Change comes to us all. How do you quantify change? How do you calculate the impact? I am not speaking of a project you worked on at work that brought about a transformational change. Those are easily measured; was the change adopted or not? Did you meet your success criteria or not? Did your organization meet its ROI or not? Those are easily measured.

How do you measure your personal change? How do you measure that change that occurs from age 7 to 14? Crazy right, only seven years, but the transformation is evident. From ponytails to breasts, to self-awareness in a grown-up way; from zilch to first kiss. Now how about the change from 20 to 30? From dorm-room to corporate office; well, for those that make it up the ladder; from writing a paper to becoming what you hoped you would be. From being accountable to your parents to reporting to a boss who expects an arm, leg, and torso. Yes, swapping a comfortable sweatshirt to wearing a blouse and wide-leg tailored trousers (if you can afford it) to report onsite by 8AM. From being managed to managing others. Change is inevitable when we are alive. I am aware that a lot of people dread change because of the chaos it brings, and mostly due to the unknown. A bit like when the new year dawns and you wonder what it holds for you. You have a whole 12 months to experience change.; either good or bad; loss or gain; joy or happiness; progress or regression.

I am now certain that there are two types of change. Those that happen to us and those that we make happen; us growing up, getting taller, fuller, grayer. Even us getting to our final state of change – dying – happens to us. We may facilitate it with our choices, but they invariably happen to us. I hope we are impacting our change for good, such as covering our gray if needed or doing some cosmetic work to take our crow lines away. Please know that my text is not necessarily about non-consequential changes. Any act or event that moves our lives is never non-consequential.

Now there are some emotional changes that we allow to happen to us because of the relationships we have; like falling in love and giving our hearts to someone else. Such a change could lead to us rushing to catch dinner with excitement; buying the plunging dress, the red lipstick, taking care and investing in ourselves in a renewed way. Familia relationships also change us; we allow family influence to consciously or unconsciously change us for the better or worse. Cynicism will change us too. When we have no expectation that something good will happen makes our hearts quietly and slowly harden and our expectation dries out.

So what changes are you experiencing of late? I am not speaking of the graying or the extra inch gain. What change are you making? How is society changing you? How are you responding to your change?

I was in NY recently and I saw an army of palate lovers all dressed alike, carrying similar mats and water bottles, wearing either Alo or lululemon. I also saw an army of content creators standing by the roadside, in front of a store, in the middle of the road, taking a video or picture of themselves; some putting themselves in danger or inconveniencing others by hugging the pavement. Yes, society is changing fast and so we want to change too; but what are we changing into? I often think of those who have had change projected on them and who have been able to create life changing change for themselves and others. For example, Mandela, who had change projected on him due to hatred and was unjustly imprisoned and yet stood for freedom such that freedom came for him and others. He went into prison a villain and evolved into a hero to the entire world (well, free thinkers). What an achievement and yet how costly it was to bring about that change. Another person that brought about change was Jesus; right? Look at how that worked for him. Change is expensive, and often occurs because someone had put their life, body, finances, on the line. It does not come cheap and will most certainly not come cheap for you and I.

Are we looking for cheap change today? Selfish change? Or are we looking for wholesome and lasting change.

I am usually resistant to change because it disrupts ecosystems. It disrupts lives and shifts things around. It begs us to change our norms at times, to have different perspectives. It forces us to open closed arms and see what we refused to see yesterday Yes, I can see why change is hard. But not to change is accepting yesterday, and saying to myself this is all there is.

I refuse that yesterday holds the best of life; I believe there are many better days to come. And to see them I must accept change and be an agent for that change though it will be expensive and cost me something.

Thanks to Denys Nevozhai for your picture on Unsplash.com!

Linda Faith

Linda is a prolific writer. She is a recipient of the San Francisco Book Festival Award. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, novels, and Christian living empowering books. She recently published Stones and Roses - a collection of poems.

I stumbled on IngaRose’ song “Celebrate Me”, and I was hooked. I listen to this gem of a song every day. And why? Because I see that I do not celebrate myself at all. I celebrate my children; I celebrate my husband; I celebrate my friends; I celebrate strangers whose stories I come across on the internet, and yet I never celebrate that I made it through my struggles. I do not celebrate me when I made it through a difficult week; when I made good on a project; when I delivered on a promise. I just quickly move past my successes, and then there I am looking for another hill to crest. I am ever ready to move on; ever ready to see another success. I forget that to ruminate is healing; to have an introspective is a gem. I forget that it is not the doing; it is how I did it. I often forget to cry after my success. And yes, I hear some say why cry after your success? Yes, because crying will allow me to appreciate the hard times I endured to be successful. Yes, when I slept for only a few hours; when I had little money; when we were bringing up our little children and they were so dependent, and yet we all made it through. And yes, when I left work to start writing and no one believed because my goal did not make sense. I forgot it was not for them to see my vision, it was for me to believe it and keep going, even though it was hard. My vision to write has indeed been protracted, hence the more reason why I should celebrate; right? How often do you celebrate yourself?

In cases where I have not been successful, should I also celebrate me? Should I celebrate myself when I lose money on a deal? Should I celebrate when I write a piece and only a few read it? Should I celebrate when my pace is slower that I would have wanted? It depends on what celebration means to us. Can we broaden the reasons why we celebrate? Can we permit ourselves to celebrate outside of new babies, birthdays, graduations, weddings, new homes, retirements? And you know why? Because life is much more that these life events. We had to climb many hills to get to these life events. For some it may be the fifth deal that became a blockbuster. For some it may be the third pregnancy that held. For some it was the second sitting of an exam. I often tell my children to celebrate what seems like failures. They make you different, resolute, stronger, and able to see past the now. In our journey, we fall, pause, sweat, self-doubt, turn back, and then find some determination to continue. How many times have you celebrated the times you paused; your sweat; your falls? How many times have you celebrated in the rigor of studying before a paper? They are all part of the story.

Have you taken time to think of what self-doubt means? To me it means having a honest conversation with myself. Telling myself the reasons why I can and the reasons why I can’t. These moments are simply honest moments. And yet in time I begin to believe in myself that I can because I have a gem in me! And because of this I need to celebrate even when I have those moments of doubt. I need to pat myself on the back because I am being honest with myself. I need to pat myself on the back that I tried though I stumbled! Yes, that I had the audacity to believe in myself even when I did not have all the cards. Yes, that I thought I could actually climb the mountain. Many go to their graves without trying. Can you just pause, not move on, and celebrate yourself before you get to the crest of the hill? I hope you do.

Linda Faith

Linda is a prolific writer. She is a recipient of the San Francisco Book Festival Award. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, novels, and Christian living empowering books. She recently published Stones and Roses - a collection of poems.

We all see half of a glass, never the full cup. We see what we want to see. We see what is easiest to see, and yet we allow the half cup to inform or confirm our entire view. I am guilty of this also. It is not that I want to, but what can I do? I can only go by what I see, or hear, or feel. How do you rightly perceive? How do you truly know? How do I step into the entire picture?

I recently took a trip, and we had called an Uber to take us to the airport. I have entered a few taxis in my time. I have seen the drivers arrive and get out of their cars to help their customers. Yes, they will even help you with your suitcase because they want your satisfaction and tip. Well, this was not the experience this time. The driver never got out of his car. He popped his trunk open and I guess help yourself with the heavy lifting. He had his seat all the way to the back such that no one could seat directly behind him. We have been cultured by Covid to not seat in the front with your cab driver; hence we were looking to take the back seats. Well, not in the case. He said to us, “someone can take the front seat.” That was enough for us to send him on his way and get another taxi. It was enough for us to write a review and dump on him. We went along; my husband hopped in the front seat and I at the back. It took a few minutes and then he informed us of why he could not pull his chair forward. His left leg was a prosthetic leg; his real leg had been blown off in the Iraq war. An IED hit him and a few of his comrades in their truck. We did not ask how the others were doing. We could see how he was doing. He continued, “wars are not good. They are not good at all.” At that moment, I knew we had done it again, seen a half full glass. The last thing he needed was our complaint. A few moments and we all relaxed; you will be surprised what exhaling will do for you. The driver who only a moment ago we thought was obstinate, was nothing like we had thought. He opened up to us and spoke of his family, his three daughters, his experiences, his aspirations; we got to know that he likes Audis and that he had never traveled out of the country until he went to war. He had never seen places that some of us take for granted. As we travelled, he shared with us that there are a few tolls between us and the airport and that he could save us money by taking us through another route. It turned out he knew the back paths!

We all need someone who knows the back paths; right? We need to let these people in. We can only do this if we have the right perception. I need to do a better job. Not everyone is against us or looking to take advantage of us. There are different people out there with different experiences. They may even have struggles and sufferings, but these do not define them. They have more than their pain and past; they have some favor to give you and me. They have something to teach you and me. And if we see the glass half empty, we may just lose. Yes, we have different paths and struggles, but by God’s goodness, hopefully my path will intersect with someone who is wearing a prosthetic leg or hand again. And if that day does ever come again, I will not presume again.

I was thinking the other day that I always wear my own shoes. I am never tempted to wear someone else’ shoes. Not even for a moment. There is something unique to us about our shoes. They are ours; they have been everywhere with us. We know them and they know us. I can’t say that for someone else’s shoe. I am never tempted to wear someone else’ shoe. But in the act of gaining some emotional intelligence, yes, some empathy, some humanity, I feel I must start wearing someone else’s shoe for a moment. Yes, put myself in someone else’ experience so I can understand their experience. I believe this will help me.

How better to live the days we have on this earth, with less presumption and hopefully with a perspective based on empathy and a full glass.

Linda Faith

Linda is a prolific writer. She is a recipient of the San Francisco Book Festival Award. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, novels, and Christian living empowering books. She recently published Stones and Roses - a collection of poems.

Someone asked me this question this past week; how are you feeling? My answer was “anticipative”.

I am asking you the same, how are you feeling today?

When you ask people that question, they are often taken aback, because most of the time they are not prepared to answer such a reflective question. You are literally asking them to take their masks off for a moment. How many times have you stopped during the day to say to yourself, “Self, how are you feeling?” It sounds strange; right? It is a sad admittance that we cannot easily puncture our day to hear our truth.

Reflecting on my response, I was communicating that I was in a perpetual wait game, and so the only good and truthful response was indeed “I am anticipative”. Can you be anticipative and still be at peace? If all I did was constantly peer through the windows in anticipation of whatever, was I restful? My take is this, to be anticipative and peaceful, I have to possess the realization that I am not in control of my circumstances, nor in control of tomorrow.

Do you rest when you have done all you can possibly do?

What does anticipation, rest, and resignation look like? How should you feel when you have done these three? It is like looking for a new job and though you haven’t found one yet, you have the mindset that you will get one and you will be okay. It is befuddling because we are not waiting around for the thing to occur; we have already concluded that the outcome will be good for us irrespective of what it may be. Remember I don’t have the power to protract an outcome, yet I have the power to maintain my senses and my peace even amid the pending outcome.

So, what is the other attitude we can have when we are anticipative?

Well, we can be anticipative with dread. For many of us, we tie how we feel about a future event with a failed experience. Because we failed a paper before, we assume the outcome will be the same. Because we went through a horrible marriage, we anticipate the next will almost be the same. The unfortunate thing is this, if we allow our minds to always project our past pain on our future, it will. It will do it surgically. Don’t get me wrong, I understand why our tendency is to be anxious as our experiences are teaching moments, and when we learn pain, it is difficult to let it go.

I have a funny narration: a few years ago, our son gifted us a Simple Human bin. It was one of those high-tech ones, you speak to it and it opens. Hence “Open Can” and “Close Can” were our commands. We had it for a few years, got used to it, had enough time to train ourselves that it would always open and shut at our command and then it began playing up. It would not open when we asked it to open, and then it began to randomly open and shut at the most awkward times that we got frustrated with it. In time, we abandoned our high-tech bin and reverted to a simple pedal bin once again. The irony was this, each time we approached the pedal bin, we would say “Open Can” or wave our hand with anticipation that it would open on its accord. Our expectation was based on the past and not on our present reality. Yes, maybe this narration is a bit simplistic, but it captures why we may be frustrated and angry, though we are anticipative.

If you are like me, I hope you take a leaf out of my book and have an air of acceptance and faith about the future that all will work out okay for you. It is simplistic, I get it; but it is worth more than gold for our wellbeing.

Linda Faith

Linda is a prolific writer. She is a recipient of the San Francisco Book Festival Award. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, novels, and Christian living empowering books. She recently published Stones and Roses - a collection of poems.

History can be what happened hundreds of years ago, last year, last month, even yesterday. History speaks of events that have already occurred and are burnt in our memories. Whatever the case, either good or bad, they have a footprint that can’t be erased. They are in print, in picture, in hearts and minds. Many of us have different histories, some painful, some unbearable, some beautiful that to recall will bring a smile to our faces. Some of us love our history and save photos to further remind us of what was; yes, when we fell in love, when we bought a new car, when our kid went off to college, when we opened our first ever bagel store, and for those who are lucky, when they first visited the Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace, or the Colosseum in Italy. And yes, history could be when we ate something so delicious and were reminded of how good life is, or when we sat across the table from someone we cared about. How many times have you taken a photo of a bad day? How many of us will take a photo of us being drenched upon in the rain? How many of us will take a picture of ourselves in a puddle of dirty water? Will you take a photo of being bruised? Think of the most awful day you have lived – we never take photos of such, do we? We want to forget that day, right?

History can be brutal and menacing. Think of all the wars this world has seen, the tragedies, the September 11s, etc. History a-washes us with countless pains and flashpoints. Even our present lends a hand. Can you recall times when Black people could not co-exist; when women could not own a bank account nor vote; when women had to be subservient? Yes, there are some histories that make you want to become a raisin. Such moments are burnt in the hearts of fathers and mothers whose sons and daughters never returned home after that unfortunate yesterday. The pregnant wife still waiting for her husband to walk through the door, trembling with fear as to what may have happened; the child waiting for her mom to return from a dash to pick up dinner and never to see her again because someone decided to drive while drunk. History and tragedy often find themselves in this life, they dance and make a mess of lives and futures.

History can show up in families too; it becomes a pain that a child carries for life. It is the past, yet it shows up in tomorrow because histories don’t just go away because the calendar day moved on. Grown daughters still speak of the pain their father’s drunkenness brought to the home; sons recall the fights between dad and mom, and at times relive it in their adult lives. We are all students of history and that history can be a burden, with its sheer weight on our shoulders. History has its relic in the present times, and if allowed, it will perpetuate the understanding that women are preferred in the kitchen rather than the boardroom. It is a shame that History does not understand its harm, as women expend so much energy undoing the secondary status it has shoved on them - such that some of us wear impostor syndrome as though it were a jacket or coat.

So how do we break ourselves free of a history that has not lost its grip on us? How do we find ourselves and build beautiful lives though our histories may be fractured? If History is a bed for the future, what will the future be like? If history is the seed, what will its fruit be like if the onset was filled with tears, disappointment and pain? Can a painful history yield a happy future? How do we become happy again in this broken life?

I am impressed upon to live a brighter future and a better tomorrow. And so, I must fight for it. All the hurt must stop; right? Why not with you and I? Why do we have to pass generational hurts that had nothing to do with us on to the next as though these hurts are worthy parcels? I believe we have something to say on how our future turns out. I am convinced that my future is not all up to history, it bruises and its whims. I am convinced that because it happened to the father, it does not have to compel the child’s life. I am determined that the future must be because of me and not because of old worn painful relics. Yes, I do not have to throw up my hands and simply leave my fate to my history. I can tell a bruised history no more. I can tell a painful history, it stops here. I can stand up to history and wrench my future out of its hands. I can be astute, bold, courageous and demand a fulfilling future for myself and for those who will in turn depend on me.

Will you wrench your future out of Yester’s hands, most especially if it is a painful history, and say I have something to say and do about what happens next? Yeah, let’s do it!

Linda Faith

Linda is a prolific writer. She is a recipient of the San Francisco Book Festival Award. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, novels, and Christian living empowering books. She recently published Stones and Roses - a collection of poems.

When you think of a parking lot, you think of a concrete open space with yellow or white markings for you to leave your car for a moment while you dash into the grocery store, or catch a meal with that friend, co-worker, neighbor, mentor or mentee. Whatever the case, and with whomever the dash is with, it signifies getting off the treadmill and doing something other than the normal. How many times do you find a parking space in a crowded car garage and then exhale; yes, you can finally get on with what you enjoy, with what will add value to you. Having a parking lot outlook makes sense with our car, but why do we not apply this to every aspect of our lives? Can we apply this same perspective to our daily living? What will you park away to rest a bit? What will you stow away to have a “me” time to listen to your heartbeat? Have you ever listened to your heartbeat except at a doctor’s office? Have you listened to yourself this week? I get it, some people are just afraid to be by themselves. They are afraid to catch their shadow; they don’t know that their shadow is unique and beautiful. Some are always in a fear of missing out (FOMO) mode; they constantly believe their life is a drab and that there is something exquisite and more interesting happening elsewhere. It could be as simple as a friend’s Instagram or Ticktock that triggered this anxiety; and because of this, they abandon their me time to jump into a Waymo to go across town to see the more interesting person. They stay in a hyper state of anxiety because they need to be somewhere else but by themselves. I honestly do not have FOMO, yet I feel the demands of the day endear us or even compel us to constantly do something else but listen to ourselves. We are talking ourselves into being superhuman beings, though we are not. The unfortunate truth is that we live in an age where we are unsettled by many factors including high food prices, a turbulent world, a shrinking job market, artificial intelligence (AI), etc. We see adverts about AI on huge billboards, and some of us do not really understand how much and at what pace our world is changing, and how steadily our jobs are becoming irrelevant. We hear the murmurings that these artificial agents are taking our jobs, and yes, the anxiety is real. We are in an unfamiliar time. Hence the parking lot is the last thing we are thinking about. We are desperate to prove our worth that we add more value than an AI agent. How can we possibly take a moment to listen to ourselves, though our hearts are screeching for a rest.

I need to go back to that question I asked earlier, “have you listened to yourself this week?” I believe we cannot afford not to. The implications of not listening are dire and self-sabotaging. I am going to take time this week to listen to me. I love jazz, why don’t I just take this week to listen to some jazz? Yes, and while at it, why don’t I just close my eyes and breathe in? Why don’t I take time to journal and write about those experiences that really matter? Why do I have to race to the next thing? Why don’t I take a walk and watch the leaves sway in the light breeze? Why don’t I just park my worries for a moment like I would park my car? Why don’t I stop listening to nay sayers; stop listening to complaints; stop watching the news with all its violence and rhetoric? Why don’t I just stop scrolling on other people’s lives most especially when I don’t even know them.

Are you listening to yourself today? Well, I am going to do just that this week.

Linda Faith

Linda is a prolific writer. She is a recipient of the San Francisco Book Festival Award. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, novels, and Christian living empowering books. She recently published Stones and Roses - a collection of poems.

As we open the door together and enter where we have never entered before, I hope we enter 2026 like we would enter a new room or house. How do you enter any of these spaces but with expectation that all will be alright and that you are good enough to be present in these spaces. Here we are entering 2026, entering a year we have never been before, entering days we have not lived before, and months we can only anticipate. And if you are already ending January 1, you have already spent a day in 2026!

It matters how we enter a room. If we feel we belong, then we will enter the room as though we belong. If we feel we don’t belong, then we will enter as a stranger. It will be totally woeful to enter an entire year gingerly as though I do not belong. So how do we enter 2026? I encourage myself to believe I am enough as I enter. I encourage myself to trust that I have something inherent to give 2026, yes, to bless it with. I have something special, even if I don’t know it yet. Yes, I have something that someone needs in 2026, and because of this I choose to see the beauty that 2026 has in its wings. I do believe 2026 has much for us and our families. I do not believe all will be downs, I believe there will be a lot of wins, a lot of laughs, and yes, I am a realist, and there will be tears and maybe heart breaks, but there will be laughter and rosy cheeks also. There will be times to break into a dance and a skip. We must be firm and ready for those times to come.

I see my entering 2026 as entering a room with warm tones, rustic familiar furniture, music softly playing, a meal on the table, all laid out, the wholesome smell inviting me in and in and in again. The ambience is like an extended olive branch, a welcoming hand, beckoning me to come in. Yes, this is how I anticipate every day in 2026.

How do you anticipate 2026? Do you see the same old same; the drumbeat; the viciousness; the disappointments; the loss; the same as you have seen before. Please don’t; this is a slow killer, and I will not be able to join your boat of woe. I need optimism so I can wake again, love again, skip again, do again. I need to wake up the next morning. I need to go from January to February, and March, and April, and May, and June, and July, and August, and September, and October, and November, and December! I am afraid if I join a sad voyage, I will not make it through February. I need to wake up each morning and jump out of bed with gratitude and joy; I need to have a reason to know I have a place here. If all I have is disappointment, what place will I have in 2026? Yes, please let us go together and get the wins, let us keep our eyes on the ambience of the year as we enter, and I know we will be fine as we jump out of bed and enter each new day in this beautiful 2026! And when those heartbreaks come, I promise to only spend a few minutes moping, and then there I will go on with my optimism, because to park an extended time moping will be the robbery of many days of joy that await me in 2026!

I use this opportunity to wish you happy new year. Let us enter together!

Linda Faith

Linda is a prolific writer. She is a recipient of the San Francisco Book Festival Award. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, novels, and Christian living empowering books. She recently published Stones and Roses - a collection of poems.

Power is like a cloak, a garment, an aura, a perfume that announces your presence. It is like a drug that gives you added essence; it is a measure above the natural capability. Some wear it on their faces, some wear it on their puffed-out chests, some carry it with elegance, and some carry it with pride. You will know when someone enters the room with power in their hands, like a doctor, judge, pastor, etc. They are not apologetic for their entry; they are aware of the aura they emanate. A bit like a teacher entering a room full of students; well, that was in ages past when teachers were respected and revered. Not so much now. We live in a very different age and world; a time where the young shouts down the old and the mature becomes inconspicuous.

I want to stay on the concept of power for a short while. What does it mean to have power? What does it mean to be elevated such that you can see what others do not see, hear what others do not hear, have an advantage? And what does it look like when you do not have it? Is power a bad thing? I do not necessarily think so, however it depends on who is wielding it. You see power and character must be a hand in a glove, where character is the glove and power is the hand. The glove will cover power, measure it, temp it down if need be. It will be a sleeve so that power does not ensue itself. I fear for someone with no character or even very little, wielding power. And why the reticence? Because power can tear down very quickly. It is what you see when a tornado tears through a neighborhood, or fire ravages a town. It is difficult to bring it to a halt; it just goes and topples everything in its path. Hence, you need a glove. You need to soften its punch if not used appropriately. That is why car makers have so many safety measures in their cars these days. Yes, cars are powerful too, hence, you need a safety belt.

Yet the same power in the hand of the meek, noble, and kind, will ask 5000 hungry and desperate people, who are tired and unable to find their way, to seat down for a moment and be fed. It is not asking them to justify themselves, it just sees the humanity like Jesus did and says sit down and let me feed you. A bit like seeing the blind and wanting to help. Power can be used to free the burdened, bring relief to the hunched. Yes, bring relief in devastation and speak peace where there is only turmoil.

My question is this, if we are given a little bit of power that surpasses what we had yesterday, what would we do with it? I mean having the ability to expense ourselves on the behalf of others; run someone to the grocery or to the clinic for a doctor’s appointment on our time; give an hour up to listen to someone struggling, etc. What do we do with that extra power, extra finances, extra time, extra whatever you have been given.

What will you do if you could change someone else’s life today? Not because you can in of yourself, but because you have the quality, capability, and power; yes, you have something extra of you to give. A thought for 2026.

Linda Faith

Linda is a prolific writer. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, fictional books, and Christian living empowering books. You can find her work such as Stones and Roses - a collection of poems, Sweet Holy Spirit, Ravens Must Feed, A Fruitful life, etc. on www.amazon.com.

Have you ever watched a marathon before? I have watched many marathons from my couch. I watched as women and men of all stripes slogged it out, putting to test the endurance they had cultivated for weeks, months and years. They have allowed their bodies to become a petri-dish to be prodded and extended, and now here they were ready to push it to the edge of endurance to see how much more it can take. The fateful day is the scorecard, maybe their bodies will breakdown, and yet maybe not, it may be that their bodies surprise them beautifully and pay off on all their past dedication. They will find out during the many miles if they have it to give. There is nothing like a breaking point, you will know when you get there. You will know when the tank you once thought was full is now empty and there is no more liquid gold to pour. At times we deceive ourselves that we will always have liquid gold. At times based on our confidence, we extend a promissory note that we shall pour the liquid gold no matter what. What happens then when your body has nothing to pour? What do you do if you lose a job and are unable to meet your credit card bill? What are we to do when we find out that we are bankrupt on patience, niceties, compassion, and even peace? What do we do when AI executes better than we do?

Now and again, I enjoy going on long walks with my husband. This Saturday we decided to go before the sun broke through the Bay skies. And so there we were, striding along in the early hours feeling good about ourselves. Just a few minutes into our walk, a lady jogged past us. She made it a point to wave at us and call out hello at everyone she ran past. We waved back emphatically, totally taken over by what her “intentional” meant. At some point she must have decided that she will become a petri-dish and push at her endurance. I watched her as she went past and continued watching her until she was long in the distance. What did she have to do to run with such fiery endurance? How did she push past fatigue, fear, laziness, etc.? And why did she see the need to muster etiquette even as she was being pressed? Her nicety was quite puzzling, because in our present times, even in people’s best days, they are not pleasant. In fact, we make excuses for why we are spiteful and unpleasant. We justify our spite because of situations, circumstances, and perceptions. I have a migraine and so I must be rude. I am pressed at work and so must railroad a co-worker. The commute traffic is manic and so I must join in the mania! A different type of mania I see these days is justifying why immigrants are less than and not human. We feel we can project this because of the steep decline of decency in our society. We escalate our frustration during our endurance and train our sight on a foil for relief. Rather than be like that lady who turned her pressing into goodwill, many unfortunately train their frustration on the immigrant or some other foil. That slippery slope convinces them that migrants in any shape or form, even with the right documentation, do not belong, do not deserve a seat, and certainly not a fragment of decency. I ponder on how that runner kept pushing through the demands she was under and yet lifting her hand to shout out hello. What made her see us? What compelled her to engage through her own battles? Did she leverage us as a tool to break her grind?

I feel it must have been more than her justifying us as a tool to leverage. I feel she was just a nice person. She had not only built up her endurance, but she had also built a goodwill reserve. She was therefore able to expend both. Her endurance was working for her, and her goodwill was working for her and all those around her. So how do we build a goodwill reserve? Firstly, we live our lives with intentionality on seeing others. Secondly, we see them as we see ourselves. Thirdly, actively acknowledge that they are no different to us. And lastly, we engage and engage and engage until we are comfortable out of our comfort zone.

That engagement was what the running lady displayed. She decided to see us that Saturday morning, wave, and call out a hello. Do you know what that did for us? We engaged back, joyfully and appreciatively. I learnt a lot that morning. It is not enough to endure past our goals, the cream on the cake is to intentionally engage with others while enduring, see them and appreciate them while we are chasing down our vision; and when such a time comes that we are just frustrated, we are determined to refrain from looking for a foil.

I hope you really live your life this week with the intention to add cream to someone’s cake all because you engaged through your own endurance!

Linda Faith

Linda is a prolific writer. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, fictional books, and Christian living empowering books. You can find her work such as Sweet Holy Spirit, Ravens Must Feed, A Fruitful life, etc. on www.amazon.com. Read more about Linda at www.lindafaith.org.

Can success and failure be true at the same time? How does one experience failure and exhilaration at the same time? How does one deflate and inflate at the same time? Don’t you wait for the air to go out before you inflate again?

What does deflation look like and how long can we remain deflated? I believe how we handle a downshift determines if we can quickly upshift again. Understandably there are some who may not want to quickly upshift, but there are others who do. Some may want to take time out to just be. That is noteworthy. But what do you do when the wind has been blown out of your sails? So many of us tie our meaning or sense of worth to our businesses, jobs, education, and attainment. In these turbulent political and economic times, with tariffs being slapped on everyday goods, people losing their jobs, 401Ks losing steam, saving accounts reading on life support, where do you get the strength to go uphill again? I read an article in Money Watch stating a frightening fact that most Americans can’t afford a $1000 emergency expense. That is ridiculous right; but this is the truth for a lot of people. I am convinced we are in an era where we must intentionally and resolutely have a spring in our steps. Yes, possess a mentality and agility to pivot; ready to fall back and spring forward again, ready to do the unthinkable maybe 5 years ago, like learning a new vocation or thinking of starting your own business.

And why?

The rule book has been thrown out with the bathwater. Artificial Intelligence is here to stay and able to perform our tasks quicker and smarter than you and I can.

So how should this make us feel? Are you feeling great about the future? Some might say no, not really. Some are truthfully admitting being overwhelmed and exhausted.

I ask this as a rhetorical question. I am not compelling a response now. This however begs us to consider what it means to be in a downshift mode, and what could come after. I look forward to the moment after the storm. The storm being 20 interviews and then landing your dream job! Trying to take an exam and not attaining the mark, and then the second time being sweeter just because you have a story to tell. Yes, you have cried hard, yet you are going to be able to laugh again someday. The turbulence of our current time is unsettling, I however feel we will laugh again, because though you lost your job or business today, you can come roaring back with a new career, a new business, a new something. You just have to know how to pivot to upshift again.

That is the most difficult; how do you pivot?

I am seeing that this capability is intuitive to our human spirit. I say give yourself permission in the downshift mode, kick off your shoes, take off the jacket, read a book or even write one. In this short moment of allowing yourself to focus on you, that time to laugh will come to you and you will get the inspiration on how to pivot. It is inherently in us to get out of the doldrums.

And when you eventually laugh, don’t forget the day you were overwhelmed. As this helps shape how we move forward next.

Linda Faith

Linda is a prolific writer. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, fictional books, and Christian living empowering books. You can find her work such as Sweet Holy Spirit, Ravens Must Feed, A Fruitful life, etc. on www.amazon.com. Read more about Linda at www.lindafaith.org.

We all say to ourselves I could have done better with hindsight. This is what retrospection does to us. It demands that we look back and consider what we could have done differently so we are learning from mistakes. Unfortunately, we often take this further to our detriment. We use this wonderful refining capability to sabotage ourselves. We beat our brow and bludgeon ourselves with second-guesses. Oh, only if I had said this or that. Only if I had made a different decision. Only if I had gone an hour earlier maybe he would not have left. If I had listened maybe she wouldn’t have walked out of the door. If I had not spoken up maybe I would still have a job.

How do you manage hindsight? Does it always get the better of you? Do you say something, and the next moment try to retract it? I am pained when I see this happen.

I feel we must be cautious of stripping ourselves of confidence and the ability to be agile, pivot, stand with difficult decisions, stand with unpopular stances; etc. Yes, the landscape of our world may have changed, but for most of us our decisions are often made from convictions, and those convictions are not easy to parlay or cast in the bin. What second-guessing does is make us feel our decisions were not well-thought out. It tries to convince us that our decisions were made from a mushy foggy brain. And if we are not careful, we might just believe this lie! Because of this err, people refrain from standing with stances they know are right and ethical. At times we second-guess because some decisions make us vulnerable. People want to speak up, but the gravity of a mortgage, car payment, job security causes them to second guess. They want to tell the bully haranguing the defenseless to scram, but they second-guess even this obvious act and decision because they do not want to be seen in a bad light. And so, we can remain in this flux of having those unspoken words, actions, deliberations. They remain in our heads because we have successfully second-guessed ourselves and now our voices are silent.

Jesus told the Pharisees in John 8:7 who were so eager to stone the adulteress woman to scram. He really did not care if they liked him or not. He spoke out of conviction.

So how do we stick with our action or decision most especially when we know it was the right thing to do? How do we refrain from apologizing for what we said, the way we said it, what we did, when what we did was the right thing to do? When will we just be okay with who we are? Most especially when we are trying to do the best to live our most authentic self. How do we remain on the side that makes sense even if we feel we may be ostracized. How do we remain doing the right thing when our confidence is being zapped?

My remedy is my authentic self. I just must see myself as enough. Even when I make mistakes, those mistakes are not the end of me, they are steppingstones to making better decisions. I must decide to be in the moment. Whatever decision I make at this very moment is okay. I may come to a better decision tomorrow, but as of now, with what I know now, I must be okay with the path I choose today. And even if I am not 100% content, I have time to change things, but I do not have time to beat myself across the brow anymore!

And neither do you!

Linda Faith

Linda is a prolific writer. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, fictional books, and Christian living empowering books. You can find her work such as Sweet Holy Spirit, Ravens Must Feed, A Fruitful life, etc. on www.amazon.com. Read more about Linda at www.lindafaith.org.

How many of us get to do what we love to do? How many of us wake up in the morning and say this is exactly what I must be doing today? Usually what we love doing and what we actually do tend to diverge. How I wish they will embrace because if they do life will be more meaningful and delightful. We will wake up throwing our hands above our heads and wringing our hands with expectation. It will be like unwrapping a present. What has today brought that I will discover with such gratitude. Do you feel like this?

I know the naked truth is that we need to work to eat. Not only eat, but there is also value in us contributing to something bigger than ourselves. Our 9-5 provides the opportunity to contribute to a collective vision. As we earn from our jobs, we meet our needs and wants and feel the need to help others as well. Most times however this ubiquitous reason for work does not equate to the reason why our light brightens, a smile forms and stays, or a deep sense of fulfillment imbibes us.

Are those two worlds of needing to work and gaining delight in life merging in your life? Or do you sit at your office desk and wonder that another day has gone… Like a bride we seem to choose the other. We leave our song unsung, our novel unwritten, our guitar string unpicked, the speech we should have given remains unspoken on our tablet. When will I be able to write? When will I be able to do me? Will I live this life and transition and yet never do me?

I wish you boldness today to pursue that thing that pulls on your heart. If it is to bake, then bake. If it is to write, sit down and receive your inspiration to write. The words will come because you are a writer. The speech will come because you are a speaker. If you are to mentor, those near you need you! Do something today. I believe the act of working and my passion can collide. They can shake hands today! What a delight that will be!

Linda Faith

Linda is a prolific writer. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, fictional books, and Christian living empowering books. You can find her work such as Sweet Holy Spirit, Ravens Must Feed, A Fruitful life, etc. on www.amazon.com. Read more about Linda at www.lindafaith.org.

We often think of legacy in terms of what we leave behind when we are no more. The dictionary defines legacy as a gift by will, especially in terms of money or other personal property that we leave behind for our loved ones. Ironically, not a lot of people have the capability to provide this good gesture, as even in this life they struggle to make ends meet, pay rent, car loans, put food on the table, etc. You get the gist. And yet there are some who can meet this threshold. It is a great threshold because it ultimately could make life easier for the next generation, it could provide that much needed house when the family is growing, or access to capital to start their first business, or pay off a student loan, or just simply breathe from the heavy burden of debt. Invariably, it can provide a great start. Despite this privilege, statistics shows that financial legacy is no guarantee or throughput to success, ease, peace, joy, and all bliss.

With this preamble, we see that money alone is not enough and can never be enough. In fact, it cannot be the answer to everything in life. Of course, it helps, it is a vehicle to getting what we need, and it helps determine how comfortable we will be; yet it seems we want more out of life, and we want to give more too; correct?

This got me thinking, what is that “more” that we must give that will transcend money?

What is that thing you can give your child or anyone for that matter, that can encapsulate them for a lifetime, speak something good every day, that they will remember, reminisce on, and wish they could have again and again? What is that thing you have done, habit you have exuded that they hold with affection? Is it your generosity, gentility, care for others, truthfulness, patience, warmth, love and passion for life, unwillingness to get the better of the other, going out of your way to make life easier for someone who is less fortunate, being vulnerable and not afraid to show it, just being a nice person…? Which of these will be your legacy? Which of these will remind people of you? Which of these will be the gentle fragrance that settles when you leave the room for those who have been fortunate to be in your presence?

I am now convinced that money with all its grandeur is limited in scope in what truly matters. I need to work to build a legacy that lasts, that will propel others forward, that will be refreshing even when I make an exit.

What is your brand? What is your legacy? What is that thing you leave behind of you when you say bye to your friend at a coffee shop, a restaurant, a hospital visit? Today is a good day to think about this and begin to do something about it.

Happy legacy building and thank you for visiting!

Linda Faith

Linda is a prolific writer. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, fictional books, and Christian living empowering books. You can find her work such as Sweet Holy Spirit, Ravens Must Feed, A Fruitful life, etc. on www.amazon.com. Read more about Linda at www.lindafaith.org.

Branding is what you want people to feel, see, think, when you come to mind. I already know what I am getting when I buy a Coke. I know the difference in taste between a Coca-cola and a Pepsi Cola. I know the difference in a McDonalds’ burger and a Wendys. Also the difference in Starbucks and Peets coffee is clear to me. I prefer La Scala’s Coffee in Walnut Creek. I believe branding does not only appeal to the senses, it also provides an experience. Yes, this is why companies spend billions of dollars to give you an experience you will not forget; one that will bring you coming back through their door, spending your hard earned dollar! What is your branding? What do people think when they see you?

A lot of people spend money of building a brand, unfortunately they spend on a facade. They spend on expensive clothing, cars, shoes, etc. I developed a fix in this regard, look good but make it make sense. I can build a “looking good” brand without digging a hole for myself. I need to have a financially stable brand also. I need to be healthy. I need to be at peace with myself. I need to enjoy my life without the weight of debt. Peace can be my brand. Wise can be my brand. What is your brand?

Compassion is a “Jesus” brand and word. I love that brand. I believe having compassion should be part of who I am as a Christian. I believe this is what Jesus did in Matthew 14:13-21 when He fed 5000 people. His brand had compassion on the weary people that followed Him and instead of sending them away to take care of their needs themselves, He tapped into who He is. Branding is really about who you are, what you are, and what you have. Branding should not be about projection or a facade; it should be like a well, where if people should let down a bucket, they will pull what you are out. If people know you as a person of patience, then they should be able to pull patience out of you. If they know you as a sincere person, then when they pull on you, they should be met with your sincerity. If they know you as someone they can trust, then when they pull on your brand, they will not be disappointed.

Branding is also character. What is my character? What is yours? What do you want to hone in on this month?

You have 2025 to work on your brand; I will work on mine too. In fact let us work on it together. I will continue to post about branding here. Share this post if you like!

Thank you for visiting.

Linda Faith

Linda is a prolific writer. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, fictional books, and Christian living empowering books. You can find her work such as Sweet Holy Spirit, Ravens Must Feed, A Fruitful life, etc. on www.amazon.com. Read more about Linda at www.lindafaith.org.

We all have those new year resolutions; for some it is to eat clean – maybe lean chicken and broccoli; for some, it is to watch their spending – save more, live a prudent life. For others it may be to stop consuming a gazillion of cocktails… be sober for a day! For some it is to pursue a career goal, maybe enroll in a master’s program, an MBA will be good. For others it might be to start a new venture, work on their novel, join an art class, join a dating app. For some is to live a calm and peaceful life. Whatever it is we are thinking of doing, shows that our hearts are still beating, yearning, and willing to put in the work to bring about a better version of ourselves. We are aspirational, we are looking forward and not backwards. We refuse for the past to eat us up. Yes, we are so ready to move past mistakes, errors, stumbles! We say to ourselves, we are moving forward; and maybe, just maybe, we can make it work.

Won’t that be great if this year 2025 is the year we position ourselves for success and make it work. We make our relationships more meaningfully, we invest more, laugh more, touch base with our inner selves more, are truthful more, pray more, live more… the list goes not.

I feel the reason why many of us forget our new year resolutions by the fifth day of the year is because we plan on huge lofty steps. We plan on goals that are difficult to achieve bearing in mind our current state. We get caught up in the euphoria of going into a new year, a new me; we believe we have a “super” power and so we can do EVERYTHING we failed at last year. And because of this, we fail to incorporate baby steps into how we accomplish our resolutions. Another reason for us giving up on our resolutions is that we find it difficult to say no to our friends. We continue to surround ourselves with people who refuse to promise the same lofty ideals to themselves. They refuse to do the heavy lifting. They refuse to lift a finger. To be successful, I must be willing to take small and steady steps and be prepared to make a mistake(s). The second is to divest in people who will not make similar promises to themselves. I am not saying I should unfollow them on Instagram or stop being friends with them, I may just need to put up some boundaries. I can’t continue to spend as much time with them: instead of hours on end, maybe it is 30 minutes. And why should this be the case? I feel I must protect this infancy of change that I am embarking on. My venture is young, new, and challenging. I am not so seasoned and going to the bar with a friend may just derail my hopes of giving up drinking. I am in a fetal position, still hooked to the umbilical cord of the past and I need to be careful who I catch a meal and a drink with, otherwise I may start spending beyond my means again. I promised that I do not want to gossip, and here I am sitting with a prolific gossiper. I promised I will be upbeat, and here I am spending time with the most negative person on the block. I really need to protect my little progress. I must be intentional about the baby steps I take so I do not sabotage myself.

Today is another day. I am taking another baby step; it is called crawling before walking, running, or flying.

I hope you are intentional about whatever baby steps you are taking, focused and resolute about where those steps are taking you, and determined not to trade them for a seeming relief. I am rooting for you!

Linda Faith
Linda is a prolific writer. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, fictional books, and Christian living empowering books. You can find her work such as Sweet Holy Spirit, Ravens Must Feed, A Fruitful life, etc. on www.amazon.com. Read more about Linda at www.lindafaith.org.

Having lived a few years now, walking into 2025 should be done with an intention to trust the Lord and focus on the power of His might. In the natural, 2025 could be a minefield, full of unknowns, trials, and tribulations. It could be littered with mishaps and disappointments; despite this, these months ahead are certainly laced with opportunities! All we have to do is look back at 2024 and recall our deliverance in the healing, joy, peace, guiding, helping, showing, encouragement that God provided.

Like any other new year, 2025 brings a mystery to us. Days we have never lived, months seen in a distance, moments we aspire for; though now, just aspirations.
And so how do we enter this year knowing the turbulence that was 2024; yes, knowing that the climate is still adversely changing; those wildfires will rage, the sea levels will rise, the summer will scorch and melt, the winter blitz will be punishing!

As I enter 2025, I enter with my hand on the hope that I have in the name of Jesus. What a great thing hope is! It does not melt in the sight of uncertainty. It sees that tomorrow will bow just as yesterday bowed. And even when the days struggle to succumb and obey, they shall! Not because I am so prepared as I go into the year; no! It will be because Jesus is Lord and He will watch over us and perform His word. It will be because God never fails. It will be because He loves us so much that not even a strand of hair will be lost in 2025. It will be because we have faith in our God! Not faith in our money, our intellect, our societal rung; it will be because we have accepted that He is God and we are confident that He will do what only He can do; yes, we are confident that He will make a way for us this 2025. He will bless us and take care of ALL our needs.

So may no one worry as they enter 2025, despite the uncertainties and chaos. Despite the shakiness, yet we stand on solid ground. We stand and will continue to stand all the 365 days ahead. Do you believe this? I pray you do! I pray that you enter as though you believe that God is with you and that is all you need.

God bless!

Linda Faith

Linda is a prolific writer. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, fictional books, and Christian living empowering books. You can find her work such as Sweet Holy Spirit, Ravens Must Feed, A Fruitful life, etc. on www.amazon.com. Read more about Linda at www.lindafaith.org.

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