Nobody really wants to fail, I would assume that most people have an acute fear of failure. Many hopes, dreams and desires lay at the valley of despair discarded there by fear. Due to this issue, many of us want to be sure, to be confident of our path. We will wrangle, wrestle, worry about which path to take and in what manner to take it. We even go so far as to wanting so much asurety what we come close to calling it a guarantee. We ultimately want a guarantee that our chosen way will lead to success and not failure.
Conversely, just as everyone fears failure, everyone wants to improve. We all desire, seek, strive for transformation in our lives. These two concepts are at complete odds with each other. Transformation comes by taking risk, and that is what the fearful cannot accept.
The reality is that there simply are no guarantees, and no path can be determined to be successful. There really is no right or wrong way for the most part. You cannot be sure and when we pray and beg God to show us the way, we are left perplexed. This is because there is no way, at least not in our temporary mortal existence. Our perspective should be longer, more eternal in nature and if we realized that we would laugh at our impatience and questioning about a decision to take a left or a right when both paths end up in the same place.
So what is the solution then? We want a guarantee for our safety, and yet we also want transformation that taking risk allows us to realize. So how do we go forward with this quandry? The solution is in the foundation. You do not know what structure you are going to build or what your life will ultimately be, look like, or resemble at the the near end of construction. However, one thing is absolutely for sure. You must build upon a good foundation, a strong foundation, even a sure foundation.
With a strong foundation, you can begin to build and even start to take risks. This is because even if the worse were to happen, even if the winds were to come, the hail, the storm and all manner of calamity, you would still have the foundation. A strength that can help you even withstand the greatest of all whirlwinds. It is the building of a strong foundation that you should be the most worried about, not what path to take, what intermediate steps to take, or even what type of life to build. Worry more about what you are building upon and less about what you are building.
Many religious teachers talk about a foundation built upon faith in diety, and for good reason. Pause for a minute and think about what faith in an ideal, or faith in a being that is not you produces in your mind and in your character. You cannot be wrought with a paralyzed ego that frames faith in the future ideal as something that you are not. Exercising faith in an ideal that is outside of your own ego, gives you someting to aspire for, yearn for, strive to become. That concept alone is enough to build a foundation, that has as the chief cornerstone faith in God, but there is a much more powerful reason. That reason is because it is true.
Truth, the pure diamond truth, is that God is real and any attempts to build a foundation for your life on any other concept is perilous in deed. There is a reason humankind has had faith in diety since the dawn of time and that is because there is a special relationship here that is such a deep part of our psyche that to pretend otherwise is absolute folly. However, just believing is not enough. You have to actually get out the bricks and mortar and start the work of setting a strong foundation on solid ground. So how do you do that? What is the first step in building a sure foundation?
Prayer. It is that simple. Start the day and end the day with a personal prayer, a meaningful heart filled prayer to God and you will begin to lay the footings. Each and everyday you consistently check in with God, is one more brick. Brick by brick as you engage in secret prayer, you lay out a sure foundation. Build on this first and it does not matter what you do in life, you will figure it out. The house will be glorious when you are done and it will stand strong and proud.
To conclude with the writings of the Prophet Isaiah:
Fear thou not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed;
For I am thy God:
I will strengthen thee;
yea, I will help thee;
yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Guy Reams (1)
