From Fear to Freedom: Reclaiming Life After Growing Up in a Doomsday Religion
I believed I wouldn’t live to see adulthood.
What happens when you stop waiting for the end—and start choosing life instead? Anita shares her powerful awakening after decades inside a high-control religion. This blog reveals the moment she chose abundance over fear, and how that decision changed everything.
Me at 6 years old—on the cusp of learning the world was going to end
I was raised inside a high-control religion that taught the end of the world was near—so near, in fact, that planning for a future was pointless.
College? A career? Dreams?
None of that mattered if you believed the world wouldn’t be around much longer.
That belief shaped everything.
I dropped out of high school.
I got married far too young.
I became a single mother—struggling, surviving, and still believing that the end was coming any day.
Why dream, when doom was guaranteed?
But then something happened that changed everything:
The world didn’t end.
And I was still here.
That moment of realization cracked something open inside me.
If the end wasn’t coming… what was I still waiting for?
✨ Choosing to Live = Choosing to Create
I decided, for the first time in my life, that I got to live.
Not just exist. Not just survive.
But live.
That single decision changed everything.
I enrolled in college.
I worked my way up in my career.
I pursued growth and healing.
And over time, I built a life beyond anything I thought was possible:
- I earned an Executive MBA
- Became CEO of a global learning company
- Traveled the world
- Bought my dream home
- Created a life filled with joy, purpose, and abundance
And I did it all not because I was special, but because I changed my mind.
I changed what I believed was possible.
💫 From Fear-Based Programming to Manifestation Power
That journey taught me the foundation of everything I now teach:
- Your thoughts are not passive—they’re powerful signals.
- Your beliefs aren’t facts—they’re choices.
- The Universe doesn’t hand out luck—it mirrors your clarity.
Once I began understanding manifestation through a scientific lens—how energy, thought, and vibration interact—I stopped waiting… and started creating.
This blog isn’t just my story.
It’s proof that no matter where you start—or what beliefs you were given—you can choose more.
You can rewrite your reality.
You can build the future you want.
And you can manifest a life of joy, success, and deep fulfillment.
Get the Full Story
- 📖 👉 Ready for the full story? Read Greater Than Grateful to hear the full story of how I rewrote my life.
- 📚 Explore The Invitation series for a proven process to manifest with clarity and confidence.
- 🎧 Listen to the podcast episode where I share this story in my own voice.
🎧 Hear Anita Tell Her Story
Listen to MLAP Episode 5: From Apocalypse to Abundance — The Day I Chose to Live
Listen now: 👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify | Watch on YouTube
Full Episode Transcript
Prefer to read? Here’s the full transcript from Episode 5 of the Manifest Like a Powerhouse Podcast:
TAMMY JO: Welcome back to Manifest Like a Powerhouse. I’m Tammy Jo…
ANITA: …and I’m Anita. And today, we’re switching things up.
TAMMY JO: Yeah, because today, you’re not teaching—you’re telling. We’re diving into your story—your whole story. From the fear you were raised in… to the powerhouse you’ve become.
ANITA: This one’s personal. It’s raw. But it’s also the reason why I’m here—and why I teach manifestation the way I do.
Segment 1: Apocalypse Childhood
TAMMY JO: Let’s start at the beginning. You weren’t raised thinking about what you wanted to be when you grew up. You were raised thinking… the world was ending?
ANITA: Yes. I was raised in what most would now call a cult. From around age five, I was told the world was going to end soon, and only people in our religion would survive. Everyone else—friends, teachers—were doomed. I didn’t dream or plan. I expected to die.
Segment 2: Stuck in Survival
TAMMY JO: Did you carry that belief into adulthood?
ANITA: Absolutely. I dropped out of high school, got married and became a young mom, then divorced. I was just surviving—working long hours and still waiting for the end. Then one night, at 28, I had an epiphany: I was still here. And maybe, just maybe, the world wasn’t ending. Maybe I had a life to live.
Segment 3: The Decision That Changed Everything
ANITA: The very next day, I enrolled in community college. That one decision—to live like I had a future—changed everything. It was the start of conscious creation, even before I had those words. One class turned into degrees, and eventually into becoming a CEO.
Segment 4: Where The Secret Left Off
ANITA: Watching The Secret excited me—but it also frustrated me. It didn’t explain how manifestation actually worked. So I dove into the science—studying energy, quantum physics, and neuroscience. That’s when it all clicked. Manifestation isn’t magic. It’s frequency, intention, and clarity. And that’s what I teach now in The Science of Attraction and the entire Invitation series.
Segment 5: From Struggle to Strategy
TAMMY JO: Let’s talk about Greater Than Grateful. It’s not just a memoir—it’s a blueprint.
ANITA: It tells the whole story—from the doomsday mindset to manifesting my most abundant life. And the Invitation series picks up from there—it gives the how. Once you understand the mechanics, everything becomes possible. Because the future isn’t handed to you—it’s created by you.
Segment 6: What It Means to Choose Life
TAMMY JO: What would you say to someone feeling stuck or scared?
ANITA: I’d say: I was you. I figured out the process—and that changed everything. You’re not broken. You’re powerful. And it’s never too late. I started my MBA at 40!
Segment 7: Wrap-Up & Call to Action
TAMMY JO: Anita, thank you for sharing all of that.
ANITA: Thank you for holding the space. To anyone listening—you’re not broken. You’re ready. And the life you want? It’s not just possible—it’s waiting for you to create it.