This I Believe…

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Nelson Mandela


I believe in the power of the human spirit. We are not victims and possess unlimited power to shape our own realities.


I believe in God. And I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe we live to serve a greater purpose and that our creation is not simply an evolution of some gases and goo. While this belief does often need my attention, I find the conflict with this belief often comes from others and not from inside myself. I do believe God is real, but what real is only matters to me. I am ok with how others choose to worship, but feel it inappropriate to put one faith or method of worship above another. I can be just as close to my Creator while sitting alone on a mountaintop as when in a congregation of like minded believers. I believe that “preaching to the choir” serves only to keep us safe. I would prefer that my life is lived an example of what I believe.


I believe we are responsible for only one thing in this life – ourselves. While we may decorate our lives with spouses, family, jobs and children, we still can only be master of our own soul. How we live our life and make our choices has incredible power on who constitute our spouses, family, jobs and children.
My personal mission statement, which is an extension of my beliefs:


To continually strive for myself, my family and my friends:

• To be available and present for my wife and children,
• To model a healthy and active lifestyle,
• To remain close to nature through thought and deed,
• To be an active member in my community and contribute through teaching and sharing.

Beliefs can shift over time, and they may need to adapt to certain life situations, but ultimately I do not believe we ever discard our core beliefs. For example, while my belief in God has changed in my years, I still believe in God.


Finally, I believe it can be painful yet necessary to capture what I believe in words on paper. I feel I act on what I believe minute by minute throughout each day; yet articulating those beliefs can be elusive if not intimidating. And I believe that I have a very long list of beliefs that still need to be unearthed and captured.