posted on August 14, 2018
Welcome back friend to this weeks guest interview. Hope all is well.
If not caught up, click here to get the why behind “The Resilient Woman Series”.
This weeks guest is putting her money where her passion is. She is literally a walking example of one who has endured a common struggle. Overcoming anxiety and depression has fueled her to establish a portal designed to encourage, infuse, and ultimately transform the mind toward positive growth. Read on as she shares her passion.
Meet Seppy.
My name is Seppy and I’m a personal development blogger from Elle is for Love, where I share action-based inspired tools and resources to help women slay their goals and live their dream life.
For years, I struggled with depression and anxiety. I felt lost and hopeless; I didn’t have direction or purpose and every day was a struggle to get out of bed. Until I turned things around and transformed my life, my mind and my body. I started implementing goal-slaying strategies to slowly but surely build a life that I love.
I wake up almost every day feeling excited and motivated. I’ve seen firsthand the transformation that happens when you apply the right tools and strategies to transform yourself and your life. And I want to share that with other women so that they can feel empowered to take control of their destiny and live a life that they LOVE.
That is awesome Seppy. Your efforts will certainly energize and motivate others.
TWH- What is your definition of a strong woman?
A strong woman has the strength and wisdom to get through anything. She is able to find the resources and help she needs to solve any problem and has the patience and desire to learn and grow.
A strong woman is someone who is able to recognize her strengths and weaknesses, that has the courage to admit when they are wrong or don’t know something. She is able to balance her emotional and intellectual side. She is not embarrassed to be in touch with her emotions and recognizes the value it can bring.
A strong woman doesn’t need the validation of others but recognizes her own value and what she has to offer in the world. She isn’t afraid to share her true self, while also being respectful of others and understanding of differences that might arise.
She is able to take constructive criticism and is constantly working on herself to become better and stronger every day. She doesn’t shy away from challenging situations but welcomes it because she knows that it’s an opportunity to grow even stronger.
TWH- A resilient woman possesses these qualities. Explain.
A resilient woman is insightful, strong, and compassionate.
She has insight into herself, her capacities and her weaknesses, which allows her to reach out for help when she needs it. She also has the insight and wisdom to recognize that everything happens for a reason and that if she is able to understand and appreciate the lesson in any situation, then it won’t be as hard to bare.
A resilient woman is strong – strong enough to know that she is able to get through it and strong-willed to not let things get her down. She is able to pick herself back up, dust herself off and keep going.
A resilient woman is so strong that she keeps a brave face so that others can feel courageous and at ease. But a resilient woman is also able to be vulnerable and let her emotions show, without letting them take over and paralyze her.
She is compassionate because she recognizes that everyone has their own journey and their own struggles and that we all need to be more kind towards each other. She is compassionate towards herself as well, to give herself the time and space needed to process her emotions and feelings, and then be able to get back on her feet and continue.
TWH- Could you name a few situations that highlight or showcase The Resilient Women in action?
My mother is a resilient woman. My family and I lived in Guinea, Africa for 6 years. At the time, Guinea was one of the poorest countries of the world. Access to resources was very limited – we often didn’t have power or access to clean water, and the variety of food was limited. Even though we were obviously better off than most, it was still a challenging and unpredictable lifestyle, especially with the added political instability.
But my mother always kept a smile on her face, never complained and always made things fun for my sisters and I. Bath time became fun because we would bathe in a big bucket outside in the yard. Dinner time was fun because it often became a romantic candlelight dinner. She always managed to come up with fun adventures and activities for us so that my sisters and I did not feel the challenges of life that we faced in Guinea.
My mom was resilient because she faced a lot of obstacles to be able to fulfill her role as a mother (at least in the ‘traditional’ sense of the term), but she rose above the challenges, never let them bring her down. She always made the best of it so that her family felt inspired and happy because she created a fun and positive environment.
TWH- What barriers if any may The Resilient Women encounter?
The biggest barrier a resilient woman might encounter is herself: her mindset, thoughts, and interpretation when facing a challenging situation. Anyone can feel discouraged or disheartened.
But that’s a mindset where you believe that life is happening TO you rather than for you. It’s an opportunity to change your perspective to see what you can learn, rather than focusing on the lack or how you wish something was different. Everything happens for a reason and a resilient woman recognizes that.
A resilient woman has the insight and wisdom to recognize that her emotions are valid at the moment, but that feeling discouraged won’t help her. She is able to overcome those limiting beliefs and empower herself to face the challenge head first and deal with it.
TWH- Is society recognizing the Resilient women today and if so, how?
There has been a growing movement recently, recognizing the strength and resilience of women. Women have a tendency not to speak up or to show their strength, but with different stories emerging of the extreme challenges faced by women around the world, there is a growing recognition of the strength and resilience of women.
For example, as women, we face a lot of expectations for our careers to our looks and our behavior. But there’s growing awareness that these are false expectations that are being imposed on us and that we should each carve out our own expectations for ourselves and follow our own paths.
TWH- Who is your example of a strong woman? If more, its ok to share that too.
I think that all women have the strength within them, but it’s a matter of uncovering and unleashing their full potential. All the women around me, my sisters, my mother, my cousins, my aunts, my friends…they all have strengths in some areas and weaknesses and others. But they are not defined by their weaknesses but by their strengths and capacities.
If I had to give an example of a strong woman that is known around the world, I think of Michelle Obama. She is able to be vulnerable and share a softer side while being outspoken and an advocate for subjects that are important to her. She is strong because she knows her worth and her value, while also recognizing her role as a mother, a wife, and a human being.
Another strong woman that I know is my aunt. She went through a lot in her life and instead of letting her life experiences get her down and make her disheartened and frustrated, she continues to keep a smile on her face and is always trying to help others. Her life circumstances haven’t brought her down but have rather made her stronger and more resilient. She is able to handle any situation, with her head held high.
TWH- Do you feel there are limits to being a strong woman?
The only limit to a strong woman is herself and her beliefs of what she is and isn’t capable of doing.
We all have unlimited capacities to accomplish whatever we set our minds to. It’s only our mindset and our limiting beliefs that hold us back from fulfilling our full potential.
Like I mentioned before, every woman is inherently strong. We were built to be mothers and to raise children, which is physically, emotionally and spiritually a really demanding role. So our genetics make us strong, regardless of our life experiences. But I think that all women need to be given the opportunity to uncover their strength that lies within them.
TWH- If you could help guide someone to being a strong woman how would you help them?
I think that the moment a woman recognizes her worth, what she has to offer, and understands that her unique voice and journey is inspiring, she will become an unstoppable force.
Women need to feel empowered to use their voice and their stories to connect with others and to make a difference. Once they recognize that their voice matters, that their story is unique and valuable and that someone needs to hear their stories, they will feel compelled to use their voice. And then it becomes a positive reinforcing and unstoppable cycle where the more she uses her voice and is inspired to speak up, the stronger and more powerful she will feel.
Well said Seppy! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and being a positive role model for ladies everywhere.
Well folks, here we have another example of courage, tenacity, and persistence in action. Seppy has certainly shown that although challenges are encountered one has by default the makeup to accept those challenges and be successful.
Thanks again Seppy for taking the time to share your experiences.
Seppy shares her passion on other social media networks listed below.
Twitter https://twitter.com/SeppyforLove
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/seppyforlove/
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.ca/SeppyForLove/
Blog/website http://elleisforlove.com
