The other night, I attended a women’s event where we were each asked to share one of our greatest achievements. Without hesitation, I answered, “Raising my kids.” To my surprise, the women around me were genuinely taken aback, and their responses sounded like this: “But you make it look so easy.” “You’re always so calm and peaceful.” “You’re such a good mom.”

I have a good friend who was by my side in the early days of grieving and at the beginning of my healing journey. He was especially present when I signed up for a deep transformational coaching workshop—one of the first steps I took in my personal growth journey. He called me after reading last week’s Journal and we shared a heartfelt and reminiscent conversation about all the emotions, doubts, and needs that are so often left unsaid when we talk about self-growth and transformation.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the truth behind healing: that it is a choice and requires discipline. And Frankl's words added another essential layer of understanding—not only of the path of healing, but of true freedom. “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” He made it sound so simple—choose your response, and you'll experience growth and freedom. A simple sentence, easy enough to understand. But when I tried to apply this mindset to my life, I hit a wall. Over and over again!

One of the driving forces behind becoming a life coach was transforming my own lessons into guidance for others. Today's journal isn't a story, but a collection of 26 truths that have become undeniably clear to me over the years. These insights emerged from my own growth and from walking alongside clients as they navigate their journeys. I don't have it all figured out, but here's what I know for sure.

"You're so strong!"—I've been told this numerous times over the last several years as people get to know me and learn about my life. Emotional strength is an incredible quality to possess, and I'm grateful for the acknowledgement, but the truth is that strength didn't show up at my doorstep when I was faced with challenging circumstances.