April 20, 2010
Wipe that foggy glass…
With arms outstretched high above your head, back arched in a bending motion to unleash the kinks that ail you; you twist your neck from left to right and slowly lower your arms. You proceed to rise out of your bed and saunter over to a foggy mirror. As you glance in, you begin to stare at the reflection it serves.
What do you see? Do you see a person of high potential and buoyancy? Is the person looking back at you one that feels beautiful inside and out despite her idiosyncrasies? Or can this person hardly stand to look into the eyes of the reflection waiting for her? Do you see a person who has failed to even attempt to realize the possibilities of success that lie before her? Do you see a person who beats themselves up emotionally…and possibly physically because they just don’t feel they are good enough?
The reflection you see in that mirror is a portrayal of your level of self-esteem. Michael Agnes, author of Webster’s New World: Basic Dictionary of American English defines self-esteem as, “the belief in oneself; self respect or having too much pride in oneself.” More specifically, children can possess positive or negative self-esteem. This positive or negative characteristic shapes their outlook on what motivates them, challenges them and emotionally ails them.
Kid’s Health from Nemours describes children with high self-esteem as having, “…armor against the challenges of the world. Kids who feel good about themselves seem to have an easier time handling conflicts and resisting negative pressures. They tend to smile more readily and enjoy life. These kids are realistic and generally optimistic.”
In contrast, Kid’s Health from Nemours characterizes those with negative self-esteem by, “…find challenges to be sources of major anxiety and frustration. Those who think poorly of themselves have a hard time finding solutions to problems. If given to self-critical thoughts such as “I’m no good” or “I can’t do anything right,” they may become passive, withdrawn, or depressed. Faced with a new challenge, their immediate response is “I can’t.”
Pt. 2
Low-self esteem can lead children to make poor choices once they get to their adolescent years. If a child’s mind is clouded with a poor image of themselves, they may decide to participate in acts that prevent them from excelling academically, socially and professionally. The use of alcohol and drugs, as well as teen pregnancy are just a few road blocks that may occur in a young person’s life if they have low self-esteem.
According to a study entitled, Review of Self-Esteem Research, by Robert W. Reasoner, “More than 50% of high school seniors in the U.S. report using illicit drugs and 66% report that they are regular users of alcohol; 71% reported getting drunk and 14% appear to be highly involved with drugs on a regular basis.”
Often times young girls with low self-esteem will attempt to fill a void in their hearts through sexual intercourse. Reasoner suggests, “Many teenage girls feel that pregnancy is the only alternative to feeling powerless and unimportant… Statistics have shown that 85-90% of the teenage mothers elect to keep their babies rather than give them up for adoption in the belief that a baby will provide the kind of unconditional love and acceptance that they feel they never had.”
Pt. 3
Numerous organizations have realized the importance of building positive self-esteem amongst the youth of the world and have made significant efforts to uplift our future leaders. Since 1864, Girls Incorporated has strived to promote positive self-esteem development in young girls. The organization’s website explains, “Girls Incorporated is a national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.” This powerful organization allows participants to take part in programs that allow the young girls to boost their self-esteem by educating themselves in various programs geared towards real-life experiences.
These programs include Operation Smart, Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy, Media Literacy, Friendly Peersuasion, Discovery, Project Bold, Sporting Chance and Economic Literacy. Through these programs the girls are able to increase their academic abilities in the subject areas of science, engineering and math, learn the importance of practicing safe sex and the positive promotion of the image of women in the media. The programs also encourage the prevention of substance abuse, the encouragement of creating, possessing and utilizing leadership skills, the avoidance of violence and crime as well as endorsing healthy lives through activity and money management skills.
It is imperative that we continue to provide programs like Girl Inc. to promote positive growth within our youth in communities across the world. Latasha Vernon, Executive Director of Girls Incorporated of Southwest Hampton Roads Center for Youth expresses, “…Girls need to see women and men teaching them how to act…everyone needs to be taught…If we don’t have any programs for them now; they won’t have anything to look to in the future.”
Pt.4
Let’s take a look back into that foggy mirror. Can you loudly and proudly say the statement, “I am beautiful!”? Those three words should never be rearranged into a question. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but confidence, intelligence and self-worth lie within us. As people mature from their tender years to adult years, the negativities that are bound to occur should not alter the positive outlook they have on their lives. Efforts made through organizations such as Girls Incorporated and the education of what is the necessary mentality to get through those obstacles are the only way that our youth, along with adults, will be able to overcome life’s curve balls and obtain success.
**Click the flick below! :)**
I’m bouncing off the bedroom walls!
Happy National Poetry Month!
Yes, April is the month to celebrate a craft we have been taught since birth…poems! Let’s take it back to our childhood and reminisce on a poem you may have read wayyyy back when…
I Do Not Want to Go to Bed
I do not want to go to bed. I like to stay up late.
I’m bouncing off the bedroom walls
and, frankly, feeling great!
I’m dancing like a maniac
instead of counting sheep.
My mom says, “Time for bed.”
My dad yells, “Get your butt to sleep!”
I’m not sure what my bottom
has to do with anything,
but that’s okay because I rather
jump around and sing.
I don’t know what it was
that made me feel so wide awake.
Could it have been the Red Bull
and the double-chocolate cake?
I wonder if the seven cups
of coffee plus desert
of Hershey bars and Skittles
are what left me this alert?
Whatever it turns out to be
that made me feel this right,
I hope I track it down
so I can stay up every… ZZZzzzzz
–Kenn Nesbitt
courtesy of http://www.poetry4kids.com
Thanks for indulging!
Am I beautiful to you?
Women across the country wonder this question and often alter their looks to apease the desires of others.
I was watching an episode on MTV today called True Life: I am Ugly. The show featured two young women who truly believed they were ugly. In my eyes, as well their their family and significant others, both were not “ugly”…whatever that is. Whenever the women would get compliments they would throw a fit and get angry at the fact that someone would even utter those words. Both women, to the dismay of their loved ones, decided to get plastic surgery procedures to alter what they viewed as their problem areas. In one case, after the procedure was complete, the woman still was not satisfied…
The question that remains in my head is what truly is beautiful and what is ugly? If everyone tells you you are beautiful, why don’t you believe you are? If someone has never told you how truly beautiful you are, tell yourself! It’s not always about what someone else thinks about you. Gaze into that mirror and whisper to yourself, “I am beautiful“, regardless of what you may think others are saying…empower yourself! …Love yourself!
I understand there are medical reasons as to why people may feel a certain way about their image, but if you do not have a medical issue, I strongly urge you to embrace every inch of your being.
Embrace every curve, every bone, every blemish, every freckle, every dimple, every jagged edge, every stain, every bump, every bruise…See the beauty in your imperfections.
Indulge in a positive self-image.
photo courtesy of http://www.papermag.com
Constant change
“What, then, is the true Gospel of consistency? Change. Who is the really consistent man? The man who changes. Since change is the law of his being, he cannot be consistent if he stick in a rut.” –Mark Twain
Indulge in a thought.
Time is dwindling…
As the time is dying down and I will soon be a graduate of my dear, sweet, Hampton University, I can only anticipate new beginnings as well as reminsce on last summer’s activities. Along with beginning my career, what am I excited for this summer? Lets see…
-Beach
-Tanning
-Swimming
-Summer clothes
-Crabs
-Summertime dates
-Sandals & pedicured toes
-Pastels
-Ice cream trips
-National Harbor/DC/other states outings
-Warm summer nights
-Crisp Lemonade
-Munching on juicy peaches, cherries and strawberries
-Cookouts
-Fireworks
-Late night walks…late night talks
-Summer rain
-Driving around town with the windows down, sun roof open, vintage shades on and the wind blowin’ out my pin curls…
-Etc……….
Oh Summer…you bring so much joy to my soul…but it will be weird when you are over and I’m not returning to school…..woah…welcome to the real world…….
Indulge in your youth!
photo courtesy of www.socksoff.co.uk/walls07.html
behind the smile 