With Faith on the Eighth.

Geneva, September 8, 2025

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The Ability to think for yourself

Realisation sometimes dawns on me slowly.  Take this matter, for instance. It has taken me years of drip-drip awareness to recognise that if ever I had a superpower, this is it: the ability to think for myself.  This realisation has come with age and experience no doubt and has opened doors to what you, like me, are seeking, the joy of living.  Here’s what I wrote in my journal when it truly installed itself in my consciousness:

"Today, I woke up with a sunny and grateful heart.  A happy and free heart. Joyous even. It is a new season. I believe I can fly.  I do have a dream but I am not telling.  I will keep it locked in my heart. It will manifest gently. Then I will point to it.  Amen!" I ended the entry with a heart.

I knew what I was writing about then was this superpower which I equate to a freedom from fear. When you can think for yourself, you feel less fear and have more freedom to be who you are and to do what you know fulfils you. Your choices are more authentic in every aspect of your life. This is my experience.

To thrive and flourish, I mean in the way you define that not by some standard that others have set for you, one must be able to think for oneself. This results in an enabling freedom that replaces the crippling call to shrink for fear of judgement by others or worse still, the fear of making others uncomfortable.

I encounter it in hangouts with my favourite group of people- the young adults that life has blessed me with; in random conversations with people I know or strangers I meet, whether sitting next to someone on a train in Edinburgh or at lunch next to a Priest. It pops up with young and old(er), accomplished or those still searching and striving.  It stops us in our tracks holding us in a gentle but unrelenting grip. As fear, it’s harsh but when it shows up as doubt, it’s even more insidious…we start having these negative self-talk conversations with ourselves:  “Who do you think you are? What, me?  How can I possibly think I can do that, be that…?" Yet, when you step away from the prescribed way and really think for yourself, the magic happens.

August 12, 2025, 17h40. Out on a long sunset walk. I loved the play of the light and wind and the ghostly trunk with its multiple ‘arms’ reaching out.

Here’s a short and sweet story. 

Developing my current work was a steady and intentional process that involved digging deep into my authentic self to make choices that resonated with my values. It was a year long process of exploration laden with many questions: “What do I really need? What will make me happy? Who am I pleasing? Will this please me?” I reflected on how I spend each day; who I am being; what I am doing; what is important to me; what I am learning; who I am spending time with; how I serve and the value I bring - to others and to myself. Answering these questions was essential to shifting the huge mountain that stood between me and the tomorrow that awaited, to safely birth this new dream and to have the courage to be even more courageous.  

I was clear on the content, scope and essence of my work which this Emily Dickinson poem, founded on compassion and kindness, captures so well:

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
or cool one pain,
or help one fainting robin unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

I was also clear that my brand had to reflect me and all I do. So it was that I bounced  Insightful by Faith off a few people. It is clearly a double entendre because I am a woman of faith (you didn’t know?) Now you do. Smile.
And so it was that a key feedback I got was “Oh, but Faith, you can’t do that.  It’s too churchy and religious, you will put people off, yadi-yadi-yada.”  Yep! 
Well, as I can think for myself…. here we are!

No, but seriously, in this mighty world of how many billion people, if someone wants to exclude me or chooses not to work with me because of my christian faith, what can I say but “you do you”. My faith is a happy consequence of the fully inclusive, beautifully diverse, rich and interesting life that I have lived.  And Faith, a.k.a Me, marches on with love and respect for difference. So here we are indeed.

August 6, 2025. On my morning walk. Nature’s irresistible work of art.

The ability to think for myself has:

• Given me the freedom to be entrepreneurial and supportive in equal measure

• Brought me self-trust which anchors me

• Led me to aspire to wisdom, with grace

• Attuned my intuition & instinct

• Helped me let go of received knowledge that relies on others processes and methods

• Enlarged my creativity in ways I could never have imagined

• Freed me from checking the flames of whose fears I am fanning

• Satisfied my longing for a fuller, richer and more fulfilled life

• Enriched me with a loving community, and

• Brought me precious and priceless peace.

The idea to share this realisation has been lurking for a while. I know for certain that it can shorten or smoothen someone else’s journey to fulfilment and ignite a spark of freedom from fear. That knowledge makes me happy already.

And now, to you.  Does this open up any awareness for you? If so, explore it and see what happens. I wish you much happiness, freedom and fulfilment.

With love,

Faith