Fear or Faith?

It’s very popular today to latch onto the notion that life is nothing but a struggle, times are beyond tough, and there is no hope in sight. Just watch the nightly news or read the papers and you’ll see the signs everywhere. Massive job losses. Rising foreclosures. Companies going out of business. Banks failing. We are being bombarded with these images of doom and gloom and there is seemingly no hope and no escape.

But what is true? I certainly do not mean to minimize in any way the real pain and struggle that is out there today. People are having to do more with less and learn to live in ways that just a few months ago would have seemed otherworldly and completely unrealistic. Times are indeed very tough for many of us.

But is that really all there is? Aren’t there any signs that things can and will get better? Is there nothing good or positive happening out there today? It depends on what you choose to focus on. That’s right – the notion of whether things will ever improve is very much dependent on what we choose to consciously pay attention to and give power over our conscious thoughts.

There is a great truth that you cannot get what you really want if all you ever think about is what you don’t want. It’s critically important to remember that we get whatever it is that we focus on in life. So, if all you ever think about is what you don’t want… guess what you are creating in your life?

The human brain is an amazing and powerful super-computer. It is far more advanced than anything science can devise. And yet, there are some things about our brains that seem almost counterintuitive. For example, were you aware that the human brain at its core does not know the difference between a highly detailed and descriptive thought or fantasy and reality? It’s true.

And beyond that, here is the real kicker – whatever the mind sees as being “true”, it will do everything it can to create that same picture in reality. Wow, that can seem like a very foreign concept to many people. But the fact remains that it has been proven out in multiple studies performed on many of society’s highest achievers. They link much of their ability to achieve success to their focus on highly detailed and well thought out goals, plans, or even dreams. They “see” it in their minds as already having been achieved, and then they work to make it reality.

Don’t get me wrong here. I am not saying that you can just “think away” your challenges or troubles. But what I am saying is that you have the ultimate control over where you go from here. That is, if you have the determination, clarity, and focus to create a compelling, detailed, and very specific picture of what you want.

For example, if you want a new car, do you just think to yourself “Hmm, I think I’d like a new car. I’ll go visit my local dealer and buy one.”? Or do you think, “I want a Honda Accord LX, with tan leather interior, navigation system, 6 disc CD changer, chrome wheels, sunroof, … etc.” Do you see the difference in the quality of those two scenarios? Both may end up getting you a new car, but only one will get you the car that you really want. Clarity provides power.

The point of all this is nothing more than to help you realize that in the journey of your life, you truly have the control to get you where you want to go. The key is in your ability to decide with complete clarity what it is that you want, create that compelling vision in your mind, be specific and detailed, see it as already having been achieved, and then create the steps to bring it to reality.

I guess you could say in the end that it’s really a matter of faith. The choice is yours. Which do you want to live in – fear or faith?