Actions speak louder than words

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There’s an old saying that goes, “Be careful what you ask for, because you might get it.” 

We all have goals and dreams, and some of us spend a good deal of time focusing on them. So what happens when we actually get that job we wanted, our dream relationship, the house we visualized, the trip we waited for, or the president we supported? 

Now we have to deal with getting what many, many Americans wanted. There is sure to be change ahead, which is scary for some who didn’t vote for Donald Trump and even scary for some who did.  

Which brings me to the subject of risk and faith. Anything new involves risk and, in some ways, blind faith, because we don’t know the outcome. We are learning as we experience the new path we are on.  That involves having faith in the right result – even when the words we have heard aren’t what we had hoped for.

Rabbi Moshe Weinberger writes in his article “Actions Speak Louder Than Words,” posted at YUTorah Online (yutorah.org.), “The heavens tell the story of existence and creation, and this is the way to hear the story of Hashem. Hashem’s actions  ‘speak.’ According to the RaDaK, Hashem’s actions ARE the words. How does an action, a physical act compare to speech/words in halachah [Jewish law]? A single act can negate a lifetime worth of  ‘talking’.”

Further, this quote by management guru Peter Drucker gives me hope in our system:  “Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.”

PATRICIA RASKIN hosts “The Patricia Raskin Show” on Saturdays at 3 p.m. on WPRO, 630 AM/99.7 FM and on Mondays at 2 p.m. on voiceamerica.com. Raskin is a board member of Providence’s Temple Emanu-El.