After being diagnosed with cancer a year after moving to the U.S. from Mexico, Aideé found herself dealing with a difficult diagnosis, language barrier, and cultural barriers all at once. In this final episode of Season 1 of Successful: The Podcast, Aideé shares with us how this experience led her to create Rosa es Rojo, an organization focused on making wellness and cancer prevention accessible to Hispanic women and their families in the United States. As a CEO, mother, and wife, Aideé also shares how her “inner mentor” has guided her ability to be still, listen to herself, and turn adversity into a sense of empowerment.
Key Takeaways:
- According to the American Cancer Society, cancer is the leading cause of death among Hispanics living in this country. One in three Hispanic women living in this country will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime.
- The good news is that 42% of all cancer cases have roots in an unhealthy lifestyle or unhealthy behaviors.
- Rosa es Rojo is making wellness and cancer prevention something that is accessible to Hispanic women and their families through education and community support around nutrition, mental health, physical activity, and other healthy mindsets and behaviors in a culturally-relevant way.
- Connecting with your “inner mentor” or “higher coach” (in other words, deeply listening to oneself) can support our ability to overcome adversity and feel empowered. Aideé’s inner mentor lessons include:
- Instead of “fighting” our life battles (including difficult ones, like cancer), learn to embrace them; they’re all part of what allows us to value our life and grow.
- Use the knowledge you have in your hands to empower others; keep growing your knowledge so you can empower others even more.
Know that you are not alone. When things get difficult, connect with those around you that can support and uplift you.
- When it comes to figuring out your meaning of success, give yourself time to discover your guiding principles or values to live by; to do this, be patient and make time to be still and simply listen.
- To incorporate stillness into your life on a practical level, first, know that “work-life balance” is a myth. Rather, you can think of your life as “rhythms” - some weeks will have a different rhythm than others. Make time every week to consciously decide which rhythm best serves you for a given period and incorporate those chosen rhythms into your life.
Episode Resources:
- Learn more about and get involved with Rosa es Rojo: https://en.rosaesrojo.org/
- Listen to SuperVive, a Spanish-speaking podcast about living a happier, healthier, and more resilient life: https://en.rosaesrojo.org/podcast
BONUS: You can listen to Karla being interviewed by Aideé via this link.
- Learn more from the American Cancer Society about how cancer affects Hispanics living in the United States via this report.
