Sustain This! Podcast Episode Summary

Title: How a Cancer Diagnosis Brought Her to Simplicity ft. Sarah Horgan of Simple + Intentional
Hosts: Alyssa Beltempo, Signe Hansen & Christina Mychas
Release Date: May 27, 2025

Introduction to the Episode and Guest

In this heartfelt episode of Sustain This!, hosts Alyssa Beltempo, Christina Mychas, and Signe Hansen welcome Sarah Horgan, the founder of Simple + Intentional, a platform dedicated to guiding women toward a simpler, more intentional lifestyle. Sarah shares her transformative journey toward minimalism and intentional living, catalyzed by a life-altering health diagnosis.

Sarah's Journey: Cancer Diagnosis and Shift to Simplicity

Sarah begins by recounting her pivotal moment in 2014 when she was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma. This diagnosis forced her to deeply examine her life and priorities:

[01:55] Sarah: "I was diagnosed with stage four cancer... it was really like the big jumping off point for me because of course, when these things happen, it sort of gets you to deeply examine your life."

During this period, Sarah delved into self-reflection, consuming TED Talks and books that challenged her previous notions of perfectionism and people pleasing. Her introspection led her to recognize how these traits were hindering her personal growth and happiness.

Overcoming Perfectionism and People Pleasing

Sarah discusses her realization that perfectionism wasn't the virtue she once believed it to be. She reflects on the negative impacts of striving for perfection and the tendency to please others at the expense of her own well-being:

[03:45] Sarah: "I started to dig into it and I was like, wow, this actually isn't really a positive thing... and I'm like really caring about that. I'm perceived as being nice, but like, you know, does that always work for me?"

This awakening was further fueled by her participation in a 30-day decluttering challenge inspired by the minimalist book Everything that Remains. Although she didn't complete the challenge due to her perfectionist tendencies, the experience was instrumental in her journey toward intentional living.

Minimalism vs. Intentional Living

Sarah emphasizes that her approach to minimalism extends beyond simply reducing physical possessions. For her, it's about fostering emotional clarity and intentionality in every aspect of life:

[19:33] Sarah: "It's about so much more than stuff... when I looked around my environment, and if it was really chaotic, it's like, what is it telling me right now?... it could just be, wow, I'm feeling really emotionally overwhelmed."

This perspective aligns with the hosts' focus on mindful consumption and cultivating a life that prioritizes personal well-being over material accumulation.

Practical Tips for Decluttering and Mindful Consumption

Sarah offers actionable strategies for listeners looking to embark on their own journey toward simplicity:

1. Start with Non-Prescriptive Items: Begin decluttering with items that hold less emotional weight, such as bathroom or kitchen supplies.

   [24:14] Sarah: "If you can start with things that don't feel too precious, like what are the things that are the bathroom or the kitchen..."

2. Implement the One-Minute Rule: Inspired by Gretchen Rubin, Sarah suggests making immediate decisions about items to prevent clutter from accumulating.

   [26:20] Sarah: "Just not leaving things or picking them up and putting them away... like that thought habit of, okay, I'm gonna put this in the dishwasher instead of in the sink."

3. Embrace Seasonal Energy: Use the natural renewal energy of spring to refresh both your physical space and mindset.

   [43:52] Sarah: "I like to open up the windows and just get fresh air in... clear out all that extra stuff..."

Motherhood and Minimalism

Becoming a mother presented new challenges for Sarah's minimalist journey. She discusses the societal pressures to accumulate baby items and the internal struggle to balance preparedness with intentionality:

[39:17] Sarah: "It really does pull on that, like, scarcity a lot... once you have a child, you see how little they require... Having extra stuff feels burdensome."

Sarah advocates for trusting her instincts and prioritizing what genuinely adds value to her family's life, rather than succumbing to external pressures.

Emotional Resilience: Self-Forgiveness and Learning

A significant portion of the conversation centers around the importance of self-forgiveness in the face of setbacks. Sarah shares her methods for maintaining emotional balance:

[33:34] Sarah: "Self forgiveness isn't just giving ourselves a pass to do the same thing again next time... it's acknowledging that you made a mistake and thinking about solutions."

She emphasizes the need for self-awareness and gentle self-assessment to differentiate between genuine self-care and habitual excuses.

Seasonal Decluttering and Leveraging Energy

As spring arrives, Sarah highlights how the change in seasons can be an opportune time for personal and physical renewal:

[43:52] Sarah: "Spring has this kind of natural energy... throwing your curtains in the washing machine... it makes you want to freshen up your space in other ways."

She encourages listeners to harness the invigorating energy of spring to undertake decluttering activities that refresh their living spaces and mental states.

Rapid Fire Highlights

Towards the end of the episode, Sarah participates in a rapid-fire segment, sharing personal preferences and habits:

• Best Playlist for Decluttering: Benson Boone and The Greatest Showman soundtrack.

• Best Playlist for a Calming Evening: James Bay, Bon Iver's "Holocene", and Birdie's "Surrender".

• Footwear Preference: Sneakers.

• Weekly Habit for Clean Spaces: Tidy up as she goes, putting things away immediately.

• Favorite Guilty Pleasure: Reading modern romance novels and spending on greens powder to boost daily health.

• Where to Find Sarah: Listeners can connect with Sarah through her Simple + Intentional Podcast, Instagram @SimpleIntentional, and her website.

Conclusion

This episode of Sustain This! offers a profound exploration of how personal crises can lead to meaningful life changes. Sarah Horgan's story serves as an inspiring testament to the power of intentional living and mindful consumption. Her insights provide listeners with practical tools and emotional strategies to cultivate a simpler, more fulfilling life.

For those seeking to adopt a more intentional lifestyle, this conversation underscores the importance of self-awareness, emotional resilience, and deliberate action in creating a life that aligns with one's true values and needs.

Listen to the full episode here.