BELIEVE

This past week, 17 year old Melanie Oudin set the tennis world on fire with her unexpected victories at the U.S. Open. Melanie sported the word BELIEVE on her tennis shoes, and the intensity of her game, along with the determined look on her face, made it evident that it was more than just a word, that she truly believed in herself in that moment. Her story ignited the crowd and television viewers, some who also adopted the word "Believe" on shirts and other attire.

Sports provide an arena for inspiration. It is one area of society where we still believe, knowing that expecting miracles can make all the difference in the outcome. Coaches seek to make the underdogs attach to belief because they understand that the energy of belief can make miracles, can help David slay Goliath. Fans know that their combined faith and enthusiasm can lift their team to greater heights, while players will readily acknowledge that the faith their fans put in them helps propel them. I think we love sports because it is a place where we can believe again, where we can remember our ability to change the outcome through mental determination - through faith. Through sports, we can practice that ability to cause great things to occur through the energy of belief.

For some reason, we find it easier to apply this belief in the sports arena, but harder in our day-to-day lives. If we adopted true faith, leaving behind fear that holds us back, we could experience more miraculous things in our lives. I find it interesting that serious athletes do not simply do things the way they have always been done, but seek new ways to get better, stronger, faster, through new technology, new equipment, new techniques. Contrast this to the typical spiritual experience in our society, which generally includes the rituals and practices of old, with little exploration of new things. Imagine if a modern day athlete refused to use any new weight training equipment, sticking only with the medicine ball and dumb bell to train. While they could certainly achieve some level of fitness with these old tools, their efforts could be much greater if they were simply open to trying new methods. If we approached our spiritual growth in the same fashion as an athlete, willing to study and explore new things to see what might give us new and better results, our spiritual lives could attain new heights. By adding the energy of belief - true faith - we would see miracles all around us. But too often, we stick with only the old approach, refusing to expand our growth through new ideas or new methods.

Return to the energy of belief in your life, and be willing to explore new ways to strengthen your spiritual practices. You just might see miracles and inspire others like Melanie Oudin did.