Whether it’s changing hair colour or
switching faiths, sometimes truly amazing things come out of the most
unexpected choices
“Becoming a Muslim has made me a better person”
Author and TV presenter Kristiane
Backer, 46, lives in West London.
“I converted to Islam 16 years ago, after
a relationship with the Pakistani former cricketer Imran Khan. Before then, I
was a presenter for MTV, travelling all over the world interviewing stars like
the Rolling Stones. But I felt empty. An entry in my diary from that time says,
‘ If my plane crashes, I wouldn’t care.’
The turning point was when I met Imran at a
dinner party, I was raised in Germany as a Protestant, but religion wasn’t part
of my life. I travelled with Imran to Pakistan and loved the spirituality and
warmth of the people. People there live their lives to please God and the
different value system recognises things like inner beauty, which was refeshing
having worked in an image-driven industry. Imran and I broke up after 3 years,
but Islam had taken root in me and I decided to convert.
My parents struggled to understand, but the
worst reaction came from the German press. They ridiculed me and twisted my
words and eventually I lost my job. It was traumatic, but my faith pulled me
through and it felt like a fresh start.
Interpretations of Islam vary, but I’ve
harmonised my beliefs with my European identity. I pray five times a day and
meditate. At first, some of the lifestyle-changes were hard to adapt to. Giving
up alcohol was easy, as I was tired of drinking at the same old celebrity
parties, but when I first covered my hair with a hijab, it felt as if everyone
was staring at me. I save it for prayers and conservative Muslim environments
now.
People ask me if I’d go back to my
red-carpet life, but becoming a person of faith is like discovering an inner
treasure. Islam has given me a purpose and has helped me become a better
person. I don’t have that emptiness anymore.”
“Giving up my six-figure salary made me happier”
Jane Mason, 39, is the founder of
Virtuous Bread and has been with her partner, Enrique, 47, for nine months.
“I’d always wanted to get to the top of my
profession. For 15 years, I was a strategy consultant working with some of the
world’s biggest banks. It was satisfying when my 14-hours days paid off and I
could change the direction of a company for the better.
I stayed in five-star hotels and earned
over $ 317,000 a year. But I always felt something was missing. I hankered for
simple things like growing veg and baking my own bread. During my time off,
instead of luxury holidays, I backpacked across Vietnam and supported a children’s
home in Cambodia.
In 2009, I was offered $ 3,200 a day to
work on what seemed an amazing project, but it turned out to be my worst-ever
contract. The management team was greedy and dysfunctional, and friends said I
aged ten years in 3 months. After a particularly awful meeting, I realised no
amount of money was worth feeling as if I was failing. That was when I quit and
decided that this career wasn’t for me.
I realised I wanted to do something more
virtuous to help people on a community – rather than a corporate – level. So I
decided to change the world through bread. It took me a year to get my idea off
the ground and at first I thought I was going insane using up my savings, but
in spring 2010, Virtuous Bread was born. Now I teach bread-making to prisoners,
school children, stressed executives and pensioners and my ‘bread angels’
network has helped women set up micro businesses, baking and selling bread
within one-mile radius of their home.
The financial rewards are small and I’m
lucky to earn in a month what I used to earn in a day. But the emotional
rewards are huge. I love getting letters from people who say baking bread’s
helped them. And had I not done a presentation on how bread can bring
communities together at a conference in Berlin, I’d never have met my partner
Enrique. You can’t put a price on that.”
“Going blonde transformed my confidence”
Hairstylist Helen Timofti, 28, lives
with her partner Sean, 31.
“I’d been a brunette all my life. Though I
used to envy the women with golden locks who came into the Paul Edmonds salon
where I work, I never felt brave enough to take that step.
But last April, I was ready for a change.
My five-year relationship had ended and after my friend recommended Rhonda
Byrne’s The Secret, about the power of positive thinking, I decided that
I needed an overhaul. Despite making other people’s hair beautiful, I’d spend
only five minutes styling my own.
I was terrified, but Steven ( a colourist
at the salon) was very persuasive and, when the final foils came out, I was
amazed at the outcome, I began wearing red Chanel lipstick and treated myself
to killer Topshop heels. Within a few weeks, my style changed and I felt
sexy again. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and even led me to Sean. We met
in a bar a few months later; after several dates, he admitted he had always
liked blondes, so I doubt he’d have approached me if I’d still had brown hair.
Of course, there’s more to life than hair,
but I believe that once you decide to make a small change in your life, more
positive changes follow. Starting a relationship and buying my dream flat since
going blonde are proof of that. I’m also more confident and having more fun, so
I know it was the best decision I could have made.
“Adopting a rescue dog gave me a new perspective”
Romy Westwood, 31, is director of the
Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead. She’s been with her partner John, 41, for two
and a half years.
“I longed for a dog for years, but John
needed convincing. For a while, my busy social life and love of travelling
stopped me committing. But last January, I worked with Battersea Dogs &
Cats Home on an art fair and heard stories of abandoned dogs.
I started emailing John daily with pictures
of dogs from Battersea’s website and it took only a week to change his mind. My
mum said, “Don’t get a Staffle – it’ll bite your arm off!” But Captain Pickles
was gentle and shy, and he didn’t jump up and start barking when we arrived at
the centre. He had been found tied to railings and covered in scars. One look
into his sad eyes and even John couldn’t say no.
It didn’t start well. Captain Pickles
couldn’t stop shaking on his first visit to a park. Ten days later, we found
out his insides were bleeding after a virus and he needed a $ 1,430 operation.
Our insurance hadn’t kicked in, but I didn’t care about the price.
Once he recovered, his confidence grew.
Now, I take him everywhere, including to the office. I don’t want children yet,
but John and I are much closer now we have this family unit. Having a dog puts
things into perspective. I save money for vet bills instead of shopping for
clothes. Captain Pickles is so loyal and he’s taught me not to judge by
appearance – he looks like a bruiser but he’s a softie. I may have saved his
life, but he’s totally enriched mine.”
(By
Lisa Harvey)
