After J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan: The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up debuted at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London in December 1904, English children soon began demonstrating the courage of their convictions. In the story, Peter told the Darling children that if only they believed with enough conviction, they could fly. And like the Darling children in the play, the children in the audience believed. They believed with such conviction parents soon began complaining to Barrie that their little ones were beginning to suffer injuries as they tried to take off but fell back to earth. The playwright resolved the problem by introducing another necessary ingredient to his formula for flying: fairy dust.

By the time we get a little older, most of us lose the kind of heartfelt conviction that made London’s children believe they could fly simply because Peter Pan said it was possible. That’s a shame because even adults need a reason to believe in a cause, a principle, a purpose greater than ourselves.

Here are some thoughts on faith and conviction:

“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”

—Claude M. Bristol, author, The Magic of Believing

“With the power of conviction, there is no sacrifice.”

—Pat Benatar, singer

“Democracy is based upon the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people.”

—Harry Emerson Fosdick, minister

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

—The Bible, Hebrews 11:1 NASV

“I love opposition that has convictions.”

—Frederick the Great, King of Prussia

“Never for the sake of peace and quiet deny your convictions.”

—Dag Hammarskjold, Secretary-General of the United Nations

“Mix a conviction with a man and something happens.”

—Adam Clayton Powell, politician

“A ‘No’ uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble.”

—Mahatma Gandhi, Indian spiritual leader