By Dr. Sandy Islands for Conch Color
Fear fuels all negativity and love energizes faith. Fear and love are like oil and water. They can’t occupy the same space at the same time. The default setting in our thinking tends toward fear, and yet there are only two natural fears: “Falling,” and “Loud noises.” All other fears are learned or made up. The antidote for fear is faith. When life presents setbacks in our daily plans, we can take a breath and talk (pray) to the God of our understanding. God can be “Good Orderly Direction; Nature; the Universe; Great Spirit,” or any named Source bigger than our minds and personalities. When we turn to this Energy with trust we’ll receive love in return, and we come to know that this Spirit always has our highest good at heart. We build the muscle of faith by consciously connecting to this Source knowing that we’ll draw patience, tolerance and whatever we need. We find ourselves coping better and smiling more often. We don’t have to know how the connection works; only that it does. Faith invites us to focus on the best case future scenarios instead of the worst.
Faith becomes a spreading tree which doesn’t stop the storms of life, but provides safe shelter. What if’s….become what is. Every time we feel worried or afraid, we can stop and look at our thoughts. They’ll usually be a negative story we’ve made up about the future. We interrupt the story by thanking this Higher Energy and trusting that the end result for our concerns will always be for our highest good. We rest in the present and envision positive outcomes as if they’re happening now. No matter how difficult the road ahead appears, the twists, the turns, there’s always hope. Faith allows us to rise above and see the bigger picture. We realize that all we have to do is put one foot in front of the other and move forward one step at a time. With perfect intention, we let go with perfect faith and enjoy the journey as it unfolds. The popular new movie, “The Secret” says we can drive across the whole country with our headlights illuminating just two hundred feet ahead.
It’s easy to practice faith when all is going well, when we’re floating through life on a pink cloud. It’s when everything that can go wrong does go wrong - it’s when we lose a job, a loved one dies, a relationship ends that we doubt we can survive the changes taking place. In the midst of the pain, we can practice faith. When we see our lives through the eyes of love, we discover that love has been there all along. We just need to claim it. When we practice love, compassion, understanding and patience in our relationships with others, we’ll be treated with respect and consideration. Alan Cohen says in Handle with Prayer that “The spiritual adventure is the re-acquaintance with our Source and the reunion with our divine beloved.”
A Course in Miracles says, “If you knew who walks beside you on the path you have chosen, fear would be impossible. We imagine rising through dark and cumbersome clouds toward the light. God and love are not wishful daydreams; they are the only realities worth pursuing. Fear and separateness are the fantasies and we don’t have to indulge them. Instead, let’s join hands with our Higher Source and experience strength, confidence and success, far deeper and richer than any we could ever find alone. Please write to Dr. Sandy Islands at sandyislands@hawaii.rr.com