True faith is liberating

I’ve been learning a lot about ‘faith’ ever since I met Ryan Weaver about a month ago and I have discovered it can be quite liberating. I have come to appreciate and see the power of true ‘faith’ or ‘belief’, which actually frees one from all societal norms, traditions, cultures and expectations that tend to bind one instead of promoting the unleashing of one’s gifts, talents and full realisation of who we really are. 

The words ‘believe in self’ often sound cliché, but the true meaning of those words, when they are wholly true for someone and are put into full practice, frees one entirely from societal expectations and instead turns the focus inwards, where the sole driving force is fulfilling one’s desires, irrespective of the obstacles, perceived or real.

For many of us, hurdles are enough to put a stop to our dreams. We often use them as justifications for altering our true destinies and for settling for second best. Worse still, we use the words ‘fate’ or ‘God’s plan/intention’ to camouflage our fears, weaknesses and lack of courage to forge ahead to do what we really want or desire for our lives.

 Some will embrace religion and others culture or tradition to limit their dreams. Others will use their financial status to deviate from their true goals.

 For many, the biggest hurdle is: ‘What will people say or think?’ Just the thought of this is enough to freeze many of us from forging forward with our dreams or desires. The fear of other people’s thoughts or perceptions literally become a prison and lay a tight hold on our true freedom.

It is so easy to find an excuse to postpone, procrastinate or dump our dreams or goals. For instance, there is the lack of sufficient funds, or the right academic or professional training, or contacts, godfathers, and cultural and traditional norms.

As far as people are concerned, there are parents, children, friends, pastors/priests, church members, neighbours, relatives, workmates, workers, the council of elders, our fans, mentees, the general public…. the list goes on and on.

There are so many people to please, and yet all these people we are so afraid of and whom we desire to always hold us in high regard continue to lead their lives irrespective of what we do. A scandal for them is a brief source of entertainment and comic relief, but only for a while because everyone is caught up with the daily rigours of their lives; and they will not stop their lives for us. So why should we? 

It is the question many people are unable to deal with. It is perhaps the reason why Europeans and Americans are so way ahead of the rest of the world, because such inhibitions are fleeting, not crippling problems.  

True faith and belief reverses that fear. That’s the magic behind those two words; but only if you truly believe. What faith does is give you the strength to not overly focus on the perceived challenges but to forge ahead with the belief that when they do present themselves, they will be sorted out somehow. In other words, the future will take care of the future.

The biggest fear, of course, is fear of failure. Not many of us like dealing with the emotions of failure or becoming the laughing stock from a failure. Yet failure is part of our life’s journey. Only strong people are able to embrace failure, learn lessons from the low episodes then push ahead, often with great success. Read any story of the most successful people in the world, including Kenya, and you will see that their initial start-ups failed dismally, but they didn’t allow this to stop them from fulfilling their dreams, and today they laugh, every day, to the bank.

So thanks to Ryan, I’m no longer allowing the fear of the unknown to stop me from living and fulfilling my dreams. For sure, there will be difficulties on the way, but difficulties are always there, and we always deal with them when they present themselves, so they will be nothing new, except maybe for the magnitude.

 But I do know one thing — and that’s where faith comes in — that these difficulties will, somehow, be resolved one way or another. So instead of stopping me, I’m saying, let’s go out there and have some fun and great times and memories!!!