Gotta Have Faith

Recently a Facebook friend commented that she had named a pet "Faith", because, she said, she needed to remind herself that "I gotta have faith".  Whenever I contemplate faith it is usually includes an idea taken from "A Course In Miracles".  The idea often helps me to turn around a fearful or discouraged attitude and start again with a renewed effort to look at the world in a positive way.

Yes, we've "gotta have faith".  When thinking about it, we may ask questions like:  "what is faith?" and "what do I put my faith in?".  The idea put forth by the Course is that faith is nothing more than what we believe.  When looked at from the standpoint of our daily lives, rather than as a religious  philosophy, we can look at all the areas of "what we believe".   

We always have faith in something.  The question is:  What is the "something" that we have faith in?  And does that "faith" serve to make our life (and the lives of those around us) better?  Do we apply our "faith" in a negative or a positive way?

For example:  We have faith that the lights and power will come on when we flick a switch.  If they don't come on, do we "have faith" that the situation can and will be remedied?  It depends upon our attitude.  We can worry over what the problem may be or we can call the electric company or an electrician.  Then we can "have faith" in the ability of those people to correct the problem, or we can believe that "they" will take forever to fix it, if they fix it, blah, blah, blah....

We can bemoan a rainy day, or we can say "the world is getting a much needed bath!" Do you have faith that the "sun will come out tomorrow" when today seems miserable?

We can constantly talk our worries, be disgusted with all that's wrong with the world, put our "faith" in misery; or we can actively work to see all the good that's around us every day.  If we find our faith is often misplaced, the Course is all about forgiveness - which means to be gentle with ourselves.  Having faith in "goodness" is not hard - it's simple. 

Kindness applies to everyone.

When I had my website, I came up with a series of "Gentle Reminders" that I use to help myself, and I hope, others.  First and foremost among them is:

Keep a simple Faith.

Fourth Attempt

This is my fourth attempt in as many days to get a post out.  There are three unfinished posts sitting on my "dashboard".  For some reason the issues I face are keeping me from getting them done.  I guess I'm going to just highlight them here, because each is important to me.  I do hope I can get each of them completed at some point....

Post One:  I promised in my last post to speak of websites and blogs I have found that I found helpful when it came to mental illness.  But before I did that, I wanted to speak of the "terms" and "labels" that are used in talking about mental "illness".  I felt (and still somewhat feel) pressured to get some posts out, thinking that others are counting on me... and then the thoughts (that therapists and doctors will attribute to mental illness) start pressing in - that I have nothing to give... who am I to think I "know" anything..... that I actually don't know anything... blah, blah, blah...  And as I work to get the post done, I struggle to get it "perfectly right" - something I used to be able to do (I was an "A Student" once - a valued employee once) and the literal hours go by and it still isn't what I want it to be...

So that one got put aside.....

Post Two:  The next day Beth and I were talking about what I had found.  She became upset with me, that I am putting my focus on "mental illness" rather than trying to enjoy a "normal" life.  She began her push at me that she does every few months - that I need to go back on meds and see a therapist - so that I am not "crying all the time".  (I don't take meds now, haven't for a while, and don't really want to).  The "meds or no meds" argument is something I would like to explore in my blogs... I've found websites and blogs with both sides of the argument.  And so I tried to write a blog about the happening between Beth and I, but it was too new, too personal, and I was too upset... 

And so that post went unfinished....

Post Three:  It's Christmas.  And I wanted to post a Christmas Message to my blog readers, friends, and loved ones, in fact "everyone" in the world.  But again the confusion of mind, the jumble and just "too many" thoughts, the "who am I" and "what do I know or have to give" thoughts, the depression that has had me in a stranglehold again for the last few days... for I don't even know what reason.... only that it's deep and it robs me of my ability to do or care about anything....

And so that post is sitting, incomplete - filled with love, encouragement, and thankfulness that I want to express... but can't find the "right" words....

It's Christmas.  If you're alone, afraid, hurting - please know that there is someone that cares.  I am thinking of you with love.  It makes no difference that we've never met.  There is a Power in the Universe.  That Power is Ultimate Goodness and Love - that is in you and in me and always with us.  And I am sending that Love to you.

To all the new friends I've met on Facebook -  Thank you... and Blessings to you as you go forth in the New Year.  Let's do our part to make it a good year... filled with the best we can be...

Teach only LOVE, for that is what you Are.                                                 -  A Course in Miracles

It's 3 AM I Must Be Lonely

It's 3 AM, I must be lonely.....

That's a line from the Matchbox 20 song (aptly titled) "3 AM".  Actually I'm not lonely, but it is 3 AM. There have been nights when it was apropos, when it haunted me, but not tonight. Tonight my mind is just full, swimming with fragments garnered from two days worth of watching videos, reading websites and blogs, considering the theories and opinions of eminent and not so eminent people who concern themselves with mental health.

But before I get too far here, I've got to apologize to my blog followers for being AWOL for almost two weeks.  I haven't felt well, physically or mentally, and I took a hiatus that became somewhat an OCD type attachment to Facebook games.  Rather than see that as a bad thing, I guess I've just decided that such compulsion was what made me such a good worker when I worked! ha!

While that was going on, Minds on the Edge (on Facebook) was also posting a wealth of links to be explored.  As their postings grew, so did my interest.  Eventually I couldn't take it anymore and they lured me back!

Ok, so this post is just to say that I'll be back in the next few days, probably with a plethora of posts on the various things I've found and my thoughts surrounding them.  Because my mind is so full of it all at the moment, I can't seem to settle down to organize it into a coherent blog post as yet, and I've decided its probably going to end up as a bunch....

But it's now FOUR AM and I need to try to sleep!  Hopefully getting this much out tired me enough to do so!  Catch you on the flipside.....