Dear Reader…
When
I lost my mom to breast cancer in 2016, I not only had to cope with the grave
loss, but I also had to deal with the anxiety and depression that came with
losing the most influential person in my life.
Instead of self-medicating, I turned to a more effective measure to deal
with her sadness… gratitude.
I
began looking at things from a glass full perspective to deal with the
depression of losing my mother. I
noticed that when I switched her thinking from “poor me” to “I am
fortunate” I saw the world within my soundings in a more positive light. I went from thinking I was a victim, an
orphan, for losing my mother to thinking how fortunate I was to have had her in
my life for all these years..
As I delved into the positive
aspects of gratitude, I soon realized children and adults could benefit and
change their way of thinking from negative to positive – I just needed to
create the right mechanism for people to be active, rather than passive,
participants in positive thinking. And
so the creation of The Thankful Series was born.
What
I learned about gratitude, gratitude journaling and coloring was
remarkable. I came to understand that
being grateful was victimless because it isn’t self serving.
Being grateful is about giving credit to others for one’s own success. It shows us how we are supported and affirmed
by others – a team effort that fortifies our social emotional well-being. I always felt a little entitled to my mother’s
unconditional love for me simply because I was her child. But, when she was gone, I realized what a
gift she gave me to have been loved so unconditionally.
For
my audience, she wanted young children to feel the same positive emotions I was
feeling by just expressing gratitude. My
Thankful books, which include The Thankful Unicorn, The Thankful Mermaid,
The Thankful Dragon and The Thankful Reindeer provide children (of
all ages) with the mental and physical benefits of increased optimism,
heightened confidence and a greater feeling of self-worth. By writing down the things we are grateful
for disconnects us from the negative things in our lives. The simple act helps us shift our attention
from negative to positive emotions.
The
Thankful Series includes prompts for gratitude expression as well as coloring
pages. I added coloring to the books
because research showed the added benefits of coloring stimulates creativity,
improves motor skills, provides an outlet for self-expression and more. All things we can benefit from.
Having a sense of loss, whether it’s the loss of a person or a loss of our sense of self can be devastating. It changes us. It can ingrain negative behaviors that we don’t know how to deal with effectively. I’ve felt that before and my hope is that when others, children and adults alike, experience emotional pain that they have something thankfully positive to turn to.
Where to Buy:
The Thankful Unicorn
The Thankful Mermaid
The Thankful Dragon
The Thankful Reindeer
About the Author
Hayley has been entertaining and educating children across the country since 2002.
Her range of educational, interactive concept books have earned over 50 national and international book awards and cover subjects ranging from manners and kindness, to math and geography, to music and emotions. School presentations include curriculum for teachers grades K-4th. Over the years Hayley has been invited to speak at book stores including Barnes and Noble, Borders and Bookmans, and for the last few years Hayley has been a featured author at the Children’s Learning and Play Festival which garners crowds of 10,000 and up.
Hayley was recently interviewed on the Author Learning Center alongside authors Stan Lee and R.L. Stine, and she had the honor of presenting keynote presentations for the Readers Favorite International Book Awards and the Desert Nights, Rising Stars Conference among others.
Hayley is an active member The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the Scottsdale Society of Women Writers and the Florida Authors and Publishers Association.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: www.HayleyRose.com or www.TheThankfulSeries.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/fifothebear
Facebook: https://facebook.com/booksbyhayleyrose
About the Book
The Thankful Unicorn is a groundbreaking and uplifting coloring journal designed to build confidence, improve self-esteem, calm anxiety and inspire creativity!
You and your kids will love this 132 page, glittered, hard-bound book filled with whimsical unicorn scenes, positive actions and motivational quotes that will be sure to delight even the young at heart, leading to a more confident, kind and creative human.
A great activity to unwind before bed and awake refreshed with a positive attitude. Perfect for ages 5 to adult.
The Thankful Unicorn is a Moms Choice Awards® Gold Recipient and has been named among the best in family-friendly media, products and services by the Moms Choice Awards® –Moms Choice Awards®
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