I have a grand-daughter named Faith. I have a faith tattoo. I also have faith in the inherent goodness of human nature. We often hear the phrase that someone took a leap of faith.
Faith comes in many forms.
One perspective is that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hence we take that leap into the unknown, hopeful of a positive outcome. Faith can be the complete confidence or trust in someone or something. Faith can also be strong beliefs in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof.
What do you believe? In my clinical practice I find it interesting that many people are unaware of what they actually believe, whether it’s in the here and now or beyond.. We all know that life here on earth is finite, but some avoid thinking about what happens beyond the day they die.
What we do on a daily basis, whether we realise it or not is driven by our belief system, the core beliefs around how the world works based on the conditioning we have received from the moment we took our first breath. These can range from a core belief that “I am a worthwhile/worthless person” to “I believe in God” to superstitious beliefs such as “I believe that if you walk under a ladder that you will have some form of bad luck”. Often we are completely unaware of what our core beliefs are and how they can contribute to our happiness or conversely perpetuate our misery.
Our belief system and our faith go hand in hand. From a psychological perspective our core beliefs about ourselves and how the world works can be the basis for either happiness or misery. What differentiates a person who believes that all things are possible and “I can do anything I put my mind to”, to someone who believes that “It’s impossible” or “I can’t do that”?
I contend that faith actually underpins our beliefs. We can subscribe to a belief in something, but when we have faith, it’s the belief that there’s something bigger than ourselves that allows us take that leap into the unknown. I truly believe that we are not human beings going through a temporary spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings going through a temporary human experience. I think that’s something worth thinking about . . . . . . . . . .
