Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Faith First, Then Enlightenment

Faith (believing without the benefit of proof) must come into our minds first before spiritual enlightenment can set in and grow. Faith can thus be looked upon like fertilizer for the soil...the mind being the soil (in this analogy). Faith can be likened to the act of opening the blinds to let light shine in. It is not an easy feat to accomplish (the feat of believing blindly) since the mind can be quite stubborn and thus needs to be programmed.

The step to programming the mind is simple. It is a series of repetitive, daily verbal declarations affirming the belief you wish to program your mind with. Say out loud to yourself (look at yourself in the mirror if you wish) continuously everyday for at least thirty days "I believe..." Successful salespeople use this technique to change any belief that mentally blocks them from achieving their success. If they are shy and hesitant, they will verbally declare out loud to themselves "You are bold and confident."

This is easier said than done but if you can manage to get yourself to do it, you will reap the rewards of your new found Faith. Are you desperate enough to try anything? Desperation can surely be turned into a good thing...in this case, if you can somehow channel it into the stimulus that sparks a monumental change in your life.

To illustrate with the example of my own life, I blindly believed in Jesus at the moment when He was revealed to me at an early age. From there my life ventured into a path of absorbing as much enlightenment as my young mind was capable of absorbing, then subsequently questioning these beliefs (during my adult life) and seeking analytical and logical proof, and finally coming back full circle into settling into a set of beliefs fully centered on following the Way and Truth that is Jesus, even in the absence of any proof.

Trying to gain enlightenment without first establishing a level of faith within our minds will more than likely lead to confusion...something we certainly don't need any more of.

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