Kayla Weise, a Canberran with Down syndrome, hopes to inspire and uplift others with her new affirmation cards, part of her initiative My Happy Place.

She launched the cards at the Australian National Botanic Gardens on 4 December.

The project took Kayla two years from the ideas stage to the printing, with support from Coree Services clinical director and occupational therapist Shannon Kara and allied health assistant Jack Fardon.

Kayla hopes to bring positivity and encouragement to people from all walks of life through her affirmation cards.

“I want to show that having a disability doesn’t stop you from following your dreams,” she said

“These cards are my way of spreading happiness and helping others believe in themselves.”

Kayla told CD she felt spirited to see the cards launched.

“I’ve never done this before,” the new social entrepreneur said.

Kayla said she is excited to help others to have a better day.

“It’s okay to have bad days and good days in life but you need to come back to yourself, be present and be mindful in the moment,” she said.

Kayla said mindfulness helps her stay calm, open and present in her everyday life.

“My Happy Place is all about the things that make me happy and strong. I love starting my day with positive affirmations, meditating to feel calm, walking in nature, going to the gym, and spending time with my wonderful boyfriend (Jarrad Brinkman),” Kayla said on the My Happy Place website.

“These things help me stay strong and happy, and I want to share that with you.”

Ms Kara said launching My Happy Place was a testament to Kayla’s determination and entrepreneurial spirit.

She said Kayla had worked on the design, prototypes and quality assurance, also learning more life, communication and social skills, and a better understanding about the environment along the way.

“All this while raising awareness about the abilities of people with disabilities,” Ms Kara said.

Kayla raised the money for the website, cards and everything else associated with the cards by collecting cans and bottles and getting refunds through the ACT Container Deposit Scheme.

She hopes to grow the business to sell merchandise.

You can check out Kayla’s website and cards at myhappyplaceaffirmations.com

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