Faith is an interesting topic. It’s very individual, it can somewhat amorphous, and at the same time it can be the most powerful experience in one’s life. Especially for us entrepreneurs. If we can get our Faith factor really working in our lives as we step out into the world of business we can do it with confidence, with humility, with integrity. We know we don’t need to cut corners, or do anything that doesn’t feel aligned. We can stand in Faith, and live and work from that place of knowing that all is on its way.
In keeping with the series I introduced last week, I decided to give some examples that can help the reader (if she so chooses to do so) experience the feeling of Faith on a more tangible level. The 10 ways I list here were and some still are very much a part of my journey with and through Faith. Let me know what you think I would really appreciate the feedback.
1. The Sun
Our Sun is a star, 1 of billions in the Universe. It does not turn off, it is always doing its thing, it is always changing, evolving, and moving energy. It is roughly a middle-aged star but experts say it will keep shining for at least another, ready for this…
5 BILLION years….
yeah thats cool, right? Without our Sun, we do not exist as human beings, in fact the Earth as we know it would not exist either. There would be no life here at all. I have Faith in the Sun, I believe in its power, I appreciate its life giving properties. I adore its beauty. Watch a sunset or better yet a sunrise and think these thoughts and explore your Faith in the Sun, and what it feels like to be connected to such a powerful entity.
2. Gravity
Gravity simply means that objects that have mass are attracted to one another. Gravity keeps Earth and the other planets in our solar system in orbit around the Sun. It also keeps the Moon in orbit around Earth. We use the gravitational potential of water to create hydroelectricity. Gravity is very cool! It’s what keeps us grounded. It’s what allows us stand, walk, talk, move and live on the planet. By acknowledging these ideas and feeling our Faith in them we are beginning to explore Faith, we are building our Faith muscles and connecting to our lives and our existence in a deep and beautiful way.
3. The Earth
The Earth, our beautiful blue-green home, our Grandmother, is 4.54 billion years old, up, I wrote BILLIONS. Its the same age as the rest of the planets……..ah, yes a conversation for another day! It is 70% water and 30% land. Rotation on Axis: 23 hours and 56 minutes and 04.09053 seconds. But, it takes an additional four minutes for the earth to revolve to the same position as the day before relative to the sun (i.e. 24 hours).The Mariana Trench is over 35,000 feet deep in the ocean, deeper than the tallest mountain on the planet. All we ever need is right here on the planet, oxygen, water, food, warmth, shelter, and so, so, so much more. Just think about your favorite place to visit– isn’t the Earth something to be grateful for? I simply close my eyes and let the beauty of the Earth wash over my mind as I feel my Faith in this beautiful being we call Earth.
4. The Breath
Have you ever been without your breath? If you are able to read this then I guess the answer to that is no! It’s always there isn’t it? You think teachers, gurus, and masters are all wrong when they tell us to meditate, watch our breath, connect with the breath, follow the breath? Nope. I trust them. I think they are trying to tell us something special, an age old secret. Some fun facts about the breath:
1. Breath is the only autonomous system that we can also control.
2. If we change our breathing we can change our mood.
3. Average person takes over 20,000 breaths a day
4. Your brain uses 25% of all the oxygen you take in.
5. Breathing exercises help with anxiety, eating disorders, digestive disorders, and weight loss.
If you are looking for the best, most faithful partner in exploring Faith, I implore you to invite the Breath more deeply into your life.
5. The Senses
For most of us our 5 senses are intact and working amazingly well. However, we often don’t pay much attention to them per se. Sure we see, hear, touch, smell and taste but more often than not from an unconscious state. If we bring some significant consciousness to these senses we will see just how powerful they can be. Here is a link to another post I wrote about The Sense Exercise, which is a perfect way to explore our senses and build a real relationship with them and ourselves. I chose The Senses as a way to experience Faith because for most of us they are in perfect working order and we can rely on them and feel Faith as we use our senses all day long. Even if 1 or 2 of them aren’t quite where we would like them to be focus on your senses that are working well and you might be surprised what happens to the senses when you meditate on them.
I chose the Sun, Gravity, Earth, Breath, and Senses because they are all somewhat necessary to be alive. Without any of them life is radically different, if even possible. Focusing our Faith on things that are always there helps us build a bridge to the things that we are still unsure about that we really want for our lives. We want, we want, we want, yet through all our wanting we often forget what is right in front of us, in us, and all around us.
Faithfully,
Matt
