Sarah Suassuna

Occupation: Creative Mentor & Artist

Website: linktr.ee/sarahsuassuna

Instagram: sarahsuassuna

HOW DID YOU IDENTIFY YOUR PASSION AND THE WORK THAT SATISFIED YOU VERSUS WORK THAT JUST PAID THE BILLS?
About a few years ago I noticed I was living in misalignment with my truth. Even though I was feeling happy – I had where to live, a job, money in my bank account, some good parties here and there, people to hang out with, deep down I wasn’t feeling content and fulfilled. I was feeling like there was a hole in my heart, a longing coming from the center of my chest that needed to be fulfilled. I didn’t quite know exactly what was missing but somehow I knew I had so much more about me to be discovered. That I had so much more to share with the world. Living on the auto-pilote mode to just work and pay the bills wasn’t bringing me the sense of meaningfulness to keep my heart and my soul warm. I have been going through a deep and transformational process of self-development since then, facing and holding space for my shadows (fears, self-doubt, victimism, arrogance, insecurity, competitiveness etc). At the start of my process, which I call it “awakening”, I started to reconnect with my Creativity, my Creative Essence and along the way I understood those feelings: it was my soul craving to be listened, cherished and expressed. It was like my own deep voice from ancient times urging: “PLEASE, SET ME FREE.” As I started to let go and flourish, I began to value my time and energy and if I am doing something that does not make me feel content, fulfilled and satisfied, I understand it is not worth my time and energy. I also understand the more I focus on my own self-development, the more I am able to share and collaborate with others and that is a constant process of surrendering and letting go. Nowadays I dedicate myself into guiding women on rediscovering and structuring their Creativity as well and it has been magical to watch so many lives being transformed.

WHO WILL ETERNALLY BE A WOMAN YOU ADMIRE AND RESPECT, AND WHY?
My mother. I know it might sound cliche but I couldn’t think of anyone else – she gave me life after all. ha! My mom was 17 years old when she had me. I can’t begin to imagine what goes through a girl’s mind when finding out a pregnancy at such a young age. My mom was very brave for deciding to go forward with her pregnancy and I really respect her for that. I admire her strength in being such a loyal and dedicated mother and wife while still pursuing her personal life goals such as conquering a bachelor’s degree and starting her career as Occupational Therapist in her early 30`s. Since I was born, she has put all of her time and energy on raising me the best way she could and for that I am eternally grateful. I personally believe mothers in general are precious and divine beings as they are the ones able to create the most valuable gift someone could possibly have in this existence: LIFE! I really love and appreciate my mom and I wish I can be to my kids at least ¼ of what she has been to me.

IN LIGHT OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF OUR HASHTAG #WHYITRIBE, WHY DO YOU THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO CELEBRATE WHO WE ALREADY ARE TODAY?
“Who we are” can be a subjective and complex concept. I believe as humans, we are in a constant process of change and alignment. As we go through life, our experience shapes our reality, therefore who we are, so every single moment of our lives either good or bad, happy or sad, pleasant or painful, are important along the process. That is what makes us unique beings: our own experiences and perspectives of life. Of living. I believe “who we are” (who we became) today it is the result of a long process of deconstruction of who we used to be (or believed so). It is important to remember this is a constant process. It never ends. Metaphorically saying, to me life it is an Art of living and letting it die. We go through many deaths and rebirths along the process of living. Being mindful about everything we went through (looking with eyes of love and compassion) in order to be who we are today, can give us the inspiration to keep looking forward to whom we are still to become – enjoying the process without getting too attached to the outcome. It is a miracle to be alive and being able to simply breathe to me it is already a great reason to celebrate.

NAME A TIME RECENTLY WHEN YOU SAID SOMETHING GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF/HOW DID THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?
I like taking the weekends (specially the mornings) to have some “me” time. The other day I spent about 2 hours going through my skin care process and I looked at myself in the mirror and said: “You’re loved, cared and appreciated.” I felt like a massive shifting and healing going on with my inner child and feminine wounds right there. I felt like I was affirming I am ready to show up for myself. That I am ready to self-parent myself and that whatever happened in my past, through childhood or even ancestry past lives, I am free and capable of taking care and holding myself. It is essential to take the action of holding and self-empowering ourselves. I believe we definitely do not need to rely on external validation in order to feel we are enough or loved. All we need to do is to stir that self-love that it is already within us.

WHY DO YOU THINK WOMEN SHY AWAY FROM CELEBRATING OR PRAISING THEMSELVES SO MUCH?
Women carry unconscious traumas related to self-expression. Since I work mostly with women and as a reflection of my own self, I have noticed we all have similar wounds related to the feminine being. If we go back in history we can take in consideration how women were judged, labeled as “witches”, tortured and burnt alive for the simple fact of being intuitive, sensitive and expressive women – either through herbs, the arts or their mystical connection with the Moon. Society in general has been built around the patriarchal concept that women are inferior and/or less valuable than men. That sticked to our minds and we`ve been unconsciously carrying fears and concerns related to being seeing and heard. We are afraid of being misunderstood, judged, taken for granted and bilettled so then we think we are not worthy of being praised, celebrated or appreciated. We hold ourselves back thinking we are “too much” or “not enough”. We block our abundant feminine energy thinking we are not deserving of receiving. This is a tough reality to face, however I believe we can definitely overcome those fears by doing daily practices of self-love and connecting with a supportive group of women such as THE TRIBE movement.

HOW DO YOU OVERCOME THE TENDENCY TO DISCREDIT COMPLIMENTS YOU ARE GIVEN?
I constantly get myself apologizing, feeling shy or even guilty when given compliments, especially if coming from other women. Just like I said in the previous answer, as women we carry unconscious traumas related to being seen and heard. Sometimes I would feel unworthy or undeserving of receiving compliments. That is just my own self-sabotage-negative-unconscious talk playing in my mind. I believe it all starts with inner work. Once we are able to acknowledge our shadows and what is holding us back from stepping into our true and authentic self, it becomes easier to embrace it with compassion and transmute it into self-love. Into understanding that it is okay to say “Thank you” rather than “Oh no, you`re being kind!” – and yes, what if? – We got to believe we are deserving.

WHO WAS THE FIRST FEMALE TO TEACH YOU OR INSPIRE YOU TO FEEL THAT #YOUAREENOUGH?
My grandma is a great example of an empowered woman. She faced many challenges as a woman since a young age – early marriage and children, dealing with an abusive and destructive man and relationship whilst trying to raise four kids and pursue a career – she would have her books ripped by my grandpa and had to really fight for her place in the educational industry as a teacher by that time. When she was finally able to set herself free from her marriage, she fully dedicated herself to live for her kids raising the four of them by herself. She became a very successful woman professionally and financially, proving that she was definitely enough to conquer her dreams and achieve her goals under any circumstance. Her story really inspires me to believe in my potential and that I am enough.

HOW DOES SOCIETY REINFORCE THE IDEA THAT WE, AS WOMEN, ARE NOT ENOUGH AND HOW CAN WE TAKE THAT POWER BACK?
Although I believe this reality is changing, unfortunately as I mentioned before, there is a historical issue related to the feminine being and it is pretty clear to see and feel there are still marks reflecting the patriarchal based society we’ve been living in. Men, just like women, need empowerment too. For centuries men have been taught “how to be a man” from a distorted version of a toxic-power-force-based masculinity in complete misalignment with the true and sacred meaning of being empowered men. From attitudes such as taking for granted a partner/mother who stays at home living for their family to guys thinking it’s okay to have abusive behaviors towards women, sometimes in serious cases females being raped and the inferiorization culture in certain work environments. I believe it is our responsibility as females to stand up for ourselves with wisdom. With grace. From a loving yet empowered perspective in order to take our power back. Even though it might feel so unfair and painful to face the reality as it is, we should be aware of our “inner victim”. And it all starts with inner work. With training the mind and spirit. With practicing forgiveness. With understanding we are enough and worthy. And regardless of what happened in the past of female existence, in the present we are able and allowed to give ourselves permission to rise, knowing that by rising we also lift each other up.

ARE WE TOLD ENOUGH AS YOUNG GIRLS THAT #WEAREENOUGH? IF NOT, HOW CAN WE CHANGE THIS MESSAGING FOR YOUNG GIRLS TODAY?
This message is getting clearer nowadays but we can always get better on that. As a collective, humanity is shifting and I believe women are being more seen and heard. I fully believe the new generation of young females will be able to live and thrive in a much more evolved society related to the feminine being. It is important to remind them FREEDOM IS OUR BIRTH RIGHT. Regardless of what society tells us. It is also important to remind them that regardless of what their life choices are related to sexual orientation, work or family structure as females they will naturally always have that feminine energy that will need to be listened to and nurtured. And that we are not here to compete with one another or with the masculine, as they just like us, are sacred beings in this existence. We are here to live in harmony, respecting each other’s differences and complementing one another`s needs. As females, but first of all, as humans. In any type of social interaction or relationship: friends, workmates, family member or romantic partner. It is important to remember that the “worst” is gone. The bigger fight is over, and that from now on we should focus our energy as females on what we have already conquered so far rather than on what is still missing.

WHAT WOULD YOU GO BACK AND TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF, TO ENCOURAGE SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-LOVE?
I would tell her that it is okay not to feel okay sometimes as we are all humans and perfection is nothing but an illusion. I would tell her there is beauty in what is broken. There is beauty in what is “ugly”. There is beauty in what is sad. I would tell her to go with the flow of nature and just as the seasons, understand that there is time to rain and there is time to be in the sunshine. There is time to fall and there is time to bloom. I would tell her it is okay to be many in only one as just like the moon, we are cyclical. We go through phases. I would tell her it is okay to bleed from such a young age. That our menstrual period it is sacred and not something to be ashamed of. I would tell her to embrace her uniqueness and to trust more on her intuition. And I would tell her she is doing so well with the tools and knowledge she has. I would also tell her she is not and never alone, and that the purpose of life, it is simply living.

WHERE DO YOU THINK THE NEED TO COMPETE WITH OTHER WOMEN COMES FROM? IS IT TAUGHT?
I like to take in consideration the history because I fully believe the past does play a big role in our current realities: unfortunately a lot of that has to do with the times when women were seen as merchandise being exchanged for marriage, gold or even lands. Women had to compete with one another to prove who was the best “offer” to the eyes of men. In the contemporary times, it is about the media and the distorced concept of beauty around the perfect face, body, status or life achievements. I often see women comparing themselves with one another and getting frustrated if they don`t look or are a certain way. As a consequence they try to “be better than” someone to make them feel better about themselves. This is an internal battle and it is becoming a mental health issue for many, having most women suffering in silence. When we start seeing our differences as singularities, as our own unique beauty that makes us who we are, we shift our perspective and understanding of what it means to feel we are enough and under absolutely no obligation to please or compete with anyone.

WHY IS THE TRIBE MOVEMENT IMPORTANT?
Even though we are all different in our own uniqueness, as women we can still relate to similar issues and concerns so it’s such a relief knowing we are not alone. That we are all connected somehow. It is beautiful to feel the empathy, support and understanding by one another and THE TRIBE movement definitely brings it to reality as a way of maintaining female connections alive. Thank you!

HOW ARE YOU TRYING TO KEEP YOUR SELF-ESTEEM UP IN THE MIDST OF THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS READING THIS?
Oh yeah, the pandemic! Wow, what a year it has been so far! I have been doing daily mindful practices such as breath work, movements and creative expressions to keep myself grounded and present. By doing that I feel like I`m looking after myself, my mental health, my soul, so it naturally lifts my self esteem up and keep me motivated to take some time off to simply BE. To take care of myself, the people I love and to do the simple things I enjoy in life such as watering my plants, choosing my favourite essential oil, listening to my favourite song or reading a new book.

My advice to anyone who is reading this is: there is beauty in the simplicity of life. Of living. Allow yourself to take some time to simply appreciate life – the tonalities of blue in the sky. The shapes of the clouds. The air fulfilling your chest as you slowly breathe. The smell of the flowers. The taste of your food. The warmth of the Sun touching your skin. Touch yourself. Connect with your senses. Feel yourself. The texture of your hair. The shapes of your body. The colour of your eyes. Be aware: you are enough. Be grateful: for all of that. For all of you. For all that is. Right here. Right now. In the present moment.