This is not an advert promoting weight loss; In fact, far from it, basically it’s simply my story, my not so applaudable journey. The photo of me on the left is from a time when I was stuck in the iron fist of religion, and the one of the right is when I decided to let my mindset be transformed by the simplicity of purpose and absence of dogmatism. This is my story about my life, with all its trials and learning curves, and what it took for me to break free from a toxic, controlling situation I found myself in that nearly destroyed me.
For 8 years, I had been bound by fear in the iron fist of religion, I believe it was designed to oppress me. In short, I found myself in a position in which too many women find themselves in today, falling into a soul-draining trap, such as judgements, condemnation, bickering, eye-service of the highest order, fear and anxiety for a place of community and refuge it lacked all the trimmings of a place of refuge.
One would ask the question, why was I there, let me explain a bit in this article but you could read all about it in depth in my book-Be The Total Woman You Are sold on Amazon. When my children came to the UK the thought of them exchanging cultures and growing up here scared me so I looked for a community, a church to belong to to call family unknown to me it was the beginning of a turbulent time in my life that lasted well over 7yrs.
At its very core, religion thrives on ego and toxic traditions: it serves a hierarchy which is dependent on having people deemed as ‘inferior’ who are made to abide by countless spiritually destructive rules. Over time, and from my experience over a period of 8 years, tradition was designed to debilitate my sense of self, deny me from rising to my God-given heights, and prevent me from knowing who I was, why I was here and finding myself.
It’s only by the knowledge of the truth about who I am, why am here, a changed mindset that I was able to rise above the mess and now, more than ever, I feel ready and determined to help women empower themselves, rediscover their voices, and walk in the blissful simplicity of life that God intended us to live. As women we fail to underestimate our power both within and in the world because society and traditions try their hardest to keep us under-wraps, silence us and keep us muted for as long as they can.
Since I came out of religion and come into the knowledge of who I am, where I am from, where I am going, why I am here and what I can do I am fuelled by the passion to encourage other women to become the highest version of themselves and emerge into their greatness. The world is waiting for us to serve them through our purpose, to serve humanity,
This is not another advert: it’s my story about fully committing to my purpose Much like the podcast I host and my mentoring programme, empowering women is at the top of everything I do to encourage people to pursue their destinies wholeheartedly. Having grown up in an African home, I was denied the privilege of fully committing to what my heart desired to do which was entertainment and as a result, my life took a different course for many years. After all, entertainment is something you barely think about under an African roof, let alone do!
To anyone who might find themselves in a similar position to what I was in during those years, let this be a reminder to you that we are all created with a clean clear cut purpose and “wonderfully made”. be encouraged to serve humanity in whatever ways you can.
A mindset built on purpose is mandatory for change, understanding who you are, and passing on the baton to the next person.
Sade Popoola is
Author of Be The Total Woman You Are: Living your purpose in full totality (published April 2020)
Podcast host – Emerging Into Greatness
Actress, Presenter & Voiceover Artist
Inventor of an illuminated handbag; nominated for the British Female Inventor and Innovator Awards- 2007
website- www.sadepopoola.com