Faith

Faith can move mountains      

Lyrics in Badman’s Song by Tears for Fears

Thinking that you can do a thing or accomplish a challenge is over half the battle of getting something done.  I was listening to a song by a favorite musical group of years gone by, Tears for Fears.  This line from a song of theirs sparked me to reflect on the power of faith and intention in our lives. Although it may seem that times of uncertainty and stress may not be the best time you should look to step up your faith game, it’s just the opposite.  The focus of intention and faith can frequently be just the things that enable you to get through circumstances and challenges that you might not otherwise be able to address and surmount.  Single minded focus on a desired goal or achievement can give you a starting point to develop an attitude, regimen or study habit that will allow you to reach a goal that otherwise might seem far away.   There are numerous adages which are true about taking the first steps toward a goal, but the one I use most often is that even a small step toward a goal is motion in the direction you intend to go and is important.  One step at a time, one day at a time, one session at a time. These steps build on one another until you are on your way toward that goal.  When you are reaching for a specific goal during a time of stress or challenge, sometimes the focus is merely to get through a day with joy.  That’s how I sometimes begin; I just need to get through this one day. Proceeding with joy with all of the goings on in the America of 2025 can be difficult and can constitute an almost unattainable goal. But breaking acts of faith and purpose down to little pieces is the way to success. Yes, I’m working on grabbing for joy.  Also, with staying consistent with my language lessons (Brazilian Portuguese), obedience lessons with my puppy, physical activity and working out, and writing.  Along with work and normal life activities, I sometimes get three of four special things done, or sometimes just two of four.  But my overall attitude is that I will keep moving towards my goals because I believe that I can. It’s all about having faith in myself and my capability to accomplish what I want. 

Have I always been so positive and sure with my faith in my path and life?  No.  Just like everyone else, I’ve had days where I was and wanted to be, and what I wanted to be doing seemed further away than ever.  I’ve had days where the fear and despair seemed overwhelming. Those are the days that I get outside and walk and focus on the way that things in nature work out without any force exerted by the birds and creatures of the earth.  It is both the blessing and curse of being sentient; being able to be aware and have the capacity to experience both the joys and heights of love and the misery and depths of fear.  This is when we must dig in and rely on the things that give us joy and strengthen our faith.  That’s also when I go outside and take off my shoes and put my feet in the grass and dirt and connect with Gaia, The Mother, Herself.  The technical term for it is earthing.  I look at it as

my connection to what is, and what is real, and sure.  Having my feet in the grass and on the

earth allows me to calm myself and focus on all the things bigger than myself that are lasting, and permanent and beautiful.  It also inspires me to look around me at the other creatures of the earth, who are taken care of and who walk this earth with us, with no worries.  Most recently, I think of my early morning encounter with the neighborhood bobcat.

Yes, bobcat.  As I was backing my car out of the garage shortly after 5 AM, about 30 minutes after walking my puppy, the neighborhood bobcat strolled through my front yard, skirting my drive on her way to her territory of the back yards on either side of my own.  After taking some deep breaths, and saying prayers of thanks for my good timing, I also checked to what the energetic meaning of contact with bobcat energy meant.  It was interesting!

Bobcats are generally solitary animals and thrive on their own terms.  They don’t rely on a pack, instead trusting their instincts and moving silently through life, choosing their battles wisely. Their core qualities of Independence, Stealth, Intuition, and Adaptability also correlate amazingly with the things that are core to me being successful in how I show up in the world.  A further high five from the Universe is that I reexamined that visit and those traits during a week when I happened to be writing this blog, and also when my puppy did his turn at being an absolute terror, a time when my spirits and faith were edging toward empty.  My spirits rose as I realized that just the memory of this seemingly insignificant encounter was enough to lift my spirits, bolster my faith, and encourage me when I needed it the most.  The Universe is like that; hi-fives and props delivered just when you need them.

For me having faith that I will achieve my goals also serves as something positive to focus on as I deal, as do we all, with the uncertainties of current life.  While I love my life here on the West Coast, my family is scattered from East Coast to West.  Despite not partaking in the day-to-day details of news and developments within the country, I have been aware of the many difficulties in multiple aspects of air travel.  It’s absolutely concerning given that none of my relatives lives within an easy car ride away.  But my resolve has been that absent an overwhelming premonition or intuitive pop that it was not the time or day to travel, my intention would be that any air travel I would take would be safe and successful.  I visualize the desired result I’m aiming for and keep focused on that outcome.  If fun, is the objective, then I will concentrate on its manifestation.  I intend to have fun with my faith! The foundation of having faith in my fun games will result in safe travels and pleasurable memories with my family.

One of the coolest aspects of acting in faith is realizing you are making progress.  Seeing tangible evidence that your actions and resolve are successful is always a booster.  My current biggest faith challenge is in learning Brazilian Portuguese.  There are pronunciation twists, and letters not pronounced, and any number of twists and turns to make your head spin.  Coupled with the fact that on my first attempt to be at least day-to-day conversational in the language two years ago, I totally missed the mark except for a few basic phrases.  However, the past year, I resolved that I would learn enough to be conversational and somehow carve out the time to practice daily.  I wasn’t at all sure how I would carve out that time, or exactly when, but I resolved that I would find a way and had absolute faith that I would make progress.  I stuck to my plan and continued to dedicate time to my studies. I

was pleasantly surprised to see a series of birthday wishes on social media for a Brazilian percussion teacher with whom I had studied.  I read the birthday greetings and realized that I was reading the wishes in Brazilian Portuguese. I realized that through the days and weeks of feeling I wasn’t making progress and wondering if I would ever be able to be conversant, I had  made significant progress towards my goal.  Without determination and drive to continue to learn and faith in myself and my studies, I would not have come to that ‘Aha’ moment. That’s the other sneaky thing about keeping the faith and believing in yourself; sometimes it sneaks up on you that you have been making progress towards a goal.  Then you get the awesome treat of being able to be proud of yourself for what you have accomplished and look down at how far you have climbed up that mountain and say, Well Done.