Mo' Sibyl

점점 좋아지고| The One With Mo! Sibyl – On The Long-Term Effects Of Shame: Episode 35 (2020)

Warning: This episode contains messages that might be disturbing to some listeners – especially those who have experienced one form of child sexual abuse or the other.

We are down to the last episode of the SICK-SEEK-RETS series. What a month it has been!

This week’s episode was unplanned; it was born from my "off-the-record" conversation with AnuOluwapo Adelakun, my guest from last week. There was just something about talking to her that helped to finally loosen my tongue to share my story with her, a conversation that I had been unable to have with my mum.

Just like Anu, I was molested at the age of three by a neighbor. Though I didn’t have a thorough understanding of what transpired, an evil seed was planted that day, and I have lived with its fruits since then.

In this episode, I spoke about my abuse for the first time, mapping out my life from childhood to adulthood and the long-term adverse effects the experience left me with. Most importantly, I talked about the steps I have taken and still taking towards healing.

Find out how I broke the news to my mom after 30 years and her reaction to it. There is a word of advice for parents in this episode, give it a listen. As usual, please send feedback.

Love,

Mo!

수치심의 목적| The One With AnuOluwapo Adelakun – On Finding Purpose Through Shame: Episode 34 (2020)

Warning: This episode contains messages that might be disturbing to some listeners – especially those who have experienced one form of child sexual abuse or the other.

To be vulnerable is to put one's self at risk, but it can also be a form of strength when applied in certain life situations. It is in this form that our guest today addressed the issues of shame in her life, which, for a long time, were SICK-RETS. Through her shameful experiences, she has found purpose and is on a mission to liberate others to live guilt and shame-free lives.

AnuOluwapo Adelakun is first a servant of God called to obedience and a channel of healing to God's hurting children. She is the convener of the No Shame tribe, a women & girls' rights advocate, journalist, and award-winning documentary filmmaker working on issues affecting marginalized girls and women across Africa.

In this episode, she talks about being sexually abused as a seven-year-old girl, finding the purpose in her pain, her healing process, and embracing God's love during her time of grief.

This story will get you evaluating your life's purpose, see yourself through the eyes of God's love, and inspire you to not wallow in your shame but to set yourself and your story free. Please give it a listen!

Love,

Mo!

모의 일기| The One with Mo! – On Bad and Good News: Episode 30 (2019)

모의 일기| The One with Mo! – On Bad and Good News: Episode 30 (2019)

The past year has been a rollercoaster of fun and not-so-much fun stuff. In this bare-all episode, which was taped at the cusp of turning 33, I shared some good and bad news about a recent medical diagnosis and the odyssey it took to get there.

Giving how overwhelming as you expect this to be, I brought my therapy dawg – T-Dawg – back on the show for moral support. I also reflected on what year 32 great which included having the courage to face some personal demons, practicing vulnerability, responsibility, faith, and creative expressions.

Perhaps, the one message I will leave here to encourage anyone reading this is to remember that suffering is an integral part of life. We all suffer; we all are just not equipped in talking about it. Also that in suffering we can find meaning and I have found just that in mine and that is using my story to set people free and that by lifting a load off of others, I find my own pain tolerable. It’s why I started that #33Project. If you know me, you know I am big on education. So I implore you all to consider donating towards this cause. No amount is too small (see links below).

I also hope this episode serves as a reminder that in addition to the greatness that you all see that abounds in me, you now get to hear about some of the sufferings as well, to understand that this is just the right margin God needs to show his supremacy. And that his grace is just enough balm to sooth this wild ride of a life I am blessed to have. And even if it is schadenfreude you take out of my message, that’s also very OK, haha.

That said, I am grateful for life. Yesterday, I spent the whole day with my favorite person in the world doing things as simple as getting on a cable car, eating at my favorite Korean restaurant, going on a late-night movie date, and walking hand-in-hand chatting like a couple of teenagers in love without a care in the world. Life’s good, indeed.

Thank you all for your messages and calls.

I remain your lantern,

Mo!

마음과 건강| The One with Ayokunle Falomo - On Mental Health and Being: Episode 33 (2018)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: The One with Ayokunle Falomo

First, happy birthday to me! It’s the second anniversary of my 30th birthday! As a way of saying thank you to you all for being wonderful fans, here’s a bonus episode. It’s also a special one because it depicts my favorite trait in all of its rawness – vulnerability. In this episode, my guest – Mr. Ayokunle Falomo and I traded stories on our struggles with depression, how we cope with it, and how religion can be a cure and curse, depending on how it is wielded. I chose to share this with you all because I think it is important to remind you of the story behind the glory. I also believe that God is not silent when we suffer and that we ought to reject the shame and embrace the hope in Christ. Finally, that: 1) depression is not as uncommon as you think and affects a lot of people, 2) it’s OK not to be OK sometimes, and, 3) there’s always help around the corner.

So, I hope this episode helps someone feel connected and to remind that someone that they are not alone. Don’t give up on fighting and it’s OK to seek help. Here’s me saying that a new day will dawn tomorrow and you’d be there with me to practice your purpose once again; one replete with choosing life and finding ways to be more gentle and compassionate with yourself. That you would always remember to remind yourself that you are enough and always will be.That every baby steps you are taking right now to get back on track are a significant move towards the right path.

PS: We also explored how funnily our depression can be brought on by just not our fear of failure but when we succeed. And how there’s a recurring struggle with purpose and productivity, and how these are tied to our self-worth. Ayokunle Falomo is: a Nigerian, a TEDx speaker, an American, the winner of the 2018 Stacy Doris Memorial Award and the author of kin.DREAD & thread, this wordweaver must! As a poet, his singular mission is to use his pen as a shovel to unearth those things that make us human. He and his work have been featured in print (Local Houston magazine, Glass Mountain) and online (The New York Times, Houston Chronicle, and Berkeley Poetry Review. You can find more information about him and his work at www.kindreadbook.com