Book: Yes, You Belong by Fatima Fakier

I can’t encapsulate in mere words the depth of feeling that rose within me when I read Fatima Fakier’s book, Yes, You Belong. It is a quick but deep read that reaches into your soul. As the subtitle states, it is, “A journey through articles on joy, motivation, and embracing life as it is.”

It was a few years ago as I bumbled along with this blog that I joined a Flash Fiction group called Friday Fictioneers. Together each week, about 20 of us wrote 100 words of fiction based on an image chosen by the group’s leader. This was incredible writing fun. And though I never believed I could write a story in exactly 100 words. It always came easily.

You can read some of my micro stories here. Friday Fictioneers

Within the group we would read some of the other writers’ work and appreciate their unique perspective on the same single image. It is incredible how each of us brings a different viewpoint to the same thing. It was a diverse and prolific group and I enjoyed it very much. That is where I met Fatima Fakier.

In her book, Yes, You Belong, Fatima tells of losing her true self to the demands of society, and her own need to people please. Recognizing this, she took steps to meet herself again. “I started small, saying no to things that didn’t interest me. Dabbling in hobbies and interests. Doing what felt good to me…I started to write again. Taking small steps, crafting one hundred words of flash fiction.”

It was at this juncture I teared up. Who knows the real reasons that we choose to do the things we do. I had no idea at the time that Fatima was finding personal evolution in our little writer’s group, building the bridge back to her authentic soul-led self. Desiring once again to make those courageous transformations back to who she always was.

It’s a tough journey going against the grain, especially when you’ve followed the rules successfully for a long time. In her chapter on Metamorphosis, Fatima Fakier writes , “People close to me could not understand my struggles and needs…We gaslight ourselves as a form of self-doubt in epic proportions. It felt as if people were happy if I met their expectations, knowing I was dishonouring my needs. I was setting myself on fire to keep others warm.”

I was setting myself on fire to keep others warm.

Wow! I think many of us can identify with this. Especially the women and people pleasers among us. Approval of others is a submission that discombobulates our creativity and misaligns our soul’s guidance system.

If we give in we lose ourselves, as Fatima discovered. And she is here to share her inspiring story and guide you back to yourself, where you belong.

The story is inspiring, beautifully written and will tug at your soul strings. Fatima’s writing is astounding. The flow, the story, the vocabulary, the thoughts, the passion, the energy are all truly a blessed creation. 

I can say that there are two memoirs I’ve read this year that have touched me more deeply than any other reading I have done. Dr. Vicki Atkinson’s, Surviving Sue. And Fatima Fakier’s Yes, You Belong.

Both women sharing their truths to help guide us back to ourselves, where we truly belong.

I hope you will seek out and read Fatima Fakier’s Book, Yes, You Belong.

You can find it here https://starthere.fatimafakier.com/ebook-purchase