Are you a Chasid?

Last Shabbat my dear friend asked me if I was a chasid(teh). I paused and had to think hard about my answer.

If she asked me about being Sephardi, that's easy.
I am Sephardic--my family hails from Spain. My custom, traditions are sephardic. My Rav, sephardic. Easy right?

But a chasid?? That's a harder question.

I have been learning Breslov teachings for about 7 years, which means I probably should be further along than I am. I call Rabbi Nachman my Rebbe. I really love him. He quite literally saved my life. I try to follow and live his teachings to the best of my ability.

But am a chassid? I don't have a long chassidic background. And as I stated earlier, no Eastern European background.

I do have a desire to be closer to Hashem, to really live for Him and be a light.
But do I have what it takes to call myself a 'chassid'?

I told my friend I was a Neo-Chasid. Whatever that means...

I aspire to be one.

I try to be a good Jew, and I think that automatically makes me some kind of chasid(pious and kind).

But a work in progress to be sure.

Here is what Rebbe Nachman says: "I have broken your pride --no matter how you pray, they will say ,'He's a Breslover Chasid!'" Avaneha Barzel

Rebbe Nachman asked his followers: “Why don't you make your wives Chasidistehs?” (Siach Sarfei Kodesh 2, 1-14). (In Yiddish, “Chasidistehs” means “women Chasidim.”)

For more on Breslov and Women haz cliq aqui. ;-)