Moud's story: Rediscovering the art of smiling

Moud, from Zimbabwe, tested HIV-positive in 2009 after which she lost her mother, family, job, and divorced her husband which led her to a spiral of depressive thoughts - ‘’It was not easy and I went through a lot of self-blame, bitterness and pain in her heart ’’ - Moud says

She was going through a very difficult time and that is when her aunt introduced her to Beyond Stigma’s work based on The Work by Byron Katie in 2014 which helped her feel less isolated.

Moud had a very high viral load which was concerning her during the time when she was introduced to The Work and stated her dreadful worries about raising her child alone and her feelings of unworthiness at the moment. She questioned her thought of “Am I not being woman enough?” through The Work, worked through the thought and eventually turned it around to feel empowered to be a woman again and found joy in being a single parent.

“While I was learning about The Work by Byron Katie (facilitated by Beyond Stigma) it helped me set my mind free from the pain, bitterness and stigma, then from that day I started smiling and now I cannot talk without smiling” - Moud says.

Moud became a coach to help others to change their perspective on the process of thinking like she did. The enjoyable aspect of coaching, according to Moud, is that you learn about yourself while guiding others through the process, which not only benefits them but also you. Moud is passionate about working with her community and doesn't want to stop there, “As thoughts are universal, I want to show the world what has happened to me, share my journey of questioning my own thoughts to set myself free from the pain and bitterness I experienced” - Moud says

Being a coach empowered Moud to be more confident, as a young mother, woman and to know her own rights and she expressed her dream to meet Bryon Katie who gave a hope to her life and changed the way of her living.

Author: Tejaswy Swathi, Professional Intern at Beyond Stigma