Overcomer – Sarah Forgrave
What do you do?
I’m a wellness coach, busy wife and mom, and author of Prayers for Hope and Healing. I love encouraging others in their health and faith journeys at sarahforgrave.com.
Growing up, did you always dream that you would be doing what you’re doing now?
I like to say I grew up with a writer’s gene tucked away somewhere deep inside of me, but I didn’t fully know what I would do with it until I became an adult. I’ve always loved words and people, and my two careers allow me to merge both loves in a way I would never have dreamed as a child.
What made you decide to “go for it” in terms of your career goals/ambitions?
I worked in corporate America for several years until complications from the birth of my firstborn sent me into long-term disability. It was an incredibly difficult time going in and out of surgeries, and much of my time alone was spent reading books.
Books became such a bright spot in my life, helping to pull me out of my depression. Somewhere along the way, I developed a craving to dust off my creative side, and once I started, I never looked back.
Did you face adversity? How did you overcome that?
It’s hard to quantify all the ways I’ve faced adversity. From a physical standpoint, my medical challenges nearly caused me to give up hope. After finally recovering from my childbirth complications, I had other health challenges and found myself with extra weight that wouldn’t come off. I reached a breaking point where I knew it was time to change. That journey of losing weight and learning to love myself again was powerful and ultimately led me to become a health and fitness professional.
On the writing side, once I decided to write for publication, I faced rejection after rejection from agents and publishers. It’s a common path for writers, but that didn’t make it any easier to go through myself. There were brief seasons when I took a sabbatical when my children were very young. But I kept pressing on because it was such a distinct calling that wouldn’t let go. After nearly nine years of writing for publication, I was finally offered a contract from a publishing house to write a prayer devotional for those facing health struggles. Prayers for Hope and Healing released October 1 of this year.
Even though the years of rejections were difficult, I can see God’s hand throughout my journey to this point and am so much stronger because of them.
A lot of women have these big goals & big ideas that they’d like to bring to life, what advice would you give them in terms of how they can make that happen?
I would say to dream big and plan a lot, but remain flexible along the way. Sometimes our best ideas and opportunities come from the unexpected, so keep your eyes wide open.
What’s the biggest regret you have when it comes to your blog/shop/business?
I don’t have too many regrets, but as a mom, it’s natural for me to constantly feel like I could be doing more with my kids. There are seasons when my work is intense, and since I work at home, my responsibilities are always in the next room. I do my best to juggle it all, but there are times when I realize I’ve been on my laptop too long and need to set it aside. My kids are always happier for it, and I am too.
What’s been your proudest moment so far?
My proudest moment is the day I got to hold my book in my hands for the first time. After so many years of seeing words on a screen, it was incredibly meaningful to have a physical book with my name on the cover. Seeing my husband and kids’ excitement for me in that moment was really special too.
And, just because we like our coffee around here, how do you take yours?
I drink it black. (I’m pretty boring when it comes to coffee.) Now, if we’re talking tea, I could write another paragraph.
I believe in the story of the overcomer. That has been my story and I believe that is your story too. We want your journey here on the blog to help encourage others just like you and me. If you’d like to share that with us, please come over and share your story with us!
