CLEVELAND — Growing up, Alexis Harvey often felt a lack of positivity that shaped her childhood experience. As an adult and mother, she was determined not to repeat those same cycles with her own children, and through journaling, she discovered a powerful way to transform those painful experiences into tools for healing and empowerment.
"I had a childhood where I heard a lot of negative stuff, (had) seen a lot of negative stuff," Harvey recalled. "Once I had kids, I didn't want to repeat those cycles."
Journaling helped Harvey confront the emotional scars from her past and discover her own love language: affirming words. She asked herself a crucial question: "How would positive words have affected me growing up?"
Harvey realized that the affirmation she longed for as a child was something she could now offer her own children, and importantly, she understood that words have great power to shape self-esteem.
So soon after the birth of her daughter, Harvey decided to create a new kind of alphabet book — one not just about letters, but filled with affirmations for her children. Each letter of the alphabet would represent a powerful statement about their worth and potential.
"I am creative, I am a multi-creator. I love to create, and creating brings out the best in me," she shared, describing one of her favorite affirmations for the letter C. "Sometimes, it’s 'courage,' but sometimes 'creativity' brings out the courage in me. It gives me the courage to keep going."
Harvey’s journey to healing was not without its challenges. She has navigated through difficult times, including broken relationships and homelessness. But she found a place of refuge at The Haven Home, a transitional housing program that provided not just a roof over her head, but support for her emotional and mental well-being.
"Haven Home has been a haven for my heart," Harvey says. "They’ve supported me in so many ways, especially with my mental health and emotional health."
A key figure in her journey has been program director Miss Rhonda, whom Harvey credits with being a guiding force in her life, offering prayer and encouragement that helped her find direction.
"They say God speaks through people, and He was really speaking through her," Harvey reflected. "She used to pray over me, affirm me, and tell me, 'God has a plan for you.'"
Harvey believes that one of those plans was to write this book, and impart valuable lessons about self-love and resilience, like "I am joyful."
"I don’t want to just be happy," she explained. "Happiness depends on circumstances, but joy is something no one can take from you."
You can purchase Alexis' book "I AM ABC's Affirmations" here.