Belief in...

to Believe (verb): to have confidence in the truth, existence or the reliability of something without absolute proof that one is right in doing so. 

Have you ever thought about what it means to believe?  When you were young, believing was easy.  Anything you are told, you believed.  Santa Claus came down the chimney and the tooth fairy generously compensated you for every lost tooth.  Blind faith is quite an amazing concept, isn’t it?  But as the years progress blind faith fades and adolescence storms in.  Then you believe nothing you are told!  

After examining the notion of belief this week, I have come to this conclusion; your beliefs determine your life.  Think about it, belief can dictate when you are happy and when you are sad; when you are content and when you are restless; when you're a success and when you're a failure.  What you believe affects every aspect of your life. 

There are three common beliefs that I would consider the most the important in peoples lives: Belief in a Higher Being, Belief in Love and Belief in Oneself. 

The majority of the world’s population believes in some sort of higher being.  Most people find a sense of comfort in believing that there is something more powerful than themselves.  People find peace in believing that someone that is watching over them and protecting them.  If you ask people around the world, or even around your neighborhood, they will undoubtedly tell you how Belief in a Higher Being has changed their lives for the better.    

While not everyone believes in a higher being, you would be hard pressed to find a person who does not believe in love.  Love is perhaps the single most powerful force in the universe.  At times, love can be exhilarating and at times it can be mundane.  Love can be scary and illusive, yet most people search their whole lives for it.  There is no guarantee love will be found.  There is no tangible evidence that love exists and there is no mathematical equation that can solve it.  Belief in Love is what keeps love going. 

Although these two beliefs, Belief in Love and Belief in a Higher Being, are important, in my opinion there is no greater belief than the Belief in Oneself.  Believing in oneself is believing that someday you will actually meet Justin Bieber; or believing that you will be successful in school, sports, career etc; or believing that you can do whatever you set your mind to.  No matter how crazy, illogical or unfounded your beliefs may seem to others, they are uniquely yours.  As long as you believe it is, it is. As long as you believe it can happen, it can.

If you have read a newspaper or watched television this week then most likely you have seen how people all over the world are standing up for what they believe in.  From Wisconsin, to Bahrain, to Tahrir Square, people are standing up for what they believe is right.  There are two sides to every story and every conflict.  It is important to remember that the other side believes just as strongly as you do.  In the end, no one has the answers and no one knows what tomorrow will bring.  Gandhi once said, “To believe in something and not to live it, is dishonest.” If you are honest with yourself, and honest about what you believe, then you can never be wrong.  

-E