´What Would You Do If You Weren´t Afraid?´

Some book titles are strong enough for becoming a fascination for the mind. I love asking myself over and over again: ´What Would You Do If You Weren´t Afraid?´, although I conquered most of my big fears, one by one, many years ago. Still, there is fear left into my life, ungracefully brought in by the various ailments coming with age, disappearing relatives, sick children, unsafe world and hate. Feelings that the last 12 months of pandemic aggravated to all of us, no matter how fearless - as I describe myself - one can be. Thus, the need to think deeper and deeper about what really means to go beyond our limits and limitations, our mizraim. Just in due time before the holiday of freedom, Pesach.

Can a successful business woman living in London, relocated from Israel, with a big family and an impressive academic record, that was initially accepted in the Air Force Intelligence Unit for the military service be afraid? How? and especially why?

In this open memoir, Michal Oshman, currently head of TikTok Europe, the Culture, Diversity and Inclussion division is sharing her lessons learned as a Jewish woman and follower of Chasidut. Besides Chasidut, there is another Jewish author which is greatly inspiring her, one of my favorite post-WWII Jewish minds as well, Viktor Frankl. His search for meaning as the engine that keep people - literally - alive - means also a completely different approach on failure, mistakes and the overall life interaction. More than any classical therapy mindset, thinking about change and failure as a challenge helps to keep the mind fed with meaning instead of the toxic reactions of fear. 

´When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves´ said wisely Frankl and there is so much potential to completely revisit your life in just one quote. 

Born in a non-religious academic family, Oshman is navigating the terrains of fear with the orientation given by her refreshed discovery of Jewish sources: ´The Jewish ideas I was learning helped me control my thoughts and heal my life. They allowed me to move forward, towards a joyful, confident life´. Jewish practice is not for the sophisticated discussions, it is for life, and this life is our life, no matter our religion or lack thereof. As there are so many nonreligious people which keep doing loads of good deeds, while being nourished by the religious learning. Thus, the large variety of daily application of chasidut, which, as Oshman is explaining, chapter by chapter, covers personal development, company culture and diversity, as well as parenting. 

Through personal and passionate - allow your soul to burn like a flame - engagement in the moment, desire to change each and every one of us has the chance to reach his or her potential. ´You don´t have to be in full control. You only have to give space´. And how else can we achieve our potential unless we are bravely learning from our mistake, embrace them and make space for growth. (A mindset which is completely the opposite of the business and educational culture in Germany where I am living right now.) We have to allow ourselves to cross a bridge towards something not just to run through life away from something. 

I really enjoyed reading What Would You Do If You Weren´t Afraid for various reasons, the organised writing and the questions at the end of each chapter being one of them. As a reader, no matter your religion and professional level, you are invited to a journey of self-discovery and mind-investigation. You feel you matter more than a passive received of information. It is also honestly written which creates more than a bridge between the author and the readers.

For me, it was one of those books at the end of which really felt revigorated and happy to go through the reading experience. There is so much left to learn and I am grateful for being offered the chance of my life journey. 

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review