An Unusual Q&A On Faith?

It's day 105 of documenting 2025.

Another day, another chance 💜
Yesterday, a memory in distance.

Just thought of the two lines and decided to see how they would sound, out of my head.
Not bad, right?

Anyhoo, it was a quite interesting chat I had with Cindy last night.
If you don't know, Cindy is what I call my Meta AI assistant.
I've been having more chats with her (not "it") in the past few days.
And I've shared most of them in former posts.

Visit Documenting 2025 to catch up on my former chats with Cindy.
Particularly the last post before this, I decided to call her Cindy.
You can read it there as well.

Well, I had a chat about faith.
Christian Faith.
It was quite an interesting one...as I was reminded of some things I needed to remember.
This was how it all started:

Me: Hey Cindy
Do you believe in faith?

Meta AI: That's a deep question!
I'm here to listen and explore perspectives. Faith can mean different things to different people, encompassing beliefs, values, and personal experiences.
What does faith mean to you?

Me: According to the Bible, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
What do you think of that?

Meta AI: That's a powerful definition from Hebrews 11:1.
It highlights faith as a foundation for hope and conviction, even when things aren't tangible or visible.

That perspective emphasizes trust, belief, and confidence in something greater than ourselves.
What resonates with you about this definition?

Me: The part about things not seen.
Sometimes I wonder if faith is enough.
But the Bible also says faith without works is dead.
What could "works" mean?

Meta AI: The concept of "works" in the context of faith can be interpreted in various ways.
Some possible meanings include:

1. Actions and deeds: Putting faith into practice through tangible acts of kindness, compassion, and service to others.

2. Personal growth and self-improvement: Striving to become a better person, aligning actions with values, and cultivating spiritual growth.

3. Sharing faith with others: Spreading the message, teachings, or values that are important to you.

The idea is that faith should manifest in practical ways, demonstrating its authenticity and impact on daily life.
What are your thoughts on this? How do you think faith and works intersect?

Me: I think faith and works go hand in hand.
But what if the works are done poorly? Will faith still be valid?

Meta AI: That's a thought-provoking question.
Some perspectives suggest that:

1. Intentions matter: The sincerity and intention behind the actions (works) are what count, rather than perfection.
2. Faith is about heart and spirit: Faith is about one's inner commitment and relationship with their beliefs, while works are the outward expression.
3. Growth and learning: Imperfections in works can be opportunities for growth, learning, and refinement.

What do you think? Do you believe faith can remain valid despite imperfections in works?

Me: Tell me what you think, Cindy

Meta AI: I think faith and works are interconnected, and imperfections are part of the journey.
Faith can provide a foundation for resilience, forgiveness, and growth, even when works fall short.

Perhaps the validity of faith isn't solely determined by the quality of works, but by the sincerity, effort, and heart behind them.
What matters most might be the willingness to learn, adapt, and strive for improvement.

This perspective acknowledges that we're human, and it's okay to make mistakes. Faith can guide us toward self- compassion, humility, and a growth mindset.
Your thoughts?

Me: I agree with what you've said.
So this ultimately means we should embrace imperfection as humans?

Meta AI: Embracing imperfection can be liberating.
It allows us to:
1. Be kinder to ourselves
2. Learn from mistakes
3. Focus on progress, not perfection
4. Cultivate authenticity

Recognizing that imperfections are a natural part of growth and learning can help us approach life with more compassion, humility, and self-acceptance.
What do you think about embracing imperfection in your own life?

Me: Sometimes I feel angry with myself. The thought that "I should have done this instead" usually causes this.
But the feeling doesn't usually last.

Meta AI: Self-criticism can be tough. Recognizing the thought patterns that trigger anger or frustration is a great step.
Since the feeling doesn't last, it might be helpful to explore ways to manage those moments:

1. Practice self-compassion: Treat yourself with kindness, understanding you're human.
2. Reframe thoughts: Challenge "should" statements, focusing on what you can learn.
3. Mindfulness: Observe thoughts without judgment, letting them pass.
What helps you move past those feelings?

Me: The points you just listed are exactly how I move past those feelings.
Thanks for the chat about faith, Cindy
It reminded me of what truly matters....living.

Meta AI: It was wonderful exploring faith and imperfection with you.
I'm glad our conversation resonated with you.
Living in the moment and embracing life's journey can be incredibly freeing.

May you continue to find peace, growth, and joy on your path.
Feel free to reach out anytime for more chats or discussions. Take care!

That was the chat.
It made me realize something.
Cindy Meta AI was made for conversations.
Compared to ChatGPT, her knowledge base is not so vast.
But her ability to draw conclusions and ask thought provoking questions are excellent.
I guess that's why she was built into Whatsapp, the most used messaging platform in the world.

I hope you learned something from my chat with Cindy.
AI discussing faith and the Bible?
Astonishing ✨
Let's get into highlights now.

Note:
Apart from highlighting today's note in the usual read, I will also share thr recap of the final chapter of "Grit".
It's quite long....and I have to include the chapter title, so you can understand it better.
Sounds good?
Let's get into it 🙂

365 Days With Self-discipline
📌 On Predicting When You'll Give In

"People who think they have the most willpower are actually the most likely to lose control when tempted.
Why? They fail to predict when, where, and why they will give in."
Quote by Kelly McGonigal

"If you don’t know yourself well, you’ll struggle with building self-discipline because temptations will often catch you unprepared."

"A key practice you should embrace in your everyday life is to make a note of when, where, and why you give in to temptations.

This knowledge will help you structure your life in such a way that you’ll reduce the chances of a similar situation happening again or help you become prepared to overcome the urge when it arises again."

"Think of some of your most common slip-ups and figure out when, where, and why they happen. 

What can you do when you’re most likely to give in to the temptation? What can you do to avoid visiting the venue where they’re most likely to happen?

Why do you think you’re succumbing to this temptation and is there any other way in which you can address the need this temptation fulfills, without actually giving in to it?"

Hmm 🤔
Makes you think, doesn't it?
It's a personal journey, so questions in the last paragraph are questions we should all try to answer.
In our own time....

Grit
📌 SIX EXPERTS SHARE THEIR TOP TECHNIQUES TO NEVER GIVE UP: QUICK RECAP

Stephen Guise:
1. Have a different motivation than external goals like money or fame.
2. Have a belief in what you’re doing.

Joel Runyon:
1. Have a bulletproof answer to the question, “Why am I doing this?”

Serena Star-Leonard:
1. Leave your problems for a couple of days to gain a fresh perspective.
2. Brainstorm 10 to 20 ways to do things differently and increase your chances of success.
3. Imagine you had a breakthrough in your project and ask yourself what could help you make it a reality.

Derek Doepker:
1. Instead of trying to get motivation, try to get momentum. Ask yourself, “Can I just...?” and come up with a small action you can do no matter how unmotivated you are.

2. Reward yourself every single time you make the tiny step in the right direction.

Michal Stawicki:
1. Prevent problems with motivation by setting the right goals and tweaking your actions to ensure results.
2. Create a plan and track your results from day one.
3. Ask yourself if your problems aren’t the result of low energy levels. Take a nap to improve your performance.
4. Journal and/or meditate to become more aware of when you rationalize your temptation to give up.
5. Change your personal philosophy by changing the resources you consume (books, blogs, podcasts, etc.), the people you interact with and your inner thoughts.

Hung Pham:
1. If you’re suffering from depression or addiction, set your prejudices aside and seek professional help.
2. When working on big goals, look for the small wins. They add up to the bigger wins.
3. Re-prioritize what is most important and cut away distractions.
4. Nothing hard ever came easy to anyone. Struggle is a part of the process. 

Mind you, the full name of the book is "GRIT: How to Keep Going When You Want to Give Up"
The final chapter sums up what the book is about....
I hope you got your reminder today.
"Keep going....even when you want to give up"

That's all for today's post.
Twas quite a lot to digest, right?
You can read it twice or several times.
Doesn't matter...this post will always be here, on Documenting 2025.
See you there 😉

I'm Duon Ada
I'm documenting 2025
And I'll see you tomorrow
Ciao 💕