Lauren
“I always find the strength to push myself past the fear. In the end the fear turns into excitement, and the thing I might have feared in the beginning is an experience that made me stronger in the end.”
Lauren is no stranger to overcoming hardship and adapting to new circumstances. Her cancer journey brought excessive challenges, but she remained spirited and persevered – learning to value her time and remain positive through it all. Her ability to adapt so readily to change is further exemplified in her writing career; she recently published a book series in which she applies her knowledge and expertise about wedding planning to the new pandemic reality. Meet Lauren. This is her story.
K: Please introduce yourself!
L: Hi my name is Lauren Jensen, I'm so happy to be a part of 365 days, 365 women!
K: Describe yourself in your own words
L: I'm a new author, I recently self-published a wedding planning series for couples to plan a wedding or an elopement during a pandemic. I'm learning so much about the world of books. I had so much wedding knowledge from years in the event industry I wanted to be able to share it with the couples that need the help right now during a pandemic!!
Lauren with her newly published book, which you can find here.
K: What is your favorite thing about yourself?
L: I love my fearlessness, I have always been able to do hard things. Yes, I have fear going up against a goliath, but I always find the strength to push myself past the fear. In the end the fear turns into excitement, and the thing I might have feared in the beginning is an experience that made me stronger in the end.
K: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
L: I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2019 at the age of 38. This was very shocking in that I had no family history of this and overall felt like I was a healthy human. This made me stronger in so many ways! I have a better understanding of what is important to me and my time, I don't take the good times for granted, and I have started down a new path to listening to my body and knowing what is best for me. I realized that staying positive brings more love and happiness into my life. I can say after a long road with some COVID bumps along the way, I'm cancer free and just turned 40!
K: What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
L: Learning to trust my intuition at an earlier age would have been nice. Also, start a retirement fund as early as possible.
K: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?
L: Oprah has always been someone I've looked up to because of how much she has overcome in her life. She leads as an example of someone who never gives up. She supports so many wonderful people around her and her community. We need more people in the world who can give the type of love and nurture she does so easily. I would say to her, "let's be friends!”
Check out Lauren’s website here.