Keeping your faith

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LaurenR427

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Here's a dilemma.... I have such a hard time keeping my spirit strong all day long. I can achieve inner peace in the morning, and in the evening when I'm by myself. But I just get so distracted by the ins and outs and comings and goings of every day. Its hard because I'm so much happier when I feel present and I just seem to lose that sometimes. My intentions are good, but its hard to stay positive and peaceful when the world can be so harsh. Also, I was born into a Roman Catholic family. My mom still goes to church all the time. I, however, am much more experimental with my beliefs. I'm fascinated by Buddhism and by enlightenment. I love the Power of Now, and I think that there is more then just that one path to Being. I don't know if I should be picking one certain religion to follow or not. I kind of lost touch for a while during my first two years in college, but I'm starting to feel happy again, and any insight would be greatly appreciated :)
 
Hi LaurenR427, welcome to CR.

Seems we have a few discussions going on now about finding the right path for oneself--must be the Spring air that brings out the seeker in each of us. :)

For me just accepting my belief in Something More was the big hurdle. And once I made that decision, not arbitrarily, I felt like I was fanning a tiny fire in my heart, worried at times that it might even go out. But it didn't, and that fire of faith has just been getting stronger ever since. I was also raised a Christian so my belief in Something More translates that I believe in God. I love being a seeker and learning about different religions, but I think that if I am going to get closer to God, to live up to my spiritual and human potential, it's best to pick a path a walk it.

As for staying in that zone of peace throughout the day, yes, it is very difficult. I really don't even do it. However, I've found that the longer I've stuck with a prayer, study and meditation routines, the easier it is to have peaceful days and turn to God/prayer when things do get tense or crazy. And with two little preschoolers running around at home things can get crazy! :)

lunamoth
 
LaurenR427 said:
Here's a dilemma.... I have such a hard time keeping my spirit strong all day long. I can achieve inner peace in the morning, and in the evening when I'm by myself. But I just get so distracted by the ins and outs and comings and goings of every day. Its hard because I'm so much happier when I feel present and I just seem to lose that sometimes. My intentions are good, but its hard to stay positive and peaceful when the world can be so harsh. Also, I was born into a Roman Catholic family. My mom still goes to church all the time. I, however, am much more experimental with my beliefs. I'm fascinated by Buddhism and by enlightenment. I love the Power of Now, and I think that there is more then just that one path to Being. I don't know if I should be picking one certain religion to follow or not. I kind of lost touch for a while during my first two years in college, but I'm starting to feel happy again, and any insight would be greatly appreciated :)
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i guess that might depend on where you are placing your hope and eternal rest also. The NOW is just that, now...I dont really see tons of power in that because when now is over we have to think about tomorrow too. Without plans and dedication and learning from mistakes, now is nothing. I know what people are teaching with thoughts and inner man etc., but something is still missing even with all that.

No matter what, we are still in the flesh and there is going to be ups and downs.

It is never going to be the same every day. It's those hard times that help us grow and achieve to become a better person. Inside and out.
The world is very harsh. We can't have sunshine all the time and expect to grow, unless we are a cactus:).
 
I think you're right to believe in the power of now. As long as you hold to the path right now, you'll always be fine.

As for keeping your inner peace all day, I know, it is next to impossible. Mediation helps but often as soon as your mediation is over the peace is lost.

The enlightened beings have the power to bless and calm your mind. Try asking for their blessings throughout the day, the calming feeling of Buddha's blessing is amazing.
 
Sometimes the demands of the day are too much to remain detached from. :)
 
The idea that there is anything other than now can be misleading Lauren, no matter what . We make plans for our future now , we often regret our past actions now, and we can certainly be with our own sense of anxiety, frustration, confustion right here and now! Awareness of what we are feeling and what our intent is in any given moment is the beginning of spiritual practice. If you get caught up in the drama of everyday life, then be aware that that is what you are doing. The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh in his many books makes it easy for us to maintain an even keel with his practice of conscious breathing. The Buddha taught that becoming aware of our inbreath and outbreath is very calming and centering. As you begin the study of Buddhism, and begin meditation practice, you may notice many things you were not aware of before. One thing many beginners notice is how often they are in a non-peaceful state. This is a normal progression in development, and will pass in time. Use it as a lesson and as the Quakers say, "let your life speak" and you will learn much:)


Peace and love
 
An easy exercise to help maintain calm - count your breaths. I can get up to 3 or 4 thousand on a good day but when I lose count, I just start again; a good old meditation exercise.

Failing that, fall back on asking people if they spend all their evenings comming up with silly things to say to you or does it come naturally to them?
 
do what you can- faith is not just to be found in stillness or peace. life is often turbulent and hard. there is faith to be found in that, too. it's tougher to find, but when you do find it you'll find it to be stronger than the faith you had in peace and happiness. i have very little faith in either thing. let experience guide you, not ideals. ideally, many of us would be peaceful and calm at all times, but that's not the case. there is faith to be found in pain, too. it's a very personal faith, not a general thing, and it can take a while to find. go with what life gives you, and be willing to bend and flex. be willing to marry spirit and suffering, too.
 
The trick for me is to constantly talk Him.. Even when Im walking through the grocery store I might ask Him if I should buy this or that.. Prayer is not just putting yourself in a room and closing your eyes to talk to Him.. walk around and have conversations in your head. When a trying situation comes up ask Him for help. When you get overwhelmed ask Him for peace. Walk around praising Him even when you dont want too.. because thats a sacrifice of praise. When you do something you know is wrong say Im sorry. You have a direct communication line with Him in the Spirit.. Use it. The more you talk to Him the more you hear Him in those times when the World seems so much more prevalent than Him.
 
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