Positive Focus with Sophiasanae 💜
Happy Sunday everyone! This week we’re chatting with @sophiasanae who is one of the more accessible, kind leaders you can find on 7Cups. You may have seen her around the Teen Only Zone or Personality Disorder Support Community. I hope you enjoy our interview!
Hi Sophia! Thank you for your time today to chat with us, we’re excited to learn from you :)
Thank you so much for having me!
There are a lot of ways we could define leadership on 7Cups. What makes you a leader in our community?
One of my biggest leadership roles on 7Cups is running the discussions project for TOZ. I also have smaller roles like being a Group Mod and a Teen Listener Coach! However, above all of these titles, I think what truly defines a leader is someone who takes initiative and who is interested in giving back to their community.
Often, the work we do onsite impacts our offline lives and relationships. How has 7Cups influenced your life philosophies, ambitions, and communication style?
7Cups has actually changed my offline life a lot! Looking back, when I joined 7Cups in 2020, I didn’t have the same capacity for empathy that I do now. Through 7Cups I have been exposed to so many wonderful people and so many new perspectives. 7Cups also made me a much more ambitious person, because once I started getting involved in leadership roles, I realized how much I loved it and I started to get more involved in clubs, volunteering, and activism in real life.
As a listener mentor and coach, what do you think is the importance of asking for guidance in our listener journeys?
Reaching out for help can be difficult, but everyone needs help once in a while and there’s no shame in asking for it! I believe that mentorship is important because it provides a solid foundation for listeners (especially new ones) to fall back on. Sometimes new listeners don’t know who to go to to ask questions, or they get discouraged and need support after facing a challenge. This is where mentors and listener coaches come in!
Speaking of asking for guidance, what were your first days on 7Cups like?
I remember my early days on 7Cups being pretty hectic actually! Once I had my first chat, I fell in love with volunteering here and I immediately wanted to learn everything I could. I was on 7Cups all the time and was constantly working on training guides or popping into group chats. However, I also made quite a few mistakes in 1-1 chats and I remember feeling really guilty and bad about it. I wish I could go back and tell my past self that it’s completely normal and okay to make mistakes! I think I benefitted the most from finding my mentor @hopedreamlove, who helped me become the listener I am today! That’s one of the reasons why I highly recommend reaching out to a mentor or a listener coach.
For you personally, what are 5 things that are great for your overall wellbeing?
After quarantine, I realized how important connecting with my friends is. Unknowingly, I shut myself down to hanging out with friends during the pandemic, but now I try to do at least one fun activity with them a week. I really feel like it helps me relax and have fun and create new memories. But even more than that, I feel so much more grateful for my friends now! I would also say affirmations have been helpful for me. I know that a lot of people feel like affirmations are cringey, but they work and are a great booster for self-confidence! I also have been getting into reading and painting more lately, and I love having those options as a break from my phone, Finally, whenever I feel stressed or like I have too many thoughts running around my head, I take a walk around my neighborhood. I especially love doing this at sunset.
After hearing all your thoughts, we want to hear more from you! You have created your own growth path, where can we find it, and what does it contain?
Yes, that’s right! My growth path is called Sophia’s Daily Steps for Positive Focus and you can find it HERE. This path is all about cultivating self-love and positivity. It includes journal prompts, videos, goal setting activities, and much more! I also wanted to infuse it with both my love of philosophy and psychology. It’s definitely a path that feels personal to me, but I hope that others enjoy it and can get something out of it!
Aside from your growth path, where can we find you on 7Cups?
You can find me in the Personality Disorders room as a group mod, and in the TOZ forum space! I also love meeting new people on 7 Cups, so feel free to message me!
Thank you bunches for being here with us Sophia!
Of course! This has been so much fun! Also if anyone is interested in hosting discussions or becoming a script writer, you can check that out HERE or message me for more information!
Learn more about this series here
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