Chasing Calm. Why Does Peace Elude Us

Meaningful Life Skills with Rabbi Simon Jacobson

At the end of one of my classes, a cardiologist approached me—a gentle soul burdened by a life of profound challenges—and asked me, Rabbi Jacobson, can you help me? Can you pray for me to find some calm, some peace in my life?”
Being a cardiologist, and with a good sense of humor, I replied, Do you mean... a flatline? He chuckled and said noo, no, not that calm, not that peaceful.
I smiled. “Ah, you mean a wave—a steady, rhythmic cardiogram. Not the extreme peaks or plunging valleys, but a balanced wave of life.” He nodded, understanding. After all, we all know the alternative: a flatline signals no life at all.
And yet, isn’t that the struggle for so many of us? The anxiety, the disruptions, the relentless upheavals. The big question we all have: Is it even possible to find calm in the storm of life? Or perhaps going even deeper, why does life have to be so turbulent in the first place?
But what if there is a way? A path to discover balance. To ride the wave without being consumed by its extremes.
Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson for a profound and vital discussion on chasing calm—exploring why peace so often eludes us and how we can reclaim it in our lives. This is more than a conversation; it’s a journey to find the harmony we all yearn for.