Living in Faith or Fear: The Lesson of the Trip to the Philippines

The Crossroads: A Desperate Choice in the Dark

The story begins with the instructor and a friend stranded on a remote island in the Philippines, facing the stress of missing the last ferry of the day.

They needed to get to another island so they could catch a flight the next morning, but changing it was too expensive for their student budget.

With the only alternative, they made the risky decision of hiring local fishermen to take them on a small boat at four in the morning.

The journey began in a completely desolate and dark sea, with only a small lamp as a guide, becoming the perfect setting for an unforgettable lesson.

In this context of uncertainty and potential danger, the two opposing mindsets with which one can deal with stress manifested themselves very clearly.

The Experience of Fear: Imagining the Worst Catastrophe

Throughout the journey, the The instructor experienced the situation through the lens of fear, constantly imagining the worst possible scenario that could happen to them. In his mind, he saw himself being kidnapped, murdered, or sold for parts by his unknown guides, which raised his stress to a supreme level. His level of panic increased even further when they were driven through a very poor and unfamiliar neighborhood, feeling completely vulnerable and out of control. This state of terror, fueled by his own imagination, transformed an already tense situation into a completely overwhelming experience of anguish and suffering. In the end, all the suffering he experienced was a creation of his own mind, as the end result of the journey was their safe arrival at the airport. The Faith Perspective: Trusting in the Best Outcome In direct contrast to his panic, his friend, although also worried, remained remarkably calm and quiet throughout most of the dangerous journey.

The instructor later realized that his friend had chosen to live the same experience with faith in the best possible outcome that could occur.

Faith, in this context, does not refer to a religious belief, but rather an action word that involves trusting that a good outcome is possible.

This mindset did not eliminate the real risk of the situation, but it did