Each week, spiritual teacher Deepak Chopra responds to Oprah.com users' questions with enlightening advice to help them live their best lives.
Q: Lately I've been thinking a lot about life and death. My family doesn't believe in God, and most of my friends don't either. That doesn't really help me to find out what I believe. I do believe that there's something out there, but somehow I keep convincing myself I'm wrong. That's because I keep repeating the following findings in my head:
  • The Big Bang Theory suggests that, at one time, life didn't exist. That means that life will also end.

  • Scientists say that, at one point, the Sun will "die" and therefore life on earth will end.

  • The connection between mind and body.

  • I also keep thinking that when people die, they won't have any awareness of life anymore.
These thoughts are very depressing for me because I like to believe differently. I just don't know how to fully convince myself so I will be able to enjoy my life again.

— Linda A., Utrecht, Netherlands, age 22

Dear Linda,
Why should you try to convince yourself? There's no one inside you that has reliable answers. All that is happening is one aspect of your doubt and confusion is asking another aspect of your doubt and confusion for help. If I may say so, your interest in these spiritual matters seems to be a minor distraction from more important things. The big, important thing facing anyone at 22 years old is adulthood. You are leaving one stage of life, late adolescence, and entering another, early adulthood. When you ask "Who is God?" you are actually taking a brief excursion away from "Who am I?"

This is very natural. When you are processing everything in your life in order to find out who you really are, why not process the whole issue of God? It would be very strange if God is all you thought about; it would be equally strange if God is something you never thought about. I'd say you are pretty balanced. There's an oil spill, terrorism, a major recession and other worldly concerns on one side, with God, your job, your relationships and your parents on the other side. In two years' time, none of these issues will be completely resolved, but you will know much more firmly where you stand.

Love,
Deepak

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Deepak Chopra is the author of more than 50 books on health, success, relationships and spirituality, including his current best-seller, Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul, and The Ultimate Happiness Prescription, which are available now. You can listen to his show on Saturdays every week on SiriusXM Channels 102 and 155.

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Published 07/07/2010

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