IMECIA S.

MCCURTIS
 You will face
many
defeats in life,
but never
let yourself be
defeated.
20 1.I believe in me.
2. I acknowledge my own self-worth; my confidence is
soaring.
3. I am not my mistakes.
4. I accept myself unconditionally.
5. I am proud of myself and all that I have accomplished.
6. I am successful.
7. I am a beautiful person.
8. I deserve love, compassion, and empathy.
9. I am enough.
10. I am worth it.
11. I believe in the person I dream of becoming.
12. I choose to be happy and completely love myself
today.
13. I honor my commitments to myself.
14. I choose faith over fear.
15. There is no wrong decision.
16. I am now creating my life exactly as I want it.
17. Positivity is a choice; I choose to be positive.
18. I am free of worry and at peace with who I am.
19. I matter. I am allowed to say "no" to others and "yes"
to myself.
20. What I give is what I receive.
WHAT DOES YOUR HAPPIEST VERSION OF YOURSELF
LOOK LIKE TO YOU?
HOW WOULD YOUR DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
HOW DO YOU DEFINE PERSONAL SUCCESS?
DO YOU HAVE ANY MOMENTS FROM YOUR PAST
THAT HAVE DEFINED YOU MORE THAN OTHERS?
WHO HAS BEEN AN INFLUENTIAL AND CONSISTENT
PERSON IN YOUR LIFE?
WHAT HAPPENED IN YOUR CHILDHOOD YOU WISH
YOU COULD ERASE?
ARE YOU COMPETITIVE? WHY OR WHY NOT?
 HOW DO YOU RELATE TO YOUR FAMILY IN
COMPARISON TO OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE?
DO YOU ATTACH MEMORIES THROUGH TOUCH,
SMELL ETC..?
IF SOMEONE WAS WRITING A STORY ABOUT YOUR
LIFE, WHAT WOULD BE THE MAIN PLOT?
WHAT IS A GOAL FOR YOU THAT YOU HAVEN'T TOLD
ANYONE?
DO YOU NEED STRUCTURE TO THRIVE?
HOW DO YOU VIEW DEATH? ARE YOU AFRAID OF IT?
HOW DO YOU RESTORE YOURSELF MENTALLY,
EMOTIONALLY, AND PHYSICALLY?
DO YOU HAVE ANY BARRIERS IN YOUR LIFE
CURRENTLY?
 DO YOU EVER GO AFTER TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS
AFTER THE RED FLAGS HAVE BEEN SHOWN? WHY?
DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT OR EASY TO SAY "NO"?
DO YOU PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR NEEDS AS MUCH
AS YOU DO OTHERS?
HAS THERE EVER BEEN A TIME IN YOUR LIFE
WHERE YOU FELT LIKE GIVING UP?
IF YOU WERE GIVEN TIME WITHOUT COMMITMENT
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? WHY NOT DO IT NOW?
 DO YOU HAVE SOMEONE SPECIAL IN YOUR LIFE
RIGHT NOW? IF SO, WHO ARE THEY? HOW DO THEY
MAKE YOU FEEL?
 IF YOU WERE TO DRAW A TIMELINE OF LIFE,
WHERE WOULD YOU PUT YOURSELF ON THE LINE?
WHAT DOES FAILURE MEAN TO YOU? IS IT A
COMMON FEELING IN LIFE?
WHAT EMOTIONS DO YOU FEEL THE MOST OFTEN?
WHERE ARE THEY ROOTED?
WHAT EXPECTATIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF
THAT IS OFTEN UNREALISTIC?
DO YOU HAVE ANY TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS IN YOUR
LIFE?
HOW DO YOU VIEW SUCCESS ON A DIALY BASIS?
 WHAT TOXIC TRAITS DO YOU HAVE IN THE
RELATIONSHIPS IN YOUR LIFE? (PARENTS, FRIENDS
ETC..)
WHERE DO YOU FIND PEACE AND SERENITY?
HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY AS A DISTRACTIVE
MEASURE? HOW CAN YOU DO BETTER?
HOW DO YOU SHOW LOVE TO OTHERS? HOW DO YOU
FEEL LOVED?
HOW DEPENDENT ARE YOU ON OTHERS FOR YOUR
OWN HAPPINESS?
HOW DOES FEAR PLAY A ROLE IN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY
LIFE?
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU DO DAILY TO PAY
ATTENTION TO YOUR OWN NEEDS?
WHEN DO YOU FIND YOUR MOOD FLUCTUATING THE
MOST?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY? (OF ANYTHING)
 DO YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO MAKE AMENDS WITH
ANYONE (EVEN IF ITS A LETTER YOU NEVER SEND)?
HOW DO YOU DO WITH TRANSITIONS AND
CHANGES?
DO YOU ENJOY NEW EXPERIENCES OR WOULD YOU
RATHER STICK WITH A ROUTINE?
WHAT ARE YOUR PET PEEVES?
DO YOU HAVE ANY BAD HABITS?
WHAT ARE YOU STILL HOLDING ONTO FROM THE
PAST?
WHAT FEARS DO YOU HAVE?
HAVE YOU GIVEN YOURSELF TIME TO PROCESS LIFE
EVENTS RECENTLY?
WHAT ARE YOUR LONG TERM GOALS?
HOW CAN YOU BE MORE SUPPORTED WITH WHAT
YOU ARE CURRENTLY HANDLING?
HOW DO YOU FEEL PROTECTED AND SAFE?
 HOW CAN YOU REFLECT ON YOUR MISTAKES
WITHOUT DAMAGING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?
ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH WHERE YOU ARE IN
YOUR LIFE?
 WHEN DO YOU FEEL LEFT OUT? IS IT OFTEN
CORRELATED WITH THE SAME INDIVIDUALS?
WHO DO YOU CONFIDE IN THE MOST? IS IT
HEALTHY?
DO YOU HAVE RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE ONLY
ONE-WAY STREETS?
WHAT ARE YOUR SHORT TERM GOALS?
WHAT ROLE DOES YOUR CURRENT JOB (OR PAST
JOB) HAVE ON YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?
WHAT DO YOU DO ON A DAILY BASIS? ARE YOU
HAPPY WITH THIS SCHEDULE?
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOURSELF?
HOW CAN YOU BE MORE PRESENT IN YOUR
ENVIRONMENTAL SURROUNDINGS?
 AS A CHILD, WHAT DAYS WERE THE HAPPIEST?
HOW CAN YOU REPLICATE THAT HAPPINESS NOW?
IF DEATH WASN'T A REALITY, HOW WOULD YOU
LIVE LIFE DIFFERENTLY?
WHO SUPPORTS YOU ON YOUR TOUGHEST
EMOTIONAL DAYS?
ARE YOU AS SUPPORTIVE TO OTHERS AS MUCH AS
YOU NEED THEIR SUPPORT?
HOW DO YOU PROCESS SADNESS?
HOW DO YOU VIEW YOUR FAMILY? IS IT POSITIVE
OR NEGATIVE?
DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS SET IN PLACE FOR DAYS
THAT ARE MORE DIFFICULT THAN OTHERS?
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AS AN INDIVIDUAL IN YOUR
COMMUNITY? HOW CAN YOUGET INVOLVED?
HAVE YOU EVER FELT DENIED BASED ON
SOMETHING YOU COULDN'T CONTROL?
WRITE DOWN A QUOTE THAT HAS A BIG IMPACT ON
YOUR OUTLOOK ON LIFE.
HOW DO YOU PROCESS EXPERIENCES FROM THE
WEEK?
ARE YOU MORE CONNECTED WITH YOUR MOTHER,
FATHER, OR NEITHER? WHY?
HOW HAVE THE LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS IN
YOUR LIFE ALTER YOUR OWN STORY?
HOW DO YOU HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE?
WHAT ARE YOUR GRATEFUL FOR?
HOW DO YOU SHOW ANGER AND HOW DO YOU
CONTROL IT?
DO YOU FEEL WHOLE AND COMPLETE?
WRITE ABOUT A MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU
FELT REALLY HAPPY.
HOW DID TODAY COMPARE TO THE PAST WEEK?
HOW MANY HOURS DO YOU SPEND ALONE IN
COMPARISON TO BEING WITH PEOPLE?
WHAT TIME OF THE YEAR BRINGS YOU THE MOST
JOY? IS THERE A SPECIFIC REASON?
WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR PARENTS.
WRITE A LETTER TO YOURSELF.
WRITE A LETTER TO SOMEONE YOU RESENT.
IF YOU COULD DO SOMETHING ONE MORE TIME,
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
 WHAT EMOTIONS ARE YOU FEELING TODAY THAT
ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOUR REGULAR DAY-TODAY?
WHAT STRESSORS DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE
RIGHT NOW? HOW CAN YOU PROCESS THEM?
DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS?
WHAT DOES CLOSURE MEAN TO YOU? IS IT
NECESSARY?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO HAVE A
RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF?
WHO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN YOUR
LIFE?
WRITE DOWN A MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE IN WHICH
YOU FELT IN CONTROL?
DO YOU BELIEVE IN "RIGHT PERSON WRONG
TIMING"?
WRITE ABOUT A TIME YOU FELT MOST PROUD OF
YOURSELF?
WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO THINK OF YOU
WHEN THEY MEET YOU? WHY?
WHAT IS YOUR LOVE LANGUAGE?
WHEN WERE YOU MOST HAPPY?
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO TODAY, THAT
CAN PUT YOU IN A BETTER POSITION THAN
YESTERDAY?
What does it mean to be emotionally free? It means increasing
your ability to love by cultivating positive emotions and
compassionately witnessing and transforming negative ones.

My name is Imecia McCurtis. I am 21 years old, born and raised in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I grew up in a two parent household with my
mom and her husband along with my six siblings. Growing up I
endured a lot. Physical and verbal abuse, molestation, short-term
foster care, absent father and more. I know how it feels to feel alone,
to feel like you are just here... existing. Sometimes you just feel as
though you have no one to talk to or no one understands you. I am
here to tell you that you are not alone. Journaling has been my escape.
Journaling allows you to write down your thoughts and feelings to
understand them clearly. It helps you meet your goals and improves
your quality of life. Let this be your escape. Are you ready to tackle
1oo writing prompts?