Fear vs. Faith: Which One Drives You?

No matter what you believe in, your beliefs influence what happens in your life. This includes everything from your chosen career to what you’ll accept in terms of relationships and the opportunities that flow your way.

If you have too many beliefs that are fear-based, it’s hard to have faith and fully engage in life. In fact, there is a saying that goes “the opposite of fear is faith.” If you are constantly fearful, even if the fear is only imagined, it’s hard to make choices outside your comfort zone.

In fact, sometimes fears become so consuming that decisions are made not based on reality, but based on what we think will happen.

This can start a cycle of attracting things you don’t want in your life—essentially because your attention is on those worst-case scenarios—and the Universe is responding. Many people rock hit bottom before ever making the conscious choice to turn away from fear and put their attention on faith instead.

When things simply can’t stay the same, faith requires a leap of action into the unknown. This means that unlike fear, which is paralyzing, faith truly does “set you free.” Faith says that even though you have uncertainty, you’re willing to live with the temporary discomfort. Faith doesn’t mean you have to do everything right or never have a setback, it simply allows you to be curious and trust.

Tip: To increase your faith, try making a list of all the times you’ve taken a “leap of faith.” Note that most leaps of faith are worth it!