Choosing Faith Over Fear

It’s obvious that the world feels very uncertain right now. However, there are two basic responses any of us can choose to have: one of fear or one of faith. But you don’t have to be religious or even all that spiritual to have some sort of faith in favorable outcomes. Here’s why.

If you truly think about it, where are we right now? Well, we are only in the present moment. The past is over and the future is yet to come. So here in this physical universe all we really have to deal with is what is actually happening right in this moment.

For instance, are you feeling good but fear getting sick? Well, are you actually sick right now? The more you focus on being well, the more likely you will stay well. Are you sick and fear getting worse? Well, are you worse already? If not, focus on getting better. And if things really truly are scary for you right now, focus on getting through it as best you can. Focus on what you appreciate. Focus on what you love. Envision yourself being well and doing what brings you joy once again. Do not under-estimate the power of your thoughts and emotions for they create your life.

Yes, we all should be proactive and practical (within reason). And yes, we should all do everything we can to stay healthy and safe using our common sense. But we need only to focus on what we can do right now. Furthermore, we cannot forget about the other part of who we are, the intuitive and highly connected part, which has nothing to do with our physical selves or this physical reality as we know it.

There are so many things of which we are not aware. For instance, just because we cannot see electricity that doesn’t mean that it is not there, still working behind the scenes to power the conveniences we enjoy in our lives. Faith works in the same way. Just because we don’t see it as a tangible entity doesn’t mean that it does not exist to power our lives for the better.

The future seems to be full of uncertainty right now, but when we start to project our fears (that are not actual or true in the moment) we project even more doom and gloom into our future. (And we also weaken our immune systems.) But realize this: whether we think of the good or we think of the bad, it’s all just hypothetical anyway. So if it’s all hypothetical, then why not focus only on the good?

Some might think this is impractical and naive. But is it? Is it really more practical to project the worst? Will that really make you feel any better in the present? How will that help you shape your future? You might think that you are preparing yourself for the worst by believing in it, yet would you be any happier or more at peace if shit actually hit the fan?

The way out of all this is not to infuse more fear, panic, and selfishness to the mix, as this is what probably got us into this mess in the first place. The answer has to come from doing something different; something outside the box. The "definition" of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, and so if we are to change things, well, we are going to have to change things.

In truth, this world was just waiting for something climactic like this to happen; it was only a matter of time. So much division among people could not have been sustained without consequence. As a culture we have become more and more self-absorbed, often to the point of narcissism. Perhaps, then, this is a wake-up call to all of us to look deeper for meaning in life, to finally address our skeletons, and to start thinking more about each other. Perhaps our society was waiting for something to jolt us into a new form of collective consciousness that will make the world, and all of us within it, better.

But regardless of your beliefs, there is one thing that is for certain: we may not be able to control the entire world or change it on our own, but our personal actions and choices do matter. We might think that our behavior will have no impact on what we see happening half way across the world, but collectively we can all make a huge difference, one person and one decision at a time. We are all more powerful that we realize. So let’s use that power to believe in solutions rather than focusing only on the problems. Let’s believe in the good in people, and let’s be good examples ourselves. Let’s believe in better things, and let’s choose faith over fear. Trust me, it will make a world of difference, not only in your own life but in the world at large.

You are not in this alone. None of us are. As someone who has had to deal with anxiety, panic, and chronic worrying for many years, I can tell you that faith is what has gotten me to the other side every time. Surrender is my word because every time I let things go, everything seems to miraculously work out well. What you resist persists, which simply means, stop focusing on all of the things that you fear or don’t want to happen. Instead, practice surrender. Do what you need to do but then let it all go and trust in something bigger than yourself to pull you out of all of this. It’s certainly better than having a nervous breakdown.

So think of what makes you happy. Laugh more. Connect with loved ones (even if over the phone). Focus on the quality of your life. Prioritize. Clean. And go within to release what no longer serves you in favor of creating more of what you love. We will get through this. But the question is, who will each of us be when all is said and done. Will we go back to the status quo? Or will we emerge transcended and more empowered? That’s for each of us alone to decide and a choice only each of us can make for ourselves.

Wishing everyone happiness, love, safety, and good health.