Our book Forward-Facing® Freedom is completed. For me it’s reaching a developmental milestone, checking my first book project off my bucket list.

As I was wondering what to share, I thought “oh, I don’t want to make it about me.” But as I pondered further, I realized that my story is the story of Forward-Facing® Freedom. Working on this project for the last year has revealed much about myself that I do not like–my immaturity, flaws, insecurity, pride and fear.

I have inadvertently offended, annoyed, irritated, and hurt people in the process. This week I wondered…what could I have done differently?

And that’s when I got my beautiful answer.

Nothing.

The ugly I saw was only possible because I was willing to create.

Creating is messy.

Creating is vulnerable.

Creating is the essence of post-traumatic growth.

This has been the journey of creating a baby. The title, subtitle, front cover, back cover, forward, afterword, and hundreds of details needed me to fully invest without fear driving.

We cannot create while living in a fear-driven brain. When I lived bound by trauma, I was constrained to a small, safe life; one with little risk. But living resiliently means being willing to fall forward into all of my fears instead of avoiding them. I cannot grow without first failing and floundering in the process of trying.

Living in post-traumatic growth also means surrounding myself with people who are safe, who are willing to experience me in my full-orbed imperfections. When we fail forward into grace we heal the past. To J Eric Gentry for this incredible opportunity and Mollie and many others, thank you.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Jenny Brackman

Jenny Brackman has served Arizona children and families impacted by ACEs for over 20 years. Her formal education comes from ASU where she studied closely under Bob and Barb Weigand, pioneers in the field of infant and toddler mental health.

In 2010 she and her husband chose to be foster parents and adopted a sibling group of three from foster care. Eight years later, she believes her best education has come from parenting five children and her marriage of almost 18 years.

Motivated by her own family’s experience with compassion fatigue, Jenny founded Rezilia to bring Dr. Eric Gentry’s research on resilience to lay-people.

Jenny is currently the COO of the Forward-Facing® Institute creating resources to equip a new generation of leaders with resilience.

In her free time you can find Jenny spending time with her family, making kombucha, or fighting with the guys at her local Muay Thai gym.

Latest posts by Jenny Brackman (see all)

• In Spite of Us - July 15, 2022
• When Being With My Family Feels Like Being In A Tank Of Piranhas… - December 31, 2021
• The Power of Written Intention - December 29, 2021