What would it be like if there was no atmosphere?

The sun’s rays would hit us in full force. We’d be fried; no amount of sunblock would help. The sky would be space black, not the gorgeous blue we see today, and life on earth would be cold and dark.
But our atmosphere filters out some of the light, so we have a blue sky. It shelters us from radiation and traps heat so we can enjoy life.

We have an atmosphere that protects us from radiation, filters light so we have a beautiful blue sky, and traps heat so we can enjoy life. The atmosphere affects what comes to earth, what goes out from the earth, and how we see things.

At Atmosphere for Ourself
We have a personal atmosphere, too. It is a layer that surrounds our core self, and, in the same way, it affects what comes at us, what goes out from us, and how we see things.

This layer modulates how we present ourselves to the world and how we decide to interpret the world. In the Integrated Life Framework, I call this layer the Practices. We can influence the impact of this atmosphere-like layer by actively engaging in mindfulness, creativity, and faith.

Mindfulness is the practice of living in the present and being in the moment, not the past or future.

Creativity is the practice of thinking differently. Without creativity, there is nothing new. Nothing changes. Everything stays the same.

Faith is the practice of believing things can change even though you aren’t sure how. It is entirely forward-looking.

You Control Your Atmosphere
“Our perception of the world around us, and our ability to affect that world, is based on our beliefs about it.” ~Joe Dispenza

Practicing these three things impacts how you interpret the world and how you present yourself to the world.

Try and visualize this layer filled with liquid. A stimulus from the world comes in, passes through the liquid, and gets processed by us. We formulate a response and send it through the layer of liquid and out to the world.

Without practices like mindfulness or faith, the liquid is like water. Something comes at you, passes quickly through that layer, and you react to it. Not always bad, but not always good, either.

If you engage in the practices of mindfulness, faith, and creativity, then the layer becomes gelatinous, like a goo. As stimuli and reactions pass through the layer, they slow down and get processed by the goo.

Let’s say someone makes a comment you think is harsh. Your raw self wants to take it personally and lash out. Instead, you look at the situation and think, “oh, they’re in a rush right now” (mindfulness). Or, you say to yourself, “I know they will come back later and apologize” (faith). Or, maybe you contemplate other possibilities and think, “I wonder what could be going on with them? Maybe their kid is sick, or they’re stressed about work” (creativity).

All those things glob on to that comment before you process it and shape how you respond.

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” ~Albert Einstein

The Practice of Faith
Concerning the practice of faith, I’m not referring to a religious or spiritual practice here, though that can certainly be incorporated.

This faith is a belief that things can be and will be different. It is not a goal, hope, or desire. It is a sense that the world is just and right, even when you don’t understand everything.

It requires faith to take action when there are no guaranteed results or promised rewards.

It takes faith to live consistent with your values because you believe something good comes of it.

It takes faith to state something as you want it to be, not how it is.

Practicing faith can feel scary. If you’ve ever quit your job, left a relationship, moved to a new city, or taken on a new endeavor, you know what that feels like.

Practicing faith can feel awkward. If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and said, “I am beautiful just as I am!” or “I am confident and strong!” you know what I mean.

Practicing faith can feel irresponsible. If you’ve ever turned down a promotion or a job that paid more money but didn’t fit your values and vision, you know the second-guessing that happens.

It is easier to accept things as they are. It feels more secure, comfortable, and responsible.

But life can be more exciting, rewarding, and fulfilling with faith.

“The mind is everything; what you think, you become.” ~Buddha

Ready to Change?
Eventually, you will be in a position where you want something different in life. But no one will have the exact formula to give you, the path won’t be clear, and there will be no guaranteed payoff if you succeed.

It requires faith to take action. Your faith will grow when you take that action, even a small one. You will imagine more significant, expansive realities as you practice faith. Practicing faith shapes how we see the world and how we react to the world.

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” ~Anais Nin

Although we’re all inspired by the story of someone taking a giant leap of faith and seeing the payoffs, that’s likely the result of many little steps of faith. It takes continual practice.
Practice faith today. Start by thinking of a situation you’re dealing with now. It can be anything, small or big; it doesn’t matter.

Ask yourself, “How can I practice faith in this situation?”

Think about what it would be like if the situation turned out better than you or anyone else could imagine. Think about experiencing complete success today.

Now, identify one action you would take if you believed that imagined success was guaranteed. Then take it. That’s practicing faith.

Faith isn’t practiced only in the victories. You can also practice faith in the setbacks. When something goes wrong, or you make a mistake, ask yourself, “What if this happened for my benefit?”

Then, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this to help me grow?” These questions will help you see beyond the moment, take a broader perspective, and practice faith.

A Little Faith Goes a Long Way
Building an integrated life is done by making small changes consistently over time. Developing a practice of faith is no different. Start small and look for opportunities to practice throughout the day. Sometimes a small act done with faith will lead to big results.

I have numerous examples in my life where this is true. One is from when I was newly married, living in St. Paul, Minnesota, going to school, and barely making it.

I was working at a hotel, which was a fine job, and came with some career opportunities in the industry. But I got the idea that I wanted to do something with computers and graphics.

I decided to go through the yellow pages (there was no Internet back then) and find all the businesses that looked like they did something with computers and graphics. I sent them letters with my resume and expressed my interest in getting into the industry.

Although I didn’t know it then, that was practicing faith. There was no position I was applying to, I had no experience, and I wasn’t even sure what I was asking for. This was the only thing I could think of, so I did it. I took action based on believing it might yield something good, but there was no guarantee.

You probably have times when you’ve stepped out on faith and taken action. How did that turn out for you? What did you learn?

For me, it changed my life. The owner of a small graphic design firm took a chance and hired me. The people there taught me about building presentations, running graphic design programs, and production processes. I went on to take programming courses, get involved in web design, and build a career in software development.

A small act of faith changed the entire trajectory of my career. It can have a big impact on your life, too.

Practice faith. Live life integrated.