Whatever you believe in your mind and heart about a higher power, you learned that as a kid. If you believe that there’s no such thing as a god or higher power, that’s perfectly okay. I would like to believe that those who do not conceive there is something greater than us still run their lives with a moral compass. I know some do not, sadly, but that’s not the majority of us people. We are inherently good. It’s believing in that that’s most important.

I was raised Roman Catholic and attended an Italian church in a part of our country that is widely known (thanks to books) as a once-mecca for organized crime. I never felt okay in that church. I felt stressed and anxious every single time I had to go to church, catechism, or even the once-a-year pasta dinner.

One reason was a particular priest who poured his views down parishioners’ throats, and perhaps not necessarily Jesus’s view. I could not stand him. I think I shared already how he scolded me after mass when I asked him to bless the gold cross I got for Christmas. I went into the room where priests unrobed as other parishioners did and simply asked for a blessing on my necklace. He told me in an elevated, stern voice that I had to make an appointment. Really?

I didn’t feel a higher power in that church. As a kid, I felt a higher power when I was in the woods writing a song or when life got too much to handle. Praying became my go-to support for everything. I prayed and felt like I got help. That’s my belief. I still pray, not as much as I used to or would like to because I find I’m constantly scraping for extra time, so I have to “squeeze it in.” Could you imagine? Sad.

However, I still believe with every fiber of my being that there is a higher power, and for me, it’s Jesus, Mary and the angels and saints. That’s what I learned as a kid and what I believe now. It all came from someone else either teaching me or intimidating me (like I felt in the church with the readings and sermons.) I never got an explanation of all the questions I had when a priest would read the gospel. That left a curious person like myself to feel confused and unaffected by the gospel because I didn’t know what the heck it meant.

Whatever you believe that guides your life is okay as long as it brings you joy and happiness. And try not to get lured into fake happiness by letting stuff dictate your mood, either.

Think about whatever you believe to be true about yourself. Did you learn it on your own? Where did that belief come from? According to the experts, most of our personalities get formed by the time we reach our teens. That means that what we believe about ourselves and the world is already one with us by the time we graduate high school. For me, high school was a screwed-up time where I had no idea how to live happily. It took me decades to change the beliefs I held about myself. I was searching, wandering, praying for change. It didn’t come till many years later, so don’t give up kids! [wink emoji]

Whatever you believe can be changed if you want it to. It takes discipline and dedication to yourself. That’s it!

When you think of a negative thought, stop and ask yourself why. That mind shift puts you in the present moment because you have to consciously think about what you’re thinking. Like Confucius said, “You are what you think.”

And guess what? What we think stems from our beliefs.

If we believe we’re worthy and deserving of success, we’ll have success. That is the law. Well, it’s probably not an actual law, but a law to guide your life by.

Whatever you believe ought to be something good and worthwhile. It’s best we change irrational beliefs we learned (mostly from our families), like some common wrong beliefs about money: money is hard to come by and scarce, only the rich get richer, or this is all we’re going to be. Whoa, horsey (your mind) and become aware of your thoughts.

Work your way up to living in the present most of the time, but it’s okay if you slip back to the past or ruminate over the future that doesn’t yet exist. Just come back to the present as much as you can. That’s where life is. My mind wanders a lot, and I have to reign it back to the present.

I know I’ve written before about living in the present moment, but it’s one of the most essential things needed in life to live happily.  (Yes, we need water, food, etc., but they don’t necessarily help us to be happy.) You cannot find happiness in a memory that already passed or a “hope” for another day. Happiness, the real “I feel it in my bones” happiness, can only be found in the present moment.

So, with all that, here’s the summary – whatever you believe can bring you happiness or hell. The choice is yours.

Thank you for reading this. I try to keep these short and full of good info. Please comment below if you got anything out of it. I’d love to know.

To beliefs,

Francesca