In March 2020, when I got covid before tests and vaccines were even available, I had to tap into the recesses and dark corners of my mind, connecting to something ethereal that would make me feel better even when the outcome was unknown.
Faith is something we reach for and has a way of finding us when we most need it. But where does faith come from? How do we tap into it and replenish it… and especially keep it? How do we keep the faith in solving our everyday problems?
1. Feel better (if possible)
Faith, to me, is a way of feeling better… and our ability to believe that we will be okay. No matter what, it’s the peace of having faith that we are after. If you can mentally get there without any help, good for you!!! But when we cannot accomplish that… what are our options?
2. Find things that make me feel better.
This is where we ask… “What is going to make me feel better?”
When I had covid, there were several steps that I took to try to feel better. Every situation mimics that one. There are questions to ask that will help bolster our ability to feel better. By entertaining those tough questions, we can let our intuition guide us to the next steps.
Knowledge? Power? Control? Follow an Action/Faith Process.
Faith is not synonymous with knowledge, power, or control. Knowledge is a set of facts. We can know every fact and facet about a subject or a religion, but that does not teach us faith in it. Power can sometimes lure us with a false sense of security… but will not relieve our anxieties when it is time to “leave an outcome unknown.” Similarly, a sense of control about a situation may satisfy our ego but having our faith fulfilled will satisfy our soul.
That said, when those three items are combined with some kind of action… they can be part of the equation that strengthens our faith in ourselves. I refer to that as the process for faith, and anyone that knows my corporate background, I can never deny a good process flow! When steps we take lead us to a road where we “feel better,” we are on the right track.
3. Feel the relief of belief.
When we perform activities that increase our knowledge, strengthen our power or resolve or improve our control of a situation, we take the first steps towards belief and trust, and ultimately, our faith. This feeling is called relief… don’t skip over it! Take the time to feel better (feel relief) based on the steps you have taken thus far.
4. If you still don’t feel better, demand more from yourself and repeat the steps above.
Of course, we don’t have to give any effort… we could just “feel better,” as step 1 indicates. But for most of us, we feel better with some assurances (from actions) built-in and vice versa. But those assurances grow exponentially when not just any action but rather our best efforts (towards something) are applied.
Ask: “Am I truly proud of the effort I’ve put through so far?”
Because when we truly give our best effort, we shine from the inside and the feeling is pride, not vanity. It’s a fine line that only we can feel our way through… not measured by actions, but rather a sense of profound peace, which emerges as “trust” and a belief that we gave our very best, irrespective of which way the outcome goes. Then, the walk from trust to faith is but a short stroll!
The Magic Recipe
In other words, faith = devotion to a task + trust.
To keep our faith, we must cling to one of two things… trust that everything’s going to be okay OR resume/work harder in our devotion to a task so that we get to a point where we feel that everything will be okay. It’s a combination of both mental and physical (action) gymnastics. And often, they are steps taken repeatedly, one after the other.
We may take an action, thereby increasing our mental faith towards something, and then when that faith starts to weaken, we bolster it again by action. As these acts pile up, we are devoted to the task. And each time, with each act, our trust is amplified and our faith renewed.
In one of my favorite movies, Under the Tuscan Sun, the character follows her instincts (even when a bird poops on her!) to renovate a home in Tuscany only to discover that in the end, she would get everything she wanted… and in doing so, opens up her faith in herself and the world around her.
Faith is driving a car at night, only the taillights to guide the next few feet in front of you… but in using them, you can travel from NY to LA! But if you don’t drive the car, you won’t go anywhere. And if you don’t keep filling it up with gas, you won’t get so far either!