When you give yourself to your faith, doors open for you, and everything works the way it needs to. Walking with the Light will always guide you to where you need to be.

Sonia

Sonia

Hi Sonia, thank you so much for your time this afternoon. You're such a beautiful person, and your journey is fascinating. I am so excited for you to share your story with us.

First of all, thank you. I admire you too. I think you're an amazing human being. I really love and support your cause, especially the whole creative part and the idea of bringing women with our stories together. I think that's wonderful, and I'm very proud of you. I'm also very, very glad to be here. I'm proud of myself too. So yes, let's start.

Thank you so much! So, tell us about yourself. What should we know about Sony to dive into your journey with you?

Okay. I'm 35 years old, and I'm from Colombia. The biggest challenge I have encountered in my life was back in 2020. When I was turning 30 years old, I was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer here in New Zealand. I had just moved to New Zealand to be with my partner at that time and had spent only about two months here. So I had to go back to my country to start my treatment because I didn't know if I had enough time to target the cancer. It was very challenging and very confusing. And I think if it wasn't for the support of my family and my partner at that time, I would not have gotten through this and become the person I am now. I wouldn't be here today otherwise.

This is so powerful and inspiring. Could you tell us more?

Yeah, I wasn't expecting to be diagnosed with cancer at such a young age. I think the most important thing is for people to be aware that this can happen to anyone at any stage of their life. In a million years, I would never have imagined being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 30. Actually, I was 29, turning 30!


And I am so grateful for the medicine in my home country and the professionalism of the doctors. I appreciate so much how helpful and supportive everyone on my path was. I think when you believe that there is something bigger than you, and you give yourself to your faith, doors open for you, and everything works the way it needs to for you. I believe that walking with the Light will always guide you to where you need to be. Everything will come together for you.

That is so beautiful. Tell us more about Colombia and your family, please.

To be honest, I had a really love-hate relationship with my family. They always expressed their love in a way that I could not quite understand. Situations like my illness really make you understand what true love is and how important and beautiful the support of your family is. It was such an awakening to realize they really love me for who I am.
It really makes you think about what you are here for. One day you're going to be gone, we all are, but you will be remembered for something: the things you say, the things you do, and the things you share. So I guess this realization—that you need to become a part of this whole experience and open your heart—is extremely important. Open your heart to be able to give love and, even more importantly, to receive love, because that's what people often have challenges with, as they don't think they're worth it.

When you see people going the extra mile for you, it's like, wow, love can really heal you. It doesn't matter what stage or state you're in, it shows you the way to overcome anything. So for me, the people you surround yourself with are pretty important: family, friends, your partner. Those are the people who can really make or break you. I understand some people don't have friends or family close to them; they live on their own, and it's difficult to create that circle. But I think we should always try to be honest and give the best of ourselves to others to surround ourselves with the right people, because along the way, that's what really matters and that's what is going to help you overcome anything that arises on your path. For me, understanding that my family and friends were there to support me and that they were all working together to get me better was a life-changing experience.

It gave you strength…

It gave me strength. It gave me purpose, and it showed me what I was here for, what I was a part of. It was very important for me to embrace that I was part of my family, my community, my country—that I'm not here just to work and pay the bills. It was important to realize that I can help others by telling my story, help people who are going through the same challenges, and to feel that you always have something inside you, your inner core, that no one and nothing can change.

How has your life changed after going through this?

I think it changed in every single way. If you really want to survive something so tremendous, you have to change your life as a whole. Overcoming cancer for me was about changing the way I thought, changing my perspective, changing my diet, and changing my daily routine. So it comes down to changing you as a person. It is just like if you die and a new person is born. It's a new opportunity, a new life. And we are here to improve all the time. We're not perfect at any point in time; there is always room for improvement. I'm still working on myself and will never stop doing it. But I have come to realize that for you to change anything so profoundly, or to achieve something significant, you need to have a holistic change in every single part of your life.

It’s like if you want to start a business, you do not only have to learn finance; you need to know about marketing, social media management, accounting, etc.—the same for your health. You need to change the way you eat, the way you think, the way you feel. Forgive people… I think when you have a health issue, forgiving really helps you to release the negative energy that you have stored inside. And it helps you become open to whatever happens. Because you never know, I can get in the same position again. And I can die, and I will die one day, but at least I know that I did the best I could to improve my life, to do what I was called to do on Earth, you know? So it's beautiful in a way, it was an amazing experience. Now, when I look back on all that I went through, which was extremely hard and challenging, I actually think it was one of the best experiences of my life. Yes.

Wow... I’m speechless... Thank you for sharing this. Tell us more about your personality. What are your strengths?

I think my strength is my determination. When I decide to do something, I do it. For example, I quit sugar for two years—it took a lot of strength! It’s so important to learn to say no to things that make you ill, whether it's food, people, or your environment. It takes a lot of determination, and I'm a very determined person. When I want something, I get it. I think that's my biggest strength.

Another important thing and my strength is believing in yourself. You should always believe in yourself. Never let anyone or anything get into your head and change your perspective of who you are. Because at the end of the day, we are all human beings with the same opportunities and capabilities, created in God's love. So don't let anyone ever tell you differently from that.

What are your weaknesses?

I think sometimes I struggle with giving myself credit for what I have achieved. I often feel “it doesn't matter, anyone can do that, it’s easy.” I don't really let myself have that powerful feeling of being proud, especially in those matters I keep working on.

That’s my biggest insecurity. I do not believe enough in who I really am and what I can offer to the world. I've got so many projects and things that I want to put out there in the eyes of the public. And that takes a lot of strength and determination, but also a lot of self-belief. I think I do not believe enough that I can make an impact on other people's lives. And that's what I'm working on.

We'll definitely get to your projects a bit later on, I want to hear all about them. What do you value in people the most?

Honesty. I admire honesty in people. It takes a lot of courage, and you really need to know who you are and what you want. If you can come openly to a person and express your feelings and needs, I don't think there is anything more valuable than that.

And what do you love the most in life? My family. My family is my rock. They're the most important thing for me.

It must be hard to be away from them.

It is very hard. But I have learned to keep giving them all of me with my presence over the phone. Thank God for technology. I talk to them every day. And I think because of the time difference, I am being even more present in their lives than if I was there, living in the same rhythm as them. I always focus on the positive, and even though I miss them and want to be with them, I give the best part of me to them over the phone.

How do you recharge?

I recharge by spending time on my own, doing exercise, and drinking water. Being alone with my own thoughts, meditating. I think that being able to be alone with myself is one of my greatest strengths. I don’t get bored; there is no need to go outside or do something else because I'm very happy just being with myself.

That's amazing! I know that recently you made the huge decision to walk away from a relationship, leaving behind the comfort and familiarity of six years. Could you tell us about this decision?

Yes, yes, it was a six-year, almost seven-year relationship. It was very special; this person was with me during one of the hardest moments in my life. I will always appreciate him for this and for all the support he gave me. I will always be grateful for that.

It takes courage to understand that there are times in life when something ends, and it needs to go. When a cycle comes to an end, it no longer plays a part in your life, so you need to let it go. It's time to grow, change, and move on because it's no longer adding value to your life.

There was no more room for growth or improvement in that relationship, so I decided to walk away and start my life all over again, as I always do. But this time, from a better place, from a very different state of mind than before. The fear of change is there because I don't know what’s coming, but I know that I’m feeling great. And I feel like I made the right decision.

All the best to you in this new chapter of your life! I know this was a huge decision for you in terms of how much courage it took.

It was a very hard moment in my life. I came to New Zealand to live with my ex-partner, and I had to overcome so many challenges. It’s a new country; you don’t know anyone, they don’t know you. I was out of work for a very long time due to my treatment. It all made things difficult.

I was 100% dependent on him, and when I decided to leave, I had to move houses, find a job, and show up for myself again to start a life on my own. But I knew that I had to do all these things to find my peace, my growth, and my independence again. It was a hard process, but I did it: I found a job, I moved to a beautiful place, and now I'm starting my life from scratch, but this time from a very different position with very, very, very good grounding. So I’m very happy, and I’m really looking forward to this stage in my life.

That’s so inspiring!

And this is something I would like to say: it doesn't matter what life throws at you—an illness, a painful breakup, or losing your job. There is always going to be something else for your out there. There is always going to be a way for you to do things differently. If it doesn't work, it’s because it’s not where you’re meant to be at this point in your life. So don’t be afraid to change and start anew because everything always gets better.

Do you have a dream?

Of course! I do have a dream, and my dream is to empower women to make these kinds of decisions, to be able to walk away from a relationship that doesn't serve them anymore, and to control their minds to overcome illnesses.

Don't believe what people tell you, even if doctors say you don't have time to live or there’s nothing they can do. There should always be hope inside you. But if that’s the case, and you're going to leave this world, think about how you can enjoy the time you have left and make the most of it. That was my decision. I thought, if I die, then I want to be the happiest I have ever been until I die because that’s it—there is nothing else apart from that. So it’s just a way of looking at life, the way of thinking.

Wow... Let’s circle back to the projects you’d like to work on. Can you tell us about that?

Yeah, definitely. I have several projects in mind that involve women’s coaching, particularly in personal styling and health and wellness. I want to help women take control of their lives and guide themselves, without judging their decisions, and instead, following their hearts and bodies. When it comes to image, I believe how people see you influences how they treat you. So, it’s important to present yourself in the most beautiful way possible, so life can treat you the same way.

When I talk about working on your image, I mean it holistically. You project who you are on the inside—your shine, your smile, your drive all come from your soul and are reflected in your appearance. It doesn’t matter your size or how you dress; what matters is that you love yourself, and that love is reflected in your life.

Do you have a role model?

Yes, in business, my role model is Richard Branson. I love him, his ideas, the way he sees the world. He would be my mentor in that case.

In spirituality, it’s Louise Hay. She was the first person I encountered when I started my spiritual journey. She shows a very beautiful way of seeing life and accepting who you really are. So, I will always admire her for that. She kind of initiated me into the spiritual world.

In nutrition, health, and exercise, I admire lots of people, to be honest. Everyone who has the determination to work on themselves, who stands up for themselves, and loves themselves in that way.

Do you have a motto?

I don’t chase anything - I attract. That’s what I always say. I believe in myself, so I don’t need to chase anything. I attract everything that happens to me. And that’s very powerful because the responsibility lies on you.

Beautiful. And to finish, what is the most exciting thing you look forward to in the near future?

Wow. Well, everything at the moment is exciting because I don’t know what’s going to happen. So, starting my own business, continuing my career, and getting to know new people. I think meeting new people is the most exciting thing for me right now—to see what the future holds, to build new relationships, and to find new people I want to spend my time with.

Thank you very much.

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