Today, we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Masterson . Sophia was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented Livia McDonald.
Sophia , can you walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My name is Sophia Masterson and this is my story <3
I am a 20-year-old university student, born and raised in Calgary, AB, Canada. I am half-Filipino and half-Canadian which is something I am very proud of, I love both of my ethnicities, however, I am in the process of learning more about my Filipino heritage and culture!
Growing up, I was a very kind, sweet and compassionate little girl, but eventually, this led to me becoming a people pleaser which is one of the biggest obstacles that I’ve faced (and am still trying to overcome). As far back as I can remember, I was always putting others before me, making sure others were comfortable even if that meant I was uncomfortable. I think these tendencies became more prevalent during junior high school, but I wasn’t truly aware of how this was affecting me until I entered university. A lot of people I’ve known took advantage of this tendency of mine, ranging from family members to close friends. In high school, this became a habit and it just felt natural to please others, it was like a goal I had made subconsciously for myself. I look back now and I don’t really recognize who I was for the majority of my time in high school.
Inevitably, as I entered university, this was when it all came back to bite me, my self-esteem and confidence were at their lowest, but initially, I didn’t really pay too much attention to this. I was kind of forced to try and put myself first because as a university student, you are faced with a lot more responsibilities and independent tasks, and you really start to get a feel for what life is like as a young adult. I struggled during this process of trying to become more independent, I developed a bad habit of overthinking my capabilities (a LOT), deep down I felt incompetent doing most things by myself, I constantly needed approval and validation from others because I could not give it to myself. I would always second-guess myself and never really felt like what I was doing or thought was right. Of course, time and time again, I would still put others first in many situations putting a massive strain on me and leading to poor outcomes or the end of some of my relationships.
In the present moment, I have come a long way in trying to unlearn this habit and rebuild my confidence and self-esteem. I now consciously make the effort to do things for ME, and I love it. Over the last couple of years, mindfulness has played a significant role in my growth and shifting away from this bad habit of people-pleasing. Video diaries specifically, have helped me a lot in learning how to validate my own feelings, trust myself, and become more independent. Meditation, affirmations, journaling, hot yoga, and running, to name a few, are some other tools I use in the present day to help me maintain my new sense of self. I definitely notice a big difference in the days I use these tools vs. the days I don’t. The people I’ve surrounded myself with have also played a huge part in my growth, especially my best friend Liv who I am eternally grateful for. She is the sweetest person I know and is a light in my life continuously uplifting me and always being there for me. The people you choose to have in your life and surround yourself with really do make a difference in how you see yourself and who you are. Choose to surround yourself with people who love you for who you truly are, who only want the best for you, who want to see you grow, who grow with you, who are ROOTING for you, and who will always be there for you.
It has definitely been a journey to get to where I am today and while I have faced many obstacles, who hasn’t haha, it’s what makes this human experience, human! Obstacles are a necessary part of life in order to see true growth in individual development.
<3
Let’s talk about your work and career – what else should we know?
I am currently finishing up my 2nd year in the business program at Mount Royal University with a major in marketing and now recently a minor in psychology. As of right now, I am working toward creating my own presence on social media to inspire others through life and wellness content. I always loved seeing content creators produce this kind of content since I was a teenager it is a community I would love to be a part of, continuously inspiring others to become the best version of themselves and demonstrating how beautiful life can truly be. As I am just starting out on this journey within my career and professional identity, I hope to build my own little online community with like-minded individuals! One thing I love most about content creation is the aesthetics and the end result of it all. It amazes me how captivating something as small as a short Instagram reel comprised of short video clips from someone’s day can be so beautiful and inspiring. To this day, I see life and wellness content that motivates me to become the person I want to be, that reminds me I am capable of anything I set my mind to, that helps me visualize and manifest the life I want: THIS is the feeling I want to evoke in individuals to help them through their own life journey.
Livia McDonald and ThoughtsByLiv have been great to us and I know you’ve got a great relationship with them as well. Maybe you can tell our audience a bit about Livia McDonald and ThoughtsByLiv and your experience with them.
Livia is an online content creator with the goal of uplifting and inspiring others to become the best version of themselves. Livia is present on a couple of different platforms such as Instagram Tik Tok, Spotify, Youtube, and more! I’ve known Livia since we were in high school, and it’s kind of funny to think that we became very close, and are now best friends, all while she has lived in the USA haha.
Liv is the most angelic, sweet, kind, and caring human I know, her soul is so pure. Amongst her being the bestest-best friend I could ask for, I admire her for many things. Her ability to remain resilient and positive throughout any situation is highly impressive and a gift. She is one of the most hard-working individuals I know and is well on her way to success, especially with her current endeavours such as her podcast.
Liv’s podcast, “ThoughtsByLiv” was truly brought to life at the beginning of this year, and in the present day, I’ve seen much progress and growth in Liv’s efforts to create content on this platform in such a short amount of time. I think it’s very unique that she structures her episodes under different seasons, and I feel its a great way to really highlight each seasons main message. Liv speaks with a soft yet strong tone (she is very clear and confident in what she is talking about but it doesn’t sound harsh, but rather uplifting), you can hear the glow and positivity from her voice. Aside from my friendship with Liv, when I listen to her podcast, I hear that she truly, with her whole being, means everything she says, and I can feel that she is manifesting what she preaches and speaks about for all those who have the opportunity to listen.
Liv inspires me on the daily given that we are best friends, but her podcast has definitely guided me in many ways too. There is one episode that really stuck with me which is episode 3: “you are capable” — one of my favourites as I have struggled with my self-esteem and confidence the last couple of years. I have been in the process of rebuilding these parts of myself and listening to the message Liv conveys in this episode was a great reminder. “You just existing is enough to be capable” is something Liv affirms to listeners during this episode that I would like to highlight (:
5 words I would use to describe ThoughtsByLiv: genuine, honest, vulnerable, uplifting, inspiring.
I am excited to see Liv blossom within the podcast community and can’t wait for others to discover all of the wisdom she has to offer to help themselves be the best version of them! <3
Instagram: sophiamasterson
Linkedin: sophiamasterson
Other: TikTok: sophmasterson
