Welcome to my blog series “Cheers to You, Oh Wonderful You”, where we celebrate the ordinary yet extraordinary individuals around us. This series will be used as a space to connect, celebrate, and showcase the incredible people in our lives who ground us, teach us, and inspire us everyday.
This interview I was joined by none other than my dear friend, Karima Leslie.
In a broad sense, Karima’s greatest contribution has been towards the mental health community. She has really focused on mental, spiritual, and emotional health care. That’s the realm that she operates in. In a more intimate sense, she would say with her friends and neighbors.
Karima is a spiritual life and business coach, and it really lights her soul on fire. She loves helping people in a very significant and meaningful way. Karima is also a published author, and writes on mental health topics. She has also worked as a freelancer in marketing for several years before officially creating a business in 2018 where she married all of those things together with the coaching, marketing, and writing.
One fun fact about Karima is that she studied Mandarin Chinese for a few years and taught English in China at a University.
Karima’s current favorite movie is Into the Spider Verse. She went into it thinking it was going to be like any old action flick, but she came out loving it and it even made her a little emotional.
As for current favorite TV Shows, she just got into Gilmore Girls, and can’t believe that nobody told her how good it was as she’s just discovering it a decade later.
The following is my interview with Karima Leslie, which was an absolute joy to take part in, and I hope you will enjoy and learn from it as I did.
What has been one failure in your life that later became a win for you?
So I’ve been self-employed more or less for the past eight years or so, I love it and I’m super grateful for it. But every time there is a dry season or a slow season, part of me is always thinking, wouldn’t it be nice to have some stability and just have a regular job.
But everytime I do that, I end up abandoning my work to go into something else full time for someone else and I always end up hating it. It always ends up being unpleasant in some sort of way and I never end up sticking around that long. But those jobs not working out, in hindsight of course, because hindsight is 20/20, I realize it’s a blessing in disguise. Because what I’m doing is leaving what I should be doing out of fear. I feel like God has been very gentle with me in that way in guiding me back to what I’m supposed to be doing and what I actually really enjoy.
Almost like a realignment back into the right path after dwindling off for a minute?
Exactly.
If you could talk to yourself back when you were graduating high school, what would be something that you would tell yourself?
I mean the silly but obvious answer: invest in Bitcoin.
What a game changer that would be if I was a millionaire right now. That would also help to stop me from straying to the stability jobs because I wouldn’t need them. I’d be set.
But a more serious answer is that I would tell her that our dream of being an author is finally coming true. I was definitely the artsy kid in junior high and high school. I was into art, drama, and food class, but I loved writing. I would always carry around notebooks with me and I was working on a novel.
So I think it would mean a lot to her to know that we’re doing it!
Who is at least one person that you can count on to be in your corner that you’re grateful for, and why?
Honestly I would say God, my Creator. God has been such a fundamental part of my life. He has gotten me through so much in a very real, very supernatural way. This past year has been very challenging, like I’ve been faced with a lot of tests of my faith.
But even when I closed myself off to Him and wanted to do things my own stubborn way, He was still there just waiting for me to get over my feelings and was very patient with me. Now that I’ve started to open myself back up to Him, He’s still there and ready to go and that has meant a lot to me.
Who has played a vital role as a mentor in your life?
Probably my Grandma. I didn’t have a lot of time with her but for the first eight years of my life she was always there. I lived with her and I was home-schooled for the first few grades and she was the one that oversaw that. She was also an amazing cook, as I suppose most Grandma’s are, and I think I got my love of food and cooking from her.
Do you feel like that mentorship even since her passing has continued to this point in your life as well?
That’s a good question, I would have to delve pretty deep into my psyche.
I think she’s not someone I think about actively, but I think I learned so much about the world when I was young from her that it really impacted me to this day.
Well especially those first few years are so crucial in how you perceive the world, what’s right and wrong, in building your character, and development, so her setting that foundation for you is really cool that she was able to be such a key component like that. 
Karima as a child with her beloved Grandmother.
When things aren’t going in the direction you were hoping, what have you found has usually been the right next step for you?
The first thing I do in those kinds of situations is stop and analyze if I’m still in alignment. Like am I supposed to be doing this or am I just forcing something because I want it to happen?
So for me taking the time to assess if it lines up with my goals and my purpose, then I pray on it, and if I feel like I am on the right path then I prefer to learn from others rather than through trial and error.
So it’ll be a lot of researching and talking to people who have gone through something similar or experienced a similar problem and seeing what worked through them.
That’s a really cool way of approaching a situation like this by doing a self-check and then leaning on others, while still doing the work. It’s an active way of reaching out, which is an interesting mindset to have as you strive to move forward.
Yeah, I think that self-check-in is important because if you’re asking for advice just because something worked for someone else doesn’t mean it’ll work for you, and doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good fit for you.
So I feel that that check-in part is an important key part of that. Because once you’ve done that there’s always a solution, it’s just a matter of how you want to go about it.
Instead of letting the heat of the moment dictate what’s going on, taking a moment just to pause?
Yeah cause I think we can often get caught up in a cycle and if you don’t take that time to stop you might not even realize it. If you take the time to pause it could open your eyes and make you really wonder why you’re doing this, that you don’t actually like this, and start to really wonder why you’re holding onto this so hard?
Right like really asking yourself if this is a comfort zone thing or an insecurity or some other reason why you’re clinging so hard to this cycle as you put it? Very interesting, thank you for sharing that!
What are three skills you have developed that you are proud of yourself for?
I would say self-development, like the ability to guide not only others but myself through really hard things. The last few years have been very hard, lots of challenges, lots of trauma, and I think therapy, for example, has helped tremendously, but also my ability to understand my issues rather than just work on the symptoms I’m exhibiting.
So I’ve struggled in the past with depression and anxiety, but for me what has helped me the most and has been the most healing has been figuring out what triggered those things in the first place, rather than the use of self-soothing tools.
The second one would be problem-solving. I didn’t realize that my problem-solving skills were particularly unique until I started searching for my own mental health professionals, then I realized that not everyone is good at that. I figured in the mental health space those were the type of jobs where you have to be good at them, like a pilot has to be good, you can’t have any bad pilots, you kind of just have to be good.
So I figured that it was the same for things like coaches or therapists or counselors, but I realized that problem-solving was something that I did in a very different way. I’m pretty happy that I have that as it has helped me to progress and get through really hard things in my own life, as well as help in my coaching business, because I’m really good at helping people create significant change and transformation. I’m always making sure that there’s consistency and contingency among the sessions.
So what I found when I was searching, and I did find a really good mental health therapist so I’m happy about that, but while I was still searching when I would get frustrated sometimes it was when I felt the time we talked was too short and by the time I’m done explaining the problem the session is over, and then the next session we’re talking about a different problem, and it felt like there wasn’t much of a build-up, there’s not this contingency where I’m continuing to work on something. I’m really good at uncovering the root cause of an issue and then laying out a map of what needs to be done about it.
Like you said, having the effective tools and the insight to be able to problem solve, and in the way you’re describing you do, not only benefits you but also your business. Having the eyes to see that is not very common or commonly sought out after. So it’s really admirable that you’ve taken on that kind of a skill so that you can not just fix things with a bandaid, but with a true long-term effect.
Exactly. When I work with clients it’s usually a three month period is the minimum amount of time that I encourage them to sign up for because if you want long lasting change it’s going to take some time, progress is not linear, but being able to see a path that you’re going down and seeing how far you’ve come and the work put in really makes a big difference. I see that it creates that motivation that you need to keep going. It makes a big difference to also have someone with you each step of the way, especially one that is a non-biased opinion to see you through.
And probably the third one would be writing. That’s been something that I’ve been able to start working on again since coming out of university. When I got really sick and was in and out of the hospital all the time, writing was still something I could do from bed and so I feel like I’ve gotten pretty decent at it and it’s something that makes me really happy. 
Karima proudly showing forth her hard work and efforts with her published work, We All Belong.
What is something you do that you enjoy that helps you to calm and slow you down?
So a practice that I was brought up in is honoring the Sabbath. So from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset is a day of rest where you don’t go shopping, you don’t go to work, you’re not checking things off of your to-do list. It’s a day meant for spiritual self-care, so rest and worship and time with God.
The older I get the more grateful I am that I grew up with that practice because it actually makes such a big difference to have a day every week set aside for rest. I’m a huge advocate for rest. This year I stopped that for most of the year because I was wrestling with my spirituality. It was so detrimental to my mental health because I just felt exhausted all the time and I wasn’t taking that time to rejuvenate.
So the Sabbath has been very big for me!
What are some key elements in your environment, whether that’s in your home, creative space, or work space, that encourages and inspires you?
So this is a bit of a tricky one because I just moved and my house is not unpacked. However, once I get more settled in, something that I’ve been thinking about for a while now is having a corkboard or a dry erase board to put up kind words that have been spoken over me.
I’m probably not the only one, but I struggle to remember the good things that people say to me. It’s super easy to recall a bad memory or something negative that someone has said to me. That’ll stick! That’ll be at the back of my mind for so long. But remembering the kind words that people have said that’s hard for me.
So I want to have a board, probably in my office, with encouraging words that people have said to me, in scriptures, in answered prayers, that kind of thing.
It’s rewiring your brain to focus on the positive rather than the negative.
That’s an extremely cool idea! Having something like that with those words of kindness and positivity at the forefront of your mind will only enhance, encourage, and enrich you, plus it’ll be that constant element of peace and renewal to look upon often. 
Karima in her workspace.
What are three reasons that you have had to celebrate lately?
The new house has been a big one for me. It’s been a really big deal to me to have my own safe space. With the health issues I was having I was moving a lot. There was one six month period where I moved three times and it was the worst thing. It’s been an interesting few years. So having my own safe space has been really big for me and I’m really grateful for that.
Then I would say the spiritual and mental breakthroughs that I’ve had this year. So on a spiritual thought, I mentioned earlier how I had kind of closed myself off from hearing God. But now, even though there’s some trust issues on my end, I am open again to hearing from Him and I feel connected again, like this divine guidance and protection again and that’s really huge for me where spirituality is a foundational part of my being.
Then on the mental health side, I’ve had a lot of revelations lately surrounding how my traumas have affected me and the way that I think and behave, and I’ve been doing a lot of inner work and experiencing some really deep healing of my inner child. That has been really big. I feel like I’m becoming a lot more confident and gaining more self trust. I feel like I am coming into another level of myself.
What is one piece of advice that you find yourself thinking back on and striving to implement the most often?
Keeping the Sabbath is something I’ve been baby-stepping my way back into and that has been making a really big difference towards how I feel, not just physically but in all areas of my life. Remembering to keep that has made a big difference.
Also providing for myself. I saw this post recently that said, “Take care of yourself as if you’re another person you’re responsible for.” I loved that, it really resonated with me! For the past couple of years I’ve been doing a lot of work around that.
Just accepting the fact that I have needs just like everyone else and that it is not selfish to advocate for them. I’m allowed to stand up for myself, just the basics. But I was brought up in a certain way where you people please, or you do what other people want to keep the peace.
So hearing that quote and coming to treat myself better has really been something I’ve been striving for. I’ve often deprived myself and masked it as self-discipline, when in reality there was a part of me that didn’t feel like I deserved it. Changing that narrative and the way I look at things as I do things for myself and actively loving on me because I deserve it!
Karima mindfully taking time to realign and give love to herself.
What do you feel have been key factors in shaping who you are today?
My relationship with God has been huge.
My dedication to mental and emotional health care has gotten me through a lot. There were plenty of times that I wanted to give up and I’m glad that I didn’t. I was just really dedicated to figuring out a better way in changing my circumstances, as well as the way that I think.
What do you feel have been some key habits in shaping who you are today?
I would say that I’m pretty good with money, like budgeting and saving, or finding different sources of income depending on what my capacities are, and if it was not for that I would probably be homeless by now.
Because of my health issues, I had not worked full time in three years. It has been a challenge but I’m grateful that that is a skill, a habit that I have. And don’t get me wrong, I love things. But being mindful of where my money is going, like asking myself if I want something because it’s going towards my happiness improving in the short or long term, or is this just an urge?
What is something you have been particularly grateful for this past week?
I’ve been really grateful for the weather, it’s been a really nice fall here. By now it would be snowy and cold, but it hasn’t snowed yet. So everyday I squeal with joy that there’s still no snow! Winter is my least favorite season.
I’m learning to enjoy it because it happens every year, but I’ve been really happy that the weather has been so nice and sunny. I am like a plant and I need direct sunlight.
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Thank you for taking part in and reading my interview for my blog series, “Cheers to You, Oh Wonderful You” with Karima Leslie.
Feeling overwhelmed? Stressed? Stuck?
Karima is currently offering up to 50% off online wellness sessions that are perfect for you if you’re struggling with change, anxiety, organizing your time, recovering from burnout, setting & sticking to goals, as well as those managing chronic illness or pain. Book your first free session here: http://www.ariseandthrive.ca/book 🎉
Also, feel free to visit her website: http://www.ariseandthrive.ca/product/made-for-more-mental-health-edition/2 to get an autographed copy of “Hope and Where to Find It: The Depression Antidote” a guide to navigating change and overcoming depression & loss, featured in the anthology series Made For More. 🎉
Or follow her on FB: https://www.facebook.com/AriseandThriveCo or Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ariseandthriveco 🎉
What is one thing that you have been grateful for this past week?
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Also, if you have someone in mind that you think I should interview for this blog series, please let me know by contacting me either through my work email: stephanietracy26@gmail.com or my work Facebook page: Stephanie Tracy Writes.
About the Author
Hi there! I’m Stephanie Tracy, a freelance writer, blogger, and copy-editor for hire. I specialize in physical and mental health, parenting, and self-development. I create engaging, inspiring and useful content to help businesses progress in making their viewers into customers. When I’m not writing, you can find me happily playing with my toddler, walking in the park with my family, or indulging in a movie marathon with my husband.