The interesting thing about superpowers is they are often hiding in places we least expect to find them. But why is life set up in such a way that the most beautiful and powerful parts of ourselves are often concealed? And why is it so hard to discover them? In this live-recorded episode of Spiritually Hungry, with special guest Abigail Berg, Monica and Michael ask the tough questions that help us identify our most remarkable gifts we are meant to share with the world.

“The thing that is most powerful about each of us is going to be the thing that is most concealed.” – Monica Berg

Self-doubt is part of being human. The way we use it colors our experiences in life. Kabbalists teach that the greater the potential for Light, the greater the force of darkness there will be trying to challenge that Light. That darkness can manifest as self-doubt. Join Monica and Michael as they discuss how to rethink doubt and use it to achieve your highest potential.

“Self-doubt can act as the opposition that we need and create for ourselves in order to push us toward our greatness and our greatest potential.” – Monica Berg

Navigating family or group dynamics of any kind during the holidays can sometimes feel heavy. Many of us even dread it. But we always have the choice to shift our mindset to be one of gratitude and joy and, in doing so, completely transform our experience of the holidays. In this episode of Spiritually Hungry, Monica and Michael discuss the most powerful ways to reframe your interactions with relatives during the holidays and close the calendar year with appreciation.

“Every situation I am in, be it my family dynamic or otherwise, is a place for me to be restricting and growing and changing and learning. When you view it like that, the person triggering you is simply the teacher.” – Michael Berg

Some of the greatest teachers in our lives come to us disguised as friends, partners, children, or even a taxi driver whose story touched us somehow in a matter of minutes. They are the people who help us discover ourselves in new ways. In this episode of Spiritually Hungry, join Monica and Michael as they share some of the most powerful influences in their lives and the lessons that have been deep and lasting. 

“The kabbalists share that in order to receive wisdom from a teacher, particularly a teacher imparting holy wisdom or truth, there needs to be great toiling or effort on the student’s part. And this toiling is usually in direct proportion to the student’s desire.” – Monica Berg

Each of us can fall into a slump from time to time when we lack the drive to achieve our goals. Though many of us attempt to troubleshoot this problem backwards. In truth, motivation is the result of action, not the cause of it. In this episode of Spiritually Hungry, join Monica and Michael for a compelling conversation about keeping desire and motivation alive as we work toward our higher purpose.  

“If you do not protect your desire, you will find that you lack the motivation necessary to achieve big and important things.” – Michael Berg

We all want to be thought well of. That’s just how we are built as humans. Approval equals survival on a primal level. But if we become so concerned about what others think that we are reluctant to ask for what we want for fear of judgment or rejection, it’s time to reevaluate how much weight we put in the opinions of others. In this episode of Spiritually Hungry, Monica and Michael discuss when and why to stop caring about what others think so we can place more value in our own opinions of ourselves.

“If you haven’t upset anybody, you haven’t done anything.” – Michael Berg

While we seldom feel blessed when challenges arise, they can provide us with a lot of good information if we’re willing and open to looking at things from all sides. In fact, kabbalists teach a concept called Olam Hafuch, an upside-down world. What if positive and negative switched places? In this upside-down world, what seems like a disaster may actually prove to be a great gift in the long run. In this very special episode recorded in front of a live audience, Michael, Monica, and their daughter, special guest Abigail Berg, discuss The Gift of Being Different. Together, Monica and Abigail created The Gift of Being Different, a new children’s book that follows Abigail as she discovers what makes us different is, in fact, our superpower.

“Everybody is different. And when we really accept that and honor that idea, we remove fear and judgment. And we’re able to embrace the uniqueness that everybody has to offer.” – Monica Berg

As humans, we have a tendency to keep rereading the same chapter of our lives, dwelling on the past, and making up stories that are not based on fact. The assumptions we make about situations and people in our lives prevent us from seeing solutions or opportunities. In this episode of Spiritually Hungry, Monica and Michael discuss how to embrace curiosity so we can be more engaged in the moment, put assumptions to rest, and discover what brings us joy.

“The stories that we have assumed are often a great barrier to relationships, certainly a great barrier to happiness. Curiosity is what pierces through those assumptions.” – Michael Berg

This moment of the Hebrew calendar is a time for reflection. As we look ahead toward what the New Year has in store for us, we often set intentions, focus our desires, and create plans for change. In this live episode of Spiritually Hungry, Monica and Michael answer pressing questions from the audience about healing, readying ourselves for abundance, and achieving our highest purpose.

“The most exciting thing is when there is a real thirst, a real desire, not just for more blessings and more Light, but to achieve the purpose of one’s soul in this world… It’s a binary decision. There is no way that any of us can accomplish the purpose of our soul without a tremendous investment of work… Personally, I want to be of the few who actually accomplish completely what my soul came to this world to do.” – Michael Berg

You know what they say about assumptions? In short, they are bad. The danger in making assumptions is that they set us up for disappointment. They can easily evolve into expectations and lead us to make decisions based on information we assume is still valid. The truth is change is inevitable, which makes assumptions counterproductive. In this episode of Spiritually Hungry, Monica and Michael discuss the best spiritual tool we have on hand to end the trap of making assumptions.

“So much of our pain is based on assumptions. If we were able to really live a life that questions more and is more curious, rather than assuming, the benefit of that would be, not just that we’d be wiser and know more, but more importantly we’d have less pain and more joy.”

– Michael Berg

Hustle culture leads many of us to wear ourselves thin while taking care of all our responsibilities, plus the needs of everyone else. This is simply not sustainable. In order to be spiritually nourished, we must listen to the needs of our souls. If you don’t know what you want, no amount of self-care will make you happy or fulfilled. In this episode of Spiritually Hungry, Monica and Michael discuss the foundation of wellbeing and five tools for cultivating a true self-care practice.

“You can search for ways to take care of yourself. But I think the big question is, does any of that really lead you to greater happiness? It will not be possible—except maybe in the short term—unless you are really taking the time to know yourself.” – Michael Berg