Hi, I'm Tess.
My world came crashing down, quite literally, bringing me to my knees, on January 22nd, 2021. Through absolute shock and disbelief, I heard myself begging for them to just keep him alive until I got there.
My dad had been rushed to the hospital in early January, unable to breathe, and never came home. I didn't make it to the hospital before he died and during his nearly 3 weeks there, they refused to let me visit due to covid. The next time I saw him was in a casket.
I spent the next 6 months battling grief and depression while trying to mother 3 kids day after day, sleepless night after sleepless night.
July 11th, after returning home from my dad's funeral, I found out I was pregnant with my 4th baby.
It was time. Time for me to return to the living. Time to show up as the mom I knew I needed to be. Time to heal. Time to grow through what I went through.
But how?
At my business forum group, another member talked about gratitude journaling and how much she loved it. I bought the journal and got to work. I started to journal, meditate (to prepare for natural child birth) and run every morning. The change in me was slow. So slow that I didn't even recognize it.
And then I had my baby. And I didn't experience the postpartum anxiety and depression that I had with previous babies. I didn't get lost in the postpartum season. I continued to move forward with peace and contentment that I hadn't experienced before.
One day I woke up and realized:
I don't angry text my husband about things he does that annoys me anymore.
I find much more patience and a lot less yelling at the kids.
When I get mad about something, I'm able to let it go.
I'm mentally stronger during my running and racing.
I'm able to let go of the things I cannot change.
There's an ease and flow about me that didn't exist before.
It's much harder to upset me.
I don't blame anyone when the baby wakes up.
I don't obsess over wake times and sleep times.
I don't get anxious about races.
I have a level of confidence and self assurance I didn't have before.
I don't get jealous or upset about my relationship with others.
I was taking more and more responsibility for my actions, reactions, and life.
I was able to control how I reacted to the kids- more understanding and less frustration.
I was.... happy?
And in the years since, I've grown and expanded in areas I didn't even know I was capable of.
Some of things you can outwardly see (my relationships and my reactions to things) but a lot of it is HOW I FEEL.
I wouldn't have had the persistence, vision, confidence to start a business had it not been for journaling.
Which brings me to January 1st, 2024. I was looking for a journal + planner combo, to combine my passions of gratitude journaling and planning and I couldn't find what I was looking for. Without an ounce of experience in design, business or journals, I set out to make my own.
And here we are today.
Journaling changed my life. And I'm not one to gate keep the good stuff, so I made enough copies for you and your friends and your friends friends too.
I hope you find the power to run your life by mastering your mind.
xoxo,
Tess