We can make beautiful music if we sing the right note. God implants this note in each of us. We can wish to sing someone else’s note, but that’s not authentic. Rumi tells us, “Be your note.”

Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. We make choices each day that bring about heaven or hell. None of us are perfect, yet we’re all the more willing to call out others for their imperfections. Rather chastise others for their mistakes and “cancel” or boycott them, we should first acknowledge where we’ve missed the mark.

Many people are agnostic about God because they don’t have evidence of an existence. That’s where faith comes in. Faith calls us to look at all things differently, with a glimmer of optimism. Although the present moment might be unbearable, our faith gives us the strength to endure.

How violent or angry are the media you attend? Do your favorite songs describe angry stories? Do your favorite shows or movies advocate violence as a means of justice? Studies show that even seeing an angry face can trigger those same emotions in your brain. If we aren’t more mindful of the media we consume, it might mix with other stressors in our lives, contributing to the collective anger in society. We can choose our media, and choose wisely. For those angry people we can’t avoid, we cultivate compassion in our minds to counterbalance the negativity.

Does God conjure an image of love or judgment? How you see God, particularly if God has a heavy influence in your life, can affect different areas of your brain. If you adhere to a fear-based God, it has the ability to trigger more of a stress response. If you believe in a loving, compassionate God, it elicits more openness towards other faiths and traditions.

If you look closely at the four gospels in the Bible, you’ll notice that some stories are omitted, and some are told differently. Even the number of angels that appear to Mary Magdalene are different. So which one is “true?” All of them. Each gospel was written for different audiences, so some details were included or omitted. Rather than argue details, we instead look at the overarching message of each one. They speak the same truth—we should love one another, let go of our attachments to worldly things, care for those who can’t care for themselves, and practice forgiveness.

We are responsible for our actions. We must therefore engage in healthy self-inquiry so that our actions don’t bring more suffering to ourselves or to others. A positive mindset only puts a covering over your suffering. It doesn’t heal it. We can heal the world by first healing ourselves.

In a society that likes to emphasize identity, we don’t see how these identities create separation. Even if we do, we are content if we belong to an identity, and we are angry or sad if we don’t. These identities change over time, and they cloud our perception of reality. They also cloak who we really are inside. If we drop our identities, we just might find that we belong to one another.

Many of us fear change because we're comfortable in this moment. On the other hand, we embrace change when we're uncomfortable. Each moment passes, and it's important for us to release it. We can't see into our future, but instead we can use this moment to move in the direction we choose. All the small movements and changes in our lives move us forward in life. Take a small step today.

It’s easy to feel frustrated when our prayers and petitions aren’t answered. We might be tempted to abandon our faith. Instead, we can ask ourselves if we’re being authentic in our prayer. Do we put on our spiritual “Sunday best” during our prayer time, only to act and speak differently when we go about our lives? The door to God might seem locked, but the lock is on our side.