Kat Graham is an actor, artist, dancer, producer, and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador. She has worked across genres in film, television, and music and is one of the most versatile talents in Hollywood.
Now, we can embark on a journey toward self-reflection, growth, and empowerment through the ever-changing seasons of life with her illustrated guided journal Seasons of You: A Journal That Follows Your Nature.
I love a good journal, so I was excited to get this one. The beauty of it is that it takes you on such a thoughtful journey to live your most authentic and peaceful life. Seasons of You is visually gorgeous and substantially more enhanced than most journals you’ll find. It provides sequential tools to reflect on your past to pull insights and make a path forward. Graham opens up and shares her very personal past and the difficulties she has overcome and lovingly guides the reader to do the same. I wish I had this journal when I was in my 20s, as it would have made my life less complicated.
Katerina Alexandre Hartford Graham always dreamed of being a successful actor. After her mother fled her abusive father, Graham and her mom struggled and could never quite gain control of their circumstances. Having a career that would solve everyone’s problems was Graham’s hope and prayer, but she constantly met with disappointment.
“I didn’t know how to enjoy the journey when I was so preoccupied with the destination.” Graham offers this and other an eye-opening thoughts in the journal that I believe many of us can relate to.
With Seasons of You, you begin the journal wherever you are in on your journey, symbolized by the four seasons:
- Winter: Reflection, Intention, Organization
- Spring: Flexibility, Creativity, New Beginnings
- Summer: Realization, Empowerment, Awakening
- Fall: Release, Surrender, Radical Change
Graham shares about her friendship and working relationship with none other than Prince. She recalls a conversation in which he asked her who was her favorite artist of all time. She looked him in the eye and said, “You, I guess.” He imitated a loud buzzer sound and shouted, “Wrong!” He then said, “You. You need to be your favorite artist of all time.” It is a lesson in self-worth and always thinking highly of yourself. So many of us struggle with this, and it serves as a reminder to hold ourselves in high regard because we deserve it.
One of the exercises that stands out for me is “The Lost Conversation” in which you have a conversation with a person or thing connected to an experience of loss. This will be the conversation you never got to have. Graham provides prompts that guide you through the Kübler-Ross five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It’s an emotional exercise, but one that is helpful if you’re struggling with loss.
We hear so often about setting intentions and practicing to be more intentional. Even without any support, Graham shares several instances in which she put that power to the test. She explains how one action leads to another and then another. She encourages us to start setting intentions now, whether the circumstances in your life support it or not, as doing so attracts your dreams to your reality.
Another thing that resonated with me in the journal was the “Flexibility Mantra.” It begins with: “I am open to all things and the many ways I can reach my ultimate goal.” This reminded me that there is no straight path to your dreams, and that is totally okay. You have to allow the ups and the downs because it all leads to where you’re supposed to be. Graham admitted, “My creativity came only after I lost everything and my back was to the wall.”
I enjoyed the “Seasonal Check-Ins” after each of the four areas in the journal. They help you focus on your emotional state and what is contributing to those emotions such as rest, diet, and hydration.
Graham recalls her white mother dropping her off at the beauty salon on Slauson and Crenshaw in Inglewood (if you live in Los Angeles, then you know this area!), and she would come out with these big, tight curls. When people decide for you how you will look and what you will do, it’s difficult to build your self-worth. She was never taught to embrace herself, which I know many young girls can relate to.
For years, Graham’s mother suffered physical and psychological abuse from her father. Her mother often said that she thought he would kill her. She fled when Graham was just four years old and lost everything about the life she knew. But she was finally free. The lesson is that there is never going to be a perfect time to make big changes in your life. The most important thing you can do is recognize that you have to make a radical change, then just do it. You probably won’t be ready, but no one is.
I give this journal a 5/5 and highly recommend to anyone who needs to take a deep dive into their past to create the best possible life for the future. It is an emotional ride, but the journey is worth taking in order to discover the person you’re meant to be.
Seasons of You is available now wherever books are sold.
