|  Blog Post   |  Looking Back on a Year of Ever Upward

Looking Back on a Year of Ever Upward

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Since my 30th birthday I’ve made a very conscious effort to spend time on my birthdays to really reflect on the last year. How much has changed?

The struggles. The joys. The growth.

And, today as I turn 35 I look back at the past year in pure, wholehearted awe.

I have laughed more, cried more and just amazingly felt more of everything this past year.

There have been the struggles:

  • Major difficulty and heartache in a close relationship.
  • More than 230 rejection letters from agents and publishers.
  • My dad’s accident.
  • Managing an evolving career while also paying the bills.
  • Coping with the lifelong losses and feelings of infertility and a childfree life.

There have been the joys:

  • Our first childfullChristmas.
  • Another year of dates with Chad.
  • More laughs and love than I can measure with the dogs.
  • Our first year in our family home MasonHouse.
  • Finally, getting published.
  • Seeing Ever Upward in print, in my hands and with my heart.

There has been the growth:

  • The spark of Emerging Women.
  • The light of The Daring Way™.
  • Meeting two of my role models; Brené Brown and Elizabeth Gilbert.
  • The start and clarity of Ever Upward the blog.
  • The guest posts, the friendships, the connections, the love of Ever Upward.
  • My continuing work in my recovery.
  • My continuing growth as a therapist.
  • The clarity that has come from fighting for, practicing and embracing my ever upward.

And, the yet to come:

  • Struggles
  • Joys
  • Growth
  • …amazingness.

Tonight I celebrate Ever Upward at the book launch party with friends, family and even strangers. Tonight I will make sure to stop, to take it all in, to take a breath and truly feel the love, the light and the magic. But, most of all I will make sure to stop and take that breath and to feel me.

Because more than any other year of my life, I have walked into myself more than ever this year. I have struggled, I have overcome, I have grown and I have owned it all.

The always healing, the always growing, the always trying ever upward me.

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Housekeeping

Ever Upward available now!

Ever Upward Launch Party is tonight!

30 Day Toolkit to Living Ever Upward here!

Fertility Compassion Survey is collecting all responses.

If you found this post enjoyable, inspiring, helpful, hopeful, interesting or even infuriating ;), please take the time and the chance to share it through your social media! More shares means more eyes, means more people helped and the message heard on a wider scale. Thank you! Justine

Author:

A Licensed Professional Counselor, Justine Froelker has over 25 years of experience in mental health, personal growth, and professional development. For eleven years, she was certified in Dr. Brené Brown’s work on vulnerability, courage, and empathy. Justine now shares her own curriculum, Courage is Built Here™. This transformative program empowers individuals to live and lead with self-awareness, authenticity, and resilience, building a foundation for courage-centered leadership. In addition to writing her blog since 2013, Justine is an accomplished author of twelve books—including five Amazon bestsellers—Justine has written across genres, from children’s books to in-depth explorations of infertility, faith, grief, and leadership. She has delivered two TEDx Talks, The Permission of the And and The Donut Effect, which highlight her unique perspective on navigating life’s complexities with grace. Justine is a sought-after speaker who travels nationally and presents virtually to global audiences, delivering keynotes, workshops, retreats, and trainings on topics such as leadership, resilience, mental health, coping with burnout, courageous and curious conversations, and fostering cultures of inclusion and belonging. Justine lives in St. Louis with her husband Chad and their three dogs. You’ll often find her volunteering at Wild Bird Rehabilitation—supporting the medical team and feeding hundreds of tiny, hungry babies during baby bird season. And during butterfly season, her home comes alive with the flutter of wings as she raises hundreds of monarch and swallowtail butterflies.

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