Everyone has a belief system, a set of principles that govern their lives.

“Belief as defined by the great spiritual teachers, is not belief in any particular school, philosophy, or religion but the attitude of mind that forms the basis of one’s life.” (Allen 117).

It is the life you live and the actions that you carry out that determine your system of belief.

There are many that subscribe to varied schools of thought, disciplines, or faith. However, their practice is misaligned, and yet they wonder why life is wrought which such difficulty.

One cannot hold two opposing beliefs at one time.

One cannot espouse to believe in justice but be unjust in their dealings.

One cannot espouse love and yet hate even a few.

One cannot espouse optimism but yet demonstrate a pessimistic view of the world.

These are opposing factors that just do not align.

“The nature of the law that governs the mind is such that it’s absolutely impossible for anyone to believe in two opposing conditions at the same time.Everyone fundamentally believes in one or the other of these opposites-never-in both and their daily conduct indicates which side of the fence they’re on” (Allen 112)

If you find your life wrought with conflict, chaos, and misalignment perhaps there is a need to look deep into oneself to seek greater understanding of what one believes.

“Those who declare a belief in higher consciousness and still choose to live in lust and indulgence, or in the spirit of hostility and condemnation are self-deceived. They don’t really believe in higher consciousness; they believe only in their own small, egoic selves. What we cling to, we believe; what we practice, we believe.” (Allen 115)

Many are confused in this principle.

With the profession of mouth and a staunch mindset, many foreswear to believe that they are steadfast in their beliefs.

Such believe with their minds but not with their hearts.

This is the essential difference.

” …There are two entirely distinct kinds of beliefs, namely head-belief and heart belief. Those who believe with their hearts in all things good will love and live in them, and those who believe in things that are toxic and selfish will love and cling to them.” (Allen 119)

“From the heart flow the issues of life .”

Mind belief may guide heart belief. Heart belief will always be the source of action.

Do a self-check up today.

Check to see if the actions that you committed to today align with what you say you believe.

If you say you believe in peace, how did you contribute to making the world more peaceful today.

Did you participate in actions that would bring about peace or strife?

If you say you believe in justice how did you go about bringing justice today.

How have you espoused and attitude toward building a more just world today?

Did you find yourself spending more time dwelling on injustice, promoting injustice, or doing those things antithetical to being just.

If you say, you believe in benevolence, how benevolent were you today.

Were you generous with you time, your giving, with your patience, with your love or did you fall short?

If you say you are loving, how did you express your love today.

If you say you live by positivity, how much positivity did you share today.

If you are about growing others and building up others, how much building did you do today.

Are your actions congruent with your beliefs, if not maybe its time for a change, a time to be real with yourself and recommit to doing those things, which you say you represent?

There is a parable concerning a man stranded on a road.

There happened to be many passersby’s on this path. Of those passerby’s were a few men known to be good and pious (men of faith) However, in their goodness and piety they passed by this man in dire need.

It was one who stopped to assist.

This one was deemed to be the lesser in spirit and piety at least by others. However, the heart of this man was filled with love. His heart would not let him pass a man in need.

What we had here was a matter of head belief versus heart belief. The other men good by name were poor in spirit.

“They no doubt held very strongly to the theological doctrines of their fathers- that was their intellectual belief- but in their hearts they did not believe in mercy and so lived and acted accordingly.” The Good Samaritan, on the other hand, may or may not have had any theological beliefs, but in his heart he believed in mercy and acted accordingly” (Allen)

You will undoubtedly behave according to what you feel in your heart.

“A tree is known by the fruit it bears.” – Luke 6: 43-45

If you want to change the fruit, you must address the root.

Allen, James. As We Think So We Are. Oregon, Hillsboro; Atria Books. Print.