Hello dear reader, it’s wonderful to cross paths here on our search for a more authentic and fulfilling way to experience life and to get to know ourselves more deeply.

My name is Ruby and 8 years ago to this day Rosie gave me an opportunity to share a guest article for her newsletter titled, “Living a life true to myself”. I had just left the profession I had trained in to follow my heart. It was the start of my journey living a life true to myself. You can read the original article here.

Somehow 8 years have since passed and Rosie has kindly given me the opportunity to write a follow up guest article, “Living a life true to myself: 8 years on”. I hope what I share will inspire you and spark the courage innate within you to begin (or continue) the journey of living a life true to yourself.

There isn’t a step I have taken that you don’t have the capacity to take yourself. Truly. Your path will look different, as each of our paths is unique, but the results of freedom, peace and greater love that grace us when we align to our true self path are universal. It is possible for every single one of us.

It’s easy to imagine that people living lives of their dreams must be special. But they’re truly no different to you. They have just had something special happen to them: they made the choice to choose themselves fully. To meet themselves just as they are in each moment, to listen for their inner truth and heal the blocks preventing their authentic expression in the world. And that choice is available to everyone.

When we do this the world we see starts to change, miracles begin to happen – not because we’re ‘special’ but because when we choose our truth deeply we align with the truth of the universe and, as it happens, the universe is one giant miracle making masterpiece designed to deliver you everything you need to heal and embody your true self, at a pace you can handle. By aligning to your true self, you become part of the universal masterpiece to which you’ve always belonged.

These words about miracles and our connection with the universe can be inspiring but sometimes hard to understand how that looks when it comes to the choices we make in our day to day lives. So, I want to offer you the story of what has happened in the last 8 years since I began living a life true to myself, including the lessons I have learnt along the way. I hope it makes living your truth feel like a possibility in your life which is the first step on the path. It is possible for all of us.

Here we go!

Rewind 8 years and I had moved home with my mum, left the veterinary profession, and barely had enough money to do that week’s food shop. Lesson 1: sometimes taking – what our culture would call – a life ‘backstep’ is actually a step forward on your true path. For me, an inner calling to explore the therapeutic relationship between horses and people had grown stronger over the preceding 3 years and finally I’d chosen to follow it for good. The path forward was less than clear. This where my first article for Rosie’s newsletter ended. Lesson 2: life can become incredibly challenging when we’re trying to swim against the flow of our true self path. Once you begin to align with it things get easier.

After I found the courage to share my story through Rosie’s newsletter she invited me to join her connect workshop. I was keen but pretty broke. I asked if Rosie would accept £50/month until I’d paid off the cost of the workshop and she kindly accepted. Lesson 3: when you jump in alignment with your true self’s guidance, the universe catches you and doors open in ways you could not have predicted. I also went and got myself a day job, something to pay the bills whilst I explored this unclear calling I felt. Lesson 4: the universe isn’t going to hand you everything on a platter whilst you sit back. Clarity comes from action.

So, in February 2018 I attended Rosie’s Connect workshop. Immediately things started slotting together, I began understanding myself in deep and liberating ways that continued my journey of transforming much of the shame, judgement, depression and anxiety I experienced internally. The Connect workshop led to the NOW programme which led to the Eponaquest apprenticeship. As I followed my true self’s guidance doors kept opening. Often with nothing obvious to initially follow other than an abyss to jump into. But every time I trusted the universe and jumped, it caught me and would reveal the next step.

2018 – 2022 was filled with learning, expansion and the growing pains that come with healing. As I trained in Equine Facilitated Learning I began working at a local alternative provision with children, young people and horses. I loved this work. Alongside this I also spent my time learning from the horses themselves. I felt like I’d found my calling. Alongside my studies and work I deepened my learning and was guided to explore the latest science surrounding healing and ultimately what it means to be well. Central to this, for me, was understanding how horses fit into this picture. This led me to write an 8-part blog series on “The Potential of the Horse – Human Bond” from all I was learning. One thing unfolded into the next as I learnt to stay present to the voice of my true self. Lesson 5: Following the voice of your true self is a journey of emergence rather than following a linear timeline created by the intellect. It’s by becoming completely accepting of what is within you in the present moment that you align with the intelligence of the universe and the next step emerges.

In 2022 I had the opportunity to set up my own business “Horse & Human” and continued to provide support to children and young people through Equine Facilitated Learning. It sounds big, and it was in a sense, but it was also made up of lots of small, very human steps, immense self-compassion and utilisation of all the tools I had learned from my EFL training. Lesson 6: you never get ‘there’, this place where it’s all perfect and you’ve ‘made it’. It’s easy to think that when you look at another person’s life from the outside in. But the closer you get the more you’ll see that all our lives are made up of the choices we make in the present moment which is always renewing itself. Simply put, whatever you practise gets stronger and the option to choose again renews itself in every moment.

I continued to pour my heart into this work and share the power and potential I was seeing and experiencing first-hand. It was difficult to grow a service. I felt called to work with the herd I was part of but setting up any form of EFL facility wasn’t simple or viable for me at the time. I free-lanced at different yards finding any way I could to make it work. I wrote, I gave talks and schemed for the day I could grow the service and share the transformational potential of EFL work with more people. Lesson 7: do the best with what you have. When you show the universe you’re serious and you’re not going to give up on your dream it gives you what you need for the next step. It may well test your grit first, but when you’re moving from love and alignment with your true self that grit won’t feel like self-punishment but a powerful opportunity to stand for your heart and truth in this sometimes-disorienting world. Start following your true self guidance in whatever tiny way feels do-able to you with whatever you have available and watch what happens.

Then one summer’s day as I sat in the field painting amongst the herd a good friend appeared at the gate and approached me. We’d grown up riding together and 3 of the horses in the herd I’d become part of were hers. She told me about the vision her close friend Sharon had of setting up a facility that supported the wellbeing of children through horses, in memory of her late daughter Amy. I’d also grown-up riding with Amy who sadly passed away in 2013 so was familiar with her story. Sharon was now nearing the end of her life and wished for a large portion of her estate to go towards setting up such a cause. My friend asked if I wanted to collaborate with her and the other executor of Sharon’s will to set up a charity providing an EFL service to children in memory of Amy. I could hardly believe it. Lesson 8: Even if you can’t see the bigger picture, the universe has one. Don’t try to figure it out, just follow its guidance by learning to align with your true self. The universe will cover the rest.

During 2023-2025 the executors, and later the board of trustees, contracted me to design and set up a bespoke EFL facility and register Amy’s Trust – Healing through Horses as a charity. What a journey! From finding the land, to moving the herd, to getting planning permission, to the build, the charity status and on it goes! Wow. Many a lesson learnt.  Lesson 9: Everything is only ever one step at a time emerging from alignment with your true self in the present moment. Build from presence like this and you’re building on solid ground. Know your limit to avoid overwhelm. Honour your courage to build resilience and spiritual stamina. 

In October 2025, Amy’s Trust – Healing through Horses opened its gates and I became their operations director. I now spend my time developing our EFL practice, working with the herd to deliver EFL sessions and running this very special charity in memory of Amy & Sharon Duffield. It truly is incredible what unfolds when we learn to discover, align and take action from our true selves. Which always starts with our relationship to ourselves in the present moment. Lesson 10: It always starts here. You already have all that you need within to awaken to your true self and be it. It is the most life affirming process because it leads us to re-member our inherent connection to all and experience a true sense of belonging.

A huge thank you to Rosie for her invitation and encouragement to share my story, alongside her workshops that have supported me in changing the course of my life to one of truth. Lesson 11: We cannot do this work alone, we heal together, don’t be afraid to seek the support you need.

With much love, here’s to your unfolding,

Ruby