The Library

Tenet #5: Remind myself why I must remove lust from myself
I have to stop lustful emotions as soon as they start, by reminding myself of the difference between "Pleasure" and "Happiness", and that I WANT to let go of the lust because of the following:

• "Pleasure" is fleeting and false fulfillment. It cuts me off from the world and doesn't let me feel the tremendous kindness of Hashem. It doesn't let me bind to the goodness in the world, and it makes me lose appreciation for my wife and children. The more I indulge, the more I am unable to find inner peace, and I remain closed up within a shell of "myself".

• "Happiness" is real and ever-lasting fulfillment. It reconnects me to the world, lets me feel the tremendous kindness of Hashem and helps me see the goodness in the world. This helps me gain appreciation for my wife and children, and to find inner peace.

Tenet #6: Break up the day, be happy
Today I'll be happy. I'll break the day into 3 segments: morning (when I wake up until lunch), afternoon (lunch until I get home), and night (when I get home until I wake up). For every hour, and especially after every segment I stay clean, I will be happy about it!

Tenet #7: Guard my eyes
Today I'll guard my eyes in the office and on the street. I will use my filters to guard my eyes on the internet. When I feel weak, I'll try to read from the GYE handbook instead of trying to bypass my filters.

Tenet #8: Make fences

• Today I will not touch myself.

• Today I won't act out when I "feel like it". I'll wait 10 minutes, sitting or walking around if need be, and by then the lust will have passed.

Tenet #9: Daven better
Today I will direct my energy and spiritual vigor into my prayers. Today I'll focus on davening with more kavana.

Tenet #10: Love, not lust
Today I will work on understanding and living with the awareness of the difference between "true love" and "animalistic lust".

Momo writes to someone who had a fall:

We're human, not angels, so it's OK that we fell. If we learn from our mistakes and use them to raise us up to an even higher level than before the fall, then our fall turns into a merit (thus Chazal say that our sins turn into merits after teshuva me'ahava).

And always repeat to yourself this great truth that "Hoping" recently posted on the forum:

"A fall while on the journey is worth more than a clean day while you aren't trying."