Episode 53: Finding Yourself Inside Your Life - Joy Within Limitations

Episode 53: Finding Yourself Inside Your Life - Joy Within Limitations

Send us your thoughts questions or feedback! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2246666/fan_mail/new] Episode 53: Finding Yourself Inside Your Life - Joy Within Limitations On this episode of A Soulful Mom’s Wisdom, Africa O. opens month two of season seven with one of her most layered and honest conversations yet. The theme of finding yourself inside your life takes on a deeper, more grounded dimension here as Africa explores what it truly means to choose joy — not in the absence of limitations, but in full acknowledgment of them. This episode centers on joy as an intentional practice and examines the very real, systemic barriers that can make that practice harder… as a woman, as a Black woman, and as a mother. Africa doesn’t look away from those realities. She names them, grounds them in research, and then speaks to the power of choosing joy anyway. Theme: Finding Yourself Inside Your Life (Month 2 — Cultivating Inner Joy) Month two shifts the season’s focus inward toward cultivating inner joy as an intentional practice. This month’s conversations explore what joy actually looks like when it coexists with real limitations — not in spite of them, but alongside them. Joy, Africa argues, is not a feeling you wait to arrive. It is something you choose, consistently and unapologetically, within the life you are already living. Quote “Move through life as if there aren’t limitations around you, just within you.” — Author Unknown Episode Summary Africa opens with a beautiful personal moment… her four-year-old daughter approached her the morning after a craft project to say, unprompted, that doing activities together makes her happy. It’s a small moment, but a meaningful one: an example of joy showing up simply, in the middle of an ordinary day. Africa uses it to set the tone for everything that follows. The episode quote… “Move through life as if there aren’t limitations around you, just within you”... is not, Africa clarifies, a call to deny reality. It is an invitation to shift your mental posture. Limitations are real. They exist outside of us. But the quote asks us to stop letting external limitations become the ceiling on our inner experience. Joy, the episode argues, can coexist with constraint. The two are not mutually exclusive. Africa then walks through her own layered experience of navigating limitations… first as a woman, then as a Black woman, and then as a mother. On the gender pay gap, she draws on personal experience and cites research from the National Women’s Law Center, noting that as of 2024, women earn an average of 81 cents for every dollar earned by men — a gap that compounds across retirement security, healthcare access, investing, and everyday financial decisions. She makes the point clearly: these are not abstract statistics. They shape the texture of daily life. She then adds the layer of being a Black woman — naming the stereotypes that have followed Black women from slavery into the present day: the angry Black woman, the strong Black woman, the Jezebel trope. Africa is careful to distinguish stereotypes from truth: these are opinions, not facts, but they carry real impact. They shape professional outcomes, personal safety, credibility, and emotional labor. She connects this historical thread to the Me Too movement, noting that it was founded by a Black woman specifically to center the safety and vulnerability of Black women. Finally, she speaks to the experience of being a Black mother… referencing Census Bureau data that shows Black women are more likely to work full time, more likely to experience involuntary part-time work, and less likely to have the flexibility to step back during seasons of motherhood. She speaks personally about job loss and the absence of choice when it comes to balancing career and caregiving. But the episode doesn’t stay there. Africa closes by returning to the quote and affirming what she knows to be true from her own journey: acknowledging limitations is not the same as being defined by them. Joy is still available. It requires intention, it requires choice, and it requires refusing to let external barriers become internal ones. She will choose joy unapologetically… and she invites listeners to do the same. Episode Highlights •Introducing month two of season seven: cultivating inner joy as an intentional practice •A tender moment with her four-year-old daughter as an example of joy showing up simply •Unpacking the episode quote: limitations are real, but joy can coexist with them •The gender pay gap, personal experience and 2024 research from the National Women’s Law Center (81 cents on the dollar) •How the pay gap compounds across retirement, healthcare, investing, and everyday life •Stereotypes affecting Black women: the angry Black woman, the strong Black woman, the Jezebel trope and their historical roots •Stereotypes as opinions, not facts — but ones that still carry real impact on outcomes •The Me Too movement and its origins in centering the safety of Black women •Census Bureau data on Black women, Black mothers, and barriers to flexible or stable employment •The difference between acknowledging limitations and being defined by them •Choosing joy intentionally and unapologetically, even within real constraints Make sure you explore more health & wellness insights and coaching opportunities at liveafricao.com. Stay connected for more episodes of A Soulful Mom’s Wisdom. Please be sure to rate and review the podcast. You are greatly appreciated.  Thank you! Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2246666/support] Make sure you explore more health & wellness tips, as well sign up for personal coaching, by visiting my website liveafricao.com [https://liveafricao.com/]! You can also visit me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/liveafricao/] and youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@liveafricao/null] @liveafricao Please, be sure to rate and review this podcast today—it means a lot. And if you ever want to show extra love, you can always buy me a coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/liveafricao]. You are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Episode 51: Finding Yourself Inside Your Life - Joy and Sustainability Work in Tandem

Send us your thoughts questions or feedback! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2246666/fan_mail/new] Episode 51: Finding Yourself Inside Your Life - Joy and Sustainability Work in Tandem On this episode of A Soulful Mom’s Wisdom, Africa O. continues season seven’s exploration of finding yourself inside your life with a deeply personal conversation about sustainability, joy, and what it really looks like to build a life that reflects your values. As mothers, partners, professionals, and individuals, we often find ourselves trying to balance competing priorities while pursuing goals that matter deeply to us. But what happens when the way we pursue those goals begins to cost us our health, presence, peace, or joy? This episode explores the difference between commitment and overextension, and why sustainable growth often requires us to redefine what success looks like in the season we are currently living. Theme: Finding Yourself Inside Your Life (Month 1 — The Balancing Act) Season seven centers on the journey of discovering who you are within the life you already have. Month one focuses on the balancing act: navigating identity, purpose, family, wellness, and personal goals without losing yourself in the process. Quote "Joy and sustainability work in tandem. They are not trade-offs." — Africa O. Episode Summary Africa reflects on her experience building her wellness platform while balancing motherhood, marriage, health, and freelance consulting work. She shares how she initially fell into habits that were not sustainable… overcaffeinating, sacrificing sleep, and pushing herself beyond her natural rhythms in pursuit of consistency and growth. Eventually, she realized that the pace she was maintaining was costing her the very things she valued most. Rather than continuing down that path, she chose a different approach: one rooted in sleep, presence, health, and realistic expectations. She began building her platform around what she could sustainably maintain rather than what she believed she "should" be able to do. Throughout the episode, Africa discusses the dangers of comparing your journey to someone else's. Every family, season, resource level, and support system is different. What works for one person may not be sustainable for another. She also shares how her background as a PMP-certified project manager influences her approach to life. Drawing from Agile project management principles, she explains how working in smaller, manageable increments while remaining flexible can be just as effective in personal life as it is in professional settings. The episode closes with practical examples of how she incorporates sustainable joy into her daily life—from honoring slower mornings after difficult nights with her daughter, to using walks as a tool for processing challenges, to recognizing and maximizing periods of high energy without sacrificing long-term wellbeing. The overarching message is simple but powerful: sustainable joy is not something we earn after achieving our goals. It is something we intentionally build into the journey itself. Episode Highlights • Continuing season seven's theme of finding yourself inside your life • Exploring why joy and sustainability are partners, not competitors • The cost of overcaffeinating, sacrificing sleep, and chasing unrealistic productivity standards • Choosing presence, health, and rest without abandoning meaningful goals • Why comparing your journey to someone else's rarely tells the full story • Understanding that your version of balance must fit your actual life • Applying Agile project management principles to motherhood and personal growth • Working in smaller, sustainable increments rather than relying on intensity • Honoring personal energy levels and adjusting expectations accordingly • Using walks, reading, and wellness practices as tools for restoration and reflection • Recognizing that flexibility is a strength, not a weakness • Why sustainable joy creates longer-lasting results than short bursts of intensity Key Takeaway There is no perfect balance, but there are intentional choices. You do not have to sacrifice your joy in order to build something meaningful. Sustainable growth happens when your goals, habits, and commitments reflect the reality of your life rather than someone else's expectations. Stay connected to your purpose. Stay flexible. Work in manageable pieces. Choose longevity over intensity. Because sustainable joy is the goal. Make sure you explore more health & wellness insights and coaching opportunities at liveafricao.com. Stay connected for more episodes of A Soulful Mom’s Wisdom. Please be sure to rate and review the podcast. You are greatly appreciated. Thank you! Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2246666/support] Make sure you explore more health & wellness tips, as well sign up for personal coaching, by visiting my website liveafricao.com [https://liveafricao.com/]! You can also visit me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/liveafricao/] and youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@liveafricao/null] @liveafricao Please, be sure to rate and review this podcast today—it means a lot. And if you ever want to show extra love, you can always buy me a coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/liveafricao]. You are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Episode 50: Finding Yourself Inside Your Life - Protect Your Joy

Send us your thoughts questions or feedback! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2246666/fan_mail/new] A Soulful Mom’s Wisdom Protect Your Joy On this episode of A Soulful Mom’s Wisdom, Africa O. gets real about the cost of building something meaningful when the pace becomes unsustainable. Episode 50 is a candid, personal account of what burnout actually looks and feels like from the inside — not as a dramatic crash, but as a slow, quiet erosion of the things that matter most. This conversation sits within season seven’s theme of finding yourself inside your life, and this month’s focus on the balancing act of navigating identity while being a mom and building a wellness platform. At the heart of this episode is an important distinction: happiness and joy are not the same thing. And when you’re pouring from an empty cup — building, creating, and showing up for everyone else — it’s your joy that quietly pays the price. Theme: Finding Yourself Inside Your Life (Month 1 — The Balancing Act) This month’s conversations continue to explore what it means to hold on to yourself while holding everything else. The balancing act isn’t just about time management — it’s about recognizing when the pace of building something is working against the very values that inspired you to build it in the first place. Quote “Happiness is fleeting. But joy is not. And you cannot build something sustainable on a foundation that is costing you your joy.” — Africa O. Episode Summary Africa opens by drawing an important distinction between happiness and joy — two words that are often used interchangeably but represent very different experiences. Happiness is tied to moments, adrenaline, and highs. Joy is a deeper, more rooted state. When she reflects on the early seasons of building her wellness platform, she recognizes that a lot of what she was chasing was the adrenaline of creation — the excitement of launching, filming, and producing — not necessarily the sustainable joy of it. She then walks through the real, granular details of what burnout looked like in her daily life: consuming more coffee than usual, falling asleep in coffee shops (which, as she notes, is basically unheard of for her), losing quality time with her partner, and feeling too tired to even sleep. She describes a slow buildup where she was juggling her podcast, YouTube channel, one-on-one coaching, fitness classes, blogs, and all the behind-the-scenes work of marketing and research, all while being a mom with limited outside support and no nearby family. Eventually, she hit a wall. She went from always being “on” to experiencing a kind of paralysis — unable to film, unable to edit, backlog growing, motivation gone. That’s when she knew it was time for a real check-in. She began examining her cognitive function, her physical and emotional wellbeing, her wellness routines, and her family’s health as a whole. She recognized that the very tools she uses to maintain her health — journaling, meditating, exercising, reading… were the first things to go when life got too full. The episode closes with a direct, grounding takeaway: identify what is costing you your joy. Not with judgment, but with honesty. Reflect on what has brought you genuine fulfillment and ask yourself what is standing between you and that experience. And then protect it…  because if you don’t, the cost will compound over time. Episode Highlights • The important distinction between happiness (fleeting, adrenaline-driven) and joy (sustainable, rooted) • An honest look at what burnout actually felt and looked like day to day • The slow buildup: extra coffee, missed partner time, falling asleep in public, creative paralysis • The reality of building a multi-faceted wellness platform with limited support • How the first things to disappear during burnout were the very wellness practices that sustain her • The value of journaling and reflection as data, a way to track patterns over time • Examining cognitive, physical, emotional, and family functioning as part of a serious self-check-in • The realization that you cannot pour from an empty cup… especially not into a wellness platform • A practical takeaway: identify what is costing you your joy, without judgment, and protect it Make sure you explore more health & wellness insights and coaching opportunities at liveafricao.com. Stay connected for more episodes of A Soulful Mom’s Wisdom. Please be sure to rate and review the podcast. You are greatly appreciated. Thank you! Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2246666/support] Make sure you explore more health & wellness tips, as well sign up for personal coaching, by visiting my website liveafricao.com [https://liveafricao.com/]! You can also visit me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/liveafricao/] and youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@liveafricao/null] @liveafricao Please, be sure to rate and review this podcast today—it means a lot. And if you ever want to show extra love, you can always buy me a coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/liveafricao]. You are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Episode 49: Finding Yourself Inside Your Life - The Identity I Had to Let Go Of

Send us your thoughts questions or feedback! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2246666/fan_mail/new] Episode Title: Finding Yourself Inside Your Life - The Identity I Had to Let Go Of On this episode of A Soulful Mom's Wisdom, Africa O. opens season seven with an honest, grounding conversation about identity — specifically, the identities we inherit, adopt, and sometimes have to release in order to find the ones that are truly ours. This is episode 49, and it marks the beginning of a new season with a new format: one overarching theme carried across the entire season, explored in increasing depth each month. The season seven theme is finding yourself inside your life. Month one focuses on the balancing act, navigating personal identity while holding all the roles that come with motherhood and life. Theme: Finding Yourself Inside Your Life (Month 1 — The Balancing Act) This theme centers on the journey of discovering who you are within the life you are already living, not in a future version of your life, or once everything settles down, but right now. Month one zeroes in on the balancing act: how we manage our sense of self alongside the demands of caregiving, partnership, and everything else that claims our time and energy. Quote “The identity I had to let go of to find the one that was actually mine.” — Africa O. Episode Summary Africa begins with a personal reflection on hustle culture, not to dismiss the concept, but to examine how easily we can adopt identities that don’t actually belong to us. Whether those identities are assigned by others or absorbed from cultural narratives about productivity and success, the pressure to perform at a certain volume is real. For many, the “hustler” identity — no sleep, constant output, always grinding — becomes the default mode for anyone building something. Africa shares a formative memory of watching her father leave for work at 5 a.m. and return at 10 p.m. every day, a man who had no choice but to play both mother and father. She honors his discipline and acknowledges how deeply his work ethic was instilled in her. But she also recognizes that her season is different. She has a choice. And how she exercises that choice matters. That choice led her to release the false identity of the hustler and reclaim something more aligned with who she actually is. She stopped measuring her wellness platform by output volume and started defining it by intention. She stopped chasing a content schedule and started chasing her daughter. She got clear that her home, her daughter, and her health come first, not as excuses, but as the very foundation her platform is built on. The episode closes with a powerful reframe: passion and purpose can grow in alignment with your life, not in competition with it. If you’re pursuing something meaningful, make sure it reflects who you truly are and aligns with your actual values. Forced growth is not sustainable growth. Episode Highlights •Introducing season seven’s overarching theme: finding yourself inside your life •Month one focus: the balancing act of identity and motherhood •Unpacking hustle culture and the identities we adopt without realizing it •A personal reflection on her father’s work ethic and what she chose to carry forward •Releasing the “hustler” identity in favor of one rooted in intention and sustainability •Redefining a wellness platform by intention, not output volume •Prioritizing home, health, and family as the foundation of everything she builds •The reminder that passion and purpose should grow with your life, not against it •Encouragement for anyone pursuing something meaningful to ensure it aligns with their values Make sure you explore more health & wellness insights and coaching opportunities at liveafricao.com. Stay connected for more episodes of A Soulful Mom’s Wisdom. Please be sure to rate and review the podcast. You are greatly appreciated.  Thank you! Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2246666/support] Make sure you explore more health & wellness tips, as well sign up for personal coaching, by visiting my website liveafricao.com [https://liveafricao.com/]! You can also visit me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/liveafricao/] and youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@liveafricao/null] @liveafricao Please, be sure to rate and review this podcast today—it means a lot. And if you ever want to show extra love, you can always buy me a coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/liveafricao]. You are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Season 7 Trailer

Send us your thoughts questions or feedback! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2246666/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2246666/support] Make sure you explore more health & wellness tips, as well sign up for personal coaching, by visiting my website liveafricao.com [https://liveafricao.com/]! You can also visit me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/liveafricao/] and youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@liveafricao/null] @liveafricao Please, be sure to rate and review this podcast today—it means a lot. And if you ever want to show extra love, you can always buy me a coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/liveafricao]. You are greatly appreciated. Thank you!