Tag Archives: Faith

22

Getting Better or Getting Worse

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In all things, we are either getting better or worse. Wisdom is one of the factors in our lives that determines the soundness of our actions or decisions, based on our use of the experience we have, the knowledge we have acquired over the years, and the excellent judgment we have produced. When do you know that you are wise? When do you know that your decisions are sound? It takes some thought and effort to evaluate everything we experience in life.

Thoughts to Seek

Our minds are a powerful tool, producing a non-stop stream of thought left unguarded or unwatched; it has just as much negative energy as positive energy. Our mind reacts to the input you give it. From the books, you read, shows you watch, games you play, or people you choose to spend your time with. All have input into the machine of the mind. Like children, our thoughts will run wild and unruly without discipline. There are thoughts you can choose to seek, which will make you stronger.

Any thought that weakens you in any way should be avoided and eliminated. How can you control what you think? In some ways, you can’t, but what you can do is choose the thoughts you pay attention to. When a negative thought comes up, and you know it doesn’t serve you become your best self. Let them slide by you without addressing them. Then move your thoughts to something that does move you toward your best self. Invest your energy into these thoughts and follow where they lead you. And your thoughts will become a more valuable and powerful commodity.

Which Thoughts are the Right Ones

Recognizing the thoughts you should hold onto is easier than you might think. Look simply at the source and result of the thought. Does it come from fear? Or does it come from love? It is easy to recognize which is which. Thoughts of fear are negative and bring with them all the downside of fear. Anger, envy, sorrow, regret, arrogance, self-pity, dishonesty, arrogance, false pride, and ego are thoughts you should let slide by you. While thoughts of peace, acceptance, happiness, joy, humility, kindness, serenity, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. These are the thoughts you want to pay attention to.

The paradox is that no matter what you do, all of these thoughts exist daily within each of us. It is the ones we give our attention to which will dominate our lives. Every person will represent their dominant thoughts or the ones they choose to focus on. If fear is your predominant thought pattern, the negative list will be on your way to feeling happy. When you are worried about what you are getting out of something, it will generally be negative. When you are concerned about what you give to a situation, it will probably be a positive experience. These thoughts empower you and allow you to enjoy the knowledge that life is providing you.

Why It Is Important

It is essential to know that you control which thoughts you focus on because if you are entertaining a constant flow of fear, they will eventually wear you down. You will slip more and more into a mindset of fear allowing all of the negative things above to creep into your reality. For example, hating someone will wear you down, make your reality less enjoyable, and never once harm your enemy. Letting these things dominate leads to easy anger, needless conflict, and general unhappiness.

Learn to embrace the positive in you and follow those thoughts, and you will see the enjoyment of your life improve. Rather than fearing getting robbed of something or not getting your fair share, you will be looking at what you can share. The positive thoughts allow a person to live in harmony with the things around him and not let needless anger cloud their judgment. Wherever you are in your mental world, please take a moment and evaluate it and remember.

We are constantly getting better or worse, and the thoughts we choose to pay attention to in each moment will determine both the level of our improvement and the amount of enjoyment we get in life.

“Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart.” – Roy T. Bennett.

“Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.” – William James.

“Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” – Roy T. Bennett.

“The positivity in our life is a function of our thinking. So think positive, stay positive!”

 

22

Fear or Faith

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It is so easy to get caught up in the whirl of activity, and we can quickly forget these events happening to us are not the things that determine who we are as people. The way we deal with things will define our life experience, and the bulk of the time, we are allowing things to skip by us on autopilot dictating much of our reality to us. Fear of suffering is the prevalent emotion that sneaks into our lives, making us feel anxious about what might happen or even about how other people will perceive things that did happen. The hope is that by looking at life through a lens of faith, fear won’t often win. People are insecure about who they are and will always allow one to hold the person you want to be and what you want to accomplish.

This writing is my look at my struggles with fear and encouragement for all to look past the fear today and develop a mind that is not ruled by emotions and the fear which stems from that. It is not too much to ask yourself to create a mature, honest, respectful, and responsible life. Looking past our fear and living a life of faith is a goal for me and, hopefully, a plan for you.

What is Faith?

Simply put, faith is taking actions or making choices expecting the best possible outcome will result. When you believe whatever results from things will be for the ultimate good of all, you operate from a base of peace of mind. The other option is to work from fear that something will go wrong or that if things don’t work out exactly as you think, it will be a failure. Some people attach themselves to a particular outcome, and when it doesn’t happen that way, anger, disappointment, low self-esteem, or some other emotional response follows.

None of us have a broad perception to see all that might happen or result from a particular situation. Our imaginations are a tool we use to our detriment often. We imagine the worst-case scenarios and things that are not even happening. But we can feel throughout thoughts and imagine how bad they would be if they did exist.

Turning the power to the right side and thinking about what could happen if things worked out even better would be a great act of faith. Too often, we seek something, take action, and then we don’t let it play out as it should. We are so one-dimensional in our thinking we can’t see a more significant way that may be right in front of us and will provide all and more than we hope for. But we don’t see it. Faith to accept things will be working out for the best is the most potent and complex skill to develop in life.

Fear Can Be Pervasive and Powerful

Fear is a subtle working power in our lives. We are not talking about the concern on the surface, fear of heights, snakes, spiders, or whatever phobia you may have. I am talking about the inner fear of not having our needs met or of being harmed on an emotional level. A relationship ends, and we are then afraid of being replaced or alone, that nobody else could love us. The thoughts we choose to entertain about the situation and the emotions that are automatically attached to them cause all kinds of unhealthy behavior. Fear of what others think, fear of loss, fear of being alone, fear of everything will at the least make you very unhappy and, in the worst-case scenario, destroy your life.

Remember that fear is a subtle visitor; it comes to you a little bit at a time but is pervasively working to make you continually feel the potential for suffering in the entirety of your life. We look at everything as a threat to what we own, who we love, and even how we live our lives. There is a benefit for the powers that be to keep you in a pervasive and perpetual state of fearfulness. It is easier to control a person who is afraid. People are led to purchase things to “feel better” or feel a certain way about a group of people because of their religion or life choices. The mainstream media and social media sites present images and scenarios people aspire to, and if your life is not up to these standards, you should feel bad about yourself. Faith is rarely mentioned in our lives outside of a religious context, and it should be.

Is Fearless Possible?

To live a life totally without fear is a very daunting task. Eliminating fear is a constant struggle because the more you have that you enjoy in life, the more you have to fear losing it. Your attachments to people and things make you vulnerable to stress. An accessory is a rigid thought pattern about someone or something, and it has to be a certain way or in a specific role for a person to be secure with it. Anything outside of that accepted thought is wrong and painful. Love is accepting and allows others to be themselves. The views we choose to entertain about things will dictate our emotions and reveal that it will work out best if we have an attachment to something or faith.

Let’s face it, you can’t control all of the thoughts that pop into your mind, but you have complete control over how you react to them in all ways. Just because you have an idea in your mind of what may happen doesn’t mean it will happen. Most times, it never does. I know I can be vigilant in seeking to keep fearful things out of my thoughts in my mind. But they still creep in bit by bit. Thought by thought. To live a life totally of faith, believing that whatever happens in life will be something we all desire.

A Life of Faith

The challenge is to live your life through this lens of faith. Which is not easy to do because there are things that have hurt us. We all want to avoid this kind of suffering, but a part of life is to suffer and learn how to deal with it. That is how we know what to pursue and which to get away from.

Not doing something or doing something because of fear will lead to nothing but more suffering and sadness. So it is no choice if you are looking for a way to find a life you love. Understand what you want, and then take action toward those things with faith in your heart, mind, and spirit. This is a life of faith that has a chance to bring all you are looking for in the best manner possible.

“If you are programmed to fear something, you will fear it, even though you consciously think it is ridiculous. It is same as the success and failure.”Benny Zhang

“Are you willing to give up what you have to become what you want to be? Most people fear change and, therefore, never grow past the point of mediocrity.”-Richard A. Franks

“What’s on the other side of fear? Nothing.” –Jamie Foxx 

“Fear of success can be just as crippling as the fear of failure.”- John Allen

“Don’t let your fear of failure stop you from realizing your dreams.” 

 

22

I Chose It

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What if you approach everything coming into your life, “good” or “bad,” as if you chose it?

Challenges appear for everyone in life. We live, have experienced, and create ideas of a life without problems, in which we sail along on calm and friendly waters, but life often has other plans. Before you know it, there are scenarios you have never dreamed of touching your life and knocking you around.

Suppose there is something great inside you to develop your unique greatness. In that case, it takes a challenge or two, So even though life would be more comfortable if we were allowed to relax, put our feet up and enjoy the view, this is not the most beneficial thing for personal growth. We have a conscious choice to make when these challenges of life come. We can feel sorry for ourselves because something is happening that will take our best to overcome, Or we can be grateful for the opportunity to grow.

It is easy to say you will choose to be grateful, but when the hard times come of heartbreak, regret, and grief, it is all too easy to give up or retreat to self-pity for what you are currently going through. It takes all you sometimes have to regroup and overcome a challenge, but that is what life is all about.

The Way You Look At It

The difference between the two mindsets is based on how you look at things. Looking at life from a mindset of fear, every challenge seems overwhelming. Our focus is on a fear of loss, fear of what others think, fear of losing your identity, or just plain old fear of change. All of these are constant companions in life because of our experiences of pain in our past, working as continuous reminders. They usually bring the other time-waster, worry along with it. The choice to suffer is based on fear but worse because it involves using your imagination to construct horrible things in the future. It is paying now for problems in the future that will probably never happen, But there is a false belief in all of us that if we look for all the bad that might occur, we will never be negatively surprised. This theory is the real fantasy.

Problems will come unlooked for or not, no matter how diligently you seek them. Most often, we don’t choose them, and they are unavoidable. Nobody would accept them in their lives. That is not where the choice lies, and it lies in the reaction to the challenge. There are a million stories about people overcoming all types of adversity because a person chose a positive mental outlook. We all can choose to see the positive value in all situations we face.

Faith

Sometimes it may be difficult to see the good in a situation, But it always exists somewhere, just as there is a negative attached to every positive. You may get a new job, but you have to leave the old one behind. You may become famous, but that limits some of your freedom. Becoming wealthy can change your outlook on life, and those you know may not treat you the same.

Conversely, you may lose everything only to find the secret to success; you have been looking for real insights into who you are, and how you look at life will come after you have been hurt or disappointed in life. Rising to success is good, but growing to progress after being knocked to your knees defines greatness in life’s experience.

Seeing the positive potential of all things is an active and powerful example of faith in action  Nobody looks for difficulties  All we can do is make choices we feel are in our best interests. For a better life experience  For us and those we love  Each moment, we are faced with this choice to see things as an obstacle to allow you to grow or a barrier to keep you from becoming  That is a choice, that is your choice  Faith in the positive aspects of nature. The world allows you to see the opportunities for growth sitting right at your fingertips every day.

Take a Moment

Take a moment in a situation to think before you react emotionally. Anger is often the face of fear and a first thoughtless reaction to an attempt to assert your power over something. To find happiness, we have to go beyond the initial, knee-jerk reaction and let go of the need to control everything  Because we can’t. Your ego has been conditioned to think this way, and our egos are problem starters, not problem solvers  The need for control, the need for approval from others, and the need to judge others are all negative messages of the ego  When they can be avoided, life is a much gentler and happier ride.

So instead of falling into the trap of small ego thought, take a moment and allow a broader scope of perspective to develop. All of us are capable of seeing more of the field of possibility and creating a better result for ourselves from the challenges we face. When you can accept yourself exactly as you are and accept others exactly as they are, you will finally experience peace  Life is full of decisions, and you have the gift of choice in every moment of every day. Nobody else to blame for your unhappiness than yourself, So be grateful for the challenging days, just like you are for the good days, and see how your life changes.

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its reward.” – Amelia Earhart

“When bad things happen to you, focus on what you can learn from it. If you focus on the bad, you’re doomed to repeat it.” – Mel Robbins

“And we have complete control over our own attitude  We are the ones we decide how we feel, how we look at things, how we react.” – Catherine Pulsifer

 

21

Faith

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Please have a little faith it will all work out for good in the end.

It is easy to say you have faith in someone or something and quite a different thing actually to act on that faith.  The definition of faith is to have complete trust and confidence in someone or something.  Looking back on life, I know that a precious few people or things I have placed my faith in each day.  As life progresses, we are inundated with more and more experiences that hurt us and cause our trust to erode piece by piece.  But at the end of your life, you have to be willing to live in hope, or your life will be dominated by fear, and that will never lead to a happy and enjoyable experience.  We see things as undesirable, painful, and it is difficult not to take them personally. Things happen; we must file them away and deal with them.  It is our choice if we live a life of fear or continue to develop a life of faith.  All things will work out OK, we will be OK, and life knows what it is doing after all.  Sometimes having a little hope is all you have, and it can be the most valuable possession in the world.

Tough Times Come To Everyone

Difficult times and painful experiences are going to come into your life. That is a guarantee, and nobody in the world is exempt from them. We can all choose how we deal with them, but you, me, and all other people will face challenges.  Betrayal, lies, anger, loss are all a part of our experience.  I have often wondered why this is the case when things are so much more enjoyable when they are excellent and comfortable.  Why have we experienced a loss we couldn’t understand? Why put us through all of that?  Why give the good times if only to take them away immediately? It seems like God is just toying with us for no reason.  Unfortunately, the tough times provide suffering, and it is through this process, we can glean wisdom.

Imagine a life with no challenges.  There is nothing to push you to try something else, seek a deeper meaning, or search for understanding.  I don’t know a lot, but I know life is meant to be an experience of growth, or it is over. Faith in the ultimate ability to overcome your challenges, remember who you are, and bring that light to the world is the real challenge for you. Living in faith means to believe it will all work out in the end to the benefit of all, even if you can’t understand how right now. It is hard to see the edges, where it ends, and where the calm lies when you are inside the storm. All storms have an end; all tumult is followed by peace. Just as there will be challenges, there will be triumphs and good times.  Faith tells us this.

The Best Days

Having a little faith in the darkness that the dawn will eventually break is hard when you live in fear of what might happen next.  Living in fear causes people to harm others and themselves. When you live in doubt, you see all of the potential dangers of what might happen if things go wrong. It closes your eyes to the good, which might be right in front of you. Suppose you can put the fear aside and accept on faith that there is a lesson for you in the hard times.  One experience will propel you to greater heights in the future.

Have a little faith in the lesson you need to learn. If you look honestly at your challenges, growth results are an aspect. A plant grows when you add water, sunlight, and proper soil. So your mind becomes, and sometimes the fuel we need is unfavorable. Is it, though?  To be pushed can move you to a new level of activity and achievement. You may never have looked for answers to the questions resulting from your suffering.  Having gratitude for hard things is very difficult, but many of the most outstanding achievements in history occurred after a great tragedy.  Look at your account. How many accomplishments came after facing a challenge and taking the skills and motivation to move into a new stratosphere of accomplishment?

Faith is Real

The choice to hope that all things will work out in the end in the best manner possible is always the best.  We all have decisions to make, and as long as we are alive, there is hope and an opportunity to make a dream come into reality and achieve a goal. Suppose we can get out of the way of our fear of suffering.  This suffering is the very definition of courage, and it is through this act of faith; all of your goals will find their positive results.  One thing I know for sure, if you live in fear, live in doubt, treat others poorly, and carry no belief in yourself, nothing positive will result. These things are all a personal choice. What choice do you make today?  What lessons are you learning through the challenges you face? How has loss shaped you? Has it made you understand you have to have faith? Or has it made you fear more loss?

I urge you today to develop a sense of living in faith that all things will work out for good in the end if you let them.  Don’t live in the regrets of the past or in the anxiety of what might happen in the future. Live today with a bit of faith in yourself and the Universe that this cosmic play has much more good in it than it does evil, and seek to embrace it.

“Without faith, a man can do nothing; with it, all things are possible.” – Sir William Osler

“Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation.” – D. Elton Trueblood

“Faith is unseen but felt, faith is strengthened when we feel we have none; faith is hope when all seems lost.” – Catherine Pulsifer

“Breathe, and have faith that everything will work out for the best.”

“Your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. Keep the faith. It will all be worth it in the end.”

21

Fight the Dark Side

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Focus On the Force

Each of us has a power that we either use to help move us toward our goals or provide an excuse for not achieving what we want.  I think it is much more similar to life in the Star Wars franchise than we would probably admit. All people contain within themselves a duality. These two sides have a high potential to do things perceived as an excellent good or something representing evil.

All people contain this power within them, and that is the force of life.  It is not by magic that people end up living an authentic life. It is by conscious decision.  The choices we make in every moment dictate the nature of the force within us.  These choices are a refreshing combination of how we think about ourselves, the world, and everything in it.  Focus honestly on how you feel about things and your conscious thoughts today.  Notice the emotions that arise in you because of an idea. Then see the words and actions that come from that.  This process determines the power and nature of the force in you.  It all starts with thoughts.

Operating on the Light Side

We would all like to think of ourselves as being the hero and doing what is right always. That is not a human experience. It is a constant struggle between our two sides. Here is the simple formula for working with the forces of light.  Put others before yourself, be kind in thought and deed, accept the differences of others, feel joy, peace, serenity, love, hope, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.  All of these exist within us, and it is our choice to practice them or not.

What a world we would have if all people were able to function in this part of themselves.  If you look at how you like to be treated, all of these things are probably on the list. Choosing these things and meaning allows the force within you to help others. It isn’t always easy to think this way when you see someone doing something say to someone else or you. It is human nature to want to fight back and take an eye for an eye. When we are hurt, we want to cut back. To put that instinct aside and treat a situation with love will allow the force in you to do great good in the world.

Welcome to The Dark Side

Welcome to the dark side, which needs no introduction, I am sure because we all have one of these.  Our darkness exists by our insecurities, pains, and fears of our lives.  Anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, superiority, and ego contribute to our dark side. These are thoughts that lead to words and actions that will directly or indirectly harm others somehow.  But the person who is hurt the most is you. The dark side of the force does contain the power, but it is corrupting, painful and takes away the good in the world for selfish gain.

Many people I have known can harm someone by directly consciously speaking words that exploit the insecurity of someone.  Then fear is generated, or selfishness, and that person has been infected.  Look at the people in your life and how they speak to you and others. Where on the scale of the force does their intention come from in each moment?  The allure of the dark side is that you will not have to suffer again. But the truth is, of course, your actions are causing you to experience. These thoughts and emotions wear you down and hurt you. To feel these things is the dark side.

Your Force is Always there.

Inside of each of us, this force I am trying to define is always available to you.  It is there to call on when you need strength to face a challenge.  Even in the most desperate times in life, remember the force in you will be there to push back the adversity and allow you to thrive if you let it.  You may have to make a course adjustment, learn a new skill, create a new goal, or start over.  Whatever the task ahead of you, the power to move toward it every day is the force inside you.

Be conscious of how you can help yourself and help others see the good in the world through you.  Take advantage of opportunities to show this. Consciously practice kindness even when there is no apparent gain for you.  Create hope for someone in the world.  Don’t let mindless anger brought on by fear control you. It solves nothing but creates pain in the world. Pain and suffering are the calling cards of the dark side of the force within you.

Where does your force lie?

Every day, you have a choice to cause pain and suffering to others or create joy and kindness.  These choices develop in the thoughts you choose to entertain.  Are they from the dark side, or are they from the light?  The force in you will always be there working on the side that you choose.  So choose your thoughts wisely.  The world depends on it.  And it all starts with your thoughts, the corresponding emotions they lead to, the tenor of the words you speak, and the actions you take.  All things will affect the force in you and the effect that energy has on the world.  Which side of the line do you fall on here?

“We must wake.” -Yoda

“Always pass on what you have learned.”- Yoda

“The dark side clouds everything. Impossible to see the future is.”- Yoda