What is the Big Life Journal?

As a parent, you want your kids to be confident and resilient with high self-esteem and ambition to achieve great things in life. You want them to have a positive outlook on life and try new things. And at the same time, you don't want them to be afraid of making a mistake or think they "can't do" before they even try.

We get it. We are parents too. And we created the Big Life Journal for our son Mikey so that he can grow up to be a positive, resilient, confident human being who strives to achieve great things in life. We're sharing our journals with you with the great hope that they will positively impact your kids' lives too.

Alexandra & Scott, creators of the Big Life Journal

Alexandra Eidens
Founder & CEO

Scott Eidens
Co-Founder & Logistics

Kate Kolesar
Sr. Creative Producer

Micole Alkabes 
Creative Director 

 

KJ Althoff
Director of Content

Carla Kohn
Director of Operations

Laura Maloney
Special Projects Lead

Thays Silva Knight
Social Media Manager

 

Martha McQuaid
Customer Support Manager

Marjorie Stordeur
Creative Content Writer


Glory Basher
Designer

Vanessa Wright
Special Projects Associate

 

Laura Hernandez
Operations Associate

 


Denise Gazal
Social Media Associate

Liz O'Brien
Parent Educator 

Summer Wood
Outreach Associate

Nandini Priya Rabelli
Content Writer

Have you ever thought "If only my parents taught me THIS when I was little..."?

I have.

Let me share a short story with you...

It was 15 years ago. I walked into my parents’ apartment and fell face down on the couch. Breaking into tears, I cried uncontrollably for what seemed like hours.

I remember how I felt to this day - the wrenching feeling in my stomach, nausea, and the irrepressible desire to cry. That day my whole world crashed.

This was the day I failed.

It was my second year of college, and I lost a math competition. Before that I had been told I was very good at math... by my parents, my teachers and of course my grandma. She told me I was a math genius!

"How could I have lost the competition? Was I not good at it any longer? Was everyone wrong?... Now they all will be disappointed in me..."

Ah, this mental chatter... sounds familiar? Have you ever thought similar thoughts about yourself? Do you have a suspicion that your kids might have too?

Well, there is a reason for this kind of mental chatter. And it actually has a name - FIXED MINDSET.

You see, looking back many years later I understand why it was hard for me to process that failure. I was brought up with a FIXED MINDSET (sorry, mom and dad, it's true) believing that failure was not an option. I was certain that failing at that math competition meant something profound about me; I thought it meant I wasn't smart enough. I decided right there and then I wasn't good at math and never would be.

Why do I share this story with you?

Because today I understand the power of a GROWTH MINDSET. And I want to make sure that YOU understand it too.

If I had a GROWTH MINDSET in college, I would not have thought of myself as "being talented" in math. Instead, I would have looked at this loss in a math competition as the way to improve. I would have understood that I failed because I had not tried hard enough. I just didn't spend enough time learning math. That's it.

Now, I want my son Michael to have a GROWTH MINDSET. I know it can literally transform his life, it is THAT powerful.

And as a parent, you too can make a huge difference for your child by making sure they grow up with a GROWTH MINDSET. That's why I created the Big Life Journal. To help you and me on this journey.