I Am Not Your Average...
teen … a book that helps teens and beyond!
Brittany’s first book, I Am Not Your Average Teen, reached #1 Best Seller in Teen Health. Learn more about Britt’s book and why this book is so unique. Then keep reading to find out what I learned about myself while I was working on her book and still to this day continues to support me. This book is not just for teens. It’s for anyone willing to journey with Britt in discovering happiness and finding their own voice.
Britt’s Book
Brittany approached me after designing the Life Purpose Playbook because she was inspired with Judy’s book. Brittany wanted a book that not only shared her personal journey of self-discovery, she wanted to allow the reader to join her in their own self-discovery process. She wanted a book that allowed the reader an opportunity to ask themselves questions and journal so they could journey along with Britt.
Britt wrote her book when she was 15 years old. She had the manuscript done but didn’t know how to go about bringing it out into the world. Having the book designed (not just in a text document) really made the book propel faster into the real world. Britt had ideas on how to make it interactive by using journaling prompts so we worked together to integrate lessons for the reader and to have them participate in the book. The reader is invited to write their own story along with reading Britt’s story!
What makes her non-fiction book extra special is that it combines both autobiographical and self-help type of nonfiction genres together.
Naturally, Britt wanted her book to look and feel special. She wanted visuals in her book; specifically feathers, wings and pictures of herself growing up. She wanted it to look fun and youthful. The result is a book that starts out with bold black darkness to airy light grey as the reader journeys along to the end of the book. The lighthearted ending is where you learn about Britt’s 12 Spiritual Concepts which ultimately helped bring Britt out of darkness.
When I worked on this book with Britt, I was in awe of her bravery and gentle determination to achieve her goals. We were similar in that we both just wanted to help people yet she was courageous enough to share her story right from the beginning. When she was a very young child, she had selective mutism and did not speak until she was 7 years old. This is where her story begins.
Britt’s book is full of insight and inspiration. Here is a breakdown of what you will find in her book:
Foreword by Carmelia Ray a celebrity matchmaker, award winning dating coach and relationship expert
Britt’s autobiographical coming of age story and excerpts from Britt’s personal diary
Mini exercises for the reader to fill in, check off and journal about in the book
11 Tools that Britt uses that will help with your own life
A dedicated chapter on Yoga, Yoga is the dance of life by Paria Mirazimi a certified yoga instructor.
12 Spiritual Concepts that Britt has learned to take you to the next level
10 Stories from Britt’s personal mentors
Continue reading below to find out how Britt’s writing, speaking and presence had helped me with my own truth.
Chapter 1 Brave
An excerpt from I Am Not Your Average Teen by Brittany Krystantos. Learn about Britt and her first Tool: Your Voice Matters. Review a list of opinions to rediscover your own beliefs & journal about a specific time in your life when you felt unheard.
Britt’s self-help book is not just for teens
While working on Britt’s book, I was well into my thirties. Hearing her story at that time, two personal issues came to the forefront of my attention which have given me long lasting lessons that I am continually working on for my own growth and development, even now in my forties!
The art of connection
At the time of working on Britt’s book, my daughter was only 2 years old. As early as my daughter being 6 months old, I already worried about how I couldn’t communicate with her and couldn’t wait for the time when she could speak with me. For us to have a real, meaningful, verbal conversation! Knowing Britt’s story, I could not imagine having a daughter who would not speak. What would that be like? I was afraid if we couldn’t speak to each other we would not be able to connect with each other. Being an eager first time mom, I could not wait to feel a connection with her and I thought speaking would be the way how. Still now, with my daughter being 8, I am learning that connection does not have to come solely from speaking. We can connect in other ways. Emotional connection, gentle hugs, physical and mental presence, even just simply looking into each others eyes! Britt helped me become aware that connection within yourself comes first and other connections will follow. Instead of disconnecting with anxiety, fear, depression, sadness…we can all connect through sharing, learning, laughing, writing, reading, playing! Speaking up about mental health became her truth. It started with writing her book for her own personal healing and then sharing it with the world.
The Art of sharing
Britt is still enlightening me after her first book and her continual presence by speaking up. When I first met Britt she was still learning how to be comfortable with who she was. Only a few years later, she undoubtedly reached self confidence and became a 2-time author and motivational speaker. Brittany is a glowing light of inspiration to so many. The term “to be comfortable in your own skin” is permanently on my mind as it is uncomfortably true to me. Being comfortable with who I am and my self-confidence is something I constantly struggle with. When Britt was little, she had no voice and now uses it to speak her truth and help others. When I was little, I developed a long-term skin condition causing pale white patches on my skin. (I’m nervous now just writing this!) Even though someone could know me quite well, this would not be evident and even irrelevant to them. It is barely visible yet it still weakens me and causes my own debilitating mindset despite its low presence. It is part of me and part of who I have become. My lack of confidence, trust and faith could very all well stem from this skin condition. But I have not shared it. Unlike Britt, who speaks up about her inner childhood wounds, I still find it hard to accept this about myself after all these years living in my own skin. Maybe it hurts because I have not healed from being bullied in the school yard as a kid. Maybe because part of my chosen filed of study and career revolves around making things look “good”. Maybe because it occurs in less than 1% of the worldwide population. Or maybe because it doesn’t appear visible to someone at first or even second glance. It still discourages me because it is me. I know, once I share and release these thoughts, some of my shame around my skin will dissipate. Truth is, once I speak my truth, I will feel stronger. More powerful. More confident. I will begin the process of trusting, believing and healing. Because of Britt’s ability to share and her growing confidence, I know I can and will too.
❤️🩹
"Theresa is incredible, she has an eye for art and design. She has a special talent, all it takes is for you to explain your project to her; you'll notice her mind will instantly go somewhere else, with ideas and vision coming to her. I couldn't ask for a better person to design the interior of my book. It's not the same without her design and formatting. She understood my vision, and spent more effort and time then she should have done. This book wouldn't be the success that it is without her."
Brittany Krystantos
After the successful launch of her first book that awarded her best seller list on Amazon, Brittany set off as a motivational speaker and published her second book Beneath & Beyond. Britt also developed a mini workbook with me which accompanies her first seminar and workshop Beneath & Beyond with Britt. Read More about what Britt and I have worked on together.
