Faith

Faith -- belief without proof or evidence, is also referred to as trusting.  It's a big topic, prevalent in religion and relationships throughout the centuries.   It appears world wide, in some form or another, in every culture.  It seems to be an integral part of who we are to have faith in something whether it be our God, our senses, our bosses, our spouses, our children, our science, our governments, or each other.

It also has become the source of pain in many a movie or novel.  We demonstrate our lack of faith with having pages and pages of contracts for the littlest things.  Bylaws, rules, and legislation are written with the essence of mistrust woven in between the lines, instead of a declaration of clarity and faith.  Today's usage of the word often seems to have the underlying essence, "I am trusting you to not hurt me," which is a 180 degree turn from the 'belief without evidence,' definition.

Belief without proof is not about trusting others to be a certain way so that I get what I want.  It is not about putting my power in someone else's hands.  It is not about believing in something as long as I can measure it, touch it, witness behaviours in support of it.  Faith is not accompanied by the essence of fear, hoping something does not happen.

Belief without evidence means, I choose to believe in this thing without anything on which to base my belief. It means I believe in something so completely I need not one other thing to be a certain way.  It means that without anything in my physical reality to give me hope, I know this is true for me.  That kind of faith fills me with power, energy, confidence, clarity, and from that place my allowing and believing in others expands. 

This kind of faith is grounded in me.  Not because I am perfect, or that I know everything, or that I'm at the top of my field.  This kind of faith is grounded in my belief that I can handle it, whatever it is.  I don't need to hold back, or be afraid.  I know that I will do my best and my best is good enough.  That kind of faith is based in, 'I am choosing to trust me.'  If I fall down, all I have to do is get back up again. 

From that faith, rooted in me, and knowing that I can handle it, I am now in a place to have faith in other things.  I can have faith in others as in 'I know others are doing the best they know how.'  It may not be what I want, or how I want it, but I can always trust them to do and be the best that they can in this moment.  If they are lying and cheating and robbing it is because that is the best that they can do right now, and it doesn't really matter, because I trust myself and I can handle this situation.

From a faith rooted in me I can have faith in the natural order of evolution, and that we are never devolving no matter what the world's state of affairs seem.  I can have faith in mother nature and her incredible intricate system of balance, even if I don't understand it.  I can have faith that everyone wants to feel good even if many of them appear afraid.  I can have faith in our 'geniusness', because I have faith that no one can be you as well as you.  I can have faith in the idea that there is nothing serious going on here.  I can have faith in the idea that all of this is here for my benefit of exploration, evolution, and continued expression of who I  really am.

What do you have faith in?