Huge reality check in this video....everyone should watch! Pass it on!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Have you gone into each room lately?
"There is an Indian Belief that everyone is in a
house of four rooms: A physical, a mental, an emotional, and a
spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time, but
unless we go into every room everyday, even if only to keep it aired, we are not complete." - Rumer Godden
Thursday, April 15, 2010
End Cyber-Bullying!!!
Recently, Phoebe Prince, age 15, took her own life in South Hadley, Mass. Phoebe had moved from Ireland to the U.S. last fall—and was allegedly bullied by other teens at her school via text messages, Facebook and other social-networking sites. Her suicide highlights the tragic number of adolescents who have been cyber-bullied and see no recourse other than death.
What can we do to stop this? Parents? Teens? This growing epidemic needs to be halted before more terrible situations like Phoebe's repeat.
The following can be useful for parents or teens....
* It is vital for parents to discuss appropriate and inappropriate online behavior. Parents should warn children that bullying and harassing behaviors, including sending or posting information that is hurtful and defamatory, is unacceptable. And children need to know that because they are minors their parents could be held liable for their actions. Parents should caution their children that despite the illusion of intimacy that comes with one-to-one interactions via technology, words and images shared can be recorded, are usually permanent, and can be disseminated widely.
* How can a parent do a better job monitoring the situation? You can watch for signs that your child is under more than usual stress. Look for changes in the way your child approaches or avoids technology. Keep abreast of technology trends by staying current on the social uses of technology by teens. Additionally, you may want to have a written agreement with your child that makes explicit acceptable and unacceptable uses of technology — and follow through on consequences for noncompliance with such written agreements.
* Discuss your child’s experiences with technology in an open manner.
* Talk about dangers associated with technology and use incidents reported in the media as teachable moments.
* Avoid knee-jerk reactions when parental help is sought, including blaming your child or preventing access to technology.
* When young people are cyber-bullied, they often do not seek help from their parents. Instead, their top three strategies are to seek help from a friend, keep it to themselves or try to ignore it. If friends encourage retaliation, this could actually worsen the situation.
* Parents must actively put themselves in the mix, and should not wait for their children to come to them. After all, trying to deal with issues such as cyber-bullying alone can be a very heavy burden for a young person to bear.
Teens.....remember the lesson we learned in Kindergarden....
***TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WISH TO BE TREATED***
DO NOT tolerate bullying....tell someone, ask for help and stay strong!
What can we do to stop this? Parents? Teens? This growing epidemic needs to be halted before more terrible situations like Phoebe's repeat.
The following can be useful for parents or teens....
* It is vital for parents to discuss appropriate and inappropriate online behavior. Parents should warn children that bullying and harassing behaviors, including sending or posting information that is hurtful and defamatory, is unacceptable. And children need to know that because they are minors their parents could be held liable for their actions. Parents should caution their children that despite the illusion of intimacy that comes with one-to-one interactions via technology, words and images shared can be recorded, are usually permanent, and can be disseminated widely.
* How can a parent do a better job monitoring the situation? You can watch for signs that your child is under more than usual stress. Look for changes in the way your child approaches or avoids technology. Keep abreast of technology trends by staying current on the social uses of technology by teens. Additionally, you may want to have a written agreement with your child that makes explicit acceptable and unacceptable uses of technology — and follow through on consequences for noncompliance with such written agreements.
* Discuss your child’s experiences with technology in an open manner.
* Talk about dangers associated with technology and use incidents reported in the media as teachable moments.
* Avoid knee-jerk reactions when parental help is sought, including blaming your child or preventing access to technology.
* When young people are cyber-bullied, they often do not seek help from their parents. Instead, their top three strategies are to seek help from a friend, keep it to themselves or try to ignore it. If friends encourage retaliation, this could actually worsen the situation.
* Parents must actively put themselves in the mix, and should not wait for their children to come to them. After all, trying to deal with issues such as cyber-bullying alone can be a very heavy burden for a young person to bear.
Teens.....remember the lesson we learned in Kindergarden....
***TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WISH TO BE TREATED***
DO NOT tolerate bullying....tell someone, ask for help and stay strong!
An amazing message from a fellow Paper Doll....
The following is a blog post I read recently. I was incredibly touched and inspired by it. A 17 year old high school senior girl wrote this and I hope that it can be a message to other girls and women out there. be who you are and be proud of her, no matter what!
"listen to the music of the moment.
i cried last night. i cried for the first time in a week and, embarrassingly enough, that’s a long time for me. there’s this thing about crying. everyone thinks it’s a sad thing, when really, crying is the best escape i can think of. when you start crying, there’s something there that’s making you feel sad or sentimental. but when you stop crying, there’s a reason there too. there’s this huge sense of relief when you finally realize that there’s no reason to cry anymore. catharsis- it’s kind of the only way I know how to clean my mind out. and, trust me, my mind needs a lot of cleaning (or more organization, i guess). sometimes, all you can do is cry. you can’t take on the world, because you have to take on yourself first. the thing is, you are your world. the world doesn’t revolve around one person, right? but our lives are our own. the only thing that will, no matter what, always stay constant in your life is you. so finding oneself might as well be taking on the world. right now, the only thing i know to do is live for now. if i’m happy, i’m happy, not worried that tomorrow i’ll be sad. if there’s a goal i’m trying to accomplish, i’m working on that goal, not thinking about all the other ones i can’t be working on. when i was little, i would cry because my friend was being mean to me. now, when i cry, it’s because i’ve lost trust in the world, because i can’t understand what some of my friends are going through, because i don’t know how to control my own life. it’s never going to be simple again. but sometimes, all you can do is cry. learn who you are and learn to understand."
“i shall pass through this world but once. any good, therefore, that i can do or any kindness that i can show to any human being let me do it now. let me not defer or neglect it, for i shall not pass this way again.”
jerry lewis
"listen to the music of the moment.
i cried last night. i cried for the first time in a week and, embarrassingly enough, that’s a long time for me. there’s this thing about crying. everyone thinks it’s a sad thing, when really, crying is the best escape i can think of. when you start crying, there’s something there that’s making you feel sad or sentimental. but when you stop crying, there’s a reason there too. there’s this huge sense of relief when you finally realize that there’s no reason to cry anymore. catharsis- it’s kind of the only way I know how to clean my mind out. and, trust me, my mind needs a lot of cleaning (or more organization, i guess). sometimes, all you can do is cry. you can’t take on the world, because you have to take on yourself first. the thing is, you are your world. the world doesn’t revolve around one person, right? but our lives are our own. the only thing that will, no matter what, always stay constant in your life is you. so finding oneself might as well be taking on the world. right now, the only thing i know to do is live for now. if i’m happy, i’m happy, not worried that tomorrow i’ll be sad. if there’s a goal i’m trying to accomplish, i’m working on that goal, not thinking about all the other ones i can’t be working on. when i was little, i would cry because my friend was being mean to me. now, when i cry, it’s because i’ve lost trust in the world, because i can’t understand what some of my friends are going through, because i don’t know how to control my own life. it’s never going to be simple again. but sometimes, all you can do is cry. learn who you are and learn to understand."
“i shall pass through this world but once. any good, therefore, that i can do or any kindness that i can show to any human being let me do it now. let me not defer or neglect it, for i shall not pass this way again.”
jerry lewis
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Wednesday Affirmation
Women are Angels
And when someone breaks our wings....
we simply continue to fly.........
on a broomstick...
We are flexible....
And when someone breaks our wings....
we simply continue to fly.........
on a broomstick...
We are flexible....
Monday, March 22, 2010
Flaw or Asset??
What do you *THINK* is your greatest physical flaw? For a moment, imagine that this so-called "flaw" is actually your greatest asset. What if it is? You are uniquely beautiful. You only need to realize it. ♥
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Simple words of wisdom....
HEALTH:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is
manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5. Make time to meditate.
6. (Breathe)
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
PERSONALITY:
11. Comparing our lives to others is fruitless. We have no idea what their journey is about.
12. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones especially about things out of our control. Invest energy in the positive present moment.
13. Try not to over do. Understand limits.
14. Why take ourselves so seriously. No one else does.
15. Gossip drains precious energy.
16. Dream more while we are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. We already have all we need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Let go of our partners mistakes of the past. Focus on our present/future happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Make peace with our past so it won’t spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of our happiness except us.
22. Realize that life is a school and we are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons we learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. We don’t have to win arguments. It’s ok to agree to disagree.
SOCIETY:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is insignificant compared to what you think of yourself.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends & family will. Stay in touch.
LIFE:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. (Higher powers) heal everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how we feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When we awake alive in the morning, be thankful.
39. Our Inner most is always happy. Release your “Inner Happy” on the world every day!
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is
manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5. Make time to meditate.
6. (Breathe)
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
PERSONALITY:
11. Comparing our lives to others is fruitless. We have no idea what their journey is about.
12. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones especially about things out of our control. Invest energy in the positive present moment.
13. Try not to over do. Understand limits.
14. Why take ourselves so seriously. No one else does.
15. Gossip drains precious energy.
16. Dream more while we are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. We already have all we need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Let go of our partners mistakes of the past. Focus on our present/future happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Make peace with our past so it won’t spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of our happiness except us.
22. Realize that life is a school and we are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons we learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. We don’t have to win arguments. It’s ok to agree to disagree.
SOCIETY:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is insignificant compared to what you think of yourself.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends & family will. Stay in touch.
LIFE:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. (Higher powers) heal everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how we feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When we awake alive in the morning, be thankful.
39. Our Inner most is always happy. Release your “Inner Happy” on the world every day!
The Price of Beauty
Did anyone watch Jessica Simpson's new show The Price of Beauty???
She said, “I have always believed that beauty comes from within and confidence will always make a woman beautiful, but I know how much pressure some women put on themselves to look perfect. I am really looking forward to discovering how beauty is perceived in different cultures and participating in some of the crazy things people do to feel beautiful."
*What do you think?
*What is beautiful to you?
*When do you feel your most beautiful?
*Have you ever done anything crazy to feel beautiful?
Tell us your thoughts!
She said, “I have always believed that beauty comes from within and confidence will always make a woman beautiful, but I know how much pressure some women put on themselves to look perfect. I am really looking forward to discovering how beauty is perceived in different cultures and participating in some of the crazy things people do to feel beautiful."
*What do you think?
*What is beautiful to you?
*When do you feel your most beautiful?
*Have you ever done anything crazy to feel beautiful?
Tell us your thoughts!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Great quote to start off the week!
"Sometimes we want so badly for others to believe in us that we often forget the most powerful thing of all - we must believe in ourselves. If you can reach that place, you'll be unstoppable. Be unstoppable" ~Revolution of Real Women~ ♥
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
No matter how sophisticated and grown-up we become, everyone has her insecure days.
Dear Paper Dolls,
Take this oath as a challenge-
"I believe in you. I believe in your authenticity, your uniqueness, your intensity, your wildness. I love the way you blare your music while you lip sync every single memorized lyric. I love your restlessness and your hunger. You possess the energy that, if unleashed, could transform, inspire and heal the world."
Everyone seems to have a certain way they want you to be - your mother, father, teachers, religious leaders, politicians, boyfriends, fashion gurus, celebrities, girlfriends.
DISTURBING STATISTIC NEWSFLASH: 74% of women say they are under pressure to please everyone.
I have done a lot of thinking about what it means to please; to be the wish or will of somebody other than yourself. To please the fashion setters, we starve ourselves. To please men, we push ourselves when we aren't ready. To please our parents, we become insane overachievers. If you are trying to please, how do you take responsibility for your own needs? How do you even know what your own needs are? The act of pleasing makes everything murky. We lose track of ourselves. We stop uttering declaratory sentences. We stop directing our lives. We forget what we know. We make everything OK rather than REAL.
I have had the good fortune to travel around the world. Everywhere I meet teenage girls and women giggling, laughing as they walk country roads or hang out on city streets. Electric girls. I see how their lives get hijacked, how their opinions and desires get denied and undone. So many of the women I have met are still struggling late into their lives to know their desires, to find their way.
Instead of trying to please, this is a challenge to provoke, to dare, to satisfy your own imagination and appetite. To take responsibility for who you are, to engage. Listen to the voice inside you that might want something different. It's a call to your original self, to move at your own speed, to walk with your step, to wear your color. I dare you to live as an emotional creature. Learn the difference between pleasing and loving, obeying and respecting. Be OK with being different, with being this alive, this intense. Learn to be you and love it!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Happy International Women's Day!
"With love and care, a woman becomes more open, alive, and beautiful. As she grows, she attracts other rosebuds around her and before long she is part of a beautiful, blossoming garden." - Mary Kay Ash
Happy International Women's Day! Share with all the women who inspire you!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Winter Blues to Spring Fever...
We've all been there. When we have weeks and months of rain, snow, storms, and gray skies, it's easy to become "blue". We might feel sluggish, lazy, down in the dumps, or even depressed. As the month of March begins, the hope for Spring arrives! We expect the sun to shine, flowers to bloom, birds to sing, and blue skies to appear. But how do we shed off our winter blues?
Here are 10 great ways to change your mood, give you more energy, and get you ready for a new season!
1. EXERCISE: Do something active or go for a walk, even if it's just for 15 minutes.
2. MUSIC: Make a new iPod playlist or a CD with your favorite songs. Music can instantly change how we feel so make sure you pick songs that make you feel your best!
3. MAKE A FUN PLAN: Write a list of the fun things you want to do now that the sun is out and better weather is on it's way. Looking forward to something in the future can boost your mood.
4. GET GRATEFUL: Start a gratitude journal - write down three things you are grateful for every day. Start with anything, even if you feel they are simple choices like, "I'm grateful for waking up today"...just keep at it and you'll discover how much you have to be grateful for.
5. TAKE A RELAXATION BREAK: Turn the lights down low, put on some soft music, and sit back in a comfortable chair for half an hour. You could even try 20 minutes of simple "counting" meditation: Sit up straight, close your eyes, and count each breath as it comes. Whenever your mind wanders or you lose count, start again. It's remarkably effective, and there's virtually no way to do it wrong.
6. GET SOCIAL: Just hanging out with a group of friends can provide an instant pickup.
7. CLEANSE: Drinking more water and eating healthier can jumpstart your body and give you more energy quickly.
8. HELP A STRANGER: Hold the door for someone. Offer to carry a heavy package or box. Give directions when asked. A little kindness goes a long way. You’ll immediately feel happier when you take a minute to assist another human being—even in the smallest way.
9. MAKE A VISION BOARD: Grab a few magazines, a poster board or large piece of paper, scissors, and glue. Start thinking about what you want in your life...think today, tomorrow, and in your future. Cut out words, pictures, sayings, or anything that catches your eye. Glue these on your large paper to create your vision board!
10. LAUGH: Find a way to laugh—jokes, movies or tv, funny books, playing with your pets and watching their silly antics, being silly with a friend. Laughter is an effective way of changing your mood, and can help your body as well as your emotional state.
If you're feeling really awful, you may not be able to shift your mood as far as you'd like to, right away — and that's okay. It's actually more reasonable to expect little shifts, rather than an extreme shift. Each movement you make matters. Even a small shift in your mood might bring relief, or make it easier to laugh or to have fun. But most importantly, Paper Dolls, figure out what techniques work for YOU and use them!
Tell us what worked for you or give us some new ideas of your own!
Here are 10 great ways to change your mood, give you more energy, and get you ready for a new season!
1. EXERCISE: Do something active or go for a walk, even if it's just for 15 minutes.
2. MUSIC: Make a new iPod playlist or a CD with your favorite songs. Music can instantly change how we feel so make sure you pick songs that make you feel your best!
3. MAKE A FUN PLAN: Write a list of the fun things you want to do now that the sun is out and better weather is on it's way. Looking forward to something in the future can boost your mood.
4. GET GRATEFUL: Start a gratitude journal - write down three things you are grateful for every day. Start with anything, even if you feel they are simple choices like, "I'm grateful for waking up today"...just keep at it and you'll discover how much you have to be grateful for.
5. TAKE A RELAXATION BREAK: Turn the lights down low, put on some soft music, and sit back in a comfortable chair for half an hour. You could even try 20 minutes of simple "counting" meditation: Sit up straight, close your eyes, and count each breath as it comes. Whenever your mind wanders or you lose count, start again. It's remarkably effective, and there's virtually no way to do it wrong.
6. GET SOCIAL: Just hanging out with a group of friends can provide an instant pickup.
7. CLEANSE: Drinking more water and eating healthier can jumpstart your body and give you more energy quickly.
8. HELP A STRANGER: Hold the door for someone. Offer to carry a heavy package or box. Give directions when asked. A little kindness goes a long way. You’ll immediately feel happier when you take a minute to assist another human being—even in the smallest way.
9. MAKE A VISION BOARD: Grab a few magazines, a poster board or large piece of paper, scissors, and glue. Start thinking about what you want in your life...think today, tomorrow, and in your future. Cut out words, pictures, sayings, or anything that catches your eye. Glue these on your large paper to create your vision board!
10. LAUGH: Find a way to laugh—jokes, movies or tv, funny books, playing with your pets and watching their silly antics, being silly with a friend. Laughter is an effective way of changing your mood, and can help your body as well as your emotional state.
If you're feeling really awful, you may not be able to shift your mood as far as you'd like to, right away — and that's okay. It's actually more reasonable to expect little shifts, rather than an extreme shift. Each movement you make matters. Even a small shift in your mood might bring relief, or make it easier to laugh or to have fun. But most importantly, Paper Dolls, figure out what techniques work for YOU and use them!
Tell us what worked for you or give us some new ideas of your own!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Welcome Paper Dolls Around the World!
Welcome to the Paper Dolls blog! Why Paper Dolls, you might ask? Do you ever wake up in the morning and ask yourself:
“Who do I want to be today?”
“What should I wear today?”
“What mood am I in today?"
The prepster, the trend setter, the punk rocker, the nerd, the casual you, or the show off you. We all have different parts of ourselves that we need to embrace, but most importantly, who is underneath all of these different You’s?
In today’s world, being a girl can be overwhelming! There are so many expectations about who we are supposed to be, what we are supposed to look like and how we are supposed to act.
Do your parents make you want to scream? Do your friends confuse you? Are you being bullied? Do you have questions you want to ask, but don’t know where to go and who to talk to? Is it hard to share your secrets, hopes and dreams?
The purpose of this blog is to give you a place to find your real self! This is a place to ask questions, give advice, learn, vent, share stories, cry, smile, and grow!
Find your inner spirit and embrace her!
“Who do I want to be today?”
“What should I wear today?”
“What mood am I in today?"
The prepster, the trend setter, the punk rocker, the nerd, the casual you, or the show off you. We all have different parts of ourselves that we need to embrace, but most importantly, who is underneath all of these different You’s?
In today’s world, being a girl can be overwhelming! There are so many expectations about who we are supposed to be, what we are supposed to look like and how we are supposed to act.
Do your parents make you want to scream? Do your friends confuse you? Are you being bullied? Do you have questions you want to ask, but don’t know where to go and who to talk to? Is it hard to share your secrets, hopes and dreams?
The purpose of this blog is to give you a place to find your real self! This is a place to ask questions, give advice, learn, vent, share stories, cry, smile, and grow!
Find your inner spirit and embrace her!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
