I Believe in the Power of Us

Throughout her novel Eat, Pray, Love, Liz Gilbert recounts her own personal narrative of growing up and growing into who she was designed or destined to be. During her time growing in meditation and strengthening her faith in her stay at an ashram in India, Liz is steered through the mountains and valleys of stretching her faith beyond the scope of her human and physical limitations. She comes to define faith intricately and beautifully, saying,

“There’s a reason we refer to ‘leaps of faith’- because the decision to consent to any notion of divinity is a mighty jump from the rational over to the unknowable, and I don’t care how diligently scholars of every religion will try to sit you down with their sacks of books and prove to you through scripture that their faith is indeed rational; it isn’t. If faith were rational, it wouldn’t be- by definition- faith. Faith is belief in what you cannot see or prove or touch. Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark. If we truly knew all the answers in advance as to the meaning of life and the nature of God and the destiny of our souls, our belief would not be a leap of faith and it would not be a courageous act of humanity; it would just be … a prudent insurance policy.”

In the same way that we live by faith by our religion, in our spirituality, or in our relationship with God, we live by faith in the discovery of our purpose. As Liz described, having belief in divinity requires an exorbitant amount of faith. Having faith, by definition, is not rational, it does not succumb to normalcy, and it does not fit into our construct of social standards. Rather, it requires us to shed our expectations of living a “normal life” in order to submit to the will of a divine being, of God. Moreover, we can transcribe this divine faith on a personal level. We can relate this aspect of “blind faith” that Liz discovers in her process of growing in faith to our own processes of growing in our purpose. Discovering our purpose and realizing the worth of living by our purpose requires that we have faith in ourselves. This faith may, at times, lead us away from what we have come to believe as having a “normal life.” This faith may, at other times, call us to challenge or bend our ideas of our own social constructs that we have formed in our own lives. Ultimately, this faith in ourselves may cause us to blindly wander into the unknown and to be content with the outcome independent of whether or not we believe it will bring us our own version of happiness.Once we take the “leap of faith” to discover our purpose, to believe in our purpose, and to follow where it may lead, we will become more capable of enabling others to realize their purpose. You see, by our own strength, our purpose only leads us so far. When we discover that the belief in our own worth is intertwined with that same belief of all others around us, we will realize the strength that the unity of all those beliefs can yield. We may, then, believe in the power of encouraging others to realize their worth and to take a leap of faith in order to live according to their worth. Although this may seem like a broad theoretical ideal, practicing this tactic of enabling can be found in our every-day relationships. In some instances, this act of strengthening another person’s faith may be found in initiating an encouraging conversation with a friend. This revival of faith may also be found in simply getting to know a coworker better. It may be found in crafting intentional time to get to know the people in our lives so we can better strengthen, equip, and challenge them to believe in themselves and to live according to their worth. Still, enabling another person to take a leap of faith may require us to make some form of sacrifice on our part. We may be led to use our own resources, finances, circumstances, or talents in order to support the dreams of another person. We do so, not from a sense of reluctance or obligation, but, rather, from a belief that strengthening the faith of even one sole person ultimately strengthens the lot of that in the whole world. You see, when we have seen the power of our own faith, and when we believe that power can continue to surpass any of our own limitations, our eyes will be that much more open to envisioning the undeniable and impenetrable strength of the faiths of all others. We see that believing in and strengthening the faith we have in ourselves comes in two parts. First, it enables us to surpass fixed social constructions and limitations that we have either set for ourselves or that we have seen established in our lives. When we take that “leap of faith” in living by our purpose, we will see our faith soar to new heights. But more than that, believing in and strengthening the faith we have in ourselves will allow us to believe in the faith of those around us. This second part, then, is the catalyst for change in our world. This second part, the faith in ourselves that enables us to strengthen the faith of others, will become the agent of transformation that confronts discrimination, that largely minimizes or wholly eradicates oppression, and that, ultimately, strengthens the bond of humanity beyond anything we could conceive it to be. This faith for one another, then, has the power to change the world. So, all you have to do now, is believe.

I Think Therefore I Am … Purposeful

In the second part of her semi-autobiographical book, Eat, Pray, Love, Liz Gilbert travels to India where she learns the devotion of her faith in the practice of yoga. During her three months of dedicated practice, Liz exposed more about herself, discovering her worth, potential, and validity. However, her journey in self-discovery subjected her, at times, to growing pains and circumstances that would convict her spirit and test her strength. For Liz, she underwent the bulk of her growing pains in refining her practice of yoga. Liz described this practice of devotion and how it affirmed her purpose in life, saying,

“Yoga is the effort to experience one’s divinity personally and then to hold on to that experience forever. Yoga is about self-mastery and the dedicated effort to haul your attention away from your endless brooding over the past and your nonstop worrying about the future so that you can seek, instead, a place of eternal presence from which you may regard yourself and your surroundings with poise. Only from that point of even-mindedness will the true nature of the world (and yourself) be revealed to you. True Yogis, from their seat of equipoise, see all this world as an equal manifestation of God’s creative energy- men, women, children, turnips, bedbugs, coral: it’s all God in disguise. But the Yogis believe a human life is a very special opportunity, because only in a human form and only with a human mind can God-realization ever occur. The turnips, the bedbugs, the coral- they never get a chance to find out who they really are. But we do have that chance. ‘Our whole business therefore in this life,’ wrote Saint Augustine, rather Yogically, ‘is to restore to health the eye of the heart whereby God may be seen.’”

By mere virtue of being human, we each have significance, worth, and purpose. Because we are human, because we have the capacity to think, feel, dream, achieve, and inspire, our lives have meaning. In light of our humanity, we are powerful and impactful. It is what we choose to do with our power and impact, then, that will define the purpose of our lives. Until we believe in the power within us, in the purpose that is driving us, we will not see our lives lived to their fullest potential. For Liz, her trip to India summoned her to discover her purpose. As much as she tried tirelessly to force herself into a pure devotion of meditation, she could not arrive to a presence of self-awareness; she could not see who she ought to be. It was not until the moment she surrendered that she ultimately found herself. The same, in a sense, goes for us. We can try as relentlessly as we will to arrive to the people we want to be, to force ourselves to climb up the corporate ladder, to impress our family, to find the love of our lives, and to acquire whatever American dream we have reinvented for ourselves. But, until we believe in the purpose inherent in who we are, until we come to discover who we truly are, even attaining those aspirations will seem void and incomplete. While these dreams, aspirations, and habits that we create for ourselves may not be bad in and of themselves, they still will not lead us to realizing the purpose we wish to live out. So, instead of being driven by the dreams, ambitions, and ideals we wish to achieve, we should be driven by the people we believe to be. When we reorient our mindset so that we see our purpose and our worth first, we may begin to see the journey of achieving as an achievement in itself. For, when we come to believe in our worth, we will notice opportunities we may not have seen otherwise. When we are driven by our worth in this moment in time, rather than in any future time, we will find purpose in any circumstance. When we discover and believe in our worth, our purpose, and in the people we have come to be, we may not be easily faltered by disappointment, discouragement, tragedy, heartbreak, or failure. Instead, in light of our purpose, and in realizing that we are being refined in each moment that we live, we will hold fast to our worth and we will believe in our inherent power to use that worth to influence the people, places, and situations around us. You may have found yourself asking, “What do I need in my life to find purpose?”, “Who do I need to become in order to be worthy?” When we assure ourselves of our inherent worth, when we believe in the power within us, and when our eyes are opened to all that we are, those questions become irrelevant. Instead, we may find ourselves asking, “According to my worth, what can I make of this moment?” “Because of my purpose, what will I do with this instance, with this year, with this life?” Our purpose, then, does not become something that defines us, but it remains something that continually enlightens us. So, instead of waiting to arrive to our destiny, we may use our own power and the belief we have in our purpose to redefine our destiny. In the power of our conviction, we may, just then, ask ourselves: “What is my purpose? And, how can I use my purpose to influence the way I live?”

Embracing Your Dance

In the movie Invictus, the highly acclaimed New Zealand All Blacks rugby team performed the haka before facing off against the South African Springboks. South Africa’s team, uniting under the leadership of Nelson Mandela in his first term as president, symbolized the unity of a nation battling the systematic regime and institutional oppression of an apartheid era. The Springboks came to defeat the All Blacks in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, cementing the team’s fight as one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Before the match, the film portrays a cultural warrior dance from the All Blacks. The haka, as performed by the rugby team, “is a type of ancient Māori war dance traditionally used on the battlefield, as well as when groups came together in peace. Haka are a fierce display of a tribe's pride, strength and unity … Today, haka are still used during Māori ceremonies and celebrations to honour guests and show the importance of the occasion. They are also used to challenge opponents on the sports field.” Gaining recent widespread media attention, the haka was seen as a beautiful depiction of love, support, and loyalty when groomsmen, bridesmaids, and other family members and loved ones dedicated the symbolic dance to a couple on their wedding day. With these various illustrations of the haka in film and in the media, the war dance has become known as a custom of revival, preparing its members for anything from battle, to coming together in peace, to displaying a spirit of unity, strength, and pride. Though many of us may not perform a haka routine in the early moments of our mornings, as we prepare to take on the day, the illustration of the haka and its meaning is something that we can learn from. Throughout this month, we have been preparing our hearts for taking on this new year with courage, dignity, strength, bravery, and intention. We have learned to reflect on past years, as they have molded us into the people we are today. We have learned to find periods of rest, in creating habitual patterns of rest and reflection so that we can strengthen our minds, form courageous intentions, and prepare for present moments of opportunity. Just last week, we learned to allot space for our imaginations to roam free and for our dreams to trespass any barriers we have set or seen set before them. We learned to trust our strength, to grow our courage, and to invest in our imaginations, as they give forth to the fruition of our wildest dreams. This week, then, as we conclude this series, we will see the growth in our reflection, rest, and rediscovery unite in our revival. Creating spaces every day where we revive our spirits, stimulate our minds, and inspire habitual dreaming, is essential in order to see the fruits of our efforts, ambitions, and adventures in this year ahead. Experiencing revival may look different for each of us. In fact, here are many ways to practice the intention of reviving our minds, spirits, and dreams. One way is by journaling. Taking time to set intentions for the day, week, or month will enable you to remember those intentions throughout the day and will encourage you to work towards achieving them. You may notice opportunities that you would not have noticed otherwise, or you may seek out people or make plans that will further your ambitions. Another way to revive your spirit and to stimulate the reimagination of your dreams is by surrounding yourself with people who will challenge you to relentlessly pursue your dreams and who will encourage, strengthen, and inspire you to become the best version of yourself in order to fortify the reality of your dreams. The people you surround yourself, then, become an inviolable force in the pursuit of your dreams and in taking on every triumph, trial, and adventure that this new year has to offer you. Still, another way to revive your inspiration and intent for this new year is to strive to become the very inspiration that you are seeking. If you are looking for inspiration in changing your community, you may look for ways to offer your talents, expertise, and passions to the development of your community. If you aspire to grow in your career, you may open your eyes to new opportunities, reinforce your spirit in acting outside of your comfort zone, and define your resilience and persistence in facing fear and overcoming defeat. If you desire a change of course, a difference of behavior or habit, or deeper personal growth, you may instigate small but defining changes in your courses of action. You may challenge yourself to adhere to the promises you have made to yourself, accepting moments of failure, but pressing on in the face of defeat. You may learn to trust yourself and to find confidence in your strength, allowing yourself to achieve what you might have otherwise thought was impossible to achieve. In any way that you decide to revive your spirit, the action starts with you. You must make take the first step in relentlessly and fearlessly pursuing your dreams and obtaining your ambitions for this next year. In finding the inspiration to chase after your dreams and obtain your ambitions, be inspired by yourself. Let this next year tell a story of unexpected adventure and success. Rather than giving up at the first sign of defeat, accept the imperfection of your journey and encourage yourself to continue on the road of achieving your goals, of reimagining your dreams, and of refining your purpose. Believe in yourself, give your story leeway to ebb and flow to unexpected and unforeseen circumstances, and, always, go boldly in the direction of your heart by the light of your dreams.