I’m a psychotherapist turned “accidental” author

I started my career as a psychotherapist intending to help others build mental strength. I never imagined how much I was going to need mental muscle in my own life.

My mom passed away when I was 23. Then, my husband died when I was 26. Losing the two most important people in my life sent me on a quest to learn as much as I could about how to be mentally strong.

As I studied mental strength, I realized that mentally strong people don’t just have good habits. They also avoid any unhealthy habits that could hold them back.

In 2013, during one of my lowest points in my life, I wrote a letter to myself about all the things mentally strong people don’t do. When I was done, I had a list of 13 things that could rob me of mental strength if I let them.

That letter helped me so I thought maybe it could help someone else.

I published it online expecting a few people would read it. But that list went viral and more than 50 million people read!

Within a matter of days, a literary agent reached out to suggest I write a book. Nine years later, I’ve written six books that have sold more than 1 million copies around the globe. And my life has never been the same.

My books include:

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do
13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do
13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don’t Do
13 Things Strong Kids Do
13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do Workbook
13 Things Mentally Strong Couples Don’t Do (available for pre-order)

My books have been translated into more than 40 languages and landed on Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller lists and many bestseller lists around the globe.

In 2015, I gave one of the most popular TEDx talks of all time—The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong. It’s been viewed more than 22 million times.

Some of the companies/organizations I’ve given talks to include Google, Microsoft, the National Nuclear Security Administration, NBC, YouTube, and Under Armour.

My articles on mental strength reach more than 2 million readers each month and you can find them in a variety of publications including Forbes, Inc., Time, Psychology Today, and NBC.

My story and my work has been featured by a variety of media outlets including Inside Edition, CNN, Good Morning America, Today, CNBC, and The Wall Street Journal.

When I’m not traveling for speaking engagements, you can find me in the Florida Keys–where I live on a sailboat.