The concept of faith has always been something that has been a mystery to me. I never really understood it and in some ways I have struggled trying to figure it out. Now, fear on the other hand is something I totally understand and in many ways it just comes naturally to me. Part of reason for why fear comes more naturally has to do with how our brains are wired to survive. Back in the day being afraid helped keep us physically alive.

As for faith, I would constantly read about it and hear others talk about it – that it's something you just have. To my logical mind (which is very analytical and wants lots of proof and evidence), this made no sense to me – how do you just believe in something you can't see.

For a long time I thought I just don't know how to have faith until I realized that faith and fear were actually the same thing (essentially). Both faith and fear are believing in something you can't see. Faith is usually associated with the positive side that something good will happen. Fear is usually associated with the negative side that something bad will happen.

It surprised me that I was already technically "having faith" but choosing the negative aspect of it through fear. I already knew how to do it I just wasn't consciously choosing which side I wanted to focus on. This is where I had to start learning to trick my logical / analytical mind that wants proof of everything.

Here's what I do to choose faith:

1. Be aware when you are feeling afraid
2. Ask – What are you believing is going to happen?
3. Rationalize – Remind yourself that you are choosing to believe something that hasn't actually happened yet. You have a choice – either way there's no proof (even if it's happened before) because right now it hasn't occurred yet.
4. Ask – Do you want to keep choosing the fear option? Or would you rather feel better and have a little faith?

If you'd rather feel better, then use something that will help shift your focus such as a phrase like "Have faith – everything always works in the end" or use a catchy song that will help remind you such as "Have a Little Faith in Me ".

Whether we are choosing faith or fear, either way we are choosing to believe something that we can't see or hasn't happened yet. It's helpful to remember that in the end all we are ever wanting is to feel better. So choose to have faith for that reason alone because it just feels better.