Faith is the belief that although we may not see evidence for the emergence of a particular desired outcome now, there is inherent value in taking action towards this outcome nonetheless. While intention is about the present moment, faith is future-oriented – it is intention projected into the future.
Faith and intention are cousins, related by courage. It takes courage to do things differently than you have always done, and to not feel silly trying to change things by first changing something subtle – your mind. Setting your mind to something is the essence of intention, while faith is the expectation that the intention is not in vain.
If, in the past, we have repeatedly exerted effort without reward, such that disappointment is painfully familiar, it is especially hard to pick up the pieces and believe in a different kind of future. It is a profound challenge to see why there is any reason to try again, or to do things differently. Underneath this may be a mistaken belief that you don’t deserve better.
But without intention and faith, we run the risk of letting life happen to us, rather than shaping it ourselves. We must look for, and continually find, moments of meaning in the chaos, confusion and nonsense that life can often present. When we find such meaning, whether through effort or inadvertently, it is often faith that allows it to come to the surface.
Motivated by faith, each intention that you set is a tiny but determined chip off the cool marble block that contains within it all the possibilities of your existence. Over time, the actions taken as a result of your intentions reveal the unique shape and form of your beautiful, precious and inimitable life, as it manifests in conjunction with the lives of those around you.