Faith, Self-Esteem, Motivation

Never underestimate the importance of faith. There are many people who have tremendous faith in themselves and their own abilities but have little faith in other people and no faith in any higher power. These people are generally very successful in business and accumulating money and power. However, they are usually completely unhappy and are constantly under pressure to perform up to their lofty standards. Lives like this often end in shambles and tremendous regrets. Others have no faith in themselves and have a very low self-esteem. These are those who live dull and unsatisfying lives, who attempt little and accomplish even less. When one has faith in the power and mercy of the creator, then it becomes much easier to live a truly successful life. However, that faith must not be blind faith that is merely accepting a narrowly defined aspect of religion that has been passed down. This is the kind of faith that creates suicide bombers, holy wars, and creates incredible suffering in the name of religious faith. People often martyr themselves for this kind of faith, either by overt death or a lingering failure to live, thinking that they will be rewarded in heaven. However, their future is seldom any brighter than in this life, as they will continue to return, birth after birth, to gain true spiritual understanding. Instead of blind faith, one must base their faith on a much deeper and more expansive understanding of the nature of God. It must see God’s love for each and every living being and accept one’s own relationship to the entire universe. This faith will lead to tremendous self-esteem, not because of one’s own material capabilities but because of one’s intense motivation to reciprocate God's love through service. When this is your motivating fire, then faith becomes the driver for not only creating an incredible life for yourself but in helping to create a world that is much more loving and spiritually oriented.