Learning to Rely on Your Belief Muscle

“That’s where faith comes in,” he said this past Thursday.

Words not uttered by a life coach, a TV evangelist, or a priest at a local church. Instead, I heard them from a Chief Investment Strategist guest panelist on TV on the day the stock market dropped over 2000 points (equivalent to over a trillion dollars). I replayed the video to confirm his words.

If someone quantitatively trained to make billion-dollar decisions is offering faith as a go-to, what does that tell us? We’ve crossed over to another side.

And it’s time to do some push-ups. Not for our arms but for our belief muscle. In a world that is changing faster than ever, where the new norm is solitude (for your protection), we ought to understand that our beliefs are the best defenses against whatever calamities are coming our way.

Personal Doctrine

I think of myself more as spiritual than religious these days. Of course, I respect and understand the religion that I grew up with – Hinduism. But as I’ve gotten older, my beliefs have evolved into a deep faith in my ability to make things happen with the support and understanding of an all-powerful Universe.

That said, this new way of thinking has reduced my level of stress and worry. It has allowed a greater acceptance of what life throws at me with limited reactions. It guides me intuitively when reason and logic are not enough.

However, there have been a handful of times in the last decade where I have called on both my childhood faith as well as my new beliefs, as a all-hands-on-deck approach, was warranted. When one of my closest friends passed away over a year ago, and then more recently when a close friend of mine was in the hospital unexpectedly for a serious injury.

Fever Pitch

I could not think myself out of those situations without a connection to something deeper than my reasoning mind. And then, three days ago, I woke up with a 101.5 fever. I won’t leave you in suspense. I am recovered and fine!

Whatever it was (no, I had no flu shot), passed just as quickly. But these are trying times. Everything feels over-hyped until you’re the one waking up with a fever. Then, your world feels diminished and fleeting, and your beliefs must provide tangible relief.

Strategies that worked for me while strengthening my belief muscles:

Rest. Peace. Deep breathing. Meditation. Drinking lots of water.
Text messages and virtual conversations with family and friends.
Reading a chapter, a day from Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking. Recognizing it as a classic gem, I just happened to pick up the well-worn and tattered 1976 paperback copy from my parent’s house 4 days ago. Coincidence? I think not. Every day, the words gave me strength in the power of my beliefs.
When I wasn’t up for reading, I listened to a Wayne Dyer podcast, Our Words are our Decree, and kept repeating, I am healthy.
My husband reminded me of the Abraham Hicks’ motto: All is well. You are loved. And then proved it by keeping me nourished and hydrated during my repose (from a distance of course).
Prayer in silence, stillness, and trust. I recollected past events where my trust paid off, and everything worked out okay. I’ve come to learn that trust is louder, stronger, and more powerful than blame, anger, or reason if we can allow the stillness and silence for it to blossom.

As the world continues to feel topsy-turvy, it is our faith and our beliefs that provide us with the resilience and strength to move forward in adverse times.* The most satisfying thought is that these reserves never run out, always exist within us, and are more readily available than hand sanitizer!

~ Roopal Badheka

* Always follow the advice of your personal physicians.