It is strange how the world sort of seems to conspire together to make things happen or keep them from happening. I still don’t know if I would be considered a spiritual person or not-I’m skeptical. Are there coincidences? I believe in the power of hard work and passion. I believe in ghosts. I believe that our dreams try to speak to us…but I only believe what I want to believe. It doesn’t mean that it’s true or that my beliefs hold merit, and that’s the beauty in it.

I call myself an atheist because I deny the existence or one or multiple gods. Since I’ve reached this conclusion for myself, I’ve focused more clearly on living in the now. The disbelief has revved up my drive because I recognize that this one life-this one chance-is all I have. I could die tomorrow that that’s it. My loved ones could die tomorrow and that’s that. It’s helped me to cherish today and live for my family and myself instead of living for a God or for an afterlife. Instead of thinking in terms of heaven and hell/good and evil, it’s easier for me to see people for who they are and looking past what they do…so instead of writing them off, I give them a second chance, a third chance, a fourth… 

I feel more powerful because I am living by my own rules instead of the rules of another.

I’m not saying that believing in a religion is wrong. I have a great deal of loved ones in my life who have turned their lives around by living in faith. If that’s what you need to do to lead a happy, meaningful life, by all means, keep believing!

I’ve been quite dogmatic in my beliefs in the past-strongly suggesting that religion can be very harmful. While I still believe that organized religion is, faith is a completely seperate idea. Faith comes in worlds of different forms and I don’t see anything wrong with having it. I happen to have faith in Mother Nature, the power of education, the power of music/art and that people are inherently good. I could be wrong about all of the above but my faith has certainly enriched my life.

I don’t know. This blog probably would have read much differently if written last week during a spike in hormones…or even this morning before I had my coffee.

What do we really know, anyway?