Journals, Joy, and the Power of Owning Your Story
Unfolding the pages of her journal on a quiet Sunday afternoon, Jessica Howard paused to take in the stillness, one of those quiet moments that has come to mean everything. At forty, she’s not rushing toward anything. Instead, she’s standing firmly in what she’s come to know: that growth doesn’t stop at any age, and sometimes, the best parts of who you are don’t surface until after decades of living for others.
For years, Jessica walked a path that offered structure and safety. Banking wasn’t a grand passion at first; it was a steady choice at a time when she needed steadiness. But what she didn’t expect was how personal it would become. Banking, she discovered, wasn’t just about numbers. It was about people. Behind every loan or account was a story: a dream, a fear, a family. And over time, she came to see herself not as someone crunching numbers, but as someone trusted with people’s hopes.
“I stayed,” she says, “because I realized this job gave me a front-row seat to people’s lives.” She became part of their milestones—the home bought after years of saving, the loan that launched a long-awaited business, the careful planning for a child’s future. In being there for others, Jessica found purpose.
Outside the office, she turns to reading and journaling, quiet, nourishing rituals. With each word written, she gives herself permission to feel, to remember, and to dream. “Journaling helps me capture my thoughts, feelings, and ideas in a safe space,” she says. And these days, she fills those pages with more clarity than ever.
If she could sit down to dinner with anyone from history, it would be Nelson Mandela, a man who embodies resilience, courage, and deep wisdom. In him, Jessica sees not just a leader, but a mirror of her own quiet strength and the changes she’s embraced with grace.
She dreams of New Zealand’s South Island, where she imagines nature in its loudest, most breathtaking form. “Nature speaks to my soul,” she says, and there, she feels it would roar.
What is she most thankful for? Her answer is simple and grounded: family. Their love, their laughter, their steady presence through life’s twists and turns. She’s also thankful for the challenges because they’ve shaped her into someone more resilient, more compassionate. And above all, she’s grateful for the quiet, everyday moments that remind her how full life truly is.
As she turns 40, Jessica’s wish list is as unpretentious as she is: good health, long life, prosperity. She’s not chasing extravagance. She’s claiming peace, purpose, and the permission to keep growing.
Jessica Howard at 40 is not reinventing herself. She’s simply coming home to the woman she was always becoming.
