Question:

I envy you. You have faith. I can see how people with faith have clarity and strength that others don't have, especially in hard times. I don't have that strength, and I want some of it. Is there a quick fix for faith?

Answer:

There is a quick fix for faith. You should eat a piece of chocolate every day. Seriously.

This is an ancient Jewish remedy1 for strengthening faith. It is a pity so few people know about it, because if they did, their lives would be so much better. And it really isn't so hard. Just eat a piece of chocolate.

But before you eat the chocolate, you should say the blessing over chocolate.2 It goes like this:

"Blessed are you L‑rd our G‑d, King of the Universe, for everything exists by Your word."

If you say these words and actually think about them for a few seconds, you will shift your entire perspective on life. Everything exists by His word. What G‑d says goes. Nothing happens by accident. We didn't make ourselves, and we are not alone. We are in good hands.

Contemplate those words for a minute a day, and you will have the strength to face whatever life throws at you. Because it's not life throwing it at you, it's G‑d.

So go eat some chocolate.

Note: Technically, you don't need to eat chocolate. The same blessing is said on a glass of water, a mushroom, a piece of herring and many other foods. But you have to consume something after saying the blessing. Faith needs to be ingested.