Faith
Hey friends! It’s been a minute since I’ve done a one-word post. This morning on my walk, I was listening to a Rachel Hollis interview and a few things really spoke to me. Having faith was what I really pulled from this particular interview. Rachel is full of so many life nuggets but today, she made me think about faith and what the different versions of that look like.
What is Faith?
faith/fāTH/noun
- 1. complete trust or confidence in someone or something. “this restores one’s faith in politicians” synonyms: trust, belief, confidence, conviction, credence, reliance, dependence; More
- 2. strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.synonyms: religion, church, sect, denomination, persuasion, religious persuasion, religious belief, belief, code of belief, ideology, creed, teaching, dogma, doctrine “she gave her life for her faith”
Faith for many people is about God. For me, it is about believing in something strongly. It’s having faith in goodness. I don’t preach my religious or political views because that is not my purpose of this blog but today, I wanted to discuss faith which of course leads into religion a bit. I’m not a religious girl. I have to say, for me, religion is a hard word. It’s something that my alcoholic dad turned to when he went to AA, it’s something that people lean on so heavily that it feels cult-like to me. I just can not wrap my head around it – personally. I must also say this, I absolutely 110% honor how much religion speaks to others. How it carries many of you through YOUR hardest days, how it’s so much a part of you. I get it. I get you. It’s just not for me. I have been invited to Bible studies, people add me to their prayer groups. For this, I am so grateful. Thank you for your love. Even if it’s not a part of me, it’s a sense of community and for that, I am always inspired. So my name is Gabby, I am not Christian, but I have faith and values that mostly align with my Christian friends. I believe in being a good person.
Actually, let me back up. Yesterday, I was having a hard day. Like one of those days where you cry and question everything that you are. I had a conversation with my oldest the night before that made me question how I’ve handled some things as a mom. I started wondering if I could have done things differently or better. I should also preface that said teen has been a challenging kid. He’s an awesome kid but he’s testing all the teen limits. I’m struggling with this cause hello, I’m a type A girl and I like to control.all.the.things. But I can not. That is not real life. My kids are part me, part my husband but they are 100% their own authentic selves. This is hard when they do things that make you gasp and think, “OMG – I did not raise you to say that/act that way/do that.” Who feels me on this one? This is the HARDEST part of parenting to me. This is the part that I am trying so hard to let go of. I am not my children and they are not me. With this tailspin I was in – I had to check in with my sisters, best friend, and husband. #freetherapy They help me see a bigger picture. They help me see things in a different light. They help me get out of my own head and out of my own way. They remind me to have faith in the future and how that will unfold. They tell me that it will all be OK and that I am doing my best. Thank goodness for their hearts and words.
A little sidebar, you know that quote, “Comparison is the thief of joy”? That also happened yesterday. Facebook is a blessing and a curse. I am typically not one to buy into the ‘perfect’ stories that are portrayed on social media. I know you can be the best you on social media. You can show only your best stuff. You can straight up be full of crap. No one really knows what is real, what is embellished and what is just fake news. Maybe you’re life really is that perfect. Sometimes when I see a post about my friend’s lives and they seem so perfect, I feel like a failure because I can’t paint that photo of my own life. That happened yesterday. Now, let me say this, you are entitled to brag about your life all you want. Good for you if you feel like social media is your place to shout your thoughts from the rooftops. Sometimes it might be like punching someone else in the face because their life is not that and that person wishes they were bragging it up on Facebook {even though, disclaimer: that is not who I am!} So yeah, social media – I love and hate it! When things start to impact me in a negative way, it’s a reminder to take a break. Everyone can share what they want but when it somehow makes me feel like I am not good enough, it’s time for a break. Does that make sense? My life is good, I have much to be grateful for. You won’t typically find me bragging on social media. You’ll either find me sharing all the funny memes, real-life musings or posting me crap on Marketplace. Ha!
I try my best to live with a cup half full kind of attitude. I practice kindness, love, and authenticity. Fiercely. I am emotional. I feel things HARD. This means that all my moods are very obvious. Happy, sad, mad, excited. So here is where faith comes into my life. As a mom, as a wife, as a sister and a friend, I have faith that things will turn out ok. If they don’t, I’ll yell plot twist and move forward. I can not control all the things. I can not make anyone act a certain way. I can not be in charge of anyone but me. Faith is believing that things will be OK.
Here’s the thing, Rachel Hollis is Christian. She incorporates it into her interviews, her speaking engagements, etc. BUT it’s not all that she is about. Her messages resonate with so many. Religious and not. Do you know why? Because she is a good person! Her messages are good and they speak to the hearts of good people. I love that I don’t feel like she is preaching to me. However, she is still honoring who she is. I love when people are authentically and unapologetically themselves. Show me your heart. Be relatable and I will most likely love you! If you are interested in this Rachel character I speak of so often, check out her awesome books {aff links}, Girl Wash Your Face and coming soon, Girl Stop Apologizing. Pssst – I will be doing a giveaway for Girl Stop Apologizing when it comes out. I already pre-ordered two copies.
What does faith look like to you?
