Made for Greatness: A Growth Mindset Journal for Courageous Catholic Youth

I got a copy of this for my nephew and another for my mom who lives near him to be able to talk him through the book. I looked it over before giving to my mom and was surprised but delighted with some of the saints chosen for each virtue, such as Theresita Quevedo. The book only gives brief accounts of each virtue and saint but can be a great diving off point, especially if you've never heard of them. It might inspire you to go on to read Mary Was Her Life ( I highly recommend!!).Having been spiritually and intellectually formed by Dominicans, I was really looking for a virtue based devotional for my oldest nephew and this was the best option all around based on his interests, age, and reading ability (though I would remind the author to make distinctions and not define, as she states there are "a total of seven virtues" when there in fact are very many more and what she means is that the four cardinal virtues and three theological virtues come to a total of seven between them and those are the focus of her book).

We adopted our eleven year old son from foster care and he has struggles with emotional regulation. This book has helped him so significantly that his therapist is recommending it to other families. We read through it with him and we discuss the virtues throughout the week. When we read books or watch movies, we apply what we have learned about virtues to the characters. He has used the prayers and quotes to make a paper to help him when he’s struggling with each virtue.At one point, he was working on one of the journal entries and screamed to me from the other room, “it’s like this book was written for me! They must know me!”

For young children and pre-teens whose minds are questioning so much, to learn and hear of how and why they are Made for Greatness is simply fantastic. We are working through this book with our pre-teen children and the conversations that we have been able to have as a family are incredibly fruitful. The stories of the saints help these virtues seem so much more attainable and real. Thank you for this wonderful book!

This was the perfect for my goddaughter!!! Thank you for some seriously amazing tools for our young Catholics to brave the world. It is now my new go to gift for sacraments for all my (20 and counting) nieces and nephews.

I absolutely love this book!Made for Greatness is a brilliant and inspiring growth mindset journal drawing Catholic youth closer to God and strengthening their faith!

"Growth mindset" is a buzzword in parenting and personal development today. A "fixed mindset" is when you feel stuck and don't think that you can improve in a certain area. In contrast, a "growth mindset is a constant decision to see challenge as an opportunity for growth. It helps you achieve your goals as you embrace perseverance and hard work."The world's version of growth mindset focuses on achieving earthly success, but God calls us and our children to a different vision of growth. God has made each of us for a great mission according to His purpose. We each have gifts designed to help us achieve that purpose, but most of all, we are called to a life of virtue.Ginny Kochis of notsoformulaic.com has developed Made for Greatness: A Growth Mindset Journal for Courageous Catholic Youth to help Catholic children and teens ages nine and up to develop a virtuous life and live for God.The four Cardinal virtues are prudence, temperance, justice, and self-control. The three Theological virtues are faith, hope, and charity. For each of these virtues, Kochis shares stories of holy people who have exhibited that trait as well as suggestions of how to incorporate that virtue in your life. There are also reflection questions with room provided in the pages to provide the answers.The last section of the book is "Say This, Not That" which can help with negative self-talk. For example, instead of saying "I'm no good at this," say "I'm still learning." Instead of saying "I'm worthless," say "I am beautifully, wonderfully made."This practical, encouraging journal is beautifully illustrated by Claire Peterson. Made for Greatness would be a great resource to use as part of a religion program. Parents and children could work on it together; while it is intended for youth, adults can certainly benefit from the stories and reflections as well.

There's so much talk about "values" and "passion" these days and very little about what our kids (and we) need to orient their lives toward Christ.⁣ This book fills that need!⁣Fueling the passions of our kids with vague thoughts of success and happiness is like serving them candy for dinner. It is not enough to say "Be a saint!" and leave them to guide their own formation. They need more tools for long-term success and a truly fulfilling life.⁣ Made for Greatness presents a simple outline for incorporating the virtues into daily life in order to achieve our highest goals as a Christian and also live a healthy and productive life.⁣⁣The author recommends for ages 9 and up but I think it would be fruitful for a parent to work together with an even younger child. I gave my copy to my 12-year old.⁣

I love everything about this journal. Such a well-structured, engaging way to help young children discover God's purpose for them and learn how to root their identity in God's will for their lives, learning to navigate the ups and downs with the help of the virtues, gifts of the spirit, works of mercy, the saints...This is truly a beautiful resource for Catholic families!

Brilliant, insightful and inspiring! We absolutely love this book! Perfect for today's Catholic youth/families!