S.R. Crawford's Blog, page 29

What Do You Believe In? Beliefs & The Importance of Faith

Today I wanted to talk about our beliefs and our faith. Capital F, Faith! Now, I am not a religious person. I don’t follow the practices of any religion. I have family members who are Christians. I have friends who are Christian. I have had friends who are Muslim and Hindu, too. I do not bear any ill feelings towards those people, obviously! I love them!

The problem/discussion here isn’t about what’s real and what’s not. What we can prove and what we can’t. For me, at least, it’s simple: Does it work for you? Does it make you feel good? Is it not hurting anyone else? Okay great, you do you!

I think many of us need to realise that we are not here to convert anyone to our way of believing and thinking. That just because someone holds different beliefs or practices a different faith to you, that doesn’t mean that you can’t love one another or share a space or be kind. After all, isn’t the one fundamental thing shared in many religious and cultures simply to be good to one another?

Let people have their faith as long as they’re not hurting anyone. I don’t condone killing or maiming under the name of “religion” or “culture”. I refuse to believe that a religious faith would condone that. So, as long as the practices, teachings, and faith isn’t harmful, what’s the problem here?

I think the issue is we all want to be right! We want to be the one to believe in the right God or messenger. The right answer to the question of why we are here and what life means. But if we can agree on something, I think it should be this: life is complicated, meaning is subjective and arbitrary, we can’t ever aim to know all the answers. So why pretend anything different?

I’m not here to tell you what to do, as I say, but if you’re feeling lost or scared or hopeless or anything like sadness or depression, I would ask you if you’ve lost your belief/faith or if you need some in your life right now.

We could all do with something to believe in through the dark times.

Whether that’s wholly believing in your mother. Your mother’s word is gospel! You trust in her unconditionally. She has your back through it all. She has endless wisdom and guidance to offer.

Maybe it’s a friend. A grandparent. An author or celebrity who inspires and motivate you and speaks to your soul.

Maybe it’s the unknowable, unpredictable, bountiful universe, like me. I see the universe as this wealth of chaos and beauty and instability and wonder and strength. All of which I can trust in and tap into for guidance and hope; that if I listen and learn, I will be okay on my life’s journey.

Maybe it’s yourself. Maybe through all the ebbs and flows of life, you are your own life raft that you can trust in through hardships.

What can believing in something look like? PrayerPractices that you do routinelyMeditative thought about somethingReading up on somethingTrusting something unconditionallyBettering yourself or working on ideals around that thingHopeKnowing you’re safe with that thingFaith in something regardless of how bleak things can seemAsking questions and seeking guidance

Belief is defined as: an acceptance that something exists or is true, especially one without proof. (OR) trust, faith, or confidence in (someone or something).

So, I’m not here to tell you what to believe in, I’m just trying to highlight that we all have beliefs and faith without realising it. It may not involve prayer, places of worship, holy books or practiced celebrations, but we all have strong faith and confidence in things, even when life seems difficult. We all need a lifeboat to keep us afloat…otherwise, we risk drowning.

It’s important for me to note here that having faith in something doesn’t mean being blind to anything else. Like “my house is on fire, but it’s okay, my THING will save me!” No, get out of the house!! This thing you love and trust should be a part of your life, not your whole life, in my opinion. It shouldn’t be your whole personality, so much so, you have become that thing. Or that you have so much blind faith, that you miss any other signs (which could actually be given to you from your faith, but you didn’t recognise it!)

Open your mind to your faith, but also open your mind to the caveats around it, too…

Things to have faith in/turn to for support:Your religion (duh!)FamilyFriendsWritersArtistsCreatorsSpeakersHumanitariansFictional characters and worldsYoga (I know yoga is considered a religious and cultural practice in other parts of the world; it’s up to you if you see it this way, too, or use it spiritually or just for your emotional and physical wellbeing)Travel (when we can!)Writing for yourself and othersReadingMother Nature/Mother Earth (mountains, waterfalls, volcanoes, forests, jungles, fields, bodies of water, springs, the seasons…)Astrology (tarot cards, horoscopes, crystals, birth charts, numerology, etc)Astronomy (space, stars, planets, universe)God (any, all)ScienceThe ArtsMeditationAnimalsThe waterMagicStorytellingCooking and foodPhysical activityChildrenImagination and wonder The future

Why believe in something?Support when you feel weakGuidance when you feel lostConfidence when you feel scaredCommunity and unity aka belonging (which we all seek)Trust in betterShift perspectiveComfortJoyHigher experience of life

“You Are Not a Human Being Having a Spiritual Experience. You Are a Spiritual Being Having a Human Experience.”

Sincerely,

S. xx

How Imagination Opens Doors (podcast)

Today I am talking about how we can use our imagination to help change our worlds. Imagining something that’s outside of what is our current reality inside ourselves and outside in the wider world.

Click to play!

xx

15 Things to Do to Embrace the Spring Season

Plant a flowerbedBuy fresh flowers for your homeDo a rejuvenating yoga flowA fresh coat of paint in your homeGo for a mindful spring walkRead a feel-good bookJournal on how you felt in WinterMeet up with people who make you feel good (safely!)Journal on your intentions and theme going into Spring and SummerRead a new genre of bookWatch a children’s or family-friendly film and connect with your inner-childMove your body actively: a sport, a jog, hike, yoga, pilates, rock-climbing, gym, swimming…Cook a new mealDe-clutter or reorganise and clean your space: wardrobe, cupboards, drawers…Do some self-work and work on your beliefs and emotions

Sincerely,

S. xx

Awaken with Spring (podcast)

Spring has sprung, as they say, and so I’m talking today about shedding skins, letting go, and moving on towards something new this Spring. Are you going to choose to rise and awaken, or shrink and remain in hibernation?

Click to play!

xx

Are We Making Things Too Easy? (podcast)

Today I’m questioning whether the Western world is making things too easy for us instead of better for us in the long-run. Is everything too convenient?

Click to play!

xx

Addicted Society: Things we don’t realise we’re addicted to

*I am not discounting “real” addictions. Addiction is serious, scary, and important to separate from other things. By ‘addiction’ in this post, I mean unhealthy dependency and obsession.*

Food

We can’t stop eating. We socialise around food, talk about food. We eat when we’re happy, sad, celebrating, angry, bored. We eat our feelings. We eat simply because we can nowadays. In the past, it was hard to come by and was purely for survival. But now, most of us will never ever know what real starvation is. What it feels like to be truly hungry. The hunger we think we feel is just cravings and boredom half the time!

We’re obsessed with food, so much so there are films about personified food! It’s crazy. We eat more than we need to. I’m not saying stop eating – I’m not going to – but we should try to observe our habits and why we eat so much as a society. Of course, we also need to be wary of obesity and other health conditions that come from eating obsessively.

Spending money

It’s really bad how much money we waste! I can’t speak for everyone, but I for one love spending money and it’s a problem. That gratification, that dopamine hit, is addictive. It feels so good. Every time you get an Amazon parcel it’s like frickin Christmas! We are over-consumers. We live in a consumerist culture. We buy more and more and do it as if filling a hole, but it’s a bottomless pit. It can’t be filled that way.

Again, we need to be more conscious of our spending habits and why we feel we need so much to be happy. I’m addicted to buying books. It used to be clothes; it used to be food. If it’s not one thing, it’s another with us. We all overspend on something, and it’s about having that awareness and taking action to stop that potentially toxic addiction.

Social media

I won’t go into this again. I’m tiring myself out with how much I speak about this addiction. There are documentaries about it. YouTube videos about it. And I’ve briefly spoken about it myself when I decided to take a break from it. We need to be aware of why we use social media and what role it plays in our lives. It’s toxic to overuse, yet millions of us do.

Alcohol

I don’t have much of a stance on this one as someone who rarely drinks. I’ve spoken to family members about it because I worry that someone can easily go from “in control” to “out of control” easily without knowing it’s happening, though. Our society, much like with food, operates around alcohol consumption. It’s for happy times and sad times alike. But once again, there’s a fine line.

Depending on it to be there for you to make you happy, to “fix” your problems, is very dangerous. If you can’t sleep without it, can’t hang out with friends without it, can’t go a week without it, and reach for it whenever you’re sad, I’d rethink your dependency and need for alcohol.

*Please get expert advice if you’re worried about this for yourself or someone you love.*

Hustle culture

And lastly, we’re addicted to doing. We’re obsessed with being busy, so much so we are tired, stressed and breaking apart at the seams. Yet we see it as right and cool! That you’re lazy if you don’t work full time and then have a side hustle and ten hobbies and four kids and a social life! God damn it. No, we need a break. We need a slower lifestyle. We need room to just be!

Productivity = good.

Being busy all the time = bad!

Which one of these is a problem for you personally? I need to work on my spending mostly. Please take care, pay attention to what you’re doing and why, and get help if needs be.

Sincerely,

S. xx

Teddy – a poem

Teddy bears forgotten atop wardrobes
Cough dust as they yawn awake
Peering patiently over the edge
Watching – watching the girl
They used to know.
Would they be proud of who you’ve become?
Your laughter used to animate their limbs
Long picnics in parks
Fast frolicking in grandpa’s garden
A memory – long gone.

What secrets could teddy share
Kept behind stitched lips and beady eyes?
Lost love, brutal betrayal, loose lies?
Teddy never asked for anything
In return for his undying love
He keeps your secrets, even now
A grenade he could unleash –
But never would.
Though you forget about teddy
He waits patiently for the day
That you’ll grab his hand again
Thrust him over your shoulders – weeee!

Teddies don’t know about last times
But then again – neither do we.

Obvious Advice and Truths We All Forget (podcast)

We all know these things, but we often forget them or don’t adopt them in our lives in order to make a difference. If you want to do better for and to yourself and others, here is some obvious advice and truths for you to remember and follow.

Click to play!

xx

Are We Making Things Too Easy? (podcast)

Today I’m questioning whether our Western world is making things too easy for us instead of better for us in the long-run. Is everything too convenient?

Click to play!

xx

Stolen Voices – poem

There must come a time

When the silenced speak

Voices break free from locked boxes

Kept underneath a royal bed.

The Little Mermaid lullaby lied

Teaching girls to sell their voice

For a promised Prince and

Immortal soul. Funny –

It was always the voice

That made us eternal

Yet cracked hands of crones

Claw down our throats

Snatching out our tongues

Tying them into bloody knots

Stop. Just stop.

Step back and voice an attack

On power-hungry predators

Trolls under internet bridges

The ists and isms – countless!

There is no power for them

When we stand in our plenty

We are not the minority

We are the Global Majority.

Take your seat upon their thrones

Which were always meant for you.