Character Development

Rape, Bullying and Another Victim of a Society Crumbling

My heart is so heavy and I am beyond sad today to learn about the tragic death of Rehtaeh Parsons. A 17 year old girl who was raped by 4 boys - who were never charged for this heinous crime. One of the boys took photos during the rape and distributed them and they went viral. Rehtaeh became the victim twice as her peers and so-called friends turned on her and labeled her a slut. She was mercilessly bullied until she couldn't take it any longer. As an advocate of teen girls and young women and as a mother of two sons, I am even more deeply committed to my work and outreach. The following is an excerpt from an interview with Rehteah's mother, Leah in the article Who Failed Rehteah Parsons? There are things to be learned from the girl’s death, Parsons said in the interview. That is why [...]

By | 2017-03-07T12:56:44-05:00 April 10th, 2013|

Top Ten Reasons to Hire a Life Coach for Your Daughter

1. Girls need someone to talk to besides their parents and friends. As girls maneuver their way through relationships, their BFF one day can very often become their Frenemy the next. Having a coach who not only listens, but helps girls figure out their own next, best move is incredibly empowering and reassuring. 2. Every girl wants to be attractive and a good coach will help her understand that like a magnet, she can attract whatever it is that she really wants. But girls often confuse the outside external stuff with the inner force of attraction. It always comes from within. 3. Girls are often afraid to speak up and they care way too much about what everyone else thinks. Not only will a good coach help her to correctly identify her feelings and emotions, but will also help her find her voice and speak her truth about what she [...]

By | 2017-03-07T13:36:10-05:00 March 19th, 2013|

The Love You Need

I can still remember the year my mother forgot to buy my Valentine’s cards for the class. I stayed up late to make my own out of pink and red construction paper and then attempted to decorate a Kleenex box with paper doilies. I walked into school with a knot in my stomach and a lump in my throat knowing full well that my efforts at cutting and pasting would pale in comparison to everyone else’s store-bought heart-shaped cards with adorable sayings like “puppy love” and “hey cutie pie.” To this day I can remember those feelings of being less than and just wanting to be liked and noticed. Valentine’s Day, a day in February that is supposed to represent love, for many represents the exact opposite. It’s actually been dubbed “Singles Awareness Day” by those who have been made to feel less than because they don’t have “that special [...]

By | 2013-02-11T11:06:19-05:00 February 11th, 2013|

Warning! Gratitude Will Change Your Life

I used to roll my eyes and scoff at all those self-help gurus who talked about gratitude being the key to transformation. Like a scratched record that skips and plays the same line over and over again, "yeah but" was the story I told myself for most of my life. "Yeah but" they didn't have the kind of traumatic childhood that I had... "Yeah but" it's easy to be grateful when you've already got it all. blah blah blah. That is, until I realized that it's absolutely true. Gratitude really is the key that unlocks our potential and unleashes the power that can move us from poor me to PROSPERITY! Who doesn't want that? We all say we want a fabulous life, but for some reason, very few have the courage and fortitude to really go for it. Why is that? Staying stuck in a rut of self-pity and "yeah [...]

By | 2017-03-07T13:54:08-05:00 November 20th, 2012|

Teens and Social Anxiety

Let’s face it, hardly anyone enjoys walking into a roomful of strangers and many of us would rather isolate than deal with the dreaded small talk. Yet, ironically all of us are longing for a deeper connection to others, to find “our people” - the ones who like us for who we are and who share similar interests. You might think today’s teens, who were born wired and woven into the fabric of social networking would have no problem making those connections. Yet hiding behind a computer screen or a phone is vastly different than walking into that room and many teens have lost the knack or have never even been taught the art of small talk and breaking the ice. Add to that the epidemic of bullying and the fear of others’ opinions or becoming a target of others’ negative attention and many teens today have become paralyzed with [...]

By | 2017-03-07T13:57:37-05:00 August 16th, 2012|

Who the Hell Do You Think You Are? How to Reclaim Your Power

Even the most successful people in the world, if they are truly honest, will admit to moments of self-doubt and insecurity. Just the other night, during an interview on Oprah’s Next Chapter, Lady Gaga admitted that there have been times - even now amidst all her fame, fortune and 21 million Twitter followers, that she has felt totally worthless. So who the hell does she think she is? On occasion - nobody. Recently my friend and colleague, Dr. Robyn Silverman wrote an outstanding blog post detailing the obstacles that prevent many women from becoming powerful leaders. Nestled smack dab in the middle of her list of seven self-sabotaging stumbling blocks that keep women playing small, #4 jumped out at me, grabbed me by the throat in a choke-hold and it wouldn’t let go until I stopped, looked at it and then wrote about it. 4. The ‘who the heck do [...]

By | 2012-03-20T16:49:55-05:00 March 20th, 2012|

Princess Swagger: Empowered or Entitled?

Yesterday was International Women's Day and the social media sites were buzzing with posts and tweets celebrating and recognizing the "sheroes" who inspire and empower us and the role models and leaders who change our world. However, amidst all that woman-power, I can't help but wonder if the brave women who fought for our rights and who continuously strive for gender equality had Princess Swagger in mind as the end result for all of their determination and dedication. Little Sophia Grace Brownlee got the opportunity of a lifetime when she got to sing her own original song "Princess Swagger" on the Ellen Degeneres Show recently. in case you've been living under a rock, Sophia Grace and her little cousin Rosie have become overnight media sensations since their first appearance on Ellen last year. They were discovered on YouTube rapping to Nicki Minaj's song, Super Bass. The next thing you know, [...]

By | 2017-03-07T14:00:04-05:00 March 8th, 2012|

Society… We Have a Problem Here

Has our world gone totally and utterly mad? There has been much reaction to the reemergence of Chris Brown from woman beater to grammy-winning star, but probably the most shocking and frightening have been the tweets and posts from young women. You can click on the link above to see all the responses, but here are a few: Call me crazy butttt I would let Chris Brown beat me up anyyyy day O.K. YOU'RE CRAZY! Everyone shut up about Chris Brown being a woman beater... Shiiiittt he can beat me up all night if he wants ARE YOU SHIIIITTTING ME? I don't know why Rhianna complained. Chris Brown could beat me anytime he wanted to. SERIOUSLY? YOU DON'T KNOW WHY SHE COMPLAINED? Attention Girls! Domestic violence is not hot... even if you think he is! Unfortunately these controversial and contrarian comments did exactly what these girls wanted them to do [...]

By | 2012-02-16T11:24:05-05:00 February 16th, 2012|

Ain’t It Shocking What… Drugs Can Do

100+ people die every day from drug overdoses who aren’t Whitney Houston. Yes, I am saddened by the loss of such a beautiful and talented woman. Yes, I was moved to tears by the comments and tribute to her at the Grammy's this evening. And yes, her voice and songs inspired me and were such an integral part of the music of my generation. But no, I am not surprised at all and I can't help but feel like here we go again. Another public, over-the-top spectacle over one person who lost their life due to addiction, when so many ordinary nobody's lose their battle with drugs and alcohol every single day. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, in 2007, nearly 100 persons per day died of drug overdoses in the United States. In 2008, drug overdoses in the United States caused 36,450 deaths. What's [...]

By | 2017-03-07T14:01:40-05:00 February 13th, 2012|

Facebook & Self-Esteem: LMS for The Truth

"Using Facebook can be bad for people with low self-esteem," suggests a new study in the journal Psychological Science. Duh? Do we really need a research study to tell us that? Canadian researchers found people with low self-esteem deluge their Facebook friends with negative details about their lives, which makes them less likeable. According to study author Amanda Forest, a graduate student at the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, "If you're talking to somebody in person and you say something, you might get some indication that they don't like it, that they're sick of hearing your negativity," But when people have a negative reaction to a post on Facebook, they tend to keep it to themselves. Guilty. I have kept this one to myself for far too long. As a woman who has worked all her life to build her own self-esteem and has dedicated her work to inspiring and [...]

By | 2012-02-12T11:11:03-05:00 February 12th, 2012|
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