Local mother, businesswoman contributes to international book project

Sep. 6—One Hanford mother wants to help others be the best moms they can be.

Tiphany Janik founded Best Self Mom almost two years ago, a business through which she provides life coaching to clients. The website also serves as a self-improvement and wellness blog.

When Janik's five children, ranging in age from 4-12, discontinued homeschooling and began going to in-person school, Janik struggled with a "feeling of a loss of purpose," which prompted her to start the business and begin writing and sharing her experience with motherhood.

"I didn't know what my next step was, I felt really lost," Janik said.

Drawing upon advice she received from a life coach and filled with a desire to regain a professional confidence she felt she had lost while serving as a full-time mother and homeschool teacher for the past 13 years, Janik jumped right into the waters of the unknown with Best Self Mom.

Janik said she had been spending so much time trying to instill in her children the desire to follow their life's passions, that it one day dawned on her that they'd perhaps learn that lesson better if she led by example.

"I discovered my passion, which is blogging and life coaching," Janik said. "I share how to conquer negative emotions, negative self-talk and I want to help mothers discover who they are beyond their role as a mother."

While using the extra time acquired during the COVID-19 shutdowns, Janik continued to write, eventually coming to collaborate on an international project.

In April this year, Angharad Davies, founder of The Positive Motherhood Project, reached out on social media looking for moms who would like to be included in a co-written book of messages on life meanings for their children, with the aim to open communication on meanings with children and adolescents.

Nearly 70 women from around the world formed a community and subsequent book around one idea — "What is one life meaning you'd want your child to learn from you?"

"That's what really drew me in," Janik said. "Sharing beliefs, values, purpose and passion — writing for this book really happened at the right time in my life when these messages were really becoming clear about what I needed to teach my children."

The book, "Meanings Over Milestones", aims to impart wisdom on life's imperfections, failures and miscommunications, putting important life moments into context, rather than just simply celebrating milestones for the sake of them.

"I want to see a world where life meanings are just as important as life milestones to children, helping to build a happier, more resilient and emotionally connected generation," said Davies, who's based in the United Kingdom.

Davies, who served as the book's editor, shares a similar story to Janik in that becoming a mother about four years ago instilled in her a sense of urgency and creativity, a feeling that seems to be universal among the book's contributors.

"Publishing a book had always been a dream of mine and I knew that sharing stories of strength, vulnerability and life meaning would make such an inspiring read for mums everywhere. I was so fortunate to find so many mums who believed in my vision as much as I did," Davies said.

Some themes that are sprinkled into the dozens of stories in the book include post-natal depression, hope, infertility, transformation, loss, pregnancy and love.

"As I read through the first drafts I started to realize that the life lessons mums all over the world hold most dear tend to be those born of their most difficult times. And that they used these lows as fuel for transformation and hidden lessons, which then became life meanings to live by," she said.

Work has already begun on a second volume of stories, Davis said.

The e-book and paperback are available on Amazon at bit.ly/meaningsovermilestonesUS. For more information, visit https://www.thepositivemotherhoodproject.com/

Janik's blog and life coaching information can be found at www.bestselfmom.com.

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