Growing up, I always wanted to be more like my sister Gayla. She was thin and beautiful. Everyone seemed to really appreciate her shy and gentle nature. I was loud and clumsy and have always had issues with my weight (and my mouth). It wasn't until we were grown women that Gayla told me she had always envied my ability to make friends and put myself out there and that I loved to learn and read. I wish our self images had been at the forefront of society's watch-glass back in the 70's and 80's. Sister and I could have worked together to boost each other rather than secretly envy each other. We could have done as we did in her last years and built each other up and refused to let anyone mistreat or tear us down.
Since becoming a mother of a daughter in 2007, I have worried and fretted every day over the self-esteem of my Darling Daughter. Having come to her party when she was ten, I worried about ME being in charge of her teen years. My hubby dearest pointed out to me early on that the best way to do this was to love myself and let her see what a healthy self esteem looked like. I am still working on that, and DD helps to remind me whenever I venture off the approved path.
When I stumbled upon this little treasure in the infirmary of Camp High Point, I thought for sure it would give some laugh-out-loud humorous responses since it was Copyrighted 1963 and all. I was pleasantly surprised that the advice the American Girl Magazine provided was pretty spot-on for maintaining healthy self-esteems of the young women of the time (and for that matter for today).
I wish I had made notes on the book to include in this post. I wish that the Girl Scouts still produced a magazine for the girls (1917 to 1979 American Girl Magazine, not to be confused with the popular dolls of today). In my quest to find out what the Girl Scouts have going on for self-esteem now-a-days, I found the following program where GSUSA and Dove have partnered to bring self-esteem to our girls. You don't have to be a Girl Scout or even involved in the Girl Scouting to take part. If you work with girls (heck some of our boys could use some self-esteem as well!).
Please check out the facilitator information at http://www.girlscouts.org/uniquelyme/uniquely_me_guide_for_facilitators.asp.
See Dove's page at http://www.dove.us/Social-Mission/Self-Esteem-Toolkit-And-Resources/default.aspx.
- Celebrate you!
Reward yourself when you have accomplished something! You don't need to wait for others to recognize what you've done. - Surround yourself with positive people.
Spend time with people who are upbeat and feel good about themselves. They, in turn, will put a smile on your face and help you feel good about yourself. - Challenge yourself to try new things.
Try a ropes course, learn some new dance steps, speak in front of a large group. Stepping outside of your comfort zone to try new things is a great way to grow. - Be good to your body.
Exercising, eating well, and getting plenty of sleep will help you move toward a healthier you—inside and out! - Find and express the real you.
No other person has the unique combination of qualities that you have! Be proud of yourself and be courageous enough to express your true feelings. - Have a positive mental attitude.
A positive attitude is contagious! You'll feel good and people will want to hang out with you. - Learn from your experiences.
Learn from your actions—both good and bad, and use the knowledge you gain to make positive decisions in the future. - Find the humor in everyday life.
When you can see the funny side of things, you'll be less stressed and more likely to handle tough situations better.
