562. Accepting and Growing Through Change and Uncertainty

Janét Aizenstros

Janét watched her father abuse her mother until she reached 15. Then she’d had enough and called the police, who told him he had to leave. By observing how her mother turned her life around, she learned she could choose for herself what she wanted out of life and could go and get it.

Janét Aizenstros is the founder and chief executive officer of Ahava Media Group. She founded these companies to give brand creators an opportunity to share their stories globally through different media channels. She has been selected as one of the Top 100 Inspiring Women in Canada ranked as one of the Top 50 women in social media in 2012. In 2016, she was awarded by the City of Guelph as one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40.

How Did You Start Using Your Talents?

In her teens, Janét loved writing, reading and singing. “I have always believed it is important to document your life, to write down what you are experiencing so you can look back later to see where you came from and where you have been.” Her first book was a poetic autobiography in which she shared her brokenness and pain. “It was very melancholic. I published it at age 34, which gave me the occasion to look back to see how much I had grown and changed.”

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

“My parents separated when I was 15. My father was very abusive toward my mother, although he was kind to me. Eventually, I called the police on him because I could not stand the toxic environment any more, and he had to leave. At that time, my mother went back to school, and started her own business cleaning the homes of wealthy people. She did this while she was raising three children, holding down two jobs, and going to school. I think she is the one who instilled in me the belief that you can create what you want to experience and can go out and get what you want.”

The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?

“There’s a belief ingrained in us that we are going to achieve success and then everything is going to be perfect. We live our lives through the prism of perfection, through the illusion that as soon as we accomplish this certain thing everything is going to be perfect. But that’s not true. There are two very real things in life we need to accept: change and uncertainty. The moment you start accepting change and uncertainty, you will find a multitude of things will shift, especially around your expectations. We cannot allow ourselves to be easily swayed by other people and what they are doing in their lives. That is their journey. Our journey is truly meant for us to walk.”