To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.

The quote by Alan Watts — “To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float” — uses the metaphor of swimming to explain the nature of faith. Watts suggests that faith involves trusting and letting go rather than trying to control or cling too tightly to uncertain circumstances. Just as gripping the water leads to sinking, holding on too rigidly to fears or doubts can cause one to struggle or fail.

This quote emphasizes the importance of relaxation and surrender in faith. Instead of resisting challenges or trying to force outcomes, faith invites us to flow with life’s currents, trusting that we will be supported and carried through difficulties. It portrays faith as an active, yet gentle, confidence in the process rather than a desperate attempt at control.

The origin of this quote comes from Alan Watts, a British philosopher known for popularizing Eastern philosophy and spirituality in the West. His teachings often focus on the balance between effort and surrender, encouraging people to embrace the natural flow of life with mindfulness and trust.

In essence, this quote teaches that faith means trusting the journey and letting go of the need to control every detail. It invites us to relax into life’s experiences, knowing that by doing so, we can stay afloat and move forward with grace.