Tapping Into Strength

So you've decided to improve your health. You've made goals and have made those goals a priority. Here comes the next part: finding the strength that it takes to make those little daily changes, to keep at it, to push through the difficulties and to crush that self-doubt. Well, here are some quotes that might help with that. Most of the health and wellness books out there will tell you that the strength that you need to accomplish this is within you. But when I started doing research for this posting I noticed something very interesting from the Writings of the world's major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Baha'i Faith. They all stated in very clear language that the source of all power and strength was God.  

So if we find strength within ourselves, it is a sign that we are exercising the virtues that He has inherently endowed us with. That means that you already have perseverance, strength, courage, fortitude, patience, and all the other qualities needed to accomplish your goals and much much more, you just have to start exercising them. But you don't have to do it alone. Ask for help from God, your friends, family and, of course, your buddies at the Health Devotional! :D  

 

"O friends! Be not careless of the virtues with which ye have been endowed, neither be neglectful of your high destiny."

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, p. 195

"All that which ye potentially possess can, however, be manifested only as a result of your own volition. Your own acts testify to this truth."

- Baha'u'llah Gleanings, p. 149

“Humanity has emerged from its former state of limitation and preliminary training. Man must now become imbued with new virtues and powers, new moral standards, new capacities. New bounties, perfect bestowals, are awaiting and already descending upon him. The gifts and blessings of the period of youth, although timely and sufficient during the adolescence of mankind, are now incapable of meeting the requirements of its maturity.”

- `Abdu'l-Bahá, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh

"A man that stands alone, having decided to obey the truth, may be weak and slip back into his old ways. Therefore, stand ye together, assist one another, and strengthen one another's efforts"

- The Sangha (Buddhist Teachings)

“Physical pain is a necessary accompaniment of all human existence, and as such is unavoidable. As long as there will be life on earth, there will be also suffering.... But suffering, although an inescapable reality, can nevertheless be utilized as a means for the attainment of happiness. This is the interpretation given to it by all the prophets and saints who, in the midst of severe tests and trials, felt happy and joyous and experienced what is best and holiest in life.... In every suffering, one can find a meaning and wisdom. But it is not always easy to find the secret of that wisdom. It is sometimes only when all our suffering has passed that we become aware of its usefulness....”

 - Shoghi Effendi: from letters to individual believers (1947, 1953)

 "Happy is the man whose strength is in Thee"
- The Bible, Psalms Chapter 84

“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

-       The Bible, Mark 9:23

 

"O ye who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy; vie in such perseverance; strengthen each other; and fear Allah; that ye may prosper."

- Qur'an (Surat 'Āli `Imrān 3:200)

“Be calm, be strong, be grateful, and become a lamp full of light, that the darkness of sorrows be annihilated, and the sun of everlasting joy arise from the dawning place of heart and soul, shining brightly.”

-       ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha  11 pp. 405

 

“Let no one imagine that these words imply that man should not be thorough and careful in his undertakings. God has endowed man with intelligence so that he may safeguard and protect himself. Therefore, he must provide and surround himself with all that scientific skill can produce. He must deliberate, thoughtful and thorough in his purposes, build the best ship and provide the most experienced captain; yet, withal, let him rely upon God and consider God as the one Keeper.”

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace  pp. 48