College is a very difficult stage in life to navigate for many; classes, extracurriculars, friends, family, and who could forget future career goals are all constantly weighing on students’ minds. One second I feel like I’m too focused on the present, and not enough on my future career goals, the next I feel like I’m not present enough with my current classes and extracurricular positions. At times, this cycle has led me to lose sight of who I am and ultimately lose faith in my own capabilities; and unfortunately, I know I’m not the only one who has felt that way.
Many successful people proclaim that “hard work pays off,” but that mentality is so hard to keep consistent when the light at the end of the tunnel seems so dim. What many of them don’t talk about is how to approach that relentless drive spiritually, and how that greatly affects how success is obtained. An excerpt from Shoe Dog by Nike’s co-founder Phil Knight states,
“Have faith in yourself, but also have faith in faith. Not faith as others define it. Faith as you define it. Faith as faith defines itself in your heart.”
The word faith tends to resonate with religion a lot, but that’s not the faith that Knight is alluding towards. The faith that resonates with you, the idea that the universe will eventually align and work in your favor, is what Knight is proclaiming. Everyone has different goals and beliefs, but one commonality that everyone shares is wanting the best for themselves. What good is it to work hard every day if we don’t have faith that everything will eventually work out in a positive manner? All the work being put in will be very difficult to manifest if we don’t have “faith in faith.”
No one can predict the future, nor can anyone change the past. The only change that can occur is the present. We must have faith that the hours of hard work and dedication will soon manifest themselves in our favor. Let go of trying to control everything that isn’t in our favor, it will all fall in place with hard work, time, and faith.