I’m very excited to welcome my next guest, Bracha Goetz. She studied psychology and pre-med at Harvard University and she’s written 45 books, almost all of them are children’s books. Each one of her works has a very special focus on gratitude and I’m excited to have a conversation with her about gratitude and the Pleasure Ladder.

Guest Links:

• Bracha Goetz - LinkedIn
• Bracha Goetz - Facebook
• I.M.P.A.C.T. Today Podcast - Join us as we take you behind the scenes of how the books of best-selling author, Bracha Goetz, were made so you can find the deep psychology hidden in the simple pages. We also explore many tips on how to use each book to build homes with joyful gratitude. You'll get to know more about Bracha Goetz, a Harvard graduate, who is the author of more than 40 children's books, including Let's Stay Safe & Talking About Personal Privacy & meet other guests with vital messages too!
• Growing I.M.P.A.C.T. Publications - You'll find delightful gifts that help bring safety, good health, and gratitude skills to many lives!

References to Bible Verses:

Proverbs 31:25; Deuteronomy 6:5; Genesis 1:2; Genesis 2:7; Genesis 5:3; Genesis 22:2

My Ministry Mission Information

1. Website: https://myministrymission.com/
2. Become a Guest: https://myministrymission.com/guest
3. Support the Show: https://myministrymission.com/support
4. Contact Me: https://myministrymission.com/contact
5. Free Christian Resources: https://myministrymission.com/resources/free-resources/

My Ministry Mission Social Media

1. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myministrymission
2. Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyMinMission (or @MyMinMission)
3. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myminmission (or @MyMinMission)
4. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@myministrymission

Support The Show

If you are enjoying the content and would like to support this show, consider giving me a tip. It's not required or expected, but certainly appreciated

Buy me a Coffee

Credits:

Cover Image & Music from Pixabay

Introduction and Host Welcome

---

Jason: Thank you for listening and welcome to the podcast. I am your host, Jason McConnell. It's tough living in this world. The enemy works hard to destroy our peace and disrupt our joy. If only we could live in a way that could help us keep lasting pleasure in our lives, no matter what was going on. What if I told you there was and it was rooted in gratitude? I am very excited to welcome my guest, Bracha Goetz psychology and pre-med at Harvard and has gone on to. 45 books, almost all of them children's books. Each one of her works has a very special focus on gratitude, and I'm excited to have a conversation with her about gratitude. In the pleasure letter. You can visit her website https://growingimpactpublications.com. There is a wealth of information there. Multimedia books, workshop, the Impact Today podcast, and I'll make sure I have links to the website in the show notes as well as the podcast and your social media.

So please [: 00:01:00

Guest Introduction: Bracha Goetz

---

Jason: So welcome Baka. Thank you.

Bracha: That was beautiful. Thank you.

Jason: I'm so glad I was worried. I was gonna say your name wrong. Did I get your name right?

Bracha: A little bit. Okay. The last name is just, even though there's an O in it, it's just gets.

Jason: Gets, oh my

Bracha: yeah. With no big deal. No big deal at all. Yeah.

Jason: That's welcome.

Discussing Proverbs: 31:25

---

Jason: Well, great, great to have you here as I, I like to get started with my favorite, with your favorite Bible verse. Uh, what you sent me was Proverbs 31 25. Helps. The listeners get to know you a little. Um, I believe it's she is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future. Um, tell us how that speaks to you.

Bracha: Oh, it speaks to [: 00:02:00

That's why that's chosen to honor women. So

scribe Ellie Sheva, the wife [: 00:03:00

Strength and honor are her clothing. I relate to that because I feel that that's. That's now what clothes my life and, and, and now I'm joyful about the future. And I wasn't always like that. So all of that is a huge change in my life that I'm really grateful for.

Jason: That's wonderful. You, you, I can't imagine you ever not being joyful. You're, you're such a, such a wonderful person.

nd nothing mattered in life. [: 00:04:00

Jason: That's wonderful.

Bracha's Journey to Joy and Faith

---

Jason: Um, as I mentioned in the introduction, you are Harvard educated, you've also written 45 books, and I believe you said all but one are children's books. Um, that's, I mean, that's an imp. Impressive pedigree. What brought you from psychology and pre-med to being this talented author?

Bracha: Uh, well, I, I see it as totally related because my books are filled with psychology and many of my books are about public health. Really, I love to teach children about eating healthfully. Like one of my books, let's Stay Healthy is about. Eating healthfully. Why it's important I explain to children why is it important to exercise and eat, eat the food that God has made for us.

[: 00:05:00

Um, those are some of my most popular books and I have books about explaining disabilities to children, um, because usually children with disabilities are the loneliest children and. And, and, and, and children that don't have um, disabilities, they just were never explained how to interact and how to be more inclusive of children with disabilities.

s of things in the book, um, [: 00:06:00

How to be grateful and how to develop happiness skills as early in life as possible.

Jason: Yeah, we're gonna, we're gonna talk about the pleasure ladder and, and gratitude and, and you, you bake that into all of your books, uh, at some, to some degree, right?

Bracha: Yes, exactly.

sting is when we talked, uh, [: 00:07:00

I'd love to hear your story, if you've got time, how you went to, from that to finding your roots and your faith in Judaism.

Bracha: Exactly. I was born Jewish. But it was, it was more of a cultural thing and I didn't feel, I didn't know about the spirituality and I, and that created a hole inside of me and I had no idea what was missing from my life. But that was really the only thing missing. I didn't understand the purpose of life. I didn't know what we were here for.

h. It's actually why I ended [: 00:08:00

They were used to, but I, I, I felt I wanna go to the ultimate place to learn about wisdom and I figured that was it. But I even took courses at the Harvard Divinity School, but it was all like intellectual. It wasn't spiritual. None of that was filling me up. I ended up actually, um, my one book for adults is called, it's my memoir, the story of How I became Religious and.

d so you can actually see I, [: 00:09:00

What did one thing have to do with the other? Yeah. So that's the premise of the whole, when I put the book together through putting the book together, I actually had the epiphany at the end of the book as I'm writing it, as I'm compiling it now, I understand. It's a hunger. There's a genuine hunger and some people don't have it.

e're trying to fill up that, [: 00:10:00

It's a spiritual hole. So nothing physical can fill it up until I found what truly fills fills that emptiness, and that is gratitude and that is understanding. That there's an ultimate goodness in this world. There's, there's a God in this world with ultimate goodness, and that we are also ultimately good, good inside of us.

rything changed. When I, um, [: 00:11:00

And I ended up not returning, not going back to medical school. I ended up like, you, like immersing myself in spirituality and it filled me up. I, I no longer wanted to continue in my past life and go back. I lived in Israel for 10 years and I met my husband there. We started our family there. And, um, I changed my whole life around and it wasn't even a hard struggle because it filled me with happiness.

Jason: That's

wonderful. I love that story and that.

The Pleasure Ladder: An Overview

---

ly excited about in, in this [: 00:12:00

Bracha: Yes. Thank you so much. I am loving, spreading this. It's, it's not well known at all, but this is what I learned that summer and it changed my life. So this is based on ancient, ancient from the Kabbalah. It's ancient mystical wisdom in, in the teachings, but it's total totally universal teachings. Um, the pleasure ladder.

sure letter has five levels, [: 00:13:00

Lasting pleasure at any moment. This is so empowering, um, because when a person has an addiction, or let's say even depression, anxiety, what they feel is cut off, they feel alienated, disconnected. Pleasure comes from connection. Um. And it's, it's the joy we get when we appreciate life. So the five levels, they correspond to our five fingers, but they also correspond to the five levels of the human soul.

's attached to our body. So. [: 00:14:00

Our bodies were designed to move, um, music all, there's all these natural pleasures that, that God put in this world for us to enjoy. And when we enjoy them with gratitude, that changes everything. Then it's no longer that selfish sense of addiction and I can't get enough food and I just gotta stuff it.

e, but like an orange, it's, [: 00:15:00

They're red, I'm ready. That's how they call to us with their beautiful color. So they're a pleasure to look at. They smell beautiful. Then they, the sweet juiciness, they taste delicious and, and they're delicious and nutritious 'cause all of God's food. Is is not just delicious, but it helps our bodies also.

back into the earth, become [: 00:16:00

Then when we experience them with gratitude. It changes everything and we're filled with lasting pleasure and connection. And that's just the lowest level.

Jason: Yeah. And that's, that's, uh, you know, that goes to the latter. You had, you'll forgive by, by Hebrews. Terrible, but I, I think it was NEH

Bracha: Yes.

Jason: the first run and.

Bracha: Yes,

Jason: I love to look stuff up. It it, you know, I, I found it in Deuteronomy six five. You shall love your Lord God with all your heart, with all your soul, the fesh,

your might. So this, I mean [: 00:17:00

um, back to, you know, to, to some part of God obviously.

And I just, I mean the, it blew my mind to try to pull it together in my own, my own thoughts,

uh, how this all ties together. So that, that was interesting. That was interesting. Yep.

Bracha: So great. Exactly. Yeah. That's it.

Exploring the Levels of the Pleasure Ladder

---

t, that we have the power to [: 00:18:00

It seems to be dependent on somebody else. So the ancient definition of love here is appreciating the virtues in another. And that we could do at any moment we a person, A person could do it in jail. A person, a prisoner could, um, just think about their grandmother that once did a kindness for them and be uplifted with this warm emotional feeling of love.

It's by and be inspired to be a better person. You can bring love into your life at any moment, and the person doesn't have to physically be there. We can fill ourselves up with love by appreciating other people.

Jason: And that one, that one is, is Ruach,

I

Bracha: Yes,

I think more, more literally [: 00:19:00

Bracha: yes. The Spirit.

Jason: yet the spirit as in Genesis one, two.

Bracha: Yes, exactly. It's appreciating the spirit of another being. Exactly. That's exactly what it is. And that's what God blew into us. That's spirit. The spirit of God is in all of us. Exactly. So when we appreciate how another being reflects God's essence, then we can appreciate them.

That is exactly what love is about and each level up the pleasure ladder brings a greater connection. A more lasting pleasure and we are emulating God as we go up higher levels of appreciating God as we go up the pleasure ladder. Yeah,

in this world and, you know, [: 00:20:00

Um, then we move to level three

in Nema,

Bracha: Yes. Amazing. Amazing.

Jason: which is also kind of means to breathe or breathed into.

Bracha: Yes. Yes.

Jason: reference.

Uh, but tell, tell us about that level, that third level.

Bracha: Exactly. I'm so impressed. Yes. Yeah, it's, it's the level of. Doing good and meaningful things and, and the body, we relate to it like, um, the senses or the limbs. And then, um, the level of love is in the heart and the level of, um. Nma of the level of meaning is in the brain, and it's, it's, it's when we create meaning do good and meaningful things.

l, the host said that he was [: 00:21:00

He helps his neighbor move furniture, whatever. He comes back and he doesn't need the pie anymore. Why doesn't he need that pizza pie anymore?

Jason: He served, he was in service to somebody else. Yeah.

And so you, you, you, in psychology, you probably know the hedonic treadmill,

Bracha: the The what? Say it

Jason: the, the hedonic treadmill

Bracha: Oh, okay.

down, you buy a new car, it [: 00:22:00

Bracha: Yes.

Jason: And people get in the spiral where they do things to, to spike their happiness and they get pulled back and

spike.

One of the things that I read was that one of the ways to improve your happiness setpoint is service to others.

Bracha: yes,

Jason: So it, you

The Spiritual Connection of Happiness Practices

---

Jason: know, it all ties back to, you know, back to here, you know, in service to others.

Bracha: Exactly. You're gonna see, like when we ever, we talk about helping people to be happier, we'll tell them to do all these things, spend time in nature, exercise, spend time with other people, volunteer. But now you see in this. Pleasure ladder. They're all there. And now you see, you can see so clearly that this is all filling ourselves up spiritually.

, when we, when we, when we. [: 00:23:00

They, like you said, they go back to the same. Happiness set points Six months later, they're at the same level they were at before. These changes happen in their lives. But those that take on a gratitude practice, six weeks later, six months later, they're, they become actually at a higher set point of gratitude that actually changes a person spiritually.

So that's, it's an amazing thing. Yeah.

Volunteering and Personal Fulfillment

---

I did when I, when I joined [: 00:24:00

them food. That's all I did. I had so much fun.

Bracha: Yes.

Jason: gratifying. Just, I mean, you know, handing somebody a taco, that was all

I did. But, but it was fun.

Bracha: Yeah. Yeah,

yeah, exactly.

Jason: on me.

Bracha: Amazing, amazing.

Jason: so one, one of the things that I realized when I, oh, sorry. Go ahead.

Bracha: No, I was gonna say it drew you in.

Yes,

exactly.

The Depth of Hebrew Language and Spirituality

---

Jason: One of the things, because I, I'm, I'm a very curious person. Um, I, you know, I try to, to research this a little bit. When I got to this level three, when I got to hamma, I'm sitting here going, well, all of these words kind of mean solar spirit. A

it made me realize that he, [: 00:25:00

And, and that's true for the New Testament with Greek. Um, but very, very true for the Hebrew and the, the Aramaic, um, parts of it. But anyways, I just wanted to throw that in there.

Bracha: I'm so deeply impressed you, you, you really are a lover of learning. It is so beautiful. So yes, there is no language like the Hebrew language. It's unbelievable. I'm studying it a lot right now. Since my husband and I have moved back to Israel, I'm really learning conversational Hebrew. It's, and I'm loving it more and more because, um, the words are not haphazard.

There's like a [: 00:26:00

yes.

Exploring Higher Levels of Creativity

---

Jason: All right, so let, let's do level. I think it was level two Chaya rep representing, I think, believe

creativity. Tell us about that one.

Bracha: Yes. So that is the next to the highest level. So above doing good and meaningful things, this is amazing. What brings even more pleasure than that doing. Good, good, helpful, creative things.

Then you're putting a unique part of yourself into the world. Like anybody could stuff the envelopes, but it still makes you feel good to do that.

ng this, when you're in the, [: 00:27:00

And again, because we're emulating, God, it's, it's such a high and this is such a high level of God creation. So it's just an awesome place to be, to be on that level of creativity. And when you do it with gratitude, oh my gosh, it complete, it gets your ego out of it. If your ego is out of the picture and you're doing, and you, then it's just flowing through you.

longer about you. It's just [: 00:28:00

Jason: It's in that word, you know, go back to the words that that Chaya, it kind of embodies kind of a state of being alive it in the preservation of life. And I found it in, I think it was Genesis five three when it talks about, and it was another places, but specifically when it talks about, you know, Adam had lived and they used the word Chaya there 130 years. So it's this, it's this existence. It is, you know, when you're in that creative zone, you, you are existing as God intended you. Is is the way I interpret it.

ha sound, but you could. So [: 00:29:00

It's and, and, and, and again, we're just, we're just. Doing God's will. That's what we're doing when we're doing this because we can't create life. No, but, but it's flowing through us. That, and, and that's the highest level, is recognizing that's the level of transcendence. And, and I'll say the Hebrew word is, is oneness.

God, but you know, we could. [: 00:30:00

And, and again, si there've been scientific studies to show that that state of awe and wonder, that state of transcendence, that highest level. Um, it's the state in which the most, uh, chemicals, natural chemicals are created in our body that fight off disease. So it's also when our, we're in our healthiest state, when we're in that state of awe and wonder about God's world.

nversation and then you just [: 00:31:00

when that happens.

Bracha: Beautiful. That inspiration. It's coming straight from God. Exactly. All my books were written. In that flow state. That's it. Usually in the, usually I go to sleep, I have no idea, and I wake up in the morning and I'm scribbling on my pad. 'cause God is sending exactly how to write the book. You know, like I have to catch all the raindrops coming down.

Right. Then it's, it's, yeah.

Jason: That's wonderful.

Addressing Misconceptions About Judaism

---

Jason: So I, I, I do have a friend of mine who's also a listener who had I, I was so excited I was sharing that I have this wonderful guest coming on, you know, my first Jewish guest. Um, she had asked if you mind if I ask you a few questions

about Judaism specifically.

Bracha: How Awesome. Thank you.

Jason: uh, her first question was, what, what do people get wrong about Judaism?

Bracha: Wow. [: 00:32:00

that is such a beautiful question. Oh my goodness. This is a funny story. Um, I was in this group, uh, the, a neighborhood group. It was actually online, it was during the pandemic, um, with a multicultural group and um, end of one zoom call.

Um, a lady who wasn't Jewish said, uh uh, uh oh yeah. Oh, there were many black people on the call. And then the Jewish people, it was mainly black and Jewish. And, and, and I was mentioning how, you know, there was a, a lot of. Persecution of the black people in America, but it, it wasn't like extermination, like for Jewish people.

That's the [: 00:33:00

So like it ended and then we started on the ne like a month later when we all met again. Everyone was all riled up from that ending. It was like a very strange ending. And at the next meeting it began and the lady said she got to explain herself. 'cause everyone thought it was like an antisemitic thing.

y always seem to rise to the [: 00:34:00

It's, it's like a, the people have a special blessing and it like turned everything around. Um, it, it, she was ch changing, like this anti-Semitic trope into a beautiful way to view that. I, I, I, I thought that was fantastic.

Jason: And I think that's at the heart of antisemitism is this idea that, you know, all Jewish people are rich, um, because they extort other people and they

rise to power and take over government. It's, it's very, very disgusting and

Yeah.

there is a lot going on. That's that I think, I mean, it's, it's, I feel like it should be common sense that it's obviously. Uh, misleading information about, about the Jewish people. Um, and, and I think people misunderstand that just because somebody is Jewish does not mean, as you mentioned at the beginning of this, doesn't necessarily mean they're, they're religiously Jewish.

There, there's an

Bracha: Oh yes,

Jason: [: 00:35:00

Bracha: absolutely. And I'll I'll say one more thing too. Uh, 'cause it's such a great question. Many people think the whole line about being the chosen people is like kind of obnoxious and like, oh, we think we're special. But the way we view it is that we have a responsibility. We're chosen to have a certain responsibility, and that is to shine God's light in the world.

That that's our responsibility and, and also. UDDI is the Jewish, is the Hebrew word for Jewish people, uddi, and at the essence at the core of that word, uddi, is hood hod. It means gratitude. Our main mission, this is what I believe and that's why I am spending my life doing this now. Our main mission is to spread gratitude in the world.

To have gratitude to God [: 00:36:00

Jason: And the second question is kind of similar. It's, you know, what are some common misconceptions, and I

think she might've meant about the faith itself.

Bracha: yes.

Jason: um, what was the view of women in modern society according to Judaism today?

Bracha: I, I, I feel that the, the view of women is, is, is exactly expressed in that line that we said at the beginning, strength and honor and joy. I. That is how I see my role as a Jewish woman. Um,

Jason: wonderful. I like that. Yep. And then the last question she had, what are traditions that have stood the test of time?

ed commandments. I call them [: 00:37:00

A whole lot more spreading out beyond those 10 Commandments. But they come from those Central 10 Commandments. They branch out from those 10 commandments and all of them, every single one of them are different gratitude practices. Every single one of them. And they're all different ways of expressing gratitude to God.

And, and you know what? Everybody's got different favorite, they, we call them mitzvahs, but everybody you've heard of a Bar mitzvah, they're all called mitzvahs. These, these guidelines that we do, and they are all designed to spread more joy and gratitude in the world. Every single one of them.

you for, for humoring me on [: 00:38:00

Final Thoughts and Gratitude

---

Jason: before I wrap this up, do you have any final words for the listeners? I.

Bracha: I am just so happy that you've been open to having me here. It's a Christian show and I love, I love speaking to Christian audiences and I speak to Muslim audiences, Hindu, Buddhist, and atheist. You know, because. This is what we're here for and we're all connected. And I feel that these kind of shows, that's what's so wonderful about a podcast.

I'm a kind of person that doesn't like to talk about superficial things, and I, we, we just get together and we go right to the most meaningful things in life. So I, I, I'm, I'm, I'm so grateful to you for just letting me be a guest here. Thank you.

sh family. I think we have a [: 00:39:00

Um, you know, there, there's where we, where we shift is what. What happens, you know, around Jesus of time and uh, um, but I don't think that's anything that, that, would keep, that should keep Jewish people and Christian people from, from having fellowship. so, you know, that's, that's my thoughts on it.

I'm trying to articulate it. It is just not coming the right way. But, but I do appreciate you being

Bracha: Beautifully. Beautiful.

Jason: Thank you. So if you're out there listening, be sure to visit her website growing impact publications.com. Check out her children's books. They sound wonderful. Um, I kind of wanna go buy some for our, for our church. Um, and, and just to, you know, because we were talking about Judaism, her books are not Jewish specific. Uh, they're, they're more general gratitude, general teachings. Um, you know that there may be some, some faith. Uh, connections there, but I, I think for the most part, it's meant to be for everyone. Right?

a: Oh, I wanna say that some [: 00:40:00

But anyway, but there's a universal section and those books are designed for everybody and

Jason: Okay. Okay. I'm glad I asked. I'm glad I cleared that up. But,

uh, but yeah, visitor website, growing impact publications.com, uh, link links are on the website. Um, as long, sorry, the links to the website are in her, in the show notes along with her podcast, social media, all that good stuff. If I could just speak with it, that's great.

Please support this. Yeah, no problem. Please support this amazing guest. Um, thank you again. And, and God bless B braca

Bracha: thank you. God bless you.

Until next time, keep loving [: 00:41:00

God bless, and we'll see you in the next episode.