Faith that works....

Martin Luther King Jr. once said “faith is taking the first step, even when you do not see the whole staircase”. The common perception of faith is strictly one-dimensional, most people associate faith with religion. While a significant part of faith is based on one’s religious beliefs, however a valuable portion of the comprehension faith is not. This quote effectively conveys this very important principle, according to this principle, faith is not tied to religious affinity; it simply explains that faith is having the courage to take an action when one is unsure of the outcome. The Oxford Dictionary defines faith simply as complete trust or confidence in someone or something. This further emphasizes the fact that faith does not have to be religious; it is just the confidence to do something without being afraid of the outcome. Faith occurs when one’s comfort level with doing an action is greater than their fear of the possible outcome of the action.

There are many things that need to be considered for faith to be efficient and effective but in this article, I have narrowed the list down to eight fundamental principles to remember:

1      Faith is never reasonable or logical

·         According to my personal understanding and interpretation of the oxford dictionary’s definition of faith and the quote, if a person’s approach to finding the solution to a problem is reasonable or logical, then there is no faith involved. If the risk attached to an action is calculated and minimal, then there is no faith involved. Faith usually comes into play when the agreed logical and reasonable next line of action is to give up. Faith comes into play when giving up will not be viewed as a sign of weakness, it is what the majority would deem fit.

2      Faith is recognizing that you cannot do whatever it is by yourself, it is in letting go and believing you will get your desired outcome

·         This fundamental principle is a just like a coin, it has two sides. Faith can be recognizing that you have tried everything you can do, so there is nothing left to do but believe that you have done enough to get you your desired outcome. On the other, faith can also come into play when your desired outcome is nothing short of a miracle. Here, you know that you need divine intervention and there is nothing that can be humanly done to rectify the situation. In such circumstances, religion comes into play, whether it is Christianity that teaches prayer and sometimes fasting or others who believe that the universe gives to them what they give to it. Buddhists believe in karma, so they believe that if you work hard for something, you get good results.

3      Faith is what you do when you are confident that you have done all you can do

·         Faith is what you rely on when you are confident you have done all you can do. If one has not put in the effort, then there is nothing for faith to multiply. In this situation, faith is not one-dimensional; it is not tied down to religion. The faith you rely on after all is said and done can be in yourself. Faith that you are good enough and you are worthy of the outcome you want. Faith can also be in God or in the existence of a higher power, when you have done all you can, depending on God can give you inner peace and a higher level of assurance and confidence that you will receive the outcome you want and that is best for you.

4      Faith that works, requires courage

·         Having faith and having faith that actually works are two completely different phenomena. Most people have faith in something, but actually getting your faith to work for you will require more effort and dedication. A wise man once said “faith is where your comfort zone ends”. This pretty much sums up the link and the relationship between faith and courage. Without courage, one cannot have faith. Courage is trusting yourself and knowing your worth and faith is having the courage to know who you are and loving it. If you are only doing things you know you can do, or things you would ordinarily do, or things that do not challenge you in any way, then you are definitely not working in faith and you are not working in purpose, worst of all, you are shortchanging the purpose God have given you in life. Living in your comfort zone is like the frog that stays in his little well his whole life and never crawls up to see the world. Or the snail that stays in his shell all his life and never comes out because he is afraid of getting harmed. Although they both keep themselves out of harm’s way, they are their own biggest obstacle in life. Staying in your comfort zone may prevent you from getting harmed or failing but it also makes you unable to make your presence known in the world, in which case you might as well not have lived in the first place. J.K Rowling once said "It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case, you fail by default".

5      Give!

·         No matter what your religious affinity is, or even whether you are religious or not, giving is a fundamental principle in life. It is very simple; you give in order to receive. Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Jewish, it does not matter. It is the most fundamental basis of our existence as human beings. One cannot receive with a closed fist, it is impossible. You may wonder how giving is connected to faith and my answer is in every way. If you do not give something that inconveniences you then you do not belief in that thing enough. If you do not give in a way that you feel it, then you have not put in everything you can and therefore faith cannot work in that situation.

6      Faith is believing in yourself

·         It is absolutely impossible to sell a product you do not believe in. Therefore, you cannot sell yourself if you do not believe in your abilities and potential. Having faith in anything else is only effective on the basis that you are confident and you belief in yourself because that is whose skills and qualifications you are dependent on. In an interview, the interviewer already has an idea of your skills and abilities, what they hope to determine in an interview is who you are outside of the books, and they only see the weaknesses you show them. If you do not shake their hand firmly or look into the eyes when you speak then you are not confident in whom you are, so wouldn’t it be reckless on their part if they have confidence in you?

7      Faith is patience

·         This is one of the more difficult ones. The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes patience as the skill one possesses when they are able to remain calm and not become annoyed when waiting for a long time or when dealing with problems or difficult people. I love this definition because it pretty much covers everything that links faith to patience. First, it recognizes that patience is a skill and just like faith, not everyone possesses it. Also it recognizes the fact that patience is not merely waiting but it is in the style with which one does it. Patience is respectful and elegant it is not arrogant or rude. Patience like faith is multi-dimensional it not only deals with difficult situations but also difficult people. Faith like patience needs to be tried and tested to remain valid and effective.

8      Believe in the power of your faith

·         This is the most effective method in making your faith work. Believing in the power of your faith is almost as important as having faith in the first place because if you have faith but you do not believe it will work for you ten there is no point having it in the first place. As a Christian, I believe in the Bible, which says that if my faith is as little as a mustard seed, I will speak miracles into existence. Recognizing the power in my faith is also a responsibility because if you do not know the power you possess you will abuse it but if you are aware then you will be wise enough to know when and how to use it.

I believe that faith is very important in the survival kit of anyone in this world. It has so many dimensions to it and it is like a life insurance package that is well worth it because the premium is much less than what you get in benefits. Sounds like a solid investment to me, invest in faith today, and start reaping the rewards because trust me everyone can use faith, it really works!

Life is not a fairytale....but it can be!

So, I know that I'm 19 and the fact that I was thinking and gaining inspiration from disney princesses is a little weird but let's be honest, I am a little weird myself so this stuff should not surprise you anymore. Ok, now that that's out of the way, let's talk about them. I think we should start with the most popular,

CINDERELLA

Cinderella became a maid to her step mother and two step sisters after her dad passed away. She was constantly maltreated by her family and if she was going to be free from the shackles of her family, she had to take matters into her own hands. It was announced that there would be a ball at the palace where all the young maidens were invited, as it was now time for the prince to pick a wife. Of course, cinderella was banned from attending the ball. When her step mother and step sisters left for the ball, cinderella was visited by her fairygodmother who gave her a beautiful gown, glass slippers and a horse and carriage. She was now able to go to the ball, where she left her glass slipper in a bid to get back home on time and unnoticed by her step mother and sisters. In her mind, she probably tried to convince herself she was satisfied with just dancing with the prince but she knew she was not. So, how did cinderella turn her life into a fairytale?

1) She took matters into her own hands - I think that Cinderella was tired of being a victim. She was tired of taking the leftovers of her step mother and step sisters. It takes a certain anger that comes from being fed up to take a bold step and not look back. Do not wait for an event or a situation to motivate you to get to that level of anger, motivate yourself and refuse to take what life hands to you instead take what you want from life and make the most of it

2) Do not ignore opposition, work around it - Cinderella never ignored the presence of her obstacles instead she worked around them. Sometimes, one does not need to confront their enemies, they just need to be smart enough to work around them. Sometimes you just need to be wiser than your obstacle. The wisdom is in knowing when to face your obstacle nd when to work around it. Working around your obstacle sometimes is more paralysing to it than actually attacking it.

3) Make an impact - If there was anyone who knew how to make her presence felt, it was Cinderella. She was very subtle and passive about it but that did not make it any less effective or strong. Cinderella made sure she danced with the prince, so she layed the foundation of their relationship and then she left her glass slipper, so she sustained her impact on the prince. It was these actions that led the prince to look for her and this triggered the beginning of her happily ever after.

SNOW WHITE 

Snow white was a girl who fell victim to the queen of her kingdom's jealousy. The queen was jealous that she was no longer the fairest in the land. This situation may seem disconnected to life of today but if you look closer, it really is not. This story can be likened to a new job, a new school, a new position, a new boss where you become th new hottest thing and the preceding is shunned. The preceding is very likely to become jealous and they are often willing to do anything to sabotage the new kid on the block. 

1) This proves that help can come from the most unexpected places, so be open to receiving it - There was no way that snow white or the queen for that matter would have though that snow white would be rescued by the seven dwarfs. In today's world, change is inevitable but it is not the easiest to deal with. When you chnage jobs or schools or offices , where you get help from is most likely not where you thought you would get it from. Being open to help from anyone willing to give it can go a long way to making the transition a lot easier.

2) All that glitters is not gold - While in the house of the dwarfs, snow white is visited by the queen who disguises herself as an old lady selling juicy apples which snow white could not resist. When in a foreign place or even in familiar territory, one has to be extremely careful. As much as one should not be discriminatory whn receiving help, it is also imperative that one remains careful and is sure that there are no strings attached to the help you are getting. Remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch.

3) You may not have to work as hard you think to get what you want - Fortunately for snow white, a prince one day found her in the glass coffin she had been placed in by the dwarfs. Sometimes it just comes yor way without you making any effort. Again, wisdom is needed to know when to fight and when to wait. Sometimes, the point of your boss or your teacher giving you a hard task is not to prove yourself, sometimes it is to see whether you are confident enough to ask for help when you need it

4) Your most vulnerable self may be your strongest self. It does not get more vulnerable than being laid in a glass casket and unable to control your own body but it was also the moment where she met her prince charming. Sometimes, showing your vulnerabilty shows you are confident enough to just be yourself and that is exactly what your new boss or teacher needs to see. Admitted, the person who previously filled your new position may not be pleased but being yourself gives them no ammunition and proves to them that you are not trying to be them, so they know they have to let go and move on.

These princesses were not born with silver spoons in their mouths, they just painted their wooden spoons silver. Life is never a fairytale, one has to make a conscious effort to make it that way. The trick and the wisdom lies in knowing your own situation, not comparing yourself to anybody else. By doing this, you give yourself a fighting chance and who knows you just might find your prince charming and live happily ever after...