In Awe of Suleika
An extraordinary story about an extraordinary woman
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“Live each day like it’s your first” - a profound statement bestowed upon me by the remarkable Suleika Jaouad - this is her Substack The Isolation Journals - whilst I listened to her being interviewed on the Rich Roll podcast this morning. Her journey is nothing short of awe-inspiring and her resilience in the face of adversity served as a beacon of light for me today.
I’m a little late to the party in watching the Netflix film “American Symphony”, described as one of the “best love stories seen on film”. It documents the extraordinary story of Sukeika and her husband Jon Batiste.
If you do one thing this weekend, I highly recommend you watch the film.
After watching the film, I couldn’t get to sleep last night, it really did touch my soul. Then listening to Suleika’s being interviewed on The Rich Roll podcast, her stories moved me to my core. More than anything, I loved how she encourages us not to take each day for granted or live each day as our last, but to approach life with wonder and freshness as if it was our very first day. Her mantra helped shift my whole perspective whilst I was walking the ridgebacks, disappointed that there was no golden sunrise as I’d been fortunate to witness during the past couple of days. Even though I was freezing, tired and the sky was grey, with Suleika’s dulcet tone in my ear, I managed to enjoy my walk with a newfound appreciation.
Suleika is not only an inspiring writer and speaker, but she is an advocate for the transformative power of journaling. And the Queen of Journaling Prompts! Her Substack is brilliant on so many levels she is a pro at prompts.
During her extensive treatment, Suleika began channeling her thoughts into her journal, every day, even when all she could manage was one word. Her journaling led to her sharing her experiences in a New York Times column titled “Life, interrupted”. Where she shared the raw and honest details of her battle with cancer, offering her readers a window into the emotional and physical challenges she faced. She then went on to write her memoir “Between Two Kingdoms” which I’ve just downloaded, as it’s been described as a testament to the human spirit’s capacity to find light in the darkest of moments.
Suleika Joauad’s story is defiantly one of hope, transformation and the ability of the human spirit to rise above adversity. What I loved most about listening to her share her story, was her openness about her struggles, and how she strives forward with her mission to help others, particularly young adults with cancer.
If you’d like to dive deeper into Suleika extraordinary story, here are three of my recommendations…
1. Read: Her memoir "Between Two Kingdoms" A memoir about life interrupted
2. Watch: American Symphony over on Netflix
3. Listen: The Rich Roll podcast Survival is a Creative Act
If you have been reading my Substack recently you’ll know I am dedicated to empowering midlife women, especially those navigating the challenges of cancer. I wrote about this on my Substack last week, you can read it here Beyond Cancer
My mission has never been more clear and after listening to Suleika and watching the documentary last night, I’m more inspired than ever to help women learn how to channel their emotions of rage, anger and frustration through the therapeutic practice of journaling.
Until the next time
Take care and stay safe xx