Every time I get a new curved ball thrown at me there’s doubt I can handle it. But the more I have gotten the more I have faith in the resilience to handle them. An advantage of many years living on the planet.
I am going with Barb’s reframe, on the path to bodhichitta or an awakened heart. “What awakens my heart, and what blocks that process from happening?” May also seek out Pema Chodron’s Welcoming the Unwelcome: Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World.
After reading this question and feeling that it doesn’t give me something to work with I began reading Pema Chödrön’s book Welcoming the Unwelcome: Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World. She describes bodhichitta, the awakened heart. This question she poses works for me as a reframing of today’s question: “What awakens my heart, and what blocks that process from happening?” I still don’t have an answer but I can work with this.
This question brought to mind a recent conversation with my husband. I asked how his swim was that day. He said “ it started out rough wasn’t so sure he would be able to complete his intended goal. Then he started thinking to himself -I am one with the water , I am one with the water. As he guided his thought he was able to simply swim. The struggle was gone. In some way that is what doubt can teach me about faith. Doubt happens when I look inward at my own capacity. Faith happens when I guide my thoughts outward united to energy and love.
Newton’s 3rd law, ‘every action has an equal and opposite reaction’ always springs to mind whenever I doubt.
For some, almost mystical reason, something happens thus completely contradicting my lack of faith. A sort of comforting hand if you like. A wonderful feeling!
When I was young in a religiously conservative household, “faith” and “doubt” were seen as opposites – and to have doubt meant you didn’t have enough faith and was reason for self-recrimination. Um…. now I just don’t have time to even worry about stuff like that. Doubt and faith co-exist, they test each other, they help me discern. All is well with my soul.
When we speak of faith are we using the word in the context of religion? Or is “faith” expressed here in the context of strong inner resolve? If it’s about religion and doctrine, I have many doubts and/or questions. If it is about belief in the inherent goodness within us all…oftentimes opaque, even buried due to life experiences, then I have no doubts. I have faith that light prevails over darkness; good over evil.
I truly value and concur with your take on today’s question, Lee Anne. What I felt from the get-go this morning, but didn’t express because I didn’t want to be overly “picky,” is this. Some time ago I made a deliberate point of expressing my concern with the gratefulness team that they had begun crafting the Daily Questions from that day’s Daily Quote. At the time, it seemed to me that it was beginning to happen frequently. The opinion I expressed was, when you do that the Daily Question becomes not just a question, but an editorial flowing through the heart and mind of the person who wrote the question. And I think that this can be done with the best of intentions, too.
Today, Jack Kornfield’s quote contains the word “doubt,” as did our Daily Question. Today’s question could have very likely been a coincidence, too, which I understand can happen easily, and is why I decided not to focus on it in my own response.
Thank you, Kevin. I have not commented many times of late, for I find some of the questions are too existential. I read Jack Kornfield’s quote and did not connect the two. You raised my awareness of this issue and perhaps what you pointed out is the reason I am less enthused about engaging in this forum. Thank you.
Rather than doubt, “questions” rang more accurately.
Faith without questioning would be robotic. My questions teach me that my faith is alive, and still evolving and growing.
We are living in some pretty dark times. And I am best served in such a time to think for myself. To actually make an effort to get to the bottom of enough of this so that I can make decisions in alignment with my faith. My doubt is sourced in my suspicion that there is more going on than I can see or know. It is not unlike my curiosity yet doubt is accompanied by a certain anxiety. My faith reinforces my confidence so as not to shake my ability to bear looking. To not turn away from the general vicinity of the truth. Because the worst thing, that which will absolutely not serve my interests, is to fear the truth, especially when it is about myself.
I had to come back because of this question. It seems to be silly- I don’t know about my doubts or questions. I see them when they come up in any circumstance. I deal with them wisely when I need to.
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Every time I get a new curved ball thrown at me there’s doubt I can handle it. But the more I have gotten the more I have faith in the resilience to handle them. An advantage of many years living on the planet.
I am going with Barb’s reframe, on the path to bodhichitta or an awakened heart. “What awakens my heart, and what blocks that process from happening?” May also seek out Pema Chodron’s Welcoming the Unwelcome: Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World.
Sometimes doubt in one area brings enlightenment in another, presenting options and solution from something otherwise perplexing.
“Let know one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, anguish or doubt.” ~ Thomas Merton
It teaches me that I don’t really know. This brings an openness and a letting go to see what is.
It teaches me to have faith, to trust my faith will guide me and guides me to look within myself.
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love.
It will not lead you astray” – J. Rumi
After reading this question and feeling that it doesn’t give me something to work with I began reading Pema Chödrön’s book Welcoming the Unwelcome: Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World. She describes bodhichitta, the awakened heart. This question she poses works for me as a reframing of today’s question: “What awakens my heart, and what blocks that process from happening?” I still don’t have an answer but I can work with this.
Thanks Barb. I really appreciate your reframe, and will work with that as well!
I also really appreciate the gratefulness.org team for offering this challenging question. We can be a tough community to please some days!
This question brought to mind a recent conversation with my husband. I asked how his swim was that day. He said “ it started out rough wasn’t so sure he would be able to complete his intended goal. Then he started thinking to himself -I am one with the water , I am one with the water. As he guided his thought he was able to simply swim. The struggle was gone. In some way that is what doubt can teach me about faith. Doubt happens when I look inward at my own capacity. Faith happens when I guide my thoughts outward united to energy and love.
Newton’s 3rd law, ‘every action has an equal and opposite reaction’ always springs to mind whenever I doubt.
For some, almost mystical reason, something happens thus completely contradicting my lack of faith. A sort of comforting hand if you like. A wonderful feeling!
‘A sort of comforting hand” Thank you, Chris 💞.
How delightful, Chris! Faith from science –
When I was young in a religiously conservative household, “faith” and “doubt” were seen as opposites – and to have doubt meant you didn’t have enough faith and was reason for self-recrimination. Um…. now I just don’t have time to even worry about stuff like that. Doubt and faith co-exist, they test each other, they help me discern. All is well with my soul.
I love your response,
dear Patricia…
it is so simple and pure,
and so true for me as well.
When we speak of faith are we using the word in the context of religion? Or is “faith” expressed here in the context of strong inner resolve? If it’s about religion and doctrine, I have many doubts and/or questions. If it is about belief in the inherent goodness within us all…oftentimes opaque, even buried due to life experiences, then I have no doubts. I have faith that light prevails over darkness; good over evil.
I truly value and concur with your take on today’s question, Lee Anne. What I felt from the get-go this morning, but didn’t express because I didn’t want to be overly “picky,” is this. Some time ago I made a deliberate point of expressing my concern with the gratefulness team that they had begun crafting the Daily Questions from that day’s Daily Quote. At the time, it seemed to me that it was beginning to happen frequently. The opinion I expressed was, when you do that the Daily Question becomes not just a question, but an editorial flowing through the heart and mind of the person who wrote the question. And I think that this can be done with the best of intentions, too.
Today, Jack Kornfield’s quote contains the word “doubt,” as did our Daily Question. Today’s question could have very likely been a coincidence, too, which I understand can happen easily, and is why I decided not to focus on it in my own response.
Thank you, Kevin. I have not commented many times of late, for I find some of the questions are too existential. I read Jack Kornfield’s quote and did not connect the two. You raised my awareness of this issue and perhaps what you pointed out is the reason I am less enthused about engaging in this forum. Thank you.
I need your redefining to be able to think about this question too.
Rather than doubt, “questions” rang more accurately.
Faith without questioning would be robotic. My questions teach me that my faith is alive, and still evolving and growing.
Amen! 🙂
We are living in some pretty dark times. And I am best served in such a time to think for myself. To actually make an effort to get to the bottom of enough of this so that I can make decisions in alignment with my faith. My doubt is sourced in my suspicion that there is more going on than I can see or know. It is not unlike my curiosity yet doubt is accompanied by a certain anxiety. My faith reinforces my confidence so as not to shake my ability to bear looking. To not turn away from the general vicinity of the truth. Because the worst thing, that which will absolutely not serve my interests, is to fear the truth, especially when it is about myself.
When in doubt, hold on tight to my faith(aka the true answer).
I had to come back because of this question. It seems to be silly- I don’t know about my doubts or questions. I see them when they come up in any circumstance. I deal with them wisely when I need to.