Today's Marketing Cookie - Losing Faith

Today's fortune came from Colin Hageney of Houston, TX. Colin is the CEO and President of Bullpen Marketing. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for seven organizations including, The BBB Education Foundation, Scenic Houston, The Advertising Specialty Institute,  The Marketing and Development Council for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Catholic Charities and AMA Houston. He is an all-star marketer, a wonderful person and terrific father and husband. You should follow him on Twitter: @bullpen

Today's Marketing Cookie is a tragic reminder that sometimes people lose their faith in God, they lose faith in others, and they lose their faith in themselves. The dictionary tells us that, "faith is a complete trust or confidence in someone or something." Did you hear that? I'll say it again, "A complete trust or confidence." Do you have a complete trust in God, yourself, or other people? If you can not say you have complete trust or confidence in God, other people or yourself, you are probably lacking faith.

Losing faith in other people happens because we are all so far from perfect. While people have broken their promises to you in the past and will let you down again in the future, faith is still available for you to keep today. It is amazing how trust is traded among people like currency. For example, having faith in other people at work, is trusting them to fulfill their responsibilities, and also being trustworthy to fulfill yours. As you keep your promises, and they keep theirs, complete trust and confidence builds into a healthy faith in people.

Losing faith in God, also happens. I've learned that faith in God is something you simply know in your heart, which is beyond the reach of proof. If you once believed in God, it is very likely that you did so without proof. Belief in God is based on an intangible and unexplainable feeling. If you feel that God has let you down in the past, you know that faith is still available for you today.

Losing faith in yourself leads to losing hope. Sure, you have definitely let yourself down in the past, and probably more than once for the same offense, but your faith in yourself must remain. Failure is how we learn, making mistakes makes us human, and overcoming challenges makes us stronger. When you lose complete trust and confidence in yourself, you will be defeated and eventually deny yourself the opportunity to learn and grow.

On Saturday, I attended a memorial service for a friend who took his own life. He ultimately lost faith in himself, which gave way to hopelessness. He may have felt that his life was without value or meaning, but this was not he case for the many people who loved him. If only he could have seen all the people who came to his memorial, then perhaps he would have known that we were all there for him.

Today's fortune says, "Faith answered. No one was there." My friends, I urge you to remember that no matter what happens, faith is always available for you. Don't lose faith in other people, they are imperfect just like you. Don't lose faith in God, especially if you once knew of God in your heart. Please don't lose faith in yourself, you are loved more than you will ever know. Faith always answers... will you be there?