Religion is a funny thing. People worship entities, gods, and objects… Essentially, place their faith in something or someone that may or may not exist. That may or may not possess unique supernatural powers.
Now let’s take it back about a year and a half ago. My best friend and I met while studying with mutual friends for Bio 260. We instantly clicked, and our friendship has grown since then. Not only do we make a hilarious comedy duo, we share a lot of the same beliefs and values. She has her own religious beliefs, and I have my own, but there is one thing we both place faith in…
We believe in life itself.
To believe in life itself, you have to think, live, breathe positively. Some people shake their heads at our affirmative mantras, and the way we see things. But we feel bad for ya son, because you have 99 problems and happiness is probably one of them.
Not having faith in life and that things will work out is like walking with your head slumped to the ground. How can you see the sky, the mountains and the rising sun, watch the bird that you hear singing? You can’t. You just can’t. You have to place faith in your own body. Your feet will keep moving, as they were designed to do. So while your feet are doing what they do best, you can lift your eyes and enjoy the world you live in.
I would like to share a few stories with you of positive thinking at work.
A few weeks ago, I lapsed back into a negative state of mind about finances. I felt overwhelmed, like I was taking one step forward and then pushed two steps back. After a few days of that foolishness, I got my act together and thought to myself that everything will work out. That I have an abundance of money, and that I do not need to fret about it. The next day, I was running on very low funds until my next paycheck, but I needed lunch before work. Yet, I was not worried about it. You know why? Because I have an abundance of money. *ca-ching* The growling in my stomach led me to a sub shop, where hangry college students can catch wafts of budget-friendly sandwiches in the breeze. When I went to pay for my sandwich though, the lady said, “Shhh” with her finger up to her lip, and pushed my cash away. After being confused for a second, I tried handing her the cash one more time, and yet again she pushed my hand away and shushed me. She then walked out from behind the cash register to head back to the kitchen, and as she passed by me she squeezed my arm and told me to have a good day. You could say that I had not a good day, but a great day.
About a week later, I began to search for work opportunities so I can work two jobs during the summer. While I was working at the job I am already at, a man came in with a Logan’s Roadhouse button on his shirt. I inquired about his button, and guess what? He was a bartender there, and that he would get me a job as a waitress at Logan’s! Within a few days of filling out the application, I went in for an interview and got the job. When occurrences like that happen, you know they were meant to happen, and that somehow, you helped make it happen.
Believing in life itself is about enjoying everything around you, and not just on a set destination. The sun rises everyday, and it is a glorious sight. There are trees that give us oxygen to breathe and run and play. We have family that sticks with us through thick and thin, and friends that know us better than we know ourselves. Strangers that put a smile on our faces. Houses that we can sleep and cook in, and jobs that pay for bills and the occasional El Nopal outing. When you pause and look around you, you realize that you already have an abundance of things. Of friends, of love and support, of time, of money, of food. An abundance of life.
There are new trails to wander on, and trails to create yourself. If you aren’t looking up while you’re walking… How can you have faith in yourself?
Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.
– Wayne Dyer
Chef Catalyst 