Leadership and Faith (part I): Having Faith is Essential to the Betterment of Society

In interviews, I am often asked, what makes me persevere when others stop? Why did I escape the NYC streets, while so many others perished on them? Well, there are a number of reasons, but the one that I would like to discuss today is that of faith; faith to continue in the face of adversity. Faith to know that I not only can, but will overcome life's challenges because I believe in something greater than myself. Faith to know that I have the ability to impact this world in a powerful way. Faith to know that humanity has the ability to join me in my pursuit to recreate our existence into a place where ideas, freedoms, happiness, and joy are staples of our society, rather than brief glimpses of hope.

What Is Faith?
I know that when I speak of faith, many of you automatically think of religion or the notion of a higher power, which is fine. But, what I mean by faith is more than simply believing in a particular religion or believing in a higher power. No, faith in this context is founded on the notion that you will be able to overcome life's challenges and leave the world better than you found it because of your belief in an entity or idea larger than yourself. Whether your faith is guided by religious underpinnings, belief in nature, an idea, a particular worldview, or a higher power, it is your intimate relationship with these entities that serve as thy rod and thy staff when dealing with life's challenges in pursuit of this outcome.

Many of us look at faith in a very simple way. We often cling to a particular religion, God, or worldview without ever really utilizing our faith as a foundation for our daily lives. For example, many of us attend weekly religious services as though we are punching in our time clocks at work. However, does this practice mean we have faith? Does the fact that you attend religious services mean that you have put your faith in the entity that your religion subscribes to? If yes, how so? How does your faith in this entity show up in your daily life? What is its influence, if any?

Faith is based solely on belief, not proof. Therefore, do you believe what you say you believe in? And, how does that manifest itself in your life? Finally, how do you translate your faith (in whatever entity you choose) into you servicing the betterment of humanity?

A strong sense of faith in something greater than ourselves allows us to take on tasks, struggles, and burdens that appear insurmountable. Faith provides clarity and direction, where there is none. You may ask, what should I have faith in? The answer to this question is personal and only you can answer it, not your parents, religious leader, boss, or favorite celebrity. Nevertheless, it is a question worth answering, as faith in nothing will leave you at the mercy of every possible distraction known to man. And when I say faith, I mean more than saying you belief in something larger than yourself and simply going through the motions. I mean believing so much that you look to your faith as your foundation. It is that faith that will carry you when you are not strong enough to carry yourself.

My Personal Journey Towards Faith
When I was a teenager, I believed in a higher power, but had no faith that this higher power could help change my life for the better. I often chastised this entity for allowing the drugs, violence, and extreme poverty to thrive in my community. Why was poverty so embedded in my community? Why was violence so commonplace? Why was no one there to help? Where was this so-called higher power? Was I not worthy of the same assistance and guidance from this entity that my counterparts from higher income brackets seemed to enjoy? Or, was I destined to die on these streets simply because I was born of a different race and socio-economic standing than my counterparts?

All of these questions swirled around in my head, as I toiled about the poverty stricken Brooklyn streets that I called home. Even today, I cannot answer many of these questions, but I am here to tell you that I survived. In fact, I did better than that, I thrived. You can too no matter what your situation is, as long as you weave your faith into your daily life. You see, life got tougher for me, before it got better. During the darker periods of my life, I chose to create a relationship with this higher power. I allowed this higher power and its higher purpose for me to consume me. Never before, had I done that. Prior to this occurrence, I simply went to church, listened to the sermon about this so called God, and went on with my life until the next sermon. There was no connection between this entity and my everyday life. But that all changed when I found myself in the Middle East during the first Gulf War at the age of 19.

Fear can be a great motivator to reevaluate one's life, priorities, and worldview. It was for me. From the moment I created an intimate relationship with this higher power, my life has moved with velocity to where I am now. That's not to say that I have not encountered trials and tribulations. We all do, but I walk with a sense of confidence that I do not believe most people have access to, and it is because I have a strong faith in something much larger than myself. I believe that because of my intimate relationship with my creator, I will be able to overcome and successfully deal with whatever life throws at me.

I now access a power that I could not access on my own. My faith allows my spirit to thrive when others seem to crumble. Armed with my faith, I will be able to fulfill my purpose, just as King, Ghandi, Mandela, and Mother Teresa fulfilled theirs.

What Is Your Faith?
I remember Dr. King saying, "I have seen the mountain top...” What did that statement mean? It meant he saw his vision being fulfilled. Can you say that about your life's vision as confidently as he did? Do you even know what your life's vision is? If yes, have you transcended to a higher level (from existing to being), being who you were meant to be? Being the champion for what society needs to move to the next stage of development? If not, what is stopping you? I propose a lack of faith, the kind of faith that allows a man like Dr. King to press on against daunting odds so that we all could join him in seeing the mountain top.

Understand that faith does not promise that the world will be nurturing or even supportive of your endeavors, but it will help you deal with the world as it is and then help you to recreate yourself as well as the world so that it works for all of humanity. As for my calling, I am working hard so that no one else has to experience the feelings and situations that I have, unnecessarily. My faith gives me the strength to carry on my crusade, because reality tells me that millions of people still experience similar feelings and situations that I did, because they don't know of any other way of dealing with life's challenges. But, that is my call to action, what is yours? Moreover, what is stopping you if you are not actively engaging in your crusade?

To Successfully Meet The Challenges Of Your Calling You Must Have Faith In...
Whatever your skills or talents, use them to uplift humanity. What else are you going to do with your time on earth? Buy another house? Go to another party? Hmm, maybe be of service to another? You can choose to simply just exist, but trust me that leads to an unfulfilling life. Armed with faith you can aim for your higher purpose and access your greater self. Armed with faith you can add to this world as long as you believe that you can. Now, there are many people that do not believe in a higher power, and that is fine. However, regardless of your religious or spiritual views, you must have faith in something if for no other reason than to simply make it through the day in this sometimes-crazy world. Whether you have faith in your fellow man, religion, a higher power, an idea, a particular worldview, or nature, we all must walk with faith if we intend on succeeding in making this world more humane. What faith do you walk with?