S03|11- The Power of Belief with Miss World, Linda
Nov 08, 2021
Linda is a PPE graduate, a businesswoman, Certified Life Coach and a former Miss World. She helps women lose weight for the last time.
What we talk about in this episode:
- How Linda went from a normal college student to Miss World in 6 months
- How her parents beliefs affected her own belief
- How she is using belief to raise her daughter, as an independent mom
- The importance of female representation and how it differs in Iceland
Connect with Linda on IG: @lindape
Website: https://www.lindape.com/
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Dates:
Part 1- November 23rd, 2 pm MST
Part 2- November 24th, 2 pm MST
Open coaching call/Q+A- November 29th, 8 pm MST
Click here to register: Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Parenting
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Episode Transcript
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Hi, and thanks for listening to my podcast. I hope that you've been enjoying learning about all these concepts; how to change our relationship with our kids, how to change our relationship with ourselves, how to have healthy boundaries, how to have more compassion for ourselves.
All of these things boil down to one main concept; think, feel, do. Our thoughts or the way that we think, creates how we feel; and 'how we feel' is the emotion that then fuels what we do. So, if we want to change anything in our lives, it starts with our thoughts.
If you would like to take these concepts and implement them – not just listen to them and think, 'Okay, that's lovely, that's interesting' – if you really want to have it change your life, it starts with implementation, come to my free workshop, "Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Parenting", on November 23rd and 24th with an open coaching call on November 29th.
A recording will be available for everyone who registers. I hope to see you there, bring a friend.
Hey, I'm Crystal, a certified life coach and mom of four. In this podcast, we combine radical connection and positive parenting theories with the How-To Life Coaching Tools and Mindset Work to completely transform our relationship with our children.
Join me on my journey, unleash your inner parenting expert, and become the mother you've always wanted to be. Make sure you subscribe wherever you listen to your podcast and rate this podcast on Apple, and check out my transformative monthly membership for moms in the show notes.
Miss World, Linda’s background, and what she does now
Welcome to today's podcast episode, The Power of Belief with Miss World, Linda.
Linda is a PPE graduate, a businesswoman, and a former Miss World. She helps women lose weight for the last time.
Okay. Hi, Linda. Thank you so much for being with us today.
Miss World, Linda: Hi, Crystal. Thank you for inviting me.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: So, Linda is my friend. We did Life Coaching School together, and we were in the same little cohort; and we have known each other now for a couple of years.
And I am super excited to have her on my podcast and have you guys learn from her because she is amazing. I will let her tell you about how amazing she is. So, my first question for you, Linda, is tell us a little bit about your background so that people know kind of who you are, and what you do now as well.
Miss World, Linda: Oh, you're so kind, Crystal. Well, first of all, I'm from Iceland, which will explain my--
Crystal The Parenting Coach: You’ll love the accent.
Miss World, Linda: Accent. Yes. I have been in the Health & Beauty industry for over 30 years. I had my own ladies-only spa and health club in Iceland for over 20 years. Then, I'm also a former Miss World.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: A former Miss World.
Miss World, Linda: Yeah. First one on your podcast, for sure.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: First one, probably the only. I don't think I'm friends with any other Miss World, so you're it.
Miss World, Linda: Yeah. And yeah, then I'm also-- I have a B.A in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. Then I'm a health coach, graphic designer, and a life coach. I work with women on weight loss and self-image. And yeah, I have lived in a few different countries; Canada being one of my favorite, Crystal. I love Canada.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Yes, yes. I'm currently living right now where Linda was living in Canada.
Miss World, Linda: I know. So, I love Canada, but I'm based in Iceland. You know, I'm, I'm raised in Iceland; and that's where I have raised my daughter as a-- You know, I'm a single mom.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Yes, yes. You are an amazing single mom, and we're going to get into that also. You've accomplished so much in your life, and I know that, you know, there's always been struggles throughout it as well, but you've always been able to endure them really well, and kind of move on and learn from them and just be so successful.
What led to Miss World, Linda’s success?
Crystal The Parenting Coach: And so, I'm curious what you kind of think led to that success. Like, what parts of your life or your beliefs of yourself or whatever, led to you being able to do that?
Miss World, Linda: Yeah, I don't think I have a concrete answer. I think it's just maybe part of my character. You know, I am one of three siblings. I have two brothers; a older one and a younger one. And we were just brought up to--
My mom and dad, they never put any pressure on us – which way we would go, which career we would choose – but they seem to always have believed in us. And all of us, we are all leaders in our industries; that’s just something seem to happen--
Crystal The Parenting Coach: I love that.
Miss World, Linda: -even we are all in different industries, we are all leaders within our industries. So, that must have something to do with the way we were brought up. We were brought up in a small fishing town on the northeast coast of Iceland of only 800 people. My first job was cleaning fish in a fish factory, not very glamorous for a former Miss World.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: I love that. I love that it was like that your parents were so like that; that they believed in you and also had the openness to be like, 'You can do whatever you want.'
And that is definitely what I try to instill in my children; and I love that, for all the moms listening, what great advice that is, just to believe in them and to also create the space so that they can kind of pick their own path.
Miss World, Linda: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. They never put any pressure on us either for school or for a job. They just sort of let us decide for ourselves, and they've just always had our backs.
How Linda went from a normal college student to Miss World in 6 months
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Oh, I love that. I love that. So, you went from your first job, cleaning fish – to what? How did that-- How did you end up at Miss World?
Miss World, Linda: Yeah. Well, when I was 16, I went as an exchange student to the States; and that's where I learned English, and I had the most amazing years. I lived with a really fantastic family on a farm in Minnesota.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Oh, I love that
Miss World, Linda: And then, when I came back home to Iceland, I was 17. And, you know, I was like-- You know, behind the customs, I was looking at fashion magazines, and I wanted to do fashion; and it's just something that I really loved, Fashion & Beauty.
And in Iceland, you know, the one that wins Miss Iceland, see, is the candidate for Miss World. But before winning Miss Iceland, they have all these national contests. So, I was from the East Coast, so my mom entered me into Miss East Coast of Iceland.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Oh, I love that.
Miss World, Linda: That's how it started. So, I went into that. I didn't tell any of my friends, nobody knew about it. My mom just signed me up; and then, I entered that and I won.
And my friend, suddenly, just saw me on the news as Miss East Coast of Iceland. They're like, 'What? How did that happen?' So, I became Miss East Coast, and I became a finalist in Miss Iceland; I won that. Then I came, you know, entered Miss World; and I won Miss World as well. And I was also Miss Europe, and then Miss World.
All of that happened within six months; I was just a college student in Iceland, just returned from the States. And then, as I entered the first pageant – six months later, I was on the States as Miss World.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: That is incredible. I've never heard that part of the story before. I concluded that you just like, were working at it your whole life.
Miss World, Linda: No, no. It was like--
Crystal The Parenting Coach: That is incredible.
Miss World, Linda: It just happened.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: That's incredible. So, do you feel like you’ve always--
Miss World, Linda: It's just once that I entered the contest and I won all of them, so I was always onto the next one; and I didn't really have time to think much in-between.
How her parents' beliefs affected her own belief
Crystal The Parenting Coach: In-between, it just happened so quickly. Do you feel like you just always had that belief in yourself? Like your parents believed in you and they always had your back, and you've just always believed that anything was possible or--
Miss World, Linda: Yeah. You know, Crystal, I think it's because, as I say, I think it's just like in my genes. But the thing is, I don't think about it that much; I just go and do what I want to do, I don't really think that much about it.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Yeah, that's amazing. You're just like, 'I'm going to go do it, let's make it happen.'
Miss World, Linda: Let's see what happens.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: That is so awesome. And so, now, you are living in Iceland with your daughter; you're a single mom, and you are super successful as a life coach and as an entrepreneur – which is amazing and such an example for all of us.
The importance of female representation and how it differs in Iceland
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Tell me a little bit about-- We talked before the show about the differences in Icelandic culture and how women are perceived there versus across the rest of the world. And I'd love for you to kind of share a little bit about that with us.
Miss World, Linda: Yeah, and the thing is, you know, because I have traveled all over the world, so I see the difference so much in how the culture in Iceland is; you know, we are in the northernmost part of Europe compared to other parts of the world.
And it's also when I listen to you and the people, you know, our friends in your faith, that your lives are quite different to mine.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Yeah.
Miss World, Linda: When I grew up, as a little girl, the president of Iceland was a single mom.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Wow.
Miss World, Linda: Yeah. And she was the first demographically-elected president in the world. Yeah, she was a single mom, and that's-- She was like the role model I saw; I saw someone like her on TV running the country.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: I think that is such a huge difference – being able to see that from a young age – like, I never saw that. Like, there wasn't female leaders of our country or even of the US, and there wasn't those leaders to look up to.
Miss World, Linda: Right. And to me, that's how I was brought up; that that's just the most normal thing. In Iceland, women, we, I have also been brought up that women are equal to men. We have-- There's a lot of women in power. We actually now, we just had the parliament elections; and we have more female than male in parliament now.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: That is amazing. That is amazing.
Miss World, Linda: Yeah. And we've had, you know, the head of the courts, she was female. The head of the police was female. We had the first openly-gay female Prime Minister.
How women are perceived in Icelandic culture Vs. across the rest of the world
Miss World, Linda: So, women in Iceland are quite powerful. And this is how I've been brought up that this is just a normal thing; it’s, we are equal to men in every way. And like for me, it's also, if you want to have a child, you do not have to be married. You're not-- It's not frowned upon, and people do not look down on you if you do that.
Here, it's more like a power-- It's, more power to you, if you do that, if anything.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Yeah. I love that difference. I love what you said about how when you were growing up, it was just so normal. Like, there was just women in all these powerful positions because that representation of women matters so much to what you believe is possible.
Because you've grown up with these parents that believed in you, and then this culture that obviously, believed in you as a woman. And to have that upbringing and just have that background, obviously, helped you perpetuate to where you are now.
Miss World, Linda: Yeah.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: And I just love that difference; that is exactly how it should be, because, obviously, if you're listening to this podcast, women are equal to men.
Miss World, Linda: Yeah.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Hopefully, if you're listening, you already believe that – but having that representation so that that belief is actually shown everywhere, makes such a big difference.
Miss World, Linda: Yeah. Yeah. I remember even like after I had my daughter, I was in Canada, and even though, you know, Canadians are also on the forefront front of this, I always remember I was in a shop and I was talking to some lady in the shop and she saw me holding my daughter.
And I saw her look at my fingers, like looking for my wedding ring, and she said, "So, what does your husband do?" And I was like, "I don't have a husband." And it was just like-- That was like the first questions like, "What does my husband do?" And it's just like so different to how I am brought up. Why wouldn't you just ask me what I do?
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Yeah. I noticed that, actually. That's something I've noticed about myself is that when I was growing up and even when I was a young mom, that that's what I would go to.
Like, I was a stay-at-home mom; and I think a lot of my friends were, and a lot of my family was. And so, that was just the norm. And so, I did have friends that had careers, obviously, but most of my inner circle didn't.
And so, it was common for me to ask that question to be like, 'Oh, what does your husband do?' And I noticed the more that I learned about, you know, feminism and the more that I was educating myself on these issues and learning and growing, that that's something that I have to consciously think about.
Like, I just had a conversation with someone the other day and I was like, 'So, what do you do? And, what do you do?' You know?
Miss World, Linda: Yeah.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: And we had this conversation about, you know, what they did, but it's so interesting because that's just not, it hasn't been something that naturally comes to me. And it is really how we're raised and, you know, the culture that we're raised in.
And I love how much you've been able to, how successful you've been able to be because of the belief that you had, that you could just do anything; you could be a single mom, you could raise your kids, you could do whatever you want. You could become this world; you've done it all.
How she is using belief to raise her daughter, as an independent mom
Miss World, Linda: And actually, you know, being a single mom, I remember just a few months ago, after me and my daughter came back to Iceland, and, you know, I asked her about her friends – you know, most of them are from families with both mom and dad.
And I asked her like, you know, is there a difference in what she can do in her life, being raised by a single mom, compared to her friends having both mom & dad in the household – if she feels like there's anything lacking in her life? And she said "No, I have it much better than all of them."
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Yeah, much better. Oh, I love that. I wonder, what do you think?
Miss World, Linda: I mean, 'much better than' she's meaning like, you know, that she gets to travel around the world with me and lives in a nice home and all of that. So, I was meaning from that perspective.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Yeah, but she's had-- She's had a-- She's been able to do a lot of wonderful things. I know that there's a lot of single moms that follow me; and so, I love that perspective and that example – that you still can do what you want to do, and you can still have that great relationship with your daughter like you do.
Miss World, Linda: Absolutely. Yeah.
Miss World, Linda’s challenges as a single mom
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Tell me a little bit about the difficulties. We've talked a lot about like all the wonderful things that have happened. What's been hard about raising your daughter as a single mom, and doing all of this on your own?
Miss World, Linda: I decided, Crystal, from the beginning, because I have raised her on my own every single day of her life. So, from the beginning, I knew actually that I wanted to have a child on my own; that was always something I wanted.
And, you know, I've never been married, and I was 36 when I had her. And it was the biggest blessing of my life to have her; and I was so happy. And I have been so happy to have my daughter and be a mom.
I mean, the most difficult thing, but I'm saying this just so you understand that I went into this, it was my decision. So, it was, I did this whole thing in abundance thinking I wanted to do this.
The most difficult thing is that I've never had her dad or a partner, like, when she was younger, to wake up with her in the morning; I woke up every single morning with her, I never slept in.
So, that was something probably I was like, 'Oh, even just one day a month, that would be really nice,' but I didn't have that. And even though we meted that – we went with him, he lives in the States – even though we would meet him maybe once or twice a year, go somewhere on a holiday with him, he slept in; he didn't offer me to sleep.
You know, so I've never had that; and that's probably like the only thing. And, you know, to have somebody to go with me to the parent-teacher meetings; that would've been nice to have somebody with me.
But it's my choice, Crystal. I have many girlfriends in Iceland that are single moms, but they always have every other weekend off because that's when the dad takes the kids.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Yeah.
Miss World, Linda: I've never had that either. But I don't know any better; it's been like this her whole life.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: The only way. Yeah. I think that's a different-- I think they call it solo parenting now, which is different than being a single mom, because I know a lot of solo parents as well; and it is really, that part of it is really tough.
I know solo parents that have those young kids; and so, not having that break and being really tired. And they're making it possible to make breaks happen so that they take care of themselves because they see--
Miss World, Linda: I always like to, Crystal, instead of saying, "I'm a single mom," I choose to say, "I'm an independent mom".
Crystal The Parenting Coach: I like that, 'I'm an independent mom'.
Miss World, Linda: Yeah. But my mom and dad, they've been a part of her life too. You know, they helped me out sometimes when she was younger, of course.
How does Miss World, Linda, manage to have a positive relationship with her daughter?
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Yeah. Yeah. And what do you think now that you guys have such a great relationship and she's a teenager, and I know that a lot of moms might be struggling--
Miss World, Linda: 16.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: -to have a good relationship with their teenager. What do you think-- What do you-- What helps right now in your relationship to make that positive relationship that you both have?
Miss World, Linda: We just always had a really close relationship; it's just me and her, always – the two of us. And I have brought her up to believe that she can do anything she puts her mind too, and she believes it; she truly believes it.
I've tested her and she's like, 'Yeah, I know I can do that, mom, if I want to.' So, I think it is that the closeness, and we are also really good friends. I thought I was a strict mom, but she's like 'No, mom, you're not strict.'
So, I think I trust her, and yeah-- You know, I've just brought her up also every single day to know that she can do whatever she wants to, and that she's been brought up in love and kindness every single day of her life.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Oh, I love that. I love that. I think that that is the power of not only belief, which is so important, which we've talked about, but also just the power of being raised in a home where love and kindness is present no matter what that home looks like – no matter what the structure of the home is, that you can bring your child up that way.
Miss World, Linda: Right. Yeah.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Because I talk to so many people who say, "Well, you know, my husband – or my partner or whoever I'm co-parenting with - doesn't parent in the same way."
And I'm like, 'It doesn't matter – you just need that one person that you feel that deep connection, that love and kindness with.'
And you're such an example of her having that and then being able to have that belief about herself in such a nonchalant way. Like, 'Yeah, I can do whatever I want.' Like, that's what we want our teams to believe, and I think sometimes we struggle with that.
Miss World, Linda: Yeah.
Miss World, Linda’s final advice
Crystal The Parenting Coach: I love it. So, thank you for coming to speak with us today. I'm going to leave asking you one question that I always ask my guest, which is, what's one tip or piece of advice that you would give us today?
Miss World, Linda: Advice on what?
Crystal The Parenting Coach: So, it can be anything; it can be parenting, it can be – we talked a lot today about belief or your relationship with your daughter, or what you've been able to accomplish in your life.
So, my listeners are mostly moms. A lot of them are, you know, struggling with parenting or maybe with their relationship with themselves. So, it can be anything.
Miss World, Linda: Yeah. I think, you know, talking to your listeners, I would just say to the moms to keep working on themselves, to take time for themselves; to work on their mindset and their wellness, and to make sure that they have at least 10 minutes every day only for themselves, to work on themselves because that way, they're going to be better moms.
They're going to have more to give to their kids and their families. And, you know, being a life coach, I just remember when I learned – and the same as you, Crystal is that when we learned – that if we want to change our lives, we want to change how we feel, we always have to go back to our thoughts because our thoughts create our feelings.
And also, to remember that there's nobody out there, there's no other person or some circumstance, that can make you feel any way; it's always your thoughts. So, my advice is, take care of yourself and take care of your thoughts, and choose your thoughts wisely because they create the life that you're living right now.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: I love that. It's so, so true. I think sometimes we can get into that, like, 'Nothing can change the situation, I have no idea what to do here,' and I can empathize with that. I have totally been there.
But just noticing and acknowledging when you're in that space – when you're in that, kind of, that deep hole that feels like you can't get out of it – and then, just going back to this knowledge that we can choose this, we can choose these thoughts; and if you feel like you're struggling with that feel free to reach out, there's so much help and support available.
But I especially love what you said about taking time for ourselves every day, because that is something that I see.
Miss World, Linda: Love and kindness, you have to do it.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: It's just, we often don't do that. We often don't speak to ourselves in a loving and kind way, and we don't give ourselves time. And so, just giving yourself time just to do what brings you joy and to take care of just you, and especially, taking care of your thoughts is so important.
Miss World, Linda: Yeah. And, just take one-- If it feels overwhelming, even just taking one step forward – just one little step each day – that's going to amount to a lot in one year.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Such good advice. See, you left us with so many good tips. Thank you. Thank you so much, Linda, for being here.
How to contact Miss World, Linda
Crystal The Parenting Coach: And if people want to connect with you, can tell us where to find you? I will also link this in the show notes below.
Miss World, Linda: Yeah. It's probably easiest to find me on Instagram, @lindape, l-i-n-d-a-p-e. And the same for my website, lindape.com.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: Awesome. Thank you so much, Linda.
Miss World, Linda: Thank you for having me, Crystal. You're awesome.
Crystal The Parenting Coach: I hope you enjoyed today's episode. Make sure that you give it Five Stars on Apple, and check out my monthly membership for moms in the show notes.
Hi, and thanks for listening to my podcast. I hope that you've been enjoying learning about all these concepts; how to change our relationship with our kids, how to change our relationship with ourselves, how to have healthy boundaries, how to have more compassion for ourselves.
All of these things boil down to one main concept; think, feel, do. Our thoughts or the way that we think, creates how we feel; and 'how we feel' is the emotion that then fuels what we do. So, if we want to change anything in our lives, it starts with our thoughts.
If you would like to take these concepts and implement them – not just listen to them and think, 'Okay, that's lovely, that's interesting' – if you really want to have it change your life, it starts with implementation, come to my free workshop, "Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Parenting", on November 23rd and 24th with an open coaching call on November 29th.
A recording will be available for everyone who registers. I hope to see you there, bring a friend.
