I’m TJ

I used to think life would feel easier once I finally “figured it out.” Once I spoke perfect English. Once I finished school. Once I became a mom. Once I felt strong and confident.

But the truth is, even when those milestones came, I still struggled.

When I immigrated to the United States from China as a teenager, I felt like I lost myself. I couldn’t express who I really was because I didn’t have the words. I felt alone in classrooms, embarrassed to speak up, terrified of being judged. I spent so many nights crying, wondering why life felt so hard and why I couldn’t just be happy like everyone else seemed to be.

Later, becoming a mother brought me so much love but also new struggles I never expected. The exhaustion. The responsibility. The fear that I was failing. The feeling that I had lost myself again, in a different way this time.

I’ve had so many days where I woke up already tired, trying to be a good wife, a good mom, a good everything but feeling empty inside. I’ve cried on the floor of my room, feeling overwhelmed, wondering if this was all life would ever be.

But somewhere along the way, I started to see that joy isn’t something we find when life gets easier. Joy is something we choose, right here, right now, in the middle of it all.

I realized that I didn’t have to wait until everything was perfect to start living fully. I could choose to live now. I could choose to take care of my body and feel strong through fitness. I could choose to train my mind to see beauty in small things. I could choose to travel and experience the world, even if it meant stepping outside my comfort zone. I could choose to dance with my son in the kitchen. I could choose to love deeply, laugh loudly, and live bravely.

And so I did.

Now, my mission with Joy in the Struggle is to help you see that it’s possible for you too. You can feel strong in your body. You can train your mind to find gratitude. You can build a life you love not by waiting for the struggle to end, but by learning how to live with joy in the middle of it.

If you’re feeling lost, tired, or overwhelmed, I see you. I’ve been there. And I’m here to walk with you as you build your strength, rediscover your presence, and choose to live life fully – starting today.