Story of the Alter from Novardok

Over one-hundred years ago in Russia, signs were put up all around saying that anyone of the age that does not present himself for the draft will be shot on the spot. The talmidim (students) of the Alter from Novardok z"l came running to the Alter z"l in a frenzy, not knowing what to do. The Alter z"l responded: "Who told you to read the signs?!"

The average person has no idea the power of the mind, and how much influence you can have on all that happens. Kol echad v'echad chayav lomar b'shvili nivra ha'olam, "Each person is obligated to say that the entire world was created for me!" (Sanhedrin 37a).