Chongism Vol. 1: Understanding Your Self – The Power of Beliefs

Before we continue, I must preface that I am not Christian or dedicate myself to any religious faith. I stay true to myself and my values and do not accept any religious affiliation. However, I do value the lessons taught in religion.

I spent over a decade searching for a true, genuine understanding of God. I have studied various religious texts and philosophies after my own enlightenment and kept finding answers.

I will distill all that I can into these newsletters.

For the intent of this newsletter, I will define what spirituality means in Chongism:

Spirituality is a process of self-discovery from “who you are” to “who you would like to be.”

It is a look into a deeper, richer understanding of yourself, others, and the world around you.

It is the mastery of your Self: your conscious mind and your emotional body.

Never before has information and data been so widespread via the internet; I hope the insights I’ve developed will bring you peace, understanding, and the life you’ve always dreamed of.

It’s time you understand:

Why Religion is such a powerful influence on the world.

Have you ever wondered why religion seems to be such a powerful force in the world?

Of all the things that rule the world, like business, money, and politics, how did this invisible concept of God grow to compare in size, influence, and power?

Well, I’m here to tell you that no matter what religion you go down, you will find one golden thread that connects them all.

It is beliefs— the core of humanity.

Every human is a set of beliefs. Whether you are religious or not.

Beliefs about

• Your Self
• The world
• Other people
• & How life should be

It’s no wonder religion is so widespread. Religion addresses the core of our being. Our beliefs are the fabric of who we are (whether we’re consciously aware of them or not).

Religion also addresses the Self and the universe. Two of the deepest non-tangible concepts of life.

• The Great Within
  and
• The Great Without

Now, it’s understandable if you’ve never found interest in religion— diving into spirituality is not everyone’s cup of tea, and this invisible God thing isn’t too easily accepted. Even practicing religious people will admit ‘they don’t know; they just believe’.

So then, what is it about religion that gets people interested in the first place?

After meeting many religious people, I found that there are four primary reasons that people follow a religion.

1. You were born into it.

At birth, we are the most vulnerable with our beliefs. We mimic the environment around us and do as everyone else does. We adopt the traditions and faiths we grew up with, even if the traditions and faith seem non-sensical to others.

2. You had unfavorable circumstances in life.

People who have felt guilt, shame, or unfavorable circumstances throughout their life may start looking to religion. It’s easier to accept an ideology when you’re down on your luck and need a supportive community around you. At times, It’s easier to pass the responsibility to “God” than accept it for yourself.

3. You have had extraordinary results in life, and you want to “Thank God” for your blessings. 

 I’ve met people who were never religious before they worked themselves to great success. Successful people like to attribute their gratitude to a power outside themselves because they know that the seemingly random circumstances in life worked out for them.

4. Community

People will join religious communities more for the ‘people’ than for the ‘faith’. “My friends believe in this, so I will too.” Some communities may even be forced; we’ve fought wars over beliefs. Some countries still kill people that do not align with their country’s faiths. At times you will find a community of beliefs built around fear.

Ok, ok, I may have portrayed religion in a bit of a negative light. Religion also fills a crucial role in a healthy society as well. Such as:

1. Providing stability and unity to a society

It’s a community builder. Religion is an interest. Similar to any hobby or interest that you find yourself captivated in. Many people find themselves in a religious community due to its size, ability to withstand time, and unconditional support. It’s a community that will not go away in many lifetimes.

2. Establishes morals, ethics, and values

Religion sets up a system for ‘how to live life.’ In reality, this life has no rules. So, how can we stop people from evil and selfishness? Give authority to religion. In a world with no rules, it’s important that we live with good morals, ethics, and values: Don’t kill, don’t steal, etc. Religion and spirituality are the prime authority figures that promote a “morally good life.”

3. Provides a greater meaning to life

It gives the community a sense of purpose in life. As you live your life, you may have an existential experience— the classic “who cares, we’re all going to die anyway” mentality. People want meaning in their lives. While some might find themselves picking up new hobbies to engross their attention, a select few look within’ for meaning. Religion and spirituality have answers for those who look within’.

(But also, now you have me. Your tour guide through this messy spirituality stuff)

Now that’s been established, let’s get to the good part.

Let’s talk about God.

Bare with me. I’m not here to preach the word of the Lord and how you should follow his guidance. I’m here to talk about him as a concept and how it relates to your beliefs.

God: The Great Without

Let’s start here since this is the concept of ‘God’ that requires faith. This is the supernatural being in the sky, and usually where skeptics draw the line. No matter which religion or ideology you follow, there will always be a great unknown. Allow me to explain:

No matter how much you plan, you can not predict the future.

There’s a Yiddish proverb that says, “Man plans, God Laughs.”

Well… that’s what people would consider ‘God’. The circumstances and situations that occur in your life that are not planned can be attributed to ‘God’ as the Great unknown.

You could call the ‘future’, God. The people that come into your life and the seemingly random, uncontrollable events that impact your life.

This view of God is abstract. It’s uncertainty. It’s not completely comprehensible. It’s invisible. It’s acknowledging a power outside ourselves that we can never control or completely comprehend.

There will be elements of this in my future newsletters. Topics like, “Karma” and “Manifestation” have elements of the unknown included, and I feel they are important concepts to discuss in the space of spirituality.

You can also consider ‘other people’ as a ‘God without’.

That is because, inside every person, there is—

God: The Great Within’

Understanding the God within’ is far more important than understanding that thing in the sky that controls the universe. This is where you can actually do something about your life and destiny.

Remember what I keep saying?

What you believe in, 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭, is

• how you make decisions

&

• act upon them in life.

Well… here it is.

Your core set of beliefs is your inner God.

Your beliefs influence your actions.

& your actions create the future you manifest.

Change your beliefs, and your actions will gradually change in time.

The reason I keep repeating,

What you believe in, 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭, is because

Subconsciously, your core beliefs are in your heart.

**The energy center of your heart that you can feel right now (middle of your chest, slightly to the left) is where you place your beliefs.

Need proof?

Let’s look at some texts from the religions of the world.

From the Western World of Christ,