"Faith is not a creed, but a clear-sighted understanding of the order of the universe, through all the finite, transient and illusory phenomena, internally; and, externally, of the love that embraced everything without exclusiveness... the biggest thing in life is faith." (Unknown)
To know that there is a general order to life is reassuring. When life gets overly complicated, we can feel as if we are like a heat seeking missile fired without a target. I used to often feel like way. It's often the result of what I thought was overwhelm - but I realized life is not going to ever 'simmer down.' In truth, the longer I live and the more I see, the easier it can be to feel overwhelmed by the weight of it all.
Instead, I now view each day as a game, one where I look to find how my unique puzzle piece fits in the greater canvas of life. I define life as all the people, problems, and opportunities within it. The one thing that's constant is Yin & Yang. As things improve, things simultaneously degrade. When a new opportunities comes along, it comes at the cost of another opportunity. The Yin & Yang of focus is that focus in one area of my life comes at the cost of focus in another. As I increase focus in one area, I decrease focus in another.
Faith and doubt go hand in hand. They are opposites: if faith is light, then doubt is heavy. I want a comforting faith that keeps doubt away. Both my life experiences and New Age beliefs taught me to trust gently, but doubt always comes back.
Doubt isn't smooth; it's gripping and focused on survival. If faith is like a beautiful garden, then doubt is the weed growing there. So how can you nurture your faith when doubts keep coming? The answer lies in hard work – constantly dealing with those doubts.
Faith requires effort; it's not passive at all. Just as you care for a garden by fertilizing it and removing weeds, you must also manage your desires and expectations about life or God answering your prayers.
It's important to release your wishes to universal intelligence while taking responsibility for any doubts since they come from within you. Confronting these uncertainties instead of just repeating "I have faith" affirmations helps maintain strong belief.
Faith works tirelessly against doubt by recognizing its presence but still choosing belief over fear each time it arises again – even acknowledging its likely return later on without anger or complaint, only clarity and determination.
Remember that having some doubts doesn't mean failure; rather, see them as reminders to strengthen positive beliefs actively through focus, nourishment, and getting back on track whenever necessary—ultimately becoming the very lightness we desire.
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"Hope is a beggar. Hope walks through the fire and faith leaps over it." ~ Jim Carrey
What is faith? Faith is believing in potential. The potential outcomes no one else would have predicted.
You must have faith in yourself when nobody else will.