Amongst the Ruins

A while ago we went for a hike in the mountains and we came upon the ruins of an old hotel.  It was a beautiful setting, built against the backdrop of a spectacular mountain.  Not much remained of the hotel and nature was steadily reclaiming its foothold. Despite the dilapidation, life carried on. Wildflowers were growing in amongst the broken tiles of what used to be the foyer and butterflies were happily dancing from bloom to bloom.  An orange tree was growing through the rusted window frame dangling from the corner of a disintegrating wall.  It was eerie standing there in the silence of  a mild summer's day.  Our thoughts turned to the people who must once have crossed the threshold of this scenic little hotel, and somehow the sound of the laughter of long forgotten children was carried on the breeze.

Standing there, I could not help thinking that it was like a metaphor of life.  Sometimes it feels as if our perfectly planned and built lives have ended up in ruins.  We feel all is lost, our foundations are crumbling and weeds are twisting and smothering our dreams.  We look at the perfect lives of others, and we feel shattered and disillusioned.  All our plans came to nothing.  Our blueprints were nothing but castles in the air.  We want to abandon the building.  Yet, all is not lost, the wildflowers and butterflies are proof that life carries on, maybe all we need is a fresh look at where we are, at the good that surrounds us.  Maybe we have to shift our gaze up towards the top of the mountain.

The truth is that what might seem like a ruin to us, may be the foundation of a more beautiful and stronger structure.  It is an opportunity to learn and build something better.  The question is: where do we start?

First of all it takes a mind shift.  Instead of looking at your life and your circumstances and seeing only the ruins and "failures", take note of the lessons learned and the all the possibilities waiting.  Instead of seeing limitations, look beyond at the infinite horizon stretching out ahead.  One thing that we need to learn once and for all, is that our old way of doing things did not work, so try a different approach.  As Doctor Phil has often pointed out, it is foolish to do the same things over and over, but expect different results.  We have to shift our point of view.

I have to pledge to myself to build the life I dream of living one step at a time. Only I, myself, can do it.  Nobody else can do it for me.  There is no knight on a white horse, or a fairy godmother, who is going to come past and with a kiss or wave of a wand, change my life.  I have to go out and catch that horse for myself and ride it.

Next, let go of all the excuses you have lined up as to why you cannot start over, why you cannot achieve success and why you cannot do what you need to do.  Let go of all your crushed hopes, your fear of "failing" again, negativity and destructive self-belief.  You need to let go of all your past baggage so that your hands are free to grasp the new opportunities around you.

Make peace with who you are.  You cannot grow and develop as a person as long as you are at war with yourself.  Develop your good points, your talents and your attributes.  Write them down and celebrate them.  Accept your less favourable characteristics and ask yourself which of those you can improve and turn around to become positive qualities and actively work on them.  Acknowledge and forgive those things that you cannot change.

Focus on your target.  We all have dreams.  Often we have so many dreams, that we do not know where to start.  It is like walking into a confectionery shop and being overwhelmed by all the flavours, colours and textures of the various cakes, tarts, pastries and sweets on offer.  If we do not at least have some idea what we would like to eat, we will battle to make a decision and usually end up wishing we had ordered what the customer at the table next to me is eating!  It is the same with dreams for our lives.  If we do not have a clear idea of what dreams we would like to pursue and for what reason, we often end up looking at other people living their dreams and wishing it were mine!  We have to discover what dreams will satisfy our passion and our life's purpose.  That has to become our target.  Then we must focus all our attention on that one target, that ultimate goal.  I have to know what type of building I want to build before I can start putting one brick on top of the other.

Now, the work starts.  I have to actively pursue my dream every day.  I have to prioritize it and schedule it.  I have to be relentless in reaching my goal every day. I have to fill my days with all aspects of my goal.  Read about it, research it, do the things I need to do in order to get my plan off the ground and into production.  Reach out to experts in the field and learn from them.  Every day and every effort will bring you closer to your target.

Never, ever give up!!!!  It is very human to get tired and to feel like giving up when we do not see the results we are expecting or anticipating.  We lose heart and become despondent.  Now is the time to persevere.  Be patient with the process, but also with yourself.  Anything worthwhile always takes time.  Have faith in your dream and faith in yourself.  Never doubt your dream and do not let anything or anybody distract you from your dream.  Know that in your pursuit of your dream, there will be ups and downs.  There will be moments when everything will seem to go wrong, but, do not be thrown from the tracks, focus on your goal and take heart.  The times of difficulties and setbacks will pass.  It will always go better again.  Never quit!

Now, get to it, build your life, brick by brick, and do not forget to have FUN in the process!

Created Equal

Butterflies are the most beautiful insects on the planet.  It is said that new butterfly species are still being discovered every day, but it is estimated that there are about 28 000 different species of butterflies.  No two butterflies are exactly the same, not even within the same species as the colour of every butterfly varies slightly from another one. Yet, despite their variety, they all share the same characteristics.  In their uniqueness there is a sameness.  They have all been created equal.

As you may have read by now, for those of you who have been following my posts, I am a great advocate about being and loving the unique human being you have been created to be.  However, today, I want us to take a look at us as having also been created equal.

Most parents make sure that they raise their children on copious amounts of praise.  When a toddler gives his first step, a chorus of loving voices raises up and cheers him on to take another step.  When a pre-schooler comes home with her first pink and orange blob with a note scribbled beneath by her teacher to inform us that the Rorschach stain is a dog, we declare her the next Picasso and show her artwork to anybody who ventures near.  Praise is good.  Our children need our praise.  They need this very biased encouragement.  It helps to build their self-esteem and inspires them to try harder and achieve more.  It gives them confidence to go out into the world and claim their place.  However, it is important to also keep our children grounded.  While teaching them how special and unique they are, they also need to learn to respect and value the uniqueness of others. 

We have to teach them that beneath our exteriors and deeper than our psyche, at the very core of our beings we all are the same.  We all have the same dreams and hopes.  We all have fears and worries.  Every one  has their own insecurities.  We all bleed the same. It does not matter if a person is of royal descent or hardly know the name of a single ancestor, whether a person is an acclaimed academic or an unknown pauper, we have all been created equal.  We have no right to look down on anybody or to despise another human being.  We were all born the same and will die the same.  We cannot take along our riches or our trophies.

When we believe ourselves to be superior to others and when we regard ourselves as more special or of more significance we lose touch with our true self and with reality.  When we think of ourselves as being above another person or group, we actually isolate ourselves and miss out on interesting and meaningful relationships.

I am not saying to go ahead and indiscriminately befriend every person you encounter, but I do suggest that you dismiss your pre-conceived ideas and give people the benefit of the doubt before you merely dismiss them as beneath your status, intellect, values or ability.  You might just be amazed by the amazing people you meet.  When you value others for who they really are, you in turn will be valued for the wonderful, unique person you are.

Embrace

I am sure you will agree with me when I say that we all have times in our lives when we feel insecure and we start doubting ourselves.  It feels as if we are floundering in the tides of life and we have lost focus.  We become overwhelmed by everything and everyone around us. Peace seems to be evading us.

If you feel this way, I have one word for you today: Embrace.  Learn to embrace.  Embrace what, you may ask?  I invite you to read on...

Embrace...

...the Past.

Yes, I know, we are usually told to let go of the past, but I want to tell you that you cannot let go of the past until you have embraced it.

Our past is often filled with many instances of pain and resentment.  The past is made up of huge pieces of blame and regret.  We have all had our share of grief and bitter disappointments.  It is littered with the broken pieces of our hearts.  Yet, the past is filled with life lessons. Every event, every tear and every moment of joy have brought us to this point in life.  Without the past which shaped and molded us, we would not have gained the insight and character we have presently.  Embrace the past for what it has taught you and embrace it for all the good it has given you.  Embrace the past for every person who was a part of it and for every experience it has given you.  Make peace with its heartache, the delights and the tough times it brought you.  Embrace it for all it was and then let it go.

...this Moment.

So often we spend precious time wishing our lives were different now.  We reminisce about the good old days and we dream about tomorrow, a better job or better friendships.  We obsess about living a different life from the one we are living now, imagining different circumstances or surroundings.  In the process we forget to be alive in this moment.  The fact is that we cannot ever walk back into the past and the future is nothing more than a date on the calender.  The only thing that is real is this very moment.  Very often it is what I do with this moment, which determines the quality of my future.  Thus, I have to embrace this moment I am living in now.  Embrace the way life is right now, value the friendships you have right now and the circumstances you are experiencing now.  Everything happening right now is teaching us and shaping us.  When we acknowledge where we are, who we are and what is happening right now in our lives and embrace it for all this moment is giving us, then we will have the means and wisdom to change our lives once this day, this moment, is in the past.  We can call it a day well lived, and we can embrace it for what it has given us and what it has taught us.  Embrace this here and now and live life to the fullest right now.

...Change.

Most of us are creatures of habit.  We tend to resist change.  We get up at a certain time, we usually order our favourite foods and wear that beloved sweater until it unravels at the seams. We resent people or events that threaten to disrupt the routine of our lives.  We hold onto the familiar with a vengeance. Yet change is the one constant in life.  Change is important in our development as human beings.  Through change we grow in maturity and wisdom.  Change opens up new horizons and new experiences which in turn open up our minds to new possibilities. I urge you to let go of your set ways and your set ideas. Relax and let go of your narrow view of what life should be like and instead embrace what life is giving you.  Allow it to surprise you. Embrace change.

...Yourself.

When we talk about love, respect and forgiveness, we all agree that it is not too difficult to love others and to respect them.  We can even manage to forgive other people.  Yet, when it comes to ourselves, we are far less loving, respectful and forgiving.  However, loving others, first of all, begins with loving yourself.  One of the ten commandments states "..love others as you love yourself", thus, our love for others are determined by the love we have for ourselves.  When we are angry with ourselves, and we feel embittered and resentful towards ourselves, we are busy poisoning ourselves.  When we constantly batter ourselves about our past "mistakes" and "failures" we become despondent.  We start to believe that we are not good enough.  We believe that we have not been destined for success.  We start comparing ourselves to other people.  We lose faith in ourselves and our abilities.  To have inner peace it is of utmost importance to stop blaming myself and to start forgiving myself.  I have to acknowledge and embrace the unique person that I am.  I have to celebrate who I am, the way I do things and the distinctive qualities which I possess.  When I embrace myself, it becomes so much easier to find peace.

...the Positive.

Every action we take in life begins with one thing: a thought.  In the Bible we read that a ship is steered by a rudder and so our lives are steered by our thoughts.  With the world in such a state of chaos all around us, it is very easy to focus on everything that is wrong.  We get trapped by thoughts of worry and fear.  We look at our own lives and circumstances and our thoughts start drowning out any positive thoughts.  Negativity seeps into our thoughts and conversations.  We start to listen to the negative opinions of other people and their words become fodder for our thoughts.  We start believing our thoughts.  It is important to start filtering what influences and what words we allow into our minds.  Put them through the negativity filter and only allow those things through which are charged with positive energy. Ban any negativity from your life, avoid people who speak words that break down or discourage.  Fill your life with people who speak life and fill your world with positive energy.  Negative energy is like a black hole, it sucks everything into its dark abyss.  Positivity fills our lives with light and delight.  Embrace all that is positive.

Practise these five principles in your life and watch how your world becomes a place of peace and joy.  Through practising these five points you will once again find the focus and energy you felt you were lacking.  Above all Embrace Life!!!

Winter Wonder

Here in the Southern Hemisphere it is winter, and although it has not been a particularly cold one yet, it is still cold enough for me to not be very comfortable!  They say that butterflies don't fly if their body temperature is less than 30 degrees C.  Well, I feel like a butterfly, no flying for me.  I just flutter my wings ever so slightly.  I am the most unproductive human being during the winter months, my body is constantly crying out in protest!  I love the summer, the warmth of the sun energizes me and lifts my spirit to unknown heights.  Yet, the winter has a magical beauty to it.  When the sun just pushes its face from underneath the night's blanket and its first fragile rays catch on the frosty icicles covering the grass, it is like a wonderland which unfolds. The waterdrops glisten like diamonds.  Foggy tendrils float above the water pond, and one can almost imagine fairies scurrying away before human eyes can see them.  Although Winter is my least favourite season, I need the winter and I cannot imagine living in a place where there is little or no winter, it is as if my very essence needs this time of hibernation. It is a time for quiet reflection.  Without Winter, Spring would be less miraculous, Summer less abundant.  In Life, too, we learn to truly appreciate the beauty of Summer, because of the winter. It is this contrast that reveals the beauty, the wonder and the joy of the good times.  Winter is to me like the wrapping around a present.  It excites me, because I know that underneath its cold layer, tender green leaves are waiting to burst forth and rejoice!!  So enjoy this time of snuggling beneath the warm covers, it will soon pass. If you flutter by here, please share your thoughts on the Seasons with me, I would love to hear from you.

Take Five

Busy, busy, busy.  We are all so busy, we are like bees swarming around all day and have no time spare for anything or anybody, and even less time for ourselves.  So, since we are so busy, I thought I would like to take five minutes of your time to share five B's with you.  I want you to take these five little B's and try to implement one into each day of this week.

Here goes:

Breathe.

When you wake up, I want you to first of all take a deep breath.  Let it fill your chest, let it fill every space within your body, hold it... hold it... and breathe out.  Empty your lungs and with it also exhale all your worries, that tension in your shoulders and all the stress that has accumulated in your thoughts.  Again, breathe in, let fresh oxygen fill your lungs, allow it to flow into your body and let the morning light follow it into your eyes, your mind and your thoughts.  Hold it... hold it... then slowly let it out.  Let all the negativity flow out with the carbon dioxide.  Do this a few times during the day when you have a quiet moment, whether it is between calls, or answering e-mails or before going into a stressful meeting.  We think of breathing as automatic and we hardly spare it a thought, but the truth is that we hardly ever take deep breaths.  Breathing deeply helps to improve blood flow and reduces blood pressure and it can help to clear our minds.

Be Gentle.

Life is demanding.  We are constantly under pressure to perform better, deliver more and act faster.  In the process, we also demand more of ourselves and there is no harsher critic than the one within.  Be gentle with yourself, give yourself credit for what you have done.  Stop focussing on your mistakes and shortcomings.  Stop comparing yourself with others around you, but celebrate your uniqueness.  Be gentle, also with other people who share your space.  Stop looking at their imperfections, but look for ways to encourage and inspire them.

Be Aware.

We rush through our days at such a speed that life becomes a blur along the way.  At the end of a hectic day we can hardly recall what the weather was like, what we had for lunch or whether that new guy in the office were even at work today.  We never noticed the sad look in our child's eyes.  Slow down and take time to walk through life in the present.  Get off the speeding bus and pay attention to what is happening around you and within you.  Become aware of your heartbeat, your intuition and the space around you.  Be alive in the moment.

Be Open.

We are so occupied with the daily grind and chasing deadlines that we have little time to explore new avenues and we are often too tired to give any thought to new ideas. Do you remember a time when you were filled with enthusiasm and the thought of trying something new filled you with excitement.  Time and the pressures of living have a way of dulling our zest, and we become rigid in our ways.Our lives become stagnant.  It is important to challenge ourselves daily o become more open-minded.  Having an open mind can open up new horizons and give us new outcomes to old problems.  An open mind is invigorating. Being open-minded sets us free from a life of boredom.

Be still.

Life can be demanding and very, very loud.  It can drown out our own voice, the call of our own hearts.  We run the risk of becoming deaf to the voices of our loved ones, and even the voice of our own dreams.  We have to actively step outside and close the door to the demands daily living screams at us.  We have to take a moment to be still, to once again hear our own heartbeat, to listen to the whispers of our hopes and dreams and hear the song buried within our heart. Be still and re-connect with yourself.

Just five little things, but they are sure to make your week just a little more pleasant, a little more focussed on those things that truly matter.  Be blessed this week.

Grab That Crown!

Yes, we all know a person or two like that.  We have all felt that twinge of envy when we look at those people.  You know what I am talking about.  That person who seems to just magically get everything right which he/she ever attempts.  Without even seeming to expend a lot of effort they ace it.  We call them lucky or we refer to them as extraordinarily blessed.  They have it all.  They have been born with a silver spoon in their mouths.  We admire and resent them at the same time.  They appear to have been crowned with victory in all areas of their lives.

When we observe them we easily get despondent.  They manage to achieve success so easily, while we have to struggle to just keep our heads above the water.  We often face obstacles and even failure in our pursuits.  Sometimes it feels as if we are  engaged in a losing battle.  When we compare our attempts to their achievements we often give up in despair, believing that maybe we are just not meant to be successful.

I want to tell you that you are wrong.  It is a lie which we tell ourselves that is so easy to believe.  It gives us a "good" reason to quit.  Often the success, that those "lucky" people seem to achieve so easily, is preceded by hard work and determination.  As Gary Player is know for saying : " The more I practise, the luckier I get."  We usually just see the final result and do not know the hours they have spent on following their dreams, we do not see the pain or difficulties which they might have had to endure to gain the victory.

The wonderful news I want to share with you today is that you too are meant for great things.  Why?  Because you have been born to be awesome!  Stop looking at everyone around you, but look inside.  Look at yourself.  You are unique, there is nobody else like you.  Very often what we experience as failure started with our own thoughts about ourselves and our abilities.  We are our own worst critics.  We sabotage our attempts by negative self-talk and our results follow our own predictions.

Most of us have felt useless and lost at some point in our lives.  We can all identify with that feeling of hopelessness that comes from lacking direction in life.  Thus it is very important to find your own passion in life, that one thing that makes you feel alive and seems to make your heart beat a fraction faster.  The interesting thing is that often when we find our passion, we also find our purpose.  These two combined gives meaning to our lives.

Now, it is time to take action.  When you have stopped looking around at others and comparing your life to theirs, and you have discovered your passion, it is time to put every effort into following your heart.  No more excuses, or negative talk.  Remember the power is in your hands. You are more than good enough - you are awesome.  Go on, grab your crown of success!

Plea for Peace

Recently there have been many requests for the people of the nation to unite in prayer for some or other cause.  Sometimes we are asked to wear a certain colour to show our support, for example to wear white for peace or black for a political cause to name a couple.

Personally, although I think it is a wonderful idea,  I am very skeptical of such days.  We have hundreds of days like that - AIDS day, Women's Day, Anti-Abuse Day etc.  I understand the concept of such days, but the problem is that 9 out of 10 times, that is exactly where it stays.  For one day a year we become ultra aware of the problem, we focus our energies on celebrating the day, make pledges, but the very next day it fades away again, and only occasionally I'll find myself fleetingly (and guiltily) thinking about the plight of the thousands of AIDS orphans, the countries at war, the local unrest and my neighbour across the street's swollen and black eye.

I am not saying we must not have such days, but I am saying that maybe we must not rely on such days to bring about the change we are hoping for, we must each one take the burden on ourselves to make the change happen.  Peace is not something only for super powers to negotiate, it is not the signing of peace treaties or hippies to chant about.  No, Peace is very personal.  It starts with me.  Talking about peace is beautiful, it falls comfortably on the ear, but it is time to stop talking about it, and time to actively start living peace.

From the earliest times people have been in search of peace, chasing after happiness, hoping that by finding it their lives would be changed.  Yet despite peace treaties and the hoisting of white flags, peace stays ever elusive.  The simple answer is that peace will never be found elsewhere, but in the human heart itself.  Before we can negotiate world peace we have to first of all be at peace with ourselves and at peace with our Maker.  When I am at peace within, then it is easy to pass it on to those around me.  Inner peace cannot be contained, it becomes like a fountain bubbling out through my words, my actions and even my smile.

My whole life will become a testimony of the peace I have within my heart.  A person at peace with himself and God will also live in peace with others.  Such a person will spread peace wherever he goes, and become an instrument of peace.

Am I such a person?  Do I silence those who incite others to aggression, or do I keep quiet, or even talk along?  Is my idea of peace to keep quiet when I hear others instigating dissent?  To live a life of peace does not mean sitting back and not doing anything. To live peace is to actively DO peace, to be an instrument of peace.  To quote St Francis of Assisi : "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:  Where there is hatred let me sow love."

Run Like A Butterfly

Good Morning to all the followers/readers of my blog.  First of all I have to apologize for neglecting you all for a while, but as you will read in a minute or so I have a reason why I have been so scarce of late.  Some of you may remember a post I placed on the 5th of May 2014.  I quote:

"I am not, I repeat, NOT an athlete.  Although I love walking, and can even walk at quite a pace, I am not athletic at all.  We are not an athletic family.  We love art.  We are regulars on the culture scene.  My idea of running is that the engine is here to stay!  Yet I have a dream, one that I have kept quite well hidden, well that is until now.  Deep down, in the very darkest recesses of my heart there is this desire to run at least a 5 k. There I have said it, now I want to hide!  

So, that is how I find myself at this point in my life where I have bought the shoes and actually donned them.  Now it is time to set out on the journey.  Time for the unwilling athlete to step up!"

and on the 5th of January 2015 I wrote:

"So, how did it go with this resolution?  Well, I did it.  Not only did I do it, I went on to the 1ok and the 15k!  "

I was so excited by this.  My daughter and I went on to run many more 10k's, and quite a few 21k's as well.  Fifteen months later my daughter gave birth to her first child and after being in labour for 33 hours proclaimed that she could now conquer anything.  Thus a new dream was born: to run the Ultimate Human Race!  What a goal for "non-athletes" like ourselves!  It is a race of approximately 87 km known as the Comrades.  I was excited yet apprehensive.  I had no idea how I would ever be able to do it, but we both agreed to give ourselves two years to train for it.  Eight weeks after her daughter's birth, we started our training program.

Our single focus was to constantly improve our running and to religiously stick to our training program.  Several 21k's became 32k's and the prospect of doing the Comrades in two years time got pushed forward to six months!

On the 4th of June 2017 our dream finally became reality.  We ran the Comrades from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in a time of 11:47.  Unbelievable!  We had to pinch ourselves, it felt like a dream!

How did we do it, I can hear some of you ask.

First of all: Faith.  No, not faith in ourselves, but faith in God.  We would not have been able to do it without Him.  Every training run was an opportunity to spend time in his presence.

Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

13 I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission

Secondly: A singleness of thought.  We had to exclude all reasons why we should not be doing this.  We refused to pay any attention to any of the excuses we thought up as to why we could not do it.

Thirdly: we refused to listen to negative talk.  Very few people really want a person to succeed.  Most people feel it is their duty to point out the reasons one should not attempt to do something, they feel obliged to point out the dangers and the futility of your quest.  They mean well and they are concerned, but very few people are there to just encourage somebody in their "foolhardiness". Some people had tried to discourage us with horror stories, others openly laughed when they heard about it.  Many thought we would eventually come to our senses and quit.

This brings me to the fourth point:  Enter real friends and family...

They are the ones who get up while it is still dark outside, and sane people are all snug in bed, and drive behind you while you put on long and lonely kilometers.  They are the ones who join you on your run just to encourage you even though they have no race to prepare for themselves! They are the ones who encourage you, but keep their doubts to themselves.  They are the ones who wait for you to come past to give you the sandwiches they have prepared for you the night before the race.  They are the ones who follow you every step of the race via live-tracking and carry you with their prayers.  Without them we would not have been able to achieve this.

Lastly, but certainly not the least: we did it together.  We encouraged each other.  We did it as a team, as one organism.  We did it as Comrades in the spirit of the Ultimate Human Race.  We did it as mom and daughter.  This song says it all... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5spsKjK7j4

It was without a doubt one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and I thank the Lord, my daughter, my husband, my children, family and friends who helped to make my dream a reality.

To my girl: with you by my side, I ran like a butterfly...I love you.

Sunlight Along My Way

What a privilege it is to be alive today.  We live in a world filled with wonder.  Many more opportunities than ever before present themselves to us and we have a wealth of information and knowledge at our fingertips.  Technology and science are developing at a rapid rate.  We are constantly bombarded by new ideas, options and opinions.

Not only do we have an abundance of information and technology at our disposal, we are also free to explore and discover without any boundaries.  We are free to pursue and examine any topic, idea or ideology we want to.  There are no limits as to where we may examine or investigate.  We are greedy for more and more knowledge.  It is interesting to note that with all the knowledge mankind is gaining about the natural, as well as the technological world,  the more we start searching for spiritual answers and enlightenment as well.  Mankind is hungry to understand more about the origin, the psyche and the soul of man as well.

Of course there is nothing wrong with learning and expanding our knowledge.  In order to progress it is important to open our minds and vision to broader insights, to look and search beyond what we know now.  However, with all the information, theories and perceptions out there, it is important that we keep our moral compasses in check.  It is very easy to be confused by all the information and different dogmas we encounter.  

Faith is a very personal concept and very precious.  It is worth protecting and preserving.  To me faith is the sunlight falling through the trees lighting up the forest, guiding me along life's path.  Without it I would be lost.  Therefore it is important that I safeguard my heart against the forces that may want to lead me astray, wanting to guide me along a different way of enlightenment.  Whatever belief system you adhere to, it is important to listen to the voice of your faith in order to stay on the path.  Often different religions come to us in the guise of our own beliefs, wearing a similar cloak, saying familiar words and it is easy to be led astray, therefore it is important to test their words and ideas against your own system of faith, to compare it with discernment.  If we fail to do so we could soon find ourselves without a compass, lost in the forest.