More Curious Than Worried

Belief Shapes Your World

Sitting at work at 5am, nothing is going on. Just washed down an alertness aid (200mg of pure caffeine) with some Mtn Dew. Watching Henry Poole Is Here which contains a depressed man, a sad six year old girl, a strong-willed Christian woman, a stain on a wall that may look like Jesus, and George Lopez as a priest.

The little girl touches the wall. After touching the wall, she does something she was unable or unwilling to do for an entire year:

She speaks.

This is a HUGE deal. A 6 year old girl who doesn’t speak for a year has something wrong with her. I know, I have a 5 year old girl who can hardly keep quiet for 5 minutes.

This touching scene (and probably the unhealthy amount of caffeine in my system) kicks off some poignant thoughts:

• Even though about 20% of the time my daughter speaks it’s to whine, complain or argue about something; I’d be devastated not to be able to hear her voice.
• I start thinking about the nature of faith and belief and I have an epiphany: Belief is the strongest force in the world.

The great thing about belief is that it doesn’t matter what it is you believe in. If you believe in something positive, you will live in a positive world. If you believe in something negative, you will live in a negative world. Your interpretation of your belief will decide whether you believe in something positive.

• Some peoples’ belief in the saving power of Jesus causes them to be more forgiving and help others.
• Others’ belief in the same power makes them bitter and suspicious of anyone who doesn’t show as much “belief” as them.
• There was a great goalie named Patrick who believed stepping on the blue line was bad luck. He never stepped on it and he was a better goalie because of it.
• There are those who lead better lives because they follow their horoscopes.
• Tarot cards help some see the world in a better light.
• Beards have won playoff games.
• Shaved heads have caught king crab.
• Unwashed socks have won championships.

I guess what I’m trying to say is…

Lacking belief will put you at the mercy of others. Having belief will give you better control of your world. So believe in something! Believe in anything! As long as that belief allows you to be a better person, believe!