Do We Really Need to Believe in Something Bigger Than Us?

A few days ago I was feeling low about all the rejections I got from literary agents, and a friend who was trying to make me feel better said,

“Tami, I believe in you, don’t give up!”

I immediately felt better, and as I sat down with my newfound confidence to conquer the world, I started to wonder about the word “believe.” Why did that one word instantly boost my confidence and make me feel like I could succeed? Someone believing in my skills or just in me was enough to increase my self-esteem; that was a humbling thought.

I decided to look at why the word “believe” held so much weight in my life and others, what did this powerful world really mean to us? The first thing that came to mind was a belief in God/Superpower/Universe, having a strong opinion about something and/or having faith in someone or something. Does our upbringing create our belief system, or is the need to believe in something bigger than ourselves, just part of being human?

Whenever I have a question about something, I reach out to my readers and ask their opinion, and I asked several people what they believed in, here is what they said:

“Kindness and Karma.”
~~ Ektaa Singh

“Kindness. I know I may not have survived a very very dark time had it not been for the many small acts of Kindness from the few people I kept in my life, and the new people I was connecting with on Facebook. Every kind word or deed helped me realize that I mattered and really pulled me out of a depression so deep that I probably would not have survived. One kind act can inspire another, creating a chain of paying it forward.”
~~Laura Ruetz

“I believe great, kind, and loving people exist in this world, along with sure as their polar opposites.”

~~ Mehnaz Rokerya

“My Mother.”
~~“Geetika Tulsi

“Consciousness.”
~~ Nistha Bhandari

“I believe that good people are the majority and that we are not so unique and have more things in common than differences.”
~~Ana Schram

“I believe in Karma. I believe in science. I believe that most things in this world are not inherently good or bad; they simply are. How we react to them is up to us.”
~~ Holly Witham

“Seva and selfless service.”
~~ Payal Kohli

“Kindness and Karma.”
~~ Ektaa Singh

“That evil grows by a lack of love.”
~~ Melissa Crandall

“I believe that money is the route of evil, it may bring you happiness, but it also brings you to depression. I believe that your good intentions and instinct will always prevail.”
~~ Nickie Gamble

“I believe that the earth is alive.”
~~Zeal Ahir

“I believe that good will always prevail and that everything is as it is meant to be. Even though it may not make sense to me or seem wrong, I believe we live in a loving, self-correcting universe.”
~~ Amina Makhdoom Lynch

“Karma, Mercy & Kindness.”

~~Sonia Atiq

“I believe we need to be careful with our words — we can create positive things or negative things for ourselves and others by what we say. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Our words give sweet water or saltwater.”
~~Nickie Smith Manja

“I believe that empathy is what makes us human and that our empathy is a bridge that helps us transcend our human differences.”
~~ Daniel Miess

“I believe in the power of positive thought!”
~~Alicia Sheikh-Arvizu

“Karma.”
~~ Mali Armand

“I believe that the energy we consume is the vibe we put out in the world. That’s why I watch a lot of animal videos!”
~~ Naz Hamid

I got a large number of interesting stories, but the dichotomy of the word “believe” was still lost on me-on one hand we believe in an unknown, unseen God who performs miracles, and on the other hand, we believe in the goodness and kindness of people, which is an action something that is visual. My friend believed in me because she had seen my passion and hard work or was it because she cared about me?

So do we believe more in the known or the unknown? I don't have any answers to the big question about “believing,” but what I do think that as a human, believing in something is as essential to us as breathing. Without belief (in anything or anyone), there is no hope for the future. Belief and hope in my opinion go hand and hand.

So continue to believe in whatever you feel like and find other humans that believe in you.

Believe me; it can change your life!