Yes, when the nun next to you at church gives you the stank eye, give her a smile and then make the sign of the cross at least three times just to make her think you are praying instead of actually thinking of lunch. But that isn’t the only time faith is relevant to our lives. And before you go on to the next article because you think this is about religion, let me reassure you it is not.

There is more to faith than just going to church and praying to God or any other god. Faith is more than church, it is more than its stereotype, and it is more than its simple definition of Faith as the “complete trust or confidence in someone or something,” according to Google.

The idea of faith is one of the most powerful yet hidden reasons for living for every human on this Earth, from the beginning to the present to the future. Faith is the foundation for everything and any aspect of our lives, yet we tend to not even think of faith as a commonality amongst each other unless we are talking about religion. This commonality we all shared with ourselves, our ancestors, and our future generations is a secret gem that is placed inside our souls, shining and reflecting on all of our morals, our actions, our thoughts, our words and our ways of life.

Faith in justice shined when Gandhi and his followers marched the many hard miles of the Salt March. Faith in a new world led Christopher Columbus to sail the deadly and unknown seas to discover North America. Faith in humanity compelled Martin Luther King Jr. to stand with pride in front of a crowd at the Lincoln Memorial and say, “I have a dream.” Faith in talent drove Eminem to rise from his terrible beginnings and rise to the top of the music industry. Faith in laughter and love gave Ellen DeGeneres the opportunity to remind everyone everyday at the end of her show to “be kind to one another.”

Faith in his coworkers comforts a firefighter as he runs into the smoke engulfed flames. Faith in education to success pushes the student to study a few more hours for the Biology midterm. Faith in commitment supports a troubling marriage. Faith in the power of prayer lets a family to pray for their cancer-struck loved one. Faith in equality encourages our generation every day to stand against tradition and protect those whose voices have been hushed for way too long. Faith in a life worth living wakes you up in the morning and lays your head to rest every night.

Faith shines, it compels, it drives us, it gives us more than we know, it comforts, it supports, it encourages. Faith is that gem that enhances trust and confidence in our lives. Faith brings love and happiness to the dark and sad. Faith is about finding the good in anything bad, even when there may not be any other concrete reason to look for the good in the bad. Faith is the motivation to continue on in our lives. It is not just for the religious, it is for all of us. With this gem inside our souls, we can achieve anything, conquer anything, and become anything. With faith, we are capable. With faith we are worthy. With faith we are invincible.

So continue on. Smile at strangers. Shake a neighbors hand. Go for the extra mile. Study harder. Pray often. Speak your mind. Take a hike. Take the highway. Hug your mother. Adopt the dog. Leave what makes you unhappy behind. Find what makes you, you. Whatever action, whatever word, whatever moral or value, whatever decision or life moment, experience it to the fullest. And continue to do so all the days of your life.

Because with faith, we are invincible.

With faith in life, you are worthy of the life you have faith in. And if you have no faith, or think you think there is no faith, look deeper, search harder, climb over the mountain, look at the sun, stand in a crowd, cross the street, move. And one day you’ll find that special gem out there in the world that is meant for you to put your complete faith in. Once you find that gem out in the world, you’ll discover the gem inside of you; the gem of your faithful soul.