Faith

The dictionary defines faith as complete trust or confidence in something or someone. This means that faith is inherently selfless. When we are born, we find faith in those that take care of us. We are bathed, fed, and groomed without any complaints or awareness that there is more we will have to do for ourselves. As we get older we learn about the world and things that are greater than ourselves.

We are often introduced to a deity of sorts in our young lives, which is linked to a religious or spiritual practice. I was baptized when I was about eight years old. These practices helped me understand that faith is trust in the natural order of things. I was fortunate enough to embrace my faith when I was still a teenager. I became influenced by Native American culture and was drawn to the naturalistic aspects of Taoism. These spiritual practices advocate balance with the natural laws of the cosmos. Being one with nature brings about harmony and serenity.

There is something greater than myself. It is evident in all that surrounds us. I call it the Tao but others may use God or IT. Whatever IT is, seems to be perceived differently yet we are all different expressions of IT. Describing IT would be akin to explaining shades of color to a blind person.

Sometimes we lose sight of the big picture and faith may fall by the wayside. I would later learn from Napoleon Hill that, “Faith is the only agency through which the cosmic forces of infinite intelligence can be harnessed and used by man”. Faith is more than just some idea of a higher power. It is a belief in something that is greater than ourselves. It’s not important what you believe in, but that you believe in something.

Faith is the primary purpose upon which all success depends. It is a constant practice of being mindful and can look like ritualistic prayer, meditation, service work for the community or regular devotion to a particular group or person. But faith comes through repeated effort and a willingness to surrender to something outside of ourselves. It helps to create serenity and tranquility. It fosters a mentality that leads to success because all successful people exhibit faith in something. Those people understand that faith is the only known antidote for failure. While faith is generally reserved as an idea, it is also an action. It must be embodied and acted upon. Faith without works is dead.