You stand for something.

This week, I was in a peer led liberation group and one of our members was in Ukraine. She left her policy role at the European Commission and moved there. She wanted to bear witness to history and offer social reconstruction work through a foundation she created. It was her birthday but her heart weighed heavily as her neighbourhood had been hit by the Russian bombing this weekend.

Later that day, I watched The Testament of Ann Lee - a movie about one of the rare female spiritual leaders of 18th century Europe. She left the North of England for the Americas guided by a vision and arrived just before the American revolution. Some even doubted she was a woman. But her movement grew and a few members continue to this day.

Both women were guided by a vision of what’s possible. Both have made huge sacrifices and endured opposition, resistance, and danger.

Perhaps you’re facing a similar choice now.

Three things occurred to me about this kind of choice:

1. Humans are capable of choosing paths that go beyond wanting a comfortable life 

2. These paths often require exposure and visibility - a closer contact with social structures that can be unwelcoming

3. Women in particular are at risk when they lead from vision - from a sense of something greater than social structures and material reality

This isn’t to say that a comfortable life isn't worthwhile. Or that men don’t face resistance to their vision. But the archetype for men tends to be the universally respected prophet like Jesus; while for women, it’s the dangerous witch.

As I prepared to give another talk in the NHS on navigating uncertainty, I wondered if I was saying everything I wanted. I also realised that the talk wasn’t just in the words but in the experience of a quality that was being transmitted. What seemed to land with people last time included a sense of calling on something beyond what is apparent while keeping feet on the ground. Perhaps a kind of visionary pragmatism. We look beyond while acting right here. And that’s how the gap between vision and reality closes. But without vision we fall into habit.

To return to the practical and a simple coaching framework around fulfilment (Robbins’ six human needs framework), meeting the 4 basic needs (safety, challenge, respect, and connection) leads to a satisfying life. But for a fulfilling life we need to meet the 2 higher needs (growth and contribution). The latter will always require risk and sacrifice. Or in coaching language: we need to step out of our comfort zone. So the question isn’t how can I get what I want while being comfortable. But: what is worth the risk and sacrifice? (and what is just hustle culture or self-torture).

Each of us will have a vision that lives inside us - whether it’s raising a family, raising funds for a social enterprise, or raising support for a revolution. The core of human vision is often a desire for freedom. But freedom isn’t the destination. It’s what happens when you choose to live your vision - right now. And paradoxically, you access your vision through deeper stillness. Why? Because your deepest vision lives with your deepest fears. And making peace with fear requires deep presence.

[Photo: Statue of Lord Brockway, ‘President of Liberation’ - the movement for colonial freedom. London.]

Coincidentally this week, one of the guys who coaches Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (ChatGPT, etc), was talking about overwhelm through a similar angle to last week’s Wise Wednesdays: you don’t do what you really want to do - your dream, your vision -  because it feels hard and so you bury yourself in busy work to avoid the feeling of anxiety and self-betrayal…

When obstacles arise, the choice will always appear: do you want to continue?

It’s not a comfortable moment. But it's how you choose to become someone who stands for something - not a martyr but a visionary. Someone who is willing to act on something that doesn’t exist yet and perhaps only you can see. The outcome isn’t guaranteed. Only the path.

Making a choice by saying ‘yes’ to it and therefore ‘no’ to other paths is taking a stand. 

Today, a large part of the world is celebrating Eid - when Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son to show his faith…Thankfully, none of us has to make that choice but we can understand the spirit.

In joy,

Amina

P.S. You can still book a 5R Decision Coaching Session until the 31st. If you’re caught in a dilemma between two paths, it’s likely your needs are in conflict and lost connection to your bigger vision. Book a session to clarify your vision, see through the self-sabotaging dilemma, and choose the next step on your liberating pathway. Book [here].