Made To Be Strong

I did a thing.
And now I am holding that thing in my hot little hand, and I feel so grateful and overwhelmed at what I’ve done!

Let me explain:
When I was a kid, I went through some incredibly hard stuff that no kid should have to go through. Because I had no way of dealing with it all, I bottled it up and became a very insecure kid. I lacked self-confidence and felt worthless. I truly believed that if I wasn’t here, the world would be a better place. Those were deep dark thoughts for an 8-year-old to have.

It had a big impact on me and shaped who I became, especially through my teenage years.

I wished someone would have told me there is hope. That my life was not a waste and I was more than my thoughts told me I was. I wish someone had said to me “Kathy, you are amazing, you are capable, and you are made to be strong.”

As I got older and had help processing my thoughts and emotions, all I want to do is speak hope into the lives of young girls.
I want to tell every single one of them, they are worth it! That they are beautiful, creative, unique, and made to be strong. I want them to know they matter, that they are seen. That they can do hard things, and someone believes in them.
I want to encourage them on the hard days and champion them on their good days.

It has been a labor of love, and there have been many tears shed along the way, not only for what I went through but for what young girls these days are facing. It’s a tough world out there, bullying, insecurity, self-image, social media, friends, and relationships all need to be navigated and worked through from an early age. Girls younger and younger are facing things they shouldn’t be. But the fact is, they are, so let’s help them navigate life as much as we can.

I have written everything I wish someone had said to me.
Words that will encourage and inspire girls to be all they are made to be.
Words to help them see their beauty and potential.
Words that will go deep into their innermost being.
Words of truth, so they will believe they are made to be strong and know they matter.
Words to that let them know they are seen.

And so “Made To Be Strong” was birthed.
There are four books in the series, each filled with 60 pep talks, to remind girls they are strong, and they matter.
Each is a stand-alone book and can be read in any order. Each pep talk is an easy read, written in a casual tone like I am sitting on the end of their bed chatting with them. There are questions at the end of each pep talk and lots of places they can doodle, colour in, and make it their own.