I thrive on belief. I love belief (even as a separate though overlapping concept to faith). So I wanted to define what belief is to me and note that I am grateful to keep finding instances and motivation through our discussion to search more deeply within for definitions.

So as I hung my laundry (a great time to think as my hands are busy and my mind is free), I spoke out loud to myself and said, What is belief? I liked the feeling of various trees' eyes upon me as if an encouraging audience.

My mind offered up: Belief is like a sphincter muscle. A flow regulator. The idea is to open it up as wide as possible for as much information to flow through without overwhelming the mind.

An example of free flow (without sphincter) is a river. The river, unabated, flows to the sea. It captures all the little streams in its area which become a part of it and make it larger. It gives to the sea everything it collects.

Unlike a river, we can choose what we allow to flow through us and become a part of us. I feel that the more I can handle and believe, the more I can deliver to the greater consciousness (sea) from which I sprang. Though regardless, everything will return to the sea eventually. I think it just depends on how driven through will one is to open up in a particular lifetime.

I once conceived a poem:

Keep your mind open wide
For all good things to come inside
Shame belongs not to believers
It belongs to the deceivers