The Thinking Positive Toolbox is Finally Finished
Friends, I can’t even believe I get to type these words: The Thinking Positive Toolbox is finally finished! 🎉 This project has been living in my head, my notebooks, my laptop, and honestly, my heart for years now. It’s been through delays, detours, and more “life stuff” than I ever thought I’d have to push through—but it’s here, and I can finally share it with you.
The Long Beginning
I literally started this book right before COVID hit. You know how sometimes you feel like you’re in the groove, like this is it, I’m going to do the thing? That was me. I had my outline, I had ideas flowing, and I thought, “Okay, I’ll get this knocked out in no time.”
And then… well, you know what happened. COVID happened. The world flipped upside down. As a teacher, we suddenly shifted to remote learning, and I thought I’d have all this extra time to write. Spoiler alert: I had less time than ever. Between trying to figure out how to make Zoom interesting for teenagers, grading assignments that came in at all hours of the night, and just surviving the chaos, writing slid to the back burner. Honestly, it slid right off the stove.
The Weight of It All
COVID didn’t just stretch on for weeks; it dragged on for years. Life stayed crazy, schedules stayed unpredictable, and somewhere along the way, I slipped into depression. It wasn’t pretty. I felt unmotivated, unfocused, and honestly, stuck. The good news is, I did the smart thing—I got help. Therapy and support made a huge difference. But even then, writing just wasn’t happening. The ideas were still there, but I couldn’t get them out.
And Then the Writing Sparked Again
Eventually, little by little, I started writing again. Not in huge bursts, not like I was cranking out chapters overnight, but enough to feel that spark again. Every sentence felt like a little victory. I wasn’t prolific, but I was moving forward. I was more than excited. I was determined that I was going to finish the Thinking Positive Toolbox, and nothing was going to stop me. Boy oh boy, was I wrong.
And then, the absolute worst happened.
Breast Cancer
Yep. Breast cancer. As many of you know from following my Breast Cancer Diaries, this curveball knocked me flat. Suddenly, my life became doctor 
appointments, surgeries, treatments, and the constant emotional rollercoaster that comes with it.
At first, I tried to keep writing through it. I blogged about what I was going through because writing has always been how I process my feelings. But then came a hateful comment. Someone actually wrote that all I was doing was whining. That cruel little sentence tore me apart at a time when I desperately needed encouragement. I hit delete, closed my laptop, and walked away from writing again. That left the Thinking Positive Toolbox just languishing on my hard drive.
Writing Again… Again
But here’s the thing about writing—it calls you back. A few weeks ago, I decided I wasn’t going to let one nasty comment steal my voice. I sat down, even 
when it was hard, and started putting words on the page again. It was messy, it was unfocused, but it was mine.
And slowly but surely, the pieces came together. I finished. The Thinking Positive Toolbox is done. It’s real. It’s out in the world. Right now, it’s available as an eBook at many online retailers (with more being added soon). And in just a few weeks, there will be a print version. To say I’m excited is such an understatement. This book has been years in the making, and finishing it feels like both a victory and a relief.
A Tiny Formatting Oops
Now, let me be real with you. It’s not perfect. Because this is a workbook, I designed it with space for you to write your own thoughts and create your personal “toolbox” as you go. In my brilliant little plan, there were supposed to be nice, neat lines on the pages for you to jot things down. Guess what? The lines didn’t show up in the formatting process. Ugh.
Is it the end of the world? Nope. You can still use the book, still write your reflections, still build your toolbox. It just might look a little less “Pinterest perfect” and a little more “real life notebook.” Honestly, maybe that’s okay. Positivity doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to work, and that’s how I feel about the Thinking Positive Toolbox, it’s not perfect, but it works!
Why This Book Matters to Me
The Thinking Positive Toolbox isn’t just a project I wanted to publish—it’s something I believe in. Positivity has been a lifeline for me. Through COVID, through depression, through breast cancer, through all the setbacks and self-doubts, choosing to focus on small positives has made all the difference.
This book is my way of sharing that. It’s filled with prompts, reflections, and exercises to help you create your own personalized set of strategies to lift yourself up when life gets messy (because it always does). If you want to learn more about the power of positive thinking, the Mayo Clinic has a great overview here: Benefits of Positive Thinking – Mayo Clinic.
Looking Ahead
So here I am, sitting in front of my computer, finally able to say: the Thinking Positive Toolbox is finished. And I don’t think it’s just about the book anymore. To me, this feels like proof that even after delays, setbacks, and struggles, you can still finish what you started.
If you’ve ever had a project sitting on the back burner—or if you’ve ever felt like life knocked you too far off course—let this be your sign. You can come back to it. You can pick it up again. You can finish. And when you do, trust me, it will feel amazing.
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