REDONDO BEACH, Calif. — Nearly everyday, you can find Paxx Bell practicing basketball.

It’s his passion, and the game is also how he met his best friend Royce, who got Paxx onto his club team.

“It’s a really fun thing to play too also," said Bell. "It’s not just about winning. It’s also about having fun, which I do."

Practicing has become a daily positive habit for Paxx, who was having academic and behavioral issues in school. But it wasn’t until working with Royce’s mom, Lindsay Rielly-Libbey, through a daily practice of writing in his Happy Heart Journal that his mindset began to shift.

"I’ve noticed that I’ve become better and a more honest person with my feelings and knowing that I can accomplish so much more if I have a really good mindset," said Bell.

Rielly-Libbey is the author of The Happy Heart Journal, whose origins started years ago with her experience as a talent manager. She noticed that her clients were circumstantially happy whenever they booked a gig or were upset when they didn’t. So she created a life transformation program.

"[I] really have a passion for helping people become the best versions of themselves, to truly know their worth, be empowered by who they are," she said.

But Rielly-Libbey really wanted to help kids, and she started with her son Royce, who was struggling to express his feelings. She wrote questions in a journal that the pair would answer together — and quickly, Royce was back to his old self.

During the first COVID-19 lockdown, Rielly-Libbey started writing The Happy Heart Journal to help other kids and their families.

"This was the time that these kids and these families need this, more than ever before," she said.

The book is full of prompts and questions to enhance self-acceptance, compassion, and emotional literacy while guiding writers into their heart centers. Rielly-Libbey has seen Bell’s growth with expressing his feelings and cultivating gratitude.

"Whereas Bell's frustration used to come out of his mouth, so his frustration would live in his mouth, now it’s in his heart," she said. "So he can feel frustrated like all of us can, but he can say, 'I’m feeling frustrated.'"

For Bell, this daily habit has made a big impact in his life, transforming him into a better version of himself.

"Ever since I started doing this book, I’ve been doing really good in school, and it’s actually helped me become a better student in general and listen to my teachers instead of goofing off," he said.

While Rielly-Libbey's ultimate goal is to get the journal into schools and organizations, she is seeing firsthand with her inner circle that a happy heart is a grateful heart.