 things a day towards your goals and if you have, you should have some very good habits right now, you should already be acting, every day, like the successful person you want to become. Good for you if you have, write me and tell me about your success.

If you have not, here’s the good news. Wretches like me are given redemption every day, we always can be re-born. Haven’t done your sit ups or started your diet? Haven’t been working towards that degree? Haven’t been finding new clients? Haven’t been telling your family you love them?

It’s ok, you can start today and there are angels and spirits out there to help you begin today. A quick review, make sure your goals are true to your core and take little bites, take action every day by doing 5 things to become the new person you want to become. Six weeks from now, if you do, you’ll be wondering why you didn’t do this sooner.

I’m rooting for you!