Embracing the new means having faith

“Are you listening, as most people do, in order to confirm what you already think? Or are you listening in order to discover something new?” - Anthony De Mello (Wikipedia)

The Jesuit priest, psychotherapist and resident of India (who died in 1987) offers idea people a lot to consider in his book Awareness. This is a book I returned to often this past year. I have a feeling it will accompany me throughout 2013.

Because new ideas, perspectives, even insight, are difficult not only to have but to share and to acknowledge -- never mind take into action!

New ideas need faith.

Faith from those who create and faith from those who commission, produce, manage and appreciate ideas and idea people. It doesn't matter if these are business ideas, ideas for art, ideas for society or if they are related to our understanding and expression of ourselves.

De Mello (as well as Robert Grudin and others) puts it bluntly, “We don't want new things, particularly when they're disturbing, particularly when they involve change. Most particularly if it involves saying, ‘I was wrong.’” (Consider this thought in light of the fiscal cliff, in light of gun control, in light of any social, political, interpersonal topic you hold dear.)

New might be easy to sell. But change is hard to accept.

This is where faith comes in. Not beliefs.

"Your beliefs give you a lot of security, but faith is insecurity."

To accept the new we must be open to the unknown, we must be insecure, perhaps even welcome or require it. How many of us (again, in light of topics we hold dear) would welcome that out loud? Because if you have faith, “You don't know.” De Mello continues:

"You're ready to follow and you're open. You're ready to listen. And, mind you, being open does not mean being gullible, it doesn't mean swallowing whatever the speaker is saying. Oh no. You've got to challenge everything ... but challenge it from an attitude of openness, not from an attitude of stubbornness."

I hope you will embrace your insecurity in 2013 and welcome the new, and in so doing, have faith in ideas.