When we started thinking about this project -- the making of the Take Two journal -- it began organically. We had each been through a hard time, and were looking for ways to feel better, to find optimism in what lay ahead in that next chapter. We each talked it out in therapy, and spent a lot of time outdoors. We dragged out the meditation cushions, and kept a running stack of self-help books on our nightstands. But like a lot of things in life, the progress was not linear and, at times, felt tangled and heavy. What was it going to take, we wondered. What kind of healing had to take place where we could really let it out -- where we could feel all the feelings -- and grasp on to small tendrils of hope so that, once again, we could begin to feel more whole?
During this time, we learned a great deal about happiness, and how research shows that 10% of it is determined by our circumstances, 50% is driven by our genes, and a whopping 40% is influenced by our choices -- by our intentions. This means that what we do and how we think has a significant impact on how we feel, and how well we’re able to cope with what life throws at us. Put simply, our intentions create emotional resilience, which helps us to feel more contentment, and to feel happier. So we gathered a ton of research to shine a light on what kinds of actions we can take to help ourselves become more resilient.
But as we got caught back up in our daily activities, these "instructions for life," the keys to getting back to our feet, quickly slipped away. So we decided to bring these elements all into one place, to gather research-proven science into a journal that aids with one's own attempt to find balance.
Our hope is that Take Two supports you, supports all of us, on a path to a thriving, more renewed life.
—ellen, kate & kari