ue bot icon

Leadership Thought #270 – Belief In Something Bigger

December 23, 2011

Free Photo Of Man Wearing Traditional Clothes Stock Photo

I don’t often write about spiritual or faith issues because I believe these are private decisions.  There are also many other people more capable and better equipped than me to address the issue.  I am comfortable in my own beliefs and hope you are in your own as well.   However, I do feel strongly that there is a direct correlation between an individual’s belief structure and their level of happiness and capacity for resilience.  Life is much more meaningful if you believe you are part of something bigger than you are and there is a reason for being here beyond survival and personal comfort.

When I meet someone new, I’m less concerned with what theology they follow than with whether they are true to these beliefs.   I have met wonderful Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Baha’is, and Christians in my life and have found that good people typically have values that guide them and inspire them to care about more than just themselves, regardless of their faith.  People of faith should use that faith to make the world a better place. They should lead by example.  They should be generous with compassion for their fellow human beings and avoid forcing their beliefs on others.

It is easy to become judgmental when you think you are right, but no one has the market cornered on the truth despite what they would like to believe.  In addition, no one has the right to persecute another individual based on what they believe or do not believe.

If you don’t already, I encourage you to develop a belief in something bigger than yourself and vaster than your current comprehension of reality.  Much of our universe remains unexplained and it helps to have moral guideposts to aid in navigating the wonder and mystery of it all.  I have often noticed that people regularly get fixated on the “how” of doing something as opposed to spending enough time on the “why.”  Of course, we are what we repeatedly do, but our legacy is defined based on the impetus and rationale for why we do it.

Related articles