This month we crush on Nelao Nengola who describes her blog as a therapy and healing blog for herself and others. She lets us in on how she wants her readers who have dealt with unfortunate life experiences to know that regardless of what they’ve been through, they are worthy and that they can create a life of love, purpose and joy.
Check out her blog here.
8 Questions for Nelao
Describe yourself in three words.
Determined. Resilient and Optimistic
Describe your blog
My blog started out as therapy and healing for myself but when I started sharing what I was writing, it started to become therapy and healing for others as well. For a long time it was a place for me to express and release the pain I was going through. The more I wrote, the more I would receive messages from other people who shared that they were feeling the same way and they that they were thankful I was sharing what I was going through. My blog is now in transition. I will still be sharing my experiences in a raw and authentic voice but alongside that I will share the tools and action steps that I used to begin the journey of healing and creating a healthy, happy life in spite of everything I’ve been through. It’s been tough few years of releasing and letting go and now its about taking what I’ve been through and creating a beautiful life with it.
What you want your readers to get from it?
A lot of the things I’ve written about are issues that most people shy away from speaking about. A big part of the journey that I’ve shared in the recent past has been about healing through and overcoming emotional trauma due to sexual violence. I want my readers, especially those who have had to deal with unfortunate life experiences, to know that regardless of what they’ve been through, they are worthy and that they can create a life of love, purpose and joy. Through sharing my experience and in living by example, I hope to inspire others that they too can overcome their struggles and do great things.
What are you reading at the moment?
I’m currently reading ‘Braving the Wilderness: A quest for true belonging and the courage to stand alone’ by Brene Brown. I love Brene, she’s my favorite author. Her book ‘The Gifts of Imperfection’ played a major role in the beginning of my self love and self acceptance journey. If you are not familiar with her work, please go look her up. She addresses authenticity, vulnerability and courage in a way that will transform your life.
What is the biggest lesson you have learnt, in your (age) of life?
Turning 30 has been monumental for me. My 20’s were a whirlwind but i’m grateful for that chapter of my life. 30 has been about becoming but I couldn’t become who I am at 30 if I had not experienced all that I have up until this point. I’ve learned that every experience comes to teach and we should be open to accepting the lessons that life brings. The problem most of us have is that we get trapped by the experience, especially painful ones. In order to heal pain, you must go through it. Allowing yourself to move through your pain will grant you access to deeper love and joy. Yes life can get challenging but there is always a bright side, lean towards that.
Where do you garner inspiration from?
I’m inspired when I see people showing up in life; Showing up in courage and joy and passion. When I’m feeling uninspired I look for people who are going boldly after their passions and dreams. Sometimes I find these people on the inter-webs but my favorite is when I look around in real life and catch glimpses of authentic courage, love and determination, that really lights me up.
Favourite quote/set of words?
Raise your words, not your voice. Its is rain that grows flowers, not thunder” ~Rumi
This is one of my favorite quotes for a number of reasons. Most people don’t know that i’m extremely self conscious about my voice and the way I speak. I’ve told to speak louder and made fun of my whole life so there’s this sense of “not enough” surrounding my voice and the way I speak. This quote is a beautiful reminder to focus of my message and its impact. There will always be ‘thunder’ to distract us but if we get caught up trying to be louder than the thunder, we lose sight our words and voice. Lets rather focus on raising our words and being the rain that grows the flowers.
What is your favourite thing to do late?
Aside from working on my fitness goals, I really enjoy learning new things. Since starting my business I’ve become extremely obsessed with entrepreneurship and the people who dare to pursue that journey. My favorite thing to do lately is study people. People who do and have done great things. People who have succeeded and those who are considered failures. I do this through books and documentaries but my favorite is talking to people. It’s amazing how little we know about people we see on a daily basis. So many inspirational stories and lessons sitting right next to us and we don’t even know it. I’ve been challenging myself to start conversations with strangers or people I wouldn’t normally engage with. I challenge you to do the same. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll learn.
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