Zaakira Ebrahim’s journey is one of resilience, self-discovery, and the desire to uplift others through her self-help project, “Thoughts For You.” After navigating the challenges of moving from South Africa to Australia, and her experience with bipolar disorder, Zaakira found strength in her struggles. Her mission to share the power of positivity and self-belief led her to write a book that has already touched many lives. Through thoughtful advice and personal insight, Zaakira inspires others to embrace their authentic selves and persevere, no matter the obstacles.
1. What motivated you to start “Thoughts For You”?
I wanted to share my experience of living a positive life with the world, so I decided to write the book based on those ideas.
2. Can you share a bit about your personal journey and how it influenced your self-help project?
I grew up in South Africa and then I migrated to Australia when I was 19. The transition from my upbringing and that culture was a complete shock upon living in Australian culture and adopting their ways of living. Later, as the years went by, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, so that really shaped how I interpreted the world around me and how I was able to adapt as well. I developed strong skills of grit and resilience which is why I wanted to share those skills through my self-help book.
3. What challenges have you encountered while creating and promoting your self-help content?
I self-published my book so I had to learn everything from scratch and how to promote my own book too. My policy was that I would feel good even if my book only helped one person.
4. How do you maintain your mental health while working on your project?
I like to pace myself and cut up the parts of everything I do into bite sized pieces instead of experiencing burn out. I am a planner by nature so I always map out a plan of action when I undertake a task like writing a book.
5. What is the central message or theme of “Thoughts For You”?
Mainly that you should always believe in yourself.
6. Can you describe a significant moment of growth or breakthrough you’ve experienced in this journey?
I think for me, the epiphany was that I was able to allow myself to just be the kind of person that I have always wanted to be. In the same breath, I was always authentic in all of my endeavours in life.
7. How do you handle self-doubt or setbacks in your work?
I don’t allow myself to fall into any dark pits about self-doubt, as I know that I am doing my very best in everything that I do.
8. What advice do you have for women looking to start their own self-help or personal development projects?
My advice is that you should not be a perfectionist in the beginning. Just make a start and eventually you will learn that it will all fall into place for you as you embark on the journey.
9. How do you stay inspired and motivated to continue your work?
I think about why I started the project to begin with and I aim to complete it because I feel it is good etiquette to do so. I am inspired by many different aspects everyday which keeps me going. I think about the people that I am writing for and how my family would want me to be successful.
10. What role does self-care play in your daily life and work?
I am very invested in self-care in my daily life. I make time for myself and for the things that make me happy. I take myself out to lunch when I can and I also sit and watch movies when I have the time. One of my favourite self-care rituals is to sit in the sun and write poetry. I sit at my window at my desk with the sun streaming in and the sounds of the birds chirping. It is a form of therapy for me.
11. Can you share an example of feedback or impact you’ve received from your audience?
Yes, I can. I got some beautiful reviews of my book on the Barnes and Noble website. I was elated to think that my book made such a positive impact on people.
12. How do you balance the demands of your project with other aspects of your life?
I am lucky to be one of those people that enjoyed being busy working full time and also writing in all of my spare time. It is like a snowball effect and once you start gaining momentum, then everything just falls into place.
13. What resources or practices have been most helpful for you in managing stress and maintaining your well-being?
No one can say that they don’t experience stress. I am also not immune to stress. I manage stress by exercising, or most recently I booked some online counselling sessions. That really helped me to see perspective and to maintain my well-being.
14. What are some common misconceptions about self-help that you’d like to address?
I think, that some misconceptions are that people feel that nothing can help sometimes. They question whether a book can even help them. The truth is that my book will inspire a person to think beyond their problems.
15. What future plans or goals do you have for “Thoughts For You”?
I would love for my book to reach more people. I feel that it has the incredible ability to become a best seller if more people knew about it.
Zaakira’s GoFundMe
IG: @zaakirae
