The Five F’s That Transformed My Life, and Can Transform Yours Too
- Brainz Magazine
- Apr 17
- 6 min read
Candice Ensign is a coach, speaker, entrepreneur, published author, and Certified Equine Gestalt Practitioner. As the CEO of Live Your Crazy Ltd. and a senior contributor to Brainz Magazine, she inspires and equips top leaders nationwide to realize their purpose, find their voice, and unlock their unlimited potential.
I had the success, the accolades, the life that looked perfect on paper, and yet, something was missing. Beneath the surface of achievement lived a quiet ache, a spiritual emptiness I could no longer ignore. What followed was a journey back to myself, guided by five soul truths that didn’t just change my life, they rebuilt it.
I built the business.
I achieved the goals.
And still, I felt empty.
It’s the kind of emptiness you can’t post about. The kind you try to outrun with productivity and prove wrong with success. I knew how to perform, how to earn, how to check all the right boxes, and yet none of it filled the ache in my chest that whispered, This isn’t it.
The truth? I was spiritually bankrupt in a life that looked good on paper. And it wasn’t until everything started to unravel that I finally woke up.
What I found wasn’t a quick fix or a self-help slogan. What I found were five soul truths, five anchors that helped me rebuild from the inside out. They became the bones of my healing, the structure of my rebirth, and the compass that brought me home to myself.
They are the five f’s
Fire. Faith. Freedom. Fierce Love. Full Alignment. And they changed everything.
These aren’t just pillars. They’re a pathway to healing, to purpose, to your raison d’être, your reason to be.
That’s not just a poetic phrase. It’s the name of the ranch I built. It’s the mission behind the nonprofit that now houses over 100 horses once destined for slaughter. It’s the heart of my coaching, my real estate work, and my life.
And it’s the spirit of Live Your Crazy, the brand that was born the moment I stopped apologizing for being too much and started wearing “crazy” as a crown, not a curse.
Let me tell you how I got here and how these five truths might just lead you back to yourself, too.
1. Fire
This is your why. Your spark. The nudge that won’t leave you alone, the ache that keeps you up at night, not because you’re broken, but because you care.
Fire is the first thing I found again and the last thing I’ll ever let go of.
Without Fire, you’ll never do what truly needs to be done. But when you discover your raison d’être, you will walk through hell for it. You will rise when no one else believes. You will keep showing up even when there’s no map, no money, and no applause.
Some of the most successful people I know are still searching for their fire. And if they’ve done this much without it? Just imagine what’s possible when they finally find it.
Ask yourself: What would I fight for even if no one ever clapped?
2. Faith
Faith isn’t about rules or religion. It’s about trust. Trust in something bigger than you.
Trust that the breakdown has a purpose.
Trust that the rug being pulled might be the very thing setting you free.
There were moments I stood alone in the middle of my ranch with more debt than answers and more mouths to feed than I could count, and still, something inside me whispered, Keep going.
Faith is what kept me from giving up when the path made no sense. It reminded me that I’m not doing this alone, that the timing may not be mine, but the calling still is.
Your miracle is already unfolding. Are you still enough to see it?
3. Freedom
So many people look successful but feel trapped.
They’ve got the money, the degrees, the image, but they’re imprisoned by expectations, other people’s opinions, and a life they never truly chose.
Freedom is the moment you stop trying to be digestible. It’s the moment you stop chasing permission.
It’s when you finally say, “This is who I am. Take it or leave it.”
And let me tell you, when I stopped trying to fit into other people’s version of what my life and mission should look like, everything changed.
Reflect: Are you living your truth or performing someone else’s version of success?
4. Fierce love
This one will crack you wide open.
Because it’s not just about loving others, it’s about choosing yourself, even when you’re still healing.
Fierce love means no longer abandoning yourself to keep the peace. It means setting boundaries, not walls.
It means loving your broken parts with the same devotion you give everyone else. And it extends outward, too.
Fierce love is what allows us to meet judgment with grace.
It’s what gives us the power to pause, take a breath, and choose love anyway, even when it’s the hardest thing to do.
Ask yourself: In the face of criticism, control, or cruelty, what would love do here?
5. Full alignment
This is where your fire meets your function.
Where your calling and your calendar start to match. Where you no longer hustle for your worth, but walk in it. Full alignment isn’t perfection. It’s peace.
It’s the moment you stop hiding and start embodying what you’re here to do.
It’s what gave birth to Live Your Crazy not just as a brand, but as a movement. Because the world told me I was too much.
Too emotional. Too driven. Too idealistic.
They called me “crazy” for believing in a sanctuary where healing could happen, for both horses and humans.
For believing that we could build something sacred in a world that wanted systems, spreadsheets, and sellable results.
They told me to “adopt out more horses.”
They told me no one would support the mission.
They told me I had to play by the rules or I’d never survive.
But they didn’t understand this was never about building a revolving-door rescue. It was about building a home.
For the discarded.
For the forgotten.
For the ones the world said weren’t worth saving.
People walked away when they realized they couldn’t bend the mission to fit their agenda.
But I stood firm.
Because at the end of the day.
Crazy became my crown, not my curse.
Here’s what I know for sure:
You can do everything “right” and still feel like something’s missing.
But that ache inside you? That quiet dissatisfaction? It’s not failure. It’s your calling, trying to get your attention.
The Five F’s helped me rebuild from rock bottom.
They’re how I keep showing up for a sanctuary of 100 horses. They’re how I coach clients through transformation, trauma, and truth.
They’re how I help families build generational wealth through real estate. And they’re how I’ve learned to finally live, lead, and love in full alignment. You don’t need another certificate.
You need permission to return to yourself.
This is your invitation to stop fitting in and start living your crazy. Your fire is sacred.
Your faith is stronger than you think. Your freedom is waiting.
Your fierce love is your power.
And your full alignment? That’s where you’ll finally feel at home. Let’s go get it.
Read more from Candice Ensign
Candice Ensign, Speaker, Thought Leader & Passionate Purpose Hacker
Candice Ensign is a coach, speaker, entrepreneur, published author, and Certified Equine Gestalt Practitioner.
As the CEO of Live Your Crazy Ltd. and a senior contributor to Brainz Magazine, she inspires and equips top leaders nationwide to realize their purpose, find their voice, and unlock their unlimited potential.
In a world where conformity reigns, Candice is a trailblazer for those looking to rediscover themselves and embrace their truth.
Candice has a deep love and respect for horses and is passionate about raising awareness of the gifts they offer beyond being ridden. In 2015, she founded the nonprofit Journey with Equus, which rescues horses that would otherwise be euthanized or slaughtered. These incredible animals are rehabilitated and partnered with humans to help them heal trauma, grow in leadership, and rediscover themselves through equine-facilitated wellness programs.
With over 30 years of experience in the real estate industry as a producer, leader, coach, and speaker, Candice is passionate about sharing her life experiences so that others may step into their purpose and live authentically. She knows the importance of continual self-development and leads by example, even through challenges, showing what is possible with faith, determination, and action.
When she's not speaking, writing, or coaching, Candice can be found loving life on her ranch in Elizabeth, Colorado, with her partner and their animals, or spending quality time with her son.
