Faith

Whether you are religious or spiritual,  we all take comfort in faith. Your faith can rest solely on the divine or just mere faith in oneself, and a combination of both can profoundly impact an individual's life. When we believe in humanity, we want the best for everyone, but humanity has disappointed us over time. Nonetheless, we try to have a positive mindset and hope that life will improve, regardless of where your faith comes from. When our faith is strong, it channels us to do amazing things. It can vary from person to person in how they sustain and maintain their faith. What matters the most is that it is always used for the betterment of self or others. Our trust and confidence in the essence of faith is always tested, and challenged as we navigate this journey we take in life. Whether our focus is solely on divine faith or the general essence of faith, we can all find comfort with the guidance and direction we seek. We can, within ourselves, try to focus our faith with purpose, as we identify our individual needs over our wants in life. I sincerely believe that if you don't have faith in oneself, how can you have faith in anything else? Even God expects us to believe in ourselves.

"God, our Creator, has stored within our minds and personalities, great potential strength and ability. Prayer helps us tap and develop these powers." 

- A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

"There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer." 

- John Wooden

"Faith is the substance of hope - of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. So if you can hope for it and imagine it, and keep imagining and hoping and seeing yourself driving a new car, or seeing yourself getting that job, or seeing yourself excel, seeing yourself help that person - that is faith." 

- Duane Chapman

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." 

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Faith gives you an inner strength and a sense of balance and perspective in life." 

- Gregory Peck

"To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float." 

- Alan Watts

"Knowledge is only one half. Faith is the other." 

- Novalis

Your faith can influence your overall belief system, and how you practice your religion, including your emotions and behaviors. Faith can revolve around a community, like a Church, Temple, Mosque, or any place of worship. Sometimes, your faith takes you on an individualistic path of spirituality, where you define your values and beliefs, and it is not confined to doctrine. As you search for your sense of purpose, everyone's journey will be different as you develop your core resilience, cope with life, and cultivate your support. The stronger your faith is, the more secure you are, especially in your growth and development. There are some situations where people are paranoid by their interpretations of faith, which will cause them to lead a delusional path rather than live a fulfilled life. When individuals are blinded by their delusions, they tend to harm themselves and risk harming others.  A perfect example is cult like behavior,  it has no sincerity to faith, and no real benefit to society. We may disagree with other cultures regarding faith, although the fundamental teachings of faith are the same. Sometimes you might wonder, Where did we go wrong? The manipulation of faith is causing more harm to the worldview of mankind. Whether your faith gives you purpose, solace, and peace, how are we different? We have more in common with each other, regardless of our faith.

"If patience is worth anything, it must endure to the end of time. And a living faith will last in the midst of the blackest storm." 

- Mahatma Gandhi

"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible." 

- Thomas Aquinas

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." 

- Mother Teresa

"Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark." 

- Rabindranath Tagore

"Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe." 

- Voltaire

"If fear is cultivated it will become stronger, if faith is cultivated it will achieve mastery."

- John Paul Jones

"We are twice armed if we fight with faith."

- Plato

Faith in oneself enables one to accomplish so much despite facing numerous setbacks. Just believing in yourself can have a positive impact on your overall well-being.  I am a living testament to that, I have endured so much over the years, medical setbacks, financial setbacks, and a life forever changed. It was the faith that I had in myself, the faith in God, and the love and support of many that brought me thus far. I am a person who respects all religious faiths, although I don't conform to any particular one. I have accepted the prayers of Christians, Hindus, Muslims, and many others; their faith came with the kindness of heart, and their sincerity for my well-being. Regardless of where our faith comes from, if we are truly sincere in its purpose, it will enable us the courage to make a difference in the lives of many. Don't let the delusional teachings of an ill-informed society cloud your judgment and stray you from the true purpose of faith. Consider the teachings of your faith and those of multiple faiths. We can learn so much from each other, if we are willing to have the patience and tolerance to learn from the many cultures in the world. It does not matter whether you adhere to religious doctrines, a spiritual path, or are an atheist; we all need to have faith in something. Faith gives us purpose and a path to follow; otherwise, we lose focus and direction in life.

"Faith in oneself is the best and safest course." 

- Michelangelo

"As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit." 

- Emmanuel Teney

"I have come to the conclusion that the most important element in human life is faith." 

- Rose Kennedy

"Faith is a passionate intuition." 

- William Wordsworth

"He who has faith has... an inward reservoir of courage, hope, confidence, calmness, and assuring trust that all will come out well - even though to the world it may appear to come out most badly."

- B. C. Forbes

"Faith is not simply a patience that passively suffers until the storm is past. Rather, it is a spirit that bears things - with resignations, yes, but above all, with blazing, serene hope."

- Corazon Aquino

"A man of courage is also full of faith."

- Marcus Tullius Cicero