How We Believe

How we believe makes all the difference in the world. It dictates what we say, how we behave, who we will talk to, where we go. It dictates how our children are raised, how our companies are run, what officials we elect, and in the most bare bones form, it dictates what we say and do, on a constant daily basis.

So why would we not take a deeper look – deeply ponder and consider – what we believe. Funny thing is, beliefs can sometimes be so inherently rooted inside us that we may not even recognize them as “belief” – so woven into our very fabric – that we think the belief itself IS the fabric, when it is really only “what we believe.” Ancient wise men pondered this to no end with the art and science of philosophy – in truth, the analysis of “belief.”

“How a man thinketh in his heart, so he is” ~ the famous words of James Allen could not be more solidly true.

A story I learned just last night demonstrates a profound example of how "what we believe" makes all the difference in the world, for profound impact on us all...

Based on a true story, I watched a film that shared the story of William Wilbersforce, an Englishman of the 1800s who fought to end slavery in a world where commerce was built upon this "resource." He eventually won the war and abolished the slave trade across the entire globe - an astonishing feat - in what I see as one man’s "belief" literally changing the world.

Wilbersforce had spent a lifetime fighting the system when at a certain point, he felt defeated, his work had been powerful and strong in the British Parliament, but it had not reached the crescendo he needed – he became worn, and stopped the fight. He had given up and his health was drastically taking him down. It was at this point that a woman he met saw a fire of passion inside him, and pushed him to speak up again - to reignite the fight, and carry out his "war on slavery" - for which he had nearly lost all hope. She warned, it was time to push forward - and fight again - for the fire inside him around this one cause was in fact the only spark of "life" she could see in him. To her challenge, he could have said no – his health was very bad, he had fought long and hard and not won - he could have chosen to leave it alone, and give up. But something deep inside him – something in the passion of what he believed said DO IT. And with that decision – he set out to change the world, literally and dramatically – and he did!

One man's belief literally transformed a global condition, to set the stage for severe changes across the entire world... that affected millions upon millions of lives.

It was with this last stroke of energy that he came forth with new ambition, new charge, and in the end, new persons for his team emerged - with the brilliant ‘back-door’ solution that finally tipped the case to his side, and he won – slavery was abolished across the globe. An astonishing triumph - after years of long hard hours, passion all but spent - finally, an enormous victory!

I ponder this story, as I think to myself and pray others will too... "my goodness, what do I believe, that is waiting to come forth from inside me? What fire is inside me... what do I need to be doing with my beliefs – that also could be dramatically important to this world? ...heaven forbid I should not do what is burning to be done by me in this world?!"

I ponder the power of one man’s belief that unequal treatment was wrong - coupled with a willingness to stand up against the masses in conviction with courage - to literally change the entire landscape of the world. When he took on his crusade, 11 million Africans had been been affected by slavery – we can only imagine the thousands and millions of lives that were saved, once the trade was abolished.

All this to confirm my own conviction... There is purpose to our passion. Passion fires up inside us as a sign of strong beliefs – as the evidence for “what we believe” – and in many ways, it is a sign of hope, that we will take action, we will carry out our purpose.

When we feel with drive, when we fight with strength, when we know with depth, that something is wrong or must be changed – it could take a lifetime to correct - but we must still fight... take those steps, and keep going – go with what we believe - because it is there that we will win... we will unearth and uncover the final stones that carry out the grand plan "our beliefs" have had us fighting for, all along.

There is a reason for our passion – and truth is, it’s our job to listen! To hear the voice inside that burns a fire, to be spoken.

I pray today, that we may each live with passion and act with conviction, that the ones among us who are to stand - will do so with grace, with courage and with ease ~ and the strength to carry on!

I can only hope that I will do my job - too!


by Sharon L. Corsaro
Learn more at http://www.growing-gold.com/