I’d like to say that building faith is one big exercise in “we’re in this together!” But unfortunately, we are… definitely. NOT.

I believe there were signs I missed, sent by Good (or God) to warn me along my path, and I ignored them. I got bitten in the BLEEP by my own hubris and my own fantasies, and I’m pretty sure God (or Good) was doing the biting.

The real question is what would happen if we got attached to God (or Good) instead?

My journey in faith has kind of been BLEEPING hilarious. I’m not a snake oil salesman or a complete and utter nutball, and I am by no means perfect. This is sort of like reading about someone getting their BLEEP together in real time. I give y’all credit for sticking with me. 

Try to think of it this way: short-term prayers are like ordering off the menu at a fast food drive-thru. Long-term prayers are like going to a five-star restaurant and asking the chef to surprise you. One is going to satisfy your needs in the moment, the other is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Neither is wrong or bad, but they are different. 

Many of us struggle with having faith that we deserve all the good things, which is why I advocate for starting small. I believe the smallest, but most important step a person can take in a journey with faith is prayer. It’s so simple, it’s so easy, but we all struggle to do it because we think belief has to come first. In my experience, it’s just the opposite.

My framework for life used to be built on anger, cynicism, fear, and probably bitterness. Now, more often than not, it is based in faith, hope, and a belief in a basic Good (or God) that will work for me if I work with it. 

Finding a good therapist and connecting with faith in Good (or God) have been a real blessing in helping me connect with my emotional, authentic self. This, in turn, has made me feel stronger, better, more in control, and better equipped for the trials and tribulations that lie ahead. Five stars, highly recommend.

Life is hard, people say. That is absolutely true, particularly because humanity likes to make everything more complicated.

Faith, to me, is the opposite of anxiety. It is the opposite of Oh no! What’s going to happen now?!

It is the calm before, in the eye of, and after the storm. It is acceptance of whatever is, and will be, and has been, and the search for the joy or lesson in all of it.

None of us are going to be the LeBron James of having faith if we do not practice, practice, practice. Lord knows we’ve spent lifetimes committed to being negative, what would happen if we practice for the same game in a different way?

There is something about building faith that allows us to have dreams and there is something about faithlessness that doesn’t.

Life will always be full of change and full of lessons. The important thing, I see now, is to keep the faith. 

The fact of the matter is, the Universe has a lot of lessons to teach many people, and we are, believe it or not, not the center of it.

The reality is that life can be extraordinarily painful, put us all through some BLEEP, and still create healing and growth. In fact, those wounds acquired on the battlefield are often the ones that force us to grow up and get better the fastest. 

Too many of us think believing in God (or Good) and having faith requires sainthood in order to participate. BLEEP that. That’s a total crock of bullBLEEP.

If you think about it, having faith is kind of a selfish act. It’s about saving ourselves no matter what anyone else believes, so that we can forge on and do the best we can. 

Is it just me, or has the American mantra of every man for themselves and something about bootstraps resulted in a mental health crisis?

The goal is not sainthood, perfection, or constant, unconditional love for ourselves or the broken BLEEPholes around us. The goal is having faith in the face of fear or heartache or failure. It’s the willingness to believe that makes a difference and the results are eventually astounding. 

Really sharp, sharp, brutal pain is often the wound that forces healing. We take a shiv to the kidneys in life and think, My God, I can’t go on like this.

I am along for this ride, I’m not sure where it’s taking me, but I like it.