Inspirational woman: Shadiyah

Shadiyah (Shy), is one of the strongest women I know. She is a dedicated mother, honest and supportive friend and the co-host of @wearetruthradio. A radio show focused on sharing stories and speaking the truth with no topic left uncovered, from relationships to current societal issues they have you covered.

Why is she an inspiration to me?

I admire her natural-born hustle. She knows that it takes hard work and perseverance to achieve your goals and dreams. Despite what life has thrown her way, she always finds a way to stay focused, positive and spread love, light and sage! She is a beautiful woman on the outside, but it is HER aura that shines through every day. The world could use more women like Shadiyah.

The interview

I sat down with Shadiyah to kick off our inspirational women series. We have created this series, as it’s important for us to share stories from other women, to hear their accomplishments, regrets, advice and vision. We all have different journeys. But, we can definitely learn from and empower each other.

What is your biggest accomplishment thus far and why?

My biggest accomplishment is my son and being a mother. Watching him grow over the past 9 years into the young man he is today, is honestly my biggest blessing. I’m so proud and honoured that he calls me mommy. I’ll be the first to admit it is HARD AF and far from perfect but it is so worth it.

Looking back on your life thus far, is there anything you regret?

In life, I don’t regret anything. Personally or professionally, good or bad. I have grown to understand that everything in life is aligned just as it should be for YOU. Our lives are already written, things are going to happen to us whether we like it or not, it’s about enjoying each phase of the journey. Evolving is not always pretty but everything always turns out beautiful – if you allow it.

What is the best piece of advice you can give another woman?
I wish someone told me this—the best advice I can give another woman is to always remain true to you. Some may not like it, some may love it but none of that is important, how you feel about yourself is the only thing that matters.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years—I genuinely don’t know and I’m not worried about it. I know I’ll be exactly where I need to be at that time. Living in the present is something that I have been working on lately. So the past and future is something I choose not to stress about anymore. I know it’s cliche, but it’s the truth.

What is the best piece of advice given to you?
LET IT GO! Allow things to flow in and out of your life naturally. When something is no longer serving its purpose in your life. You need to let that sh*t go! it causes more harm trying to hold onto it.

What do you think stops a woman or yourself from putting herself first?
HER!! Women are so critical of themselves, it’s never really the outside factors that stop us. We take a break—we feel guilty. We buy something for ourselves—we feel guilty (if we don’t buy something for the kids), and we feel guilty if we are not giving our partners enough time. But, what happened to us? We worry about everything and everyone around us and often forget about the most important person in the equation.

We spread ourselves so thin and then wonder why we are so unhappy and don’t even recognize the person staring back at us in the mirror—we lose ourselves. Listen DO YOU! Buy that purse, take that trip and eat that last chocolate bar, that you were supposed to leave for your kid. Do what makes YOU HAPPY and trust me, they will still love you, maybe, even more, the next day!

What three words, could be used to describe you?
Work.in.progress.

Your favourite inspirational quote: If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. – Maya Angelou

Thank you, Shadiyah for sharing the love, light and positivity with all of us.