Healthy Mom-Preneur of a kiddo with Autism (or Awesome-tism)

Hi there! I am a former glutton and junk food junkie. Today, I am the woman I always knew I could be. My friends call me a hippie in high heels. But here is a bit about why I made the change.

When my son was diagnosed with Autism I thought everything about my life would need to change. Funny story, I was totally right, but in all the wrong ways. I thought I would have to quit my job and become a hermit stay at home mom so I could be available for my son. Little did I know, he would be the reason to inspire to me to embrace my life and go running in a new direction with a great big smile on my face.

It was a long and sometimes hard journey; and sometimes still is. I laughed. I cried. I journaled. I hid out in my room. Then I learned to embrace experience. I found myself! I cry even as I write this because I never expected what I thought was terrible news would bring me to find my best me and then to start a business as a result of this journey.

I was desperate to help my son so I enrolled in school to become a Certified Holistic Nutritionist hoping that cleaning up the way we eat would bring about improvements in our lifestyle. I was right about that. Let me be clear before you start making assumptions, my son still has autism. I don’t claim to cure autism through diet, but I believe that any person eating clean will function at their best level and if I can do it, anyone can. Sometimes we just need a kick in the pants to move confidently in the direction of what we really desire.

While going to school I was unbelievably stressed out, but I never gave up my goal because I knew it was the right thing to do for my kids, plus I could see myself getting healthier. I have to be at my best to be there for my kids. I could see how the better I ate, the more energy I had, I was sleeping better, my skin cleared up and I was happier. Going to school was still stressful despite the healthy eating, but luckily the increased energy paired with my super-duper supportive husband kept me going. He encouraged me, wiped away my tears, just listened when that is what I needed and really took charge of the household duties. In addition to that he recommended that I start taking yoga classes to deal with stress and depression. He was so right! But, how would I find the time. He helped me find classes close to home and a time that worked for me.

To some people I probably appeared to have completely lost my mind because what I did next was that I signed up for yoga teacher training. I can’t believe that was going to school for two different certifications at the same time, still working full time and raising a kiddo with autism. But the healthy food and yoga was helping me. It was helping my kids. It was helping my husband. Plus, when I graduated, something super cool happened. I started my own business!

I would never wish an autism diagnosis on any family, but the super cool part is that we’ve been able to accept and embrace the path our family is on. When you learn to get past the pity party you can find what you really need in life. Sometimes when I look at my life now, I realize that his diagnosis gave me the push to move in a better direction. I get the be the mama of a vibrant, bright and energetic little boys and create a career I love. That career allows me to help other women achieve their ultimate health for themselves and their families. And, from opening my own business I get to create it around my family. I work out of the home a bit when the kids are at school, but I am able to do the rest from home. I would never have gone down this path if there wasn’t a major reason to push me in that direction. Sometimes the challenges in life let us know just how strong we are and cause us to get creative, be brave and just go!

When I evaluate my life now, even thought I thought I would end up a miserable wreck, I see how much I actually gained:

• A strong body.
• A healthy body.
• Healthy mind.
• Confidence.
• Bravery.
• Became a yoga teacher.
• Became a holistic nutritionist.
• Started my own wellness business.
• Have super awesome kids.
• Appreciate the supportive hubby I have.

I challenge you to find something positive in your life the next time you get bad news. Drop me a line and let me know how the positivity helped you persevere and what you learned about yourself in the process.

xoxo,

Jessica Wyman
jessica@jessicawymanwellness.com

Find me at: http://www.jessicawymanwellness.com