May 27, 2025 • 22 mins
Sarah Arvizu's world changed forever when she received a diagnosis of stage three triple negative breast cancer at the beginning of the year. As a single mother of two daughters aged 11 and 7, she faced an unimaginable challenge. Yet during our conversation, her approach to this monumental life hurdle revealed something extraordinary about human resilience.
"This was the one thing that I wasn't gonna hide," Sarah shared, explaining how previous life struggles had taught her the cost of shouldering burdens alone. The decision to be transparent about her cancer journey created an unexpected ripple effect as others began sharing their own hidden struggles. "When you start sharing, it's amazing because so many other people start sharing with you either things that they'd been through or that their family members had been through."
Sarah's "sunshine moments" philosophy predated her diagnosis, a practice she developed through her podcast "Creating Sunshine." Each month, she documents experiences worth celebrating and posts them on her refrigerator as visual reminders of joy. This intentional practice of documenting gratitude evolved into actively creating experiences she wanted to remember – like taking her daughters to watch the sunset at the beach.
What struck me most was how Sarah emphasized the importance of developing wellbeing practices before crisis strikes. The journaling, meditation, and breathwork she already practiced became essential tools during treatment. "These tools are maintenance for you and your life," she advised, "and that way, when the hard shit does happen, you're going to be okay because you already have them." For those already in challenging seasons without such practices, she recommends starting small – even ten deep breaths each morning can transform your day.
Cancer has clarified priorities, teaching Sarah to be intentional with her time and relationships. She's learned to say "yes" more readily to what matters, follow through on promises, and reach out proactively rather than waiting for support. Despite everything, her relationship with her daughters has strengthened as they focus on what truly matters rather than "all the stuff that doesn't matter anymore."
Ready to find more sunshine in your own life? Follow Sarah on Instagram @Sarah_Arvizu, listen to the Creating Sunshine podcast, and download her free Sunshine Moments guide through her email list.
Thank you so much for listening in! If anything in this episode resonated with you, it would mean the world to me if you left a review or shared it with a friend or on social media.
And don't forget to tag me so I can personally thank you for helping me get the word out.
Follow and chat with me on Instagram:
Podcast account - @thrivelikeamother.podcast
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Sending you light and love always!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, love, I'm Ebony and welcome to Thrive Like a
Mother On this podcast.
We're scared for our truth, butthat fear is what fuels us to
truly live in it.
You're in the right place ifyou feel like you're stuck in
survivor mode and you're readyto step into who you were truly
(00:20):
meant to be.
I'll share resources and toolsI use daily to help you in your
journey towards a healthiermindset and to break the wheel
of survival.
The journey may not be easy,but you won't have to face it
alone.
I'm a mama of three, healingday by day from past trauma, and
I'm on a mission to build alife I've always dreamed of but
(00:42):
never thought was possible.
So, love, if you're ready tobelieve in what's possible,
let's link arms and thrivetogether.
Hey, loves, I hope you're readyto tune into another episode of
the Thrive Like a Motherpodcast.
We have a very special guest onwith us for today's episode.
(01:04):
Her name is Sarah Arvizu, andSarah is a dynamic speaker.
She's a podcast host.
She's a mentor who helps womennavigate life challenges with
resilience and purpose.
Sarah is a single mother andalso a breast cancer warrior.
In this episode, she's going toopenly share her journey, as
(01:26):
she does through all of herplatforms, really just turning
adversity into a source ofconnection and inspiration, and
through Sarah's podcast,creating Sunshine, she provides
encouragement and actionableinsights for any overwhelmed
mothers, showing them exactlyhow to find the joy, build
(01:46):
resilience and redefine success,no matter their circumstances.
So I'm really excited for y'allto listen in and just absorb
all that Sarah has to give.
She is just a phenomenal womanand I can't wait for y'all to
listen in.
(02:06):
All right, y'all welcome toanother episode of the Thrive
Like a Mother podcast, and I amso dang honored to have our
guest on with us today.
Today's episode is really onethat's going to invite you and
us really into that deep courage, that raw honesty, but really
just a story.
Her story is one of resilience,hope and all the sunshine
(02:29):
moments.
So I'm honored to welcome adear friend, sarah Arvizu, to
the podcast and, sarah, I reallywant to.
I want to just jump right inimmediately because I feel like
people just they need to hearyour story and just everything
that you've overcome, especiallywithin this past year.
(02:50):
So can you take us back to thebeginning of this year and
what's just been going on inyour world?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
sure, sure.
Well, first of all, thank youso much for having me.
You're like about to make mecry out the gate with your sweet
introduction.
But yeah, my name is Sarah.
I am the host of the CreatingSunshine podcast.
I am a single mom to two littlegirls.
They are 11 and 7.
And they are like my world, mylife, they are everything.
(03:19):
And at the beginning of thisyear I was diagnosed with stage
three triple negative breastcancer, which obviously cancer
is never in anyone's plan, right, it's never like the terrible
things that happen in your life,like we never, ever planned for
them.
But I really I had alreadybefore that been doing so much
(03:42):
like personal development, somuch inner work, so many things.
So when it happened, I don'tknow, I just adopted this like I
mean, first of all, I'm a verylike let's come up with a plan
type person to handle theproblem and to just move forward
.
That's just always been me, sothat was in me innately to be
(04:02):
like okay, so what's the plan?
What are we gonna do?
What's the next step?
Because it's really weird whenyou first get diagnosed with
cancer, because they tell youthat you have it but you don't
know anything about it.
Because actually I found out inthe beginning of December that
I had it, but I didn't know thestage, I didn't know the
treatment, I didn't know whatkind like I knew nothing.
So you're just in this weirdlimbo for like a month and a
(04:26):
half knowing you have cancer,but you're like okay.
So my in my head the whole timeI'm kind of like maybe it's not
that bad, maybe they'll just doa surgery and they'll just
remove the tumor and then I'lljust move on.
But it was definitely not thecase.
I just finished my last chemotreatment last week, so I had
six rounds of chemo, and now I'mmoving on to.
(04:46):
I have my first surgeryscheduled at the end of May and
then my second surgery isscheduled 11th.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Yes, wow, so much has happened just in in that time
frame and just I want people, Ithink, to hear what helped you
through that time, going throughthose rounds of chemo and
getting like to this stage whereyou're at now.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Okay, a lot helped me , but I will say that this was
the.
I decided early on that thiswas the one thing that I wasn't
gonna hide, that I wasn't gonnakeep to myself, because there
had been so many other thingsthat happened in my life that I
didn't share with people, likewhen my husband and I separated,
when I went through my divorce.
(05:29):
It's like I went through thatpretty much all by myself and
for no reason just because I Imean, I was embarrassed.
Honestly, I was embarrassed, Iwas ashamed.
I was like, oh my God, how didthis one thing that I thought I
was going to be really freakinggood at not work out in my life,
you know?
And like what are people goingto think?
So, after having gone throughsomething like that by myself
(05:49):
and knowing how difficult it was, I knew that when this happened
, I was like I can't do this bymyself, like I'm going to need
to share this, I'm going to needto let people in, I'm going to
need to let people support mebecause, like, this is going to
be the craziest, most difficultthing I've ever been through.
So I think that was huge,because it really like was a
sense of relief, like once Istarted telling people and when
(06:12):
it was like the whole weightthat I used to feel was like
lifted off my shoulders, like Ididn't feel that tension, I
didn't feel that stress, Ididn't feel that lump in my
throat, because I always feltlike I was going to it was just
like I was just free to talkabout it and to just share about
it.
And in doing that, it was soamazing because so many other
people started sharing with meeither things that they'd been
(06:35):
through, that their familymembers had been through, like
even things that they had nevertold anybody.
And some of these people I knewwell and it was crazy because I
didn't know, I had no idea orsome people I didn't know at all
and they were connected to methrough somebody else and so
they just started sharingbecause it was a safe space for
them to do so.
So I would definitely sayopening up and sharing and
(06:56):
realizing that, although youfeel like you're the only one
that's going through it, likeI'm not the first person to have
breast cancer, you know I'm notthe first person to go through
this and you don't have to likebear that burden of feeling like
you are.
You can let other people in,like it's okay and you know,
letting other people support mein really speaking up and asking
for what I need, because in thebeginning you know everybody's
(07:18):
like oh, just tell me what youneed or let me know if you need
anything.
I'm here for you, and it's likeyou kind of don't know what to
say and you don't know what todo.
And then finally it's like hey,do you, are you busy?
Do you want to go for a walk?
Do you want to go for lunch?
Like.
Because I think people have thisbig misconception, like I even
went to the old location that Iworked at and they have this big
misconception that, like thatthey can't touch you.
(07:38):
You know, like people don'tknow Like they're like can I hug
you?
Can I touch you?
I don't want to get you sick,like and.
And I didn't really know either, you know, but there's so many
new things with treatment andthe immunotherapy and stuff that
I'm on that it does enable meto have some days where I do
feel really good and I go out.
You know, when I spend timewith people because that's been
huge is I can't just sit in myhouse, yeah, and just do this,
(08:02):
like I need to go out, I need tosee people, I need to see my
friends, I need sunshine in mylife, like and and the other
things that I was already doingthat have been huge, that I've
just started practicing a lotmore are probably the biggest
things are like journaling,meditation and breath work have
been so huge for me.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Yeah, I love.
But I love love especially thatyou focused on the power of
having other people, the powerof having a circle and having
that support, like we can't doanything in this world alone and
, honestly, you truly never knowwhat anyone's going through,
right?
Speaker 2 (08:38):
I mean, like even even in our group, you know,
like Ebony and I are in themastermind together and to me
it's not just about business,like I'll come in there and I'll
, I'll post or I'll vent or I'll, you know, say all the things
that are going on and even justhaving those ladies that I've
only known for a short amount oftime, you know, but opening up
and the same thing, like andjust letting them support me and
(09:00):
letting them be there for me.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Exactly yes, we me and letting them be there for me
Exactly yes, we have to letpeople.
We have to let people in, wehave to.
Let's talk about I.
I love your first of all y'all.
Sarah has a podcast, if youdidn't know.
It's called creating sunshineand I love that you share so
much about your sunshine momentsbecause I feel like for me
especially within, I think,maybe the past few years I
(09:24):
really started for me, I focuson them as my glimmers.
But can you talk about yoursunshine moments, how the
creation of it came about, andreally just share how people can
start creating those moments orlooking for those moments in
their own lives?
Speaker 2 (09:41):
I love this because the sunshine moments are like
one of my favorite thing momentsin their own lives.
I love this because thesunshine moments are like one of
my favorite thing.
So I've had my podcast sincethe end of 2023.
And the name of podcast iscreating sunshine and it's kind
of always just been.
It's actually started becausethe you are my sunshine lullaby
has always like been in our lifeand it wasn't like I was saying
(10:03):
to me.
When I was a kid, I sang it tomy oldest daughter.
Her whole entire room was youare my sunshine.
When she was born, like herwhole baby shot, like everything
.
It's always meant so much to usand and actually and I don't
even know if you know this, butin 2020, I started another
business and I was makingglitter tumblers and I was like.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
I just learned that they are gorgeous, thank you,
and I was making glittertumblers and I was like I just
learned this they are gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Y'all thank you.
And I was like I was a COVIDcrafter.
I was working, you know, Idon't even want to tell you how
many hours and it was.
I mean, I was working at Costcoduring COVID as a manager, so
it's like it was wild and when Icame and we couldn't really go
anywhere, we couldn't really doanything, and so for me and my
daughters, like it was, craftingwas kind of a way for us to,
(10:46):
you know, bond and to pass thetime and not lose our minds,
right.
And so when I started thatbusiness, it became create
sunshine shop and that's youknow, and then the podcast led
to creating sunshine and it wasjust kind of all these things
because that's kind of I'vealways been like a happy,
positive person, but before Istarted doing all this work and
(11:08):
started doing all that, I willbe honest that a lot of it was
like on the outside and not onthe inside, like people would be
like oh my gosh, you're sopositive, you're so happy, but
inside, like my inside wasn'tmatching my outside, and that's
like a couple years back when Ireally decided like I don't feel
like you should go through lifefeeling this way.
I feel like you, should be ableto be genuinely happy and you
(11:30):
know.
So what can I, what can I do tochange that?
So, really, the sunshine momentstarted because I wanted to
start to look at the things thatI was grateful for and the
things that I was thankful for,yes, and look for reasons to
celebrate.
And it was at the end of lastyear, which is, ironically
enough, like before.
(11:50):
It was pretty close to likewhen I was diagnosed I started
doing these things.
So I don't know if maybe it waslike God or the universe or
somebody was setting me up toalready, like you know, be super
focused on this, and so wewould like we spent one December
, my daughters and I and we,literally every single night,
wrote down like what we, whatour wins were for the day,
(12:13):
because December, like Decembertypically, had been super
stressful for me, with Christmas, with working, with everything
else, and I just felt like Iwasn't enjoying the season, you
know, and my kids were littleand I'm like they only get to be
little one time.
So when we did that for thatDecember, that was 2023.
When we did that, actually, andwhen we did that that December,
(12:34):
it was like, oh my God, ittotally like shifted my
perspective and shifted mymindset.
And that's when I started like,okay, what can I do?
So after that, at the end ofevery month, I would start
writing down what I was, what Iwas celebrating from the month,
and I would go through mycalendar and I would go through
my pictures.
And I still do this.
And that's the download, thesunshine moments download that I
(12:54):
created, that it's free ifanybody wants it, and I like to
fill it out at the end of themonth, what I'm thankful for,
what I'm looking forward to.
I print it out, I put it on myfridge and that way you really
look for, like you see what youlook for, I believe, and when
you start looking for reasons tocelebrate, like there's going
to be more, and you might besitting there thinking like,
(13:15):
well, I don't have anything tocelebrate.
I mean you could get down tothe nitty gritty, like you woke
up today and you have air inyour lungs.
You have food in your fridge youhave electricity in your house,
you know like you can go sobasic, and then, once you start
reframing your mind, then you'llstart seeing more things.
And then I realized that Iwanted to create things to put
on that list and that's where itbecame like creating those
(13:37):
sunshine moments, like I know.
At the end of the month I wantto write down that me and my
daughters went and saw thesunset at the beach, so we
better go do it.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Yes, so that's the part of like you.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Then you start to want to create things that
you're excited about that, youwant to celebrate.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Yeah, wow, I love that you started doing like this
inner work before you got yourdiagnosis, because, like now,
like in the middle of the storm,right now you're here and
you're like, okay, I have thetools to get through this.
It's really like when thingshappen, like life is going to
happen, things are going tohappen, nobody wakes up and says
(14:12):
you know, I want a cancerdiagnosis or I think that this
is going to happen to me, butit's really like how you're able
to respond to that, how you'reable to stay grounded throughout
that storm yeah, well, that'sthe thing too, is that don't
wait until something terriblehappens in your life.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Get these tools, like I consider.
These tools are maintenance foryou and your life, and that way
, when the hard shit does happen, you're going to be okay
because you already have them.
If I waited until I got mycancer diagnosis to find out
what journaling and breath workwas, I can't imagine.
No, because that's what peopleask me all the time is like how
do you, how are you goingthrough this with this attitude
(14:52):
and doing this?
And I'm like, I'm telling youguys, like I was already working
on this for a long time.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Yes, exactly, exactly , gosh.
So now let's talk about Okay.
So the mom right now who's insomething hard maybe they didn't
do the pre-work, you know andthey're going through it right
now.
They're going through thestruggle, they're in the storm.
What would you say to that momright now who has not done that
(15:19):
pre-work just yet?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I would tell her it's okay, it's not too late.
Don't feel like, since youhaven't done it, it's not going
to work for you, and just startwith something small.
Don't overwhelm yourself bytrying to do all the things.
Like I was interviewingsomebody on my podcast just
yesterday and we were talkingand we were like just waking up
(15:43):
and taking like 10 deep breaths.
I mean, you don't even knowwhat that could do for your
whole entire day.
Go outside for five minutes andget some sunshine, take a walk.
You know, like the smallestthings, that you don't think
they're going to make adifference.
And the funny part about it isthat they might.
You might not feel it in exactlylike right away, right, but
(16:04):
once you start to put thesethings into practice, and then
maybe a week from now, you'vebeen waking up and you've been
taking 10 deep breaths everymorning and now you wake up and
you're like, oh my gosh, I feelso much less stress.
Yeah.
And the other thing for me thatwas huge because I used to have
such a hard time going to sleepand I do a meditation app every
night when I go to sleep.
(16:25):
Yeah, and I use the InsightTimer app because it just helps
me to calm down my breath, toturn off my mind.
I also drink magnesium becausethat was huge in helping me
relax.
But my magnesium and my InsightTimer app because I think the
sleep part is so, it's soimportant and you don't realize,
like when I was not sleepingand I was working these early
(16:46):
morning shifts and I didn'trealize how tired I really was
until I started getting asleep,and that is seriously going to
transform like your wholefreaking life.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Yeah, that's true, that's me right now.
That's me right now.
As soon as you said insighttimer, I was like I use insight
timer, why am I not?
I have been in the struggle buswith sleep, just having a
harder time actually falling tosleep, so I'm going to put that
into practice.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
You need to put your inside timer into practice.
And the other thing that I dois I get I'm off of social media
, and I've been doing this for Idon't know, maybe two months
now, but from 8 PM to 8 AM I'mnot on social media.
Yes, so I turn my phone off andyeah and that, because that way
you're not scrolling in bed Like, and I just set my meditation.
So sometimes if I'm still awake, because I'll put the girls to
(17:34):
bed, sometimes if I'm stillawake, like I'll read, or
something like that, which makesme like instantly tired.
But yeah, those are a fewthings that I would tell, like
just start small, just do alittle bit.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Yeah, just one thing, and then they add up pretty
quickly.
You don't even know, Right.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Because then you'll, because, like for me, then
you'll start to learn what worksfor you.
And now, when something'shappening, I'm like, okay, I
know, if I go journal right now,that this is going to make me
feel better and you'll, and youknow, maybe, journ, and then
that way maybe you can findsomething that works for you and
(18:09):
you know that's your go-to inyour stressed out moments.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Exactly, exactly, All right.
So I wanted to close with this.
What has this season thatyou've been in, what has it
taught you about love, aboutpresence, about motherhood?
Just what are some things thatit has taught you during this
season?
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Oh my goodness, so much.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
So, much.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
I mean, obviously, when something like this happens
, like it puts everything in adifferent perspective.
But I think I was just talkingto my dad about this yesterday,
cause he was over here and wewere just starting our garden.
So he was helping me with mygarden so that we could you know
, I could plant my food, becausehe doesn't have a yard anymore.
So he's like, well, I might aswell come play in your yard
because him and my mom are in anapartment now.
(18:53):
Um, so we went over to HomeDepot, we bought our plants, we
started planting.
But I think the thing of it isis I spent so much time before
like saying I would get tothings, or saying I would do
things you know, and especiallylike with my daughters, and they
would ask me and I would belike, oh, we'll see, or oh,
maybe.
And now it's like why not justsay yes, why not just do what
(19:16):
you said you were going to do?
Because I used to spend so muchtime thinking about the things
that I said I was going to doand taking up so much brainpower
realizing that a lot of thesethings probably only took 15 to
30 minutes and I could have justlike knocked them off the list
and it didn't.
This has only been like I wouldlike.
I said I was diagnosed inJanuary and it took me a few
months to kind of get into thisrhythm.
(19:37):
But now, like it's reallyflowing and I'm really checking
things off my to-do list, youknow, and also just realizing
what do you really want to spendyour time doing and who do you
really want to spend your timewith, because you don't have to
say yes to everything, you don'thave to say yes to everyone.
But also, especially you know,as moms, as women, as adults,
(20:01):
like everybody's busy and it'salso like I guess I'm allowing
people to support me, but it'salso my responsibility to reach
out and to ask people, you know,if they want to do something,
if they want to get together,because they don't know what I'm
doing or how I'm feeling.
And you can't sit there and belike, well, they said they would
support me and then now they'renot here.
It's like, well, did you thinkthat the phone works both ways,
(20:22):
that you should reach out tothem and ask them, reach out to
them and ask them?
So I really have just been somuch more intentional with, like
what my daughters and I aredoing with actually like
upholding my word, especiallywith them, of what I said I was
going to do and setting thatexample, and even though this is
obviously also the craziestthing that's ever happened to
them, I feel like ourrelationship has gotten so much
(20:44):
stronger during these past fewmonths because we're really you
know, we're not focused on allthe stuff that doesn't matter
anymore.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Yeah, yeah, you really have to be intentional
with your time and your peace,and then just the people that
you love, like you have to.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Gosh.
Well, thank you, sarah, firstof all for your vulnerability.
Can't even talk vulnerabilitystrength.
You're welcome.
I want you to share, of course,where my listeners can listen
in and follow along on yourjourney.
Get those downloads too.
I'm going to make sure I putthose in the show notes.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Okay, you guys can hang out mostly on Instagram.
You guys can find me at Sarahunderscore RVZoo and obviously
you can listen to the CreatingSunshine podcast and I also have
an email list that you guys arethe first ones to get notified
about any new things I'm doing,any new episodes, and that's
where you can also get theSunshine Moments download if
you're interested, and you guyscan start, you know, celebrating
(21:42):
yourselves and creating yourown Sunshine Moments.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Yes, awesome.
Thank you again for joining meand I want to end with a
reminder to the audience ofeverything that Sarah has said
throughout this episode.
Basically, y'all hard things.
They don't have to be the finalsay in the way you live your
life, our response, our choice,and the way that we heal and our
sunshine moments y'all theytruly matter more than we
(22:06):
realize they add up.
So think about those.
Get connected with Sarah sothat you can continue to just
cultivate more sunshine in yourlife.
Thank you so much for listening.
Love.
If anything in today's episoderesonated with you, share it
with your bestie or share it onsocial media and tag me so we
can chat about it, as always,sending you light and love, and
(22:29):
remember you are worthy, you areenough and you deserve to
thrive.
Hey, love, I'm Ebony and welcome to Thrive Like a
Mother On this podcast.
We're scared for our truth, butthat fear is what fuels us to
truly live in it.
You're in the right place ifyou feel like you're stuck in
survivor mode and you're readyto step into who you were truly
(00:20):
meant to be.
I'll share resources and toolsI use daily to help you in your
journey towards a healthiermindset and to break the wheel
of survival.
The journey may not be easy,but you won't have to face it
alone.
I'm a mama of three, healingday by day from past trauma, and
I'm on a mission to build alife I've always dreamed of but
(00:42):
never thought was possible.
So, love, if you're ready tobelieve in what's possible,
let's link arms and thrivetogether.
Hey, loves, I hope you're readyto tune into another episode of
the Thrive Like a Motherpodcast.
We have a very special guest onwith us for today's episode.
(01:04):
Her name is Sarah Arvizu, andSarah is a dynamic speaker.
She's a podcast host.
She's a mentor who helps womennavigate life challenges with
resilience and purpose.
Sarah is a single mother andalso a breast cancer warrior.
In this episode, she's going toopenly share her journey, as
(01:26):
she does through all of herplatforms, really just turning
adversity into a source ofconnection and inspiration, and
through Sarah's podcast,creating Sunshine, she provides
encouragement and actionableinsights for any overwhelmed
mothers, showing them exactlyhow to find the joy, build
(01:46):
resilience and redefine success,no matter their circumstances.
So I'm really excited for y'allto listen in and just absorb
all that Sarah has to give.
She is just a phenomenal womanand I can't wait for y'all to
listen in.
(02:06):
All right, y'all welcome toanother episode of the Thrive
Like a Mother podcast, and I amso dang honored to have our
guest on with us today.
Today's episode is really onethat's going to invite you and
us really into that deep courage, that raw honesty, but really
just a story.
Her story is one of resilience,hope and all the sunshine
(02:29):
moments.
So I'm honored to welcome adear friend, sarah Arvizu, to
the podcast and, sarah, I reallywant to.
I want to just jump right inimmediately because I feel like
people just they need to hearyour story and just everything
that you've overcome, especiallywithin this past year.
(02:50):
So can you take us back to thebeginning of this year and
what's just been going on inyour world?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
sure, sure.
Well, first of all, thank youso much for having me.
You're like about to make mecry out the gate with your sweet
introduction.
But yeah, my name is Sarah.
I am the host of the CreatingSunshine podcast.
I am a single mom to two littlegirls.
They are 11 and 7.
And they are like my world, mylife, they are everything.
(03:19):
And at the beginning of thisyear I was diagnosed with stage
three triple negative breastcancer, which obviously cancer
is never in anyone's plan, right, it's never like the terrible
things that happen in your life,like we never, ever planned for
them.
But I really I had alreadybefore that been doing so much
(03:42):
like personal development, somuch inner work, so many things.
So when it happened, I don'tknow, I just adopted this like I
mean, first of all, I'm a verylike let's come up with a plan
type person to handle theproblem and to just move forward
.
That's just always been me, sothat was in me innately to be
(04:02):
like okay, so what's the plan?
What are we gonna do?
What's the next step?
Because it's really weird whenyou first get diagnosed with
cancer, because they tell youthat you have it but you don't
know anything about it.
Because actually I found out inthe beginning of December that
I had it, but I didn't know thestage, I didn't know the
treatment, I didn't know whatkind like I knew nothing.
So you're just in this weirdlimbo for like a month and a
(04:26):
half knowing you have cancer,but you're like okay.
So my in my head the whole timeI'm kind of like maybe it's not
that bad, maybe they'll just doa surgery and they'll just
remove the tumor and then I'lljust move on.
But it was definitely not thecase.
I just finished my last chemotreatment last week, so I had
six rounds of chemo, and now I'mmoving on to.
(04:46):
I have my first surgeryscheduled at the end of May and
then my second surgery isscheduled 11th.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Yes, wow, so much has happened just in in that time
frame and just I want people, Ithink, to hear what helped you
through that time, going throughthose rounds of chemo and
getting like to this stage whereyou're at now.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Okay, a lot helped me , but I will say that this was
the.
I decided early on that thiswas the one thing that I wasn't
gonna hide, that I wasn't gonnakeep to myself, because there
had been so many other thingsthat happened in my life that I
didn't share with people, likewhen my husband and I separated,
when I went through my divorce.
(05:29):
It's like I went through thatpretty much all by myself and
for no reason just because I Imean, I was embarrassed.
Honestly, I was embarrassed, Iwas ashamed.
I was like, oh my God, how didthis one thing that I thought I
was going to be really freakinggood at not work out in my life,
you know?
And like what are people goingto think?
So, after having gone throughsomething like that by myself
(05:49):
and knowing how difficult it was, I knew that when this happened
, I was like I can't do this bymyself, like I'm going to need
to share this, I'm going to needto let people in, I'm going to
need to let people support mebecause, like, this is going to
be the craziest, most difficultthing I've ever been through.
So I think that was huge,because it really like was a
sense of relief, like once Istarted telling people and when
(06:12):
it was like the whole weightthat I used to feel was like
lifted off my shoulders, like Ididn't feel that tension, I
didn't feel that stress, Ididn't feel that lump in my
throat, because I always feltlike I was going to it was just
like I was just free to talkabout it and to just share about
it.
And in doing that, it was soamazing because so many other
people started sharing with meeither things that they'd been
(06:35):
through, that their familymembers had been through, like
even things that they had nevertold anybody.
And some of these people I knewwell and it was crazy because I
didn't know, I had no idea orsome people I didn't know at all
and they were connected to methrough somebody else and so
they just started sharingbecause it was a safe space for
them to do so.
So I would definitely sayopening up and sharing and
(06:56):
realizing that, although youfeel like you're the only one
that's going through it, likeI'm not the first person to have
breast cancer, you know I'm notthe first person to go through
this and you don't have to likebear that burden of feeling like
you are.
You can let other people in,like it's okay and you know,
letting other people support mein really speaking up and asking
for what I need, because in thebeginning you know everybody's
(07:18):
like oh, just tell me what youneed or let me know if you need
anything.
I'm here for you, and it's likeyou kind of don't know what to
say and you don't know what todo.
And then finally it's like hey,do you, are you busy?
Do you want to go for a walk?
Do you want to go for lunch?
Like.
Because I think people have thisbig misconception, like I even
went to the old location that Iworked at and they have this big
misconception that, like thatthey can't touch you.
(07:38):
You know, like people don'tknow Like they're like can I hug
you?
Can I touch you?
I don't want to get you sick,like and.
And I didn't really know either, you know, but there's so many
new things with treatment andthe immunotherapy and stuff that
I'm on that it does enable meto have some days where I do
feel really good and I go out.
You know, when I spend timewith people because that's been
huge is I can't just sit in myhouse, yeah, and just do this,
(08:02):
like I need to go out, I need tosee people, I need to see my
friends, I need sunshine in mylife, like and and the other
things that I was already doingthat have been huge, that I've
just started practicing a lotmore are probably the biggest
things are like journaling,meditation and breath work have
been so huge for me.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Yeah, I love.
But I love love especially thatyou focused on the power of
having other people, the powerof having a circle and having
that support, like we can't doanything in this world alone and
, honestly, you truly never knowwhat anyone's going through,
right?
Speaker 2 (08:38):
I mean, like even even in our group, you know,
like Ebony and I are in themastermind together and to me
it's not just about business,like I'll come in there and I'll
, I'll post or I'll vent or I'll, you know, say all the things
that are going on and even justhaving those ladies that I've
only known for a short amount oftime, you know, but opening up
and the same thing, like andjust letting them support me and
(09:00):
letting them be there for me.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Exactly yes, we me and letting them be there for me
Exactly yes, we have to letpeople.
We have to let people in, wehave to.
Let's talk about I.
I love your first of all y'all.
Sarah has a podcast, if youdidn't know.
It's called creating sunshineand I love that you share so
much about your sunshine momentsbecause I feel like for me
especially within, I think,maybe the past few years I
(09:24):
really started for me, I focuson them as my glimmers.
But can you talk about yoursunshine moments, how the
creation of it came about, andreally just share how people can
start creating those moments orlooking for those moments in
their own lives?
Speaker 2 (09:41):
I love this because the sunshine moments are like
one of my favorite thing momentsin their own lives.
I love this because thesunshine moments are like one of
my favorite thing.
So I've had my podcast sincethe end of 2023.
And the name of podcast iscreating sunshine and it's kind
of always just been.
It's actually started becausethe you are my sunshine lullaby
has always like been in our lifeand it wasn't like I was saying
(10:03):
to me.
When I was a kid, I sang it tomy oldest daughter.
Her whole entire room was youare my sunshine.
When she was born, like herwhole baby shot, like everything
.
It's always meant so much to usand and actually and I don't
even know if you know this, butin 2020, I started another
business and I was makingglitter tumblers and I was like.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
I just learned that they are gorgeous, thank you,
and I was making glittertumblers and I was like I just
learned this they are gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Y'all thank you.
And I was like I was a COVIDcrafter.
I was working, you know, Idon't even want to tell you how
many hours and it was.
I mean, I was working at Costcoduring COVID as a manager, so
it's like it was wild and when Icame and we couldn't really go
anywhere, we couldn't really doanything, and so for me and my
daughters, like it was, craftingwas kind of a way for us to,
(10:46):
you know, bond and to pass thetime and not lose our minds,
right.
And so when I started thatbusiness, it became create
sunshine shop and that's youknow, and then the podcast led
to creating sunshine and it wasjust kind of all these things
because that's kind of I'vealways been like a happy,
positive person, but before Istarted doing all this work and
(11:08):
started doing all that, I willbe honest that a lot of it was
like on the outside and not onthe inside, like people would be
like oh my gosh, you're sopositive, you're so happy, but
inside, like my inside wasn'tmatching my outside, and that's
like a couple years back when Ireally decided like I don't feel
like you should go through lifefeeling this way.
I feel like you, should be ableto be genuinely happy and you
(11:30):
know.
So what can I, what can I do tochange that?
So, really, the sunshine momentstarted because I wanted to
start to look at the things thatI was grateful for and the
things that I was thankful for,yes, and look for reasons to
celebrate.
And it was at the end of lastyear, which is, ironically
enough, like before.
(11:50):
It was pretty close to likewhen I was diagnosed I started
doing these things.
So I don't know if maybe it waslike God or the universe or
somebody was setting me up toalready, like you know, be super
focused on this, and so wewould like we spent one December
, my daughters and I and we,literally every single night,
wrote down like what we, whatour wins were for the day,
(12:13):
because December, like Decembertypically, had been super
stressful for me, with Christmas, with working, with everything
else, and I just felt like Iwasn't enjoying the season, you
know, and my kids were littleand I'm like they only get to be
little one time.
So when we did that for thatDecember, that was 2023.
When we did that, actually, andwhen we did that that December,
(12:34):
it was like, oh my God, ittotally like shifted my
perspective and shifted mymindset.
And that's when I started like,okay, what can I do?
So after that, at the end ofevery month, I would start
writing down what I was, what Iwas celebrating from the month,
and I would go through mycalendar and I would go through
my pictures.
And I still do this.
And that's the download, thesunshine moments download that I
(12:54):
created, that it's free ifanybody wants it, and I like to
fill it out at the end of themonth, what I'm thankful for,
what I'm looking forward to.
I print it out, I put it on myfridge and that way you really
look for, like you see what youlook for, I believe, and when
you start looking for reasons tocelebrate, like there's going
to be more, and you might besitting there thinking like,
(13:15):
well, I don't have anything tocelebrate.
I mean you could get down tothe nitty gritty, like you woke
up today and you have air inyour lungs.
You have food in your fridge youhave electricity in your house,
you know like you can go sobasic, and then, once you start
reframing your mind, then you'llstart seeing more things.
And then I realized that Iwanted to create things to put
on that list and that's where itbecame like creating those
(13:37):
sunshine moments, like I know.
At the end of the month I wantto write down that me and my
daughters went and saw thesunset at the beach, so we
better go do it.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Yes, so that's the part of like you.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Then you start to want to create things that
you're excited about that, youwant to celebrate.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Yeah, wow, I love that you started doing like this
inner work before you got yourdiagnosis, because, like now,
like in the middle of the storm,right now you're here and
you're like, okay, I have thetools to get through this.
It's really like when thingshappen, like life is going to
happen, things are going tohappen, nobody wakes up and says
(14:12):
you know, I want a cancerdiagnosis or I think that this
is going to happen to me, butit's really like how you're able
to respond to that, how you'reable to stay grounded throughout
that storm yeah, well, that'sthe thing too, is that don't
wait until something terriblehappens in your life.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Get these tools, like I consider.
These tools are maintenance foryou and your life, and that way
, when the hard shit does happen, you're going to be okay
because you already have them.
If I waited until I got mycancer diagnosis to find out
what journaling and breath workwas, I can't imagine.
No, because that's what peopleask me all the time is like how
do you, how are you goingthrough this with this attitude
(14:52):
and doing this?
And I'm like, I'm telling youguys, like I was already working
on this for a long time.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Yes, exactly, exactly , gosh.
So now let's talk about Okay.
So the mom right now who's insomething hard maybe they didn't
do the pre-work, you know andthey're going through it right
now.
They're going through thestruggle, they're in the storm.
What would you say to that momright now who has not done that
(15:19):
pre-work just yet?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I would tell her it's okay, it's not too late.
Don't feel like, since youhaven't done it, it's not going
to work for you, and just startwith something small.
Don't overwhelm yourself bytrying to do all the things.
Like I was interviewingsomebody on my podcast just
yesterday and we were talkingand we were like just waking up
(15:43):
and taking like 10 deep breaths.
I mean, you don't even knowwhat that could do for your
whole entire day.
Go outside for five minutes andget some sunshine, take a walk.
You know, like the smallestthings, that you don't think
they're going to make adifference.
And the funny part about it isthat they might.
You might not feel it in exactlylike right away, right, but
(16:04):
once you start to put thesethings into practice, and then
maybe a week from now, you'vebeen waking up and you've been
taking 10 deep breaths everymorning and now you wake up and
you're like, oh my gosh, I feelso much less stress.
Yeah.
And the other thing for me thatwas huge because I used to have
such a hard time going to sleepand I do a meditation app every
night when I go to sleep.
(16:25):
Yeah, and I use the InsightTimer app because it just helps
me to calm down my breath, toturn off my mind.
I also drink magnesium becausethat was huge in helping me
relax.
But my magnesium and my InsightTimer app because I think the
sleep part is so, it's soimportant and you don't realize,
like when I was not sleepingand I was working these early
(16:46):
morning shifts and I didn'trealize how tired I really was
until I started getting asleep,and that is seriously going to
transform like your wholefreaking life.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Yeah, that's true, that's me right now.
That's me right now.
As soon as you said insighttimer, I was like I use insight
timer, why am I not?
I have been in the struggle buswith sleep, just having a
harder time actually falling tosleep, so I'm going to put that
into practice.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
You need to put your inside timer into practice.
And the other thing that I dois I get I'm off of social media
, and I've been doing this for Idon't know, maybe two months
now, but from 8 PM to 8 AM I'mnot on social media.
Yes, so I turn my phone off andyeah and that, because that way
you're not scrolling in bed Like, and I just set my meditation.
So sometimes if I'm still awake, because I'll put the girls to
(17:34):
bed, sometimes if I'm stillawake, like I'll read, or
something like that, which makesme like instantly tired.
But yeah, those are a fewthings that I would tell, like
just start small, just do alittle bit.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Yeah, just one thing, and then they add up pretty
quickly.
You don't even know, Right.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Because then you'll, because, like for me, then
you'll start to learn what worksfor you.
And now, when something'shappening, I'm like, okay, I
know, if I go journal right now,that this is going to make me
feel better and you'll, and youknow, maybe, journ, and then
that way maybe you can findsomething that works for you and
(18:09):
you know that's your go-to inyour stressed out moments.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Exactly, exactly, All right.
So I wanted to close with this.
What has this season thatyou've been in, what has it
taught you about love, aboutpresence, about motherhood?
Just what are some things thatit has taught you during this
season?
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Oh my goodness, so much.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
So, much.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
I mean, obviously, when something like this happens
, like it puts everything in adifferent perspective.
But I think I was just talkingto my dad about this yesterday,
cause he was over here and wewere just starting our garden.
So he was helping me with mygarden so that we could you know
, I could plant my food, becausehe doesn't have a yard anymore.
So he's like, well, I might aswell come play in your yard
because him and my mom are in anapartment now.
(18:53):
Um, so we went over to HomeDepot, we bought our plants, we
started planting.
But I think the thing of it isis I spent so much time before
like saying I would get tothings, or saying I would do
things you know, and especiallylike with my daughters, and they
would ask me and I would belike, oh, we'll see, or oh,
maybe.
And now it's like why not justsay yes, why not just do what
(19:16):
you said you were going to do?
Because I used to spend so muchtime thinking about the things
that I said I was going to doand taking up so much brainpower
realizing that a lot of thesethings probably only took 15 to
30 minutes and I could have justlike knocked them off the list
and it didn't.
This has only been like I wouldlike.
I said I was diagnosed inJanuary and it took me a few
months to kind of get into thisrhythm.
(19:37):
But now, like it's reallyflowing and I'm really checking
things off my to-do list, youknow, and also just realizing
what do you really want to spendyour time doing and who do you
really want to spend your timewith, because you don't have to
say yes to everything, you don'thave to say yes to everyone.
But also, especially you know,as moms, as women, as adults,
(20:01):
like everybody's busy and it'salso like I guess I'm allowing
people to support me, but it'salso my responsibility to reach
out and to ask people, you know,if they want to do something,
if they want to get together,because they don't know what I'm
doing or how I'm feeling.
And you can't sit there and belike, well, they said they would
support me and then now they'renot here.
It's like, well, did you thinkthat the phone works both ways,
(20:22):
that you should reach out tothem and ask them, reach out to
them and ask them?
So I really have just been somuch more intentional with, like
what my daughters and I aredoing with actually like
upholding my word, especiallywith them, of what I said I was
going to do and setting thatexample, and even though this is
obviously also the craziestthing that's ever happened to
them, I feel like ourrelationship has gotten so much
(20:44):
stronger during these past fewmonths because we're really you
know, we're not focused on allthe stuff that doesn't matter
anymore.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Yeah, yeah, you really have to be intentional
with your time and your peace,and then just the people that
you love, like you have to.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Gosh.
Well, thank you, sarah, firstof all for your vulnerability.
Can't even talk vulnerabilitystrength.
You're welcome.
I want you to share, of course,where my listeners can listen
in and follow along on yourjourney.
Get those downloads too.
I'm going to make sure I putthose in the show notes.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Okay, you guys can hang out mostly on Instagram.
You guys can find me at Sarahunderscore RVZoo and obviously
you can listen to the CreatingSunshine podcast and I also have
an email list that you guys arethe first ones to get notified
about any new things I'm doing,any new episodes, and that's
where you can also get theSunshine Moments download if
you're interested, and you guyscan start, you know, celebrating
(21:42):
yourselves and creating yourown Sunshine Moments.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Yes, awesome.
Thank you again for joining meand I want to end with a
reminder to the audience ofeverything that Sarah has said
throughout this episode.
Basically, y'all hard things.
They don't have to be the finalsay in the way you live your
life, our response, our choice,and the way that we heal and our
sunshine moments y'all theytruly matter more than we
(22:06):
realize they add up.
So think about those.
Get connected with Sarah sothat you can continue to just
cultivate more sunshine in yourlife.
Thank you so much for listening.
Love.
If anything in today's episoderesonated with you, share it
with your bestie or share it onsocial media and tag me so we
can chat about it, as always,sending you light and love, and
(22:29):
remember you are worthy, you areenough and you deserve to
thrive.
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