Chad Silverstein recounts hearing Rabbi Torsky describe watching goldfish swim back and forth as a metaphor for humans trapped in repetitive routines. The anecdote prompts reflection on finding purpose and ensuring daily work has meaningful impact so life does not slip away unnoticed.
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When I was listening to Rabbi Torsky online. I love this guy. He just brings incredible insights and nuances. And he was talking about times where he'd walk into an office and he would see a fish tank, and he would see these goldfish, and he would stare at the goldfish, and he would watch them swimming back and forth all day long. He said that he couldn't help but think that who's standing above us watching us go back and forth all day long? You know, if you can get into a goldfish's mind, they think that they're doing the most important thing in the world by swimming back and forth in a fish tank. And you laugh at that. Yet we do it almost every single day. And so being able to figure out what your purpose is in this world, to make sure that what you are doing has an impact on whatever it is or whoever it is that you're working with, is pretty important so that you don't end up just swimming back and forth day by day, and the next thing you know, you look back at your life and wonder, where did the time go?