What do I believe?

I believe in hope. I believe in belief.

~ Ted Lasso, Ted Lasso, Season 1: The Hope That Kills You

We had guests visiting our cottage for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Looking up at the mantel where we proudly display a Believe sign, our friend promptly asked,

"So, what do you believe?" The question presented an opportunity for us to share our favourite TV series, Ted Lasso, but my immediate answer was:

"I believe in the power of the mind to heal the body,”

I have also often said,

“I believe the body possesses the innate capacity to heal itself.”

When I relayed the event to our son, whom I affectionately call The Muskoka Monk, he immediately responded with,

“I believe in the power of the soul to heal the body and mind.”

So much wisdom from a twenty-something!

Picking up a copy of Soul Healing Miracles by Dr. and Master Zhi Gang Sha, I turned to page 16 (coincidentally, our son’s favourite number).

I bought this book when I visited a temple several years ago. I wrote about it here.

On that page, I found the following:

Soul Mind Body Medicine emphasizes that the leader among the soul, mind, and body is the soul.

…Soul healing states that all sickness is due to soul, mind, and body blockages.

…To remove soul mind body blockages is to heal.

Our guest's question presented an opportunity for me to review what else I believe.

Some of my beliefs

Be brave to stand for what you believe in even if you stand alone.

~ Roy T. Bennett

1. The best exercise is an activity that not only increases our strength, endurance and flexibility but promotes the health and well-being of others. It's meaningful labour.

2. We are one with our environment and need to live in balanced harmony with the forces of the universe. Natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other extreme weather patterns, result from a collective imbalance in human consciousness. While I believe in natural consequences, unlike my religious upbringing, I do not believe in a wrathful god.

3. We can transform pain through soul healing. At their core, all religions offer principles for dealing with and overcoming suffering. Pain, whether it is physical, mental, or emotional, is information. It's the body's cry for help about living out of balance with the greater whole. Healing starts with becoming curious about why it is happening.

4. The quality of our leaders is a reflection of our collective mindset and behaviour.

5. Those with a victim mindset blame and shame. Victors take 100% responsibility for their outcomes.

6. Doubt is essential to science. If debating a scientific topic is discouraged, it is not science. It is dogma or religion.