We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessika Apostolova a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jessika, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Finding my purpose has been a transformative process/journey. Initially, I believed that modeling was my ultimate purpose. It consumed my thoughts and actions, taking top priority in my life. Little did I know the beginning of 2020 would mark a significant turning point in what I consider to be my purpose.
It was during that time that I experienced an encounter with God that sparked a new desire within my heart – one focused on writing as well as creating uplifting content that helps people draw closer to Jesus so that they can experience the same joy and freedom that I did.
Making the transition from solely focusing on modeling to stepping into something that was completely new territory for me, was definitely a challenge. I had to work on breaking some of my mental barriers because prior to this I didn’t realise that my identity was so deeply rooted in modeling. I had to detach myself from this label. I noticed God working on my heart. The more I stepped into this new calling, the more I began to feel this sense of purpose and fulfilment that surpassed anything I felt before.
I realised that my true fulfilment came not from any external validation, superficial ambitions or material possessions, but only from my relationship with God and making an impact in others’ lives. As I began immersing myself in prayer, studying scripture and honing my writing skills, it became clear to me that my purpose was not about my personal achievements, but about using my talents and passions to serve God and help others in any way I can. My goal is to create a safe space where people can find a community, wisdom and practical tips to deepen their faith.
This shift in purpose allowed me to prioritise what truly matters – the spiritual well-being of others and deepening my own relationship with God. Finding my purpose has brought me an immeasurable sense of joy and fulfilment, surpassing any success I may have attained in the modeling industry. It has allowed me to align my talent and passions with a higher calling. I remain so grateful for this continuing journey as it has led me to a place where I have the privilege of making a meaningful impact while helping others in their own journeys.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m originally born in Sofia, Bulgaria and I moved to Las Vegas at the age of 4. Even though I came to the U.S. at an early age I maintain a strong connection to my Bulgarian roots and visit my home country a few times each year. This has led me to have a deep appreciation for travelling and experiencing other cultures.
Aside from writing and creating content, I have hobbies I enjoy doing. At the age of 12, I taught myself to play the guitar and piano. During this time, I also began teaching myself contortion at home and I continued doing this for the next 5 years until I got a back injury that made me take a break, but I have been slowly getting back into it. Drawing and painting has also been another way I love to express myself.
Before I began my journey as a Christian writer and content creator, I was focused on chasing after things that only brought me temporary happiness: money, relationships, materialism, people’s approval and acceptance, etc. I had gone through quite a few experiences which had left me feeling broken, hurt and hopeless. As I was struggling to heal from a relationship with an actual psychopath, I was exposed to a lot of new age practices which I thought would help me heal. I tried different things, but in the end I was always left feeling empty. Different religions felt like it was all about following rules and struggling to be good enough for God who will hopefully accept you. I continued to feel empty while searching for truth and that is when I met Jesus. I found peace, healing, forgiveness and I felt a change in me that I had never experienced anywhere else. That is when I knew I had to share this with other people that may have felt as empty as I did.
All the decisions I made on my own led me to so much heartbreak and pain, but I realised that God never intended for me to go through all of those things. In reality, I was living outside of His will for my life and just blindly following my own desires. This is what inspired me to start the blog ApplyHisWill.com. I’m also in the process of writing my first Christian Devotional book to help readers grow in their daily walk with God. I believe that what God did for me He can do for others too. I am grateful to have a platform where I can help others fill the same void I was trying to fill for so long.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
One of the most impactful skills in my journey has been self-discipline. Sometimes I face days where I don’t feel like praying, studying the Word, coming up with new content ideas or even filming them. This is why growing in self-discipline is key. It goes beyond mere motivation or fleeting feelings – it allows me to push through the fluctuations of my current emotions and circumstances. It is what empowers me to continue seeking God’s presence and pour that out into my content. By choosing to pray and seek God’s help for content creation, I open myself up to encountering His wisdom and inspiration, even on days when I initially lack enthusiasm. Self discipline is about making the conscious choice to commit to the work God has called me to do, even when I don’t feel like it. It encourages spiritual growth and maturity.
Another important thing for me was understanding that there is purpose in trials and pain. There were many times where I faced setbacks. One of those includes losing my Tiktok account along with 215K+ followers and over 300 videos. I felt like I lost everything I worked so hard for and the discouragement made me want to give up. However, through the experience I learned that God has a purpose for allowing this trial. The pain of losing my account humbled me and reminded me the importance of my identity and worth in Jesus alone. It taught me that my value is not based on a number of followers or my social media presence, rather my true worth lies in who I am in God. The pain compelled me to seek His guidance more fervently. It pushed me to refine my content creation skills, explore new platforms and I discovered a new passion for my work. I learned the importance of resilience. Setbacks are not the end of my story, but an opportunity for God to work in and through me. This setback was really just a fresh start.
Consistency is what gave me a big push in the beginning of my content creating journey. It wasn’t one video that grew my platform, but rather consistent content. This also builds a sense of trust and credibility with your audience as it shows your commitment to your passion and followers.
My advice to those that are in the beginning of their journey is to write down and remember your WHY – the reason you started in the first place. It’s important to have the right mentality and not allow feelings to dictate your actions. Start by practicing self-discipline with setting clear goals. Define what it is you want to achieve and break it down into smaller manageable tasks. Make a decision to remain consistent in your efforts especially when you feel like giving up. Finally, change your outlook in your trials. Remember, you choose whether you’ll allow obstacles to beat you down or build up your character and make you stronger.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
One obstacle I’m currently working on overcoming is writer’s/creativity block. After losing my account along with my content and all the hard work I’ve put in, I made the decision to rebuild my platform. I felt extremely discouraged and at times it still feels impossible. When I start to feel this way I notice that I hit a creativity block.
A few things I’m currently working on doing to overcome this is spending more time in prayer, writing out any thoughts or ideas that come to mind and taking time to get inspired. Whenever I spend time in prayer, I’m almost instantly filled with a sense of peace which allows me to quiet my mind and let go of distractions. It allows me to seek God for new ideas that go beyond my own limited thinking. As I express my struggles to God, I’m also reminded that I’m not alone in my creative journey and that reassurance frees me from the pressure of having to force ideas or find inspiration on my own. Another thing that has helped me is writing down any ideas or thoughts that come to mind. One of the quickest ways to kill creativity is to stare at a blank page. Sometimes pouring out general ideas, questions or even half-formed thoughts and later expanding on these can help a lot. There are also moments when I feel I need to take a break all together and go outside to refresh. Whether it’s a short walk, hiking or being in nature – a change in the atmosphere can work wonders!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://applyhiswill.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessika_bg/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessika_bg
- Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessika_bg?_t=8h17SCtMFLP&_r=1
