If you follow me on Facebook (Do you? Because I think you’d like it if you did. If you’d like to click here), you’ve already seen this little gem of a ‘definition’ I created last year. What you don’t know is where it came from. I thought it was time I shared that with you.
One night last Fall, I woke up at about 3am. If you’ve ever done any spiritual studying (or listened to Wayne Dyer, for example), you’ve heard that the “veil” between the 3D world (earth, human, etc.) and the spirit world is thinnest around that time. It’s when we seemingly have greatest access to our intuitive self and our guides, angels, etc. (Unless, of course, you cultivate this work – then access is 24/7, which is awesome!)
Anyhow, it was about 3am, and I was awakened by a stream of creative thought coursing through my brain. On this occasion I thought it best to sit up, pop on some lights, and write things down (much to my dog’s annoyance). In the space of a few minutes, a new workshop was born. A workshop in which the quest for the authentic self could be made more accessible, fun, and engaging – yay! (It’s coming soon.) And, in the middle of this creative flow, came the words:
Faith is Feeling Alive In The Heart
I wrote it down. I wrote everything down, and promptly fell back into a deep sleep.
The next morning I woke up with a vague memory of having done all this in the middle of the night, and I fumbled for my notepad. There it was, staring me in the face, like a little gift. I suddenly realized that so much of what I’ve been studying, learning, sharing, and processing comes back to a simple question:
What makes you feel alive?
I’ve used variations of that question in countless sessions with clients and groups, such as: What brings you joy? What makes you smile in your heart? What gives you giggles in your belly? The truth is – all of these things make us feel ALIVE. And when we feel alive, we feel viable and valid. We feel strong, capable. And we feel empowered. And therein lies the Faith.
Faith, for me, is not about religion nor is it about a specific practice or belief system. It’s not some altruistic lofty goal that defies understanding and prompts philosophers and physicists alike to explore its meaning in our world. It’s much more tangible than that.
Faith is a feeling – a very powerful feeling. Faith transcends doubt and fear, and brings it back to the heart – the center of your individual Universe – which is empowerment in itself. It can show up as a gentle knowing, a powerful source, a calm acceptance or understanding. However it presents itself, Faith is life-giving.
For me, then, Faith is a lifeline, a vibrancy in my heart that is always accessible, even when I forget it’s there. And that is a gift indeed.