Fifth grader review:
Island Of Zarada – The Larimar Quest
Review by a Fifth Grader
Author: micheleevansauthor
Gossip or Compassion
When you find out someone has been talking about you negatively, it hurts. Really hurts. You feel misunderstood and judged. Remember this if you every feel tempted to gossip or badmouth anyone.
It may be true that they did or said something that you don’t like or even hurt someone else. But that doesn’t justify doing something equally unlikable. Sometimes we don’t have all the information about a person or situation. It’s easy to jump to conclusions, but that can result in a false picture.
People who are having difficulty often find themselves acting in a way that is less than their best. That’s because they’re having a hard time. They may be on edge and lash out verbally or physically. Their situation doesn’t excuse them or make what they do ok. But it could help you to give them the benefit of the doubt – to acknowledge that you don’t know everything that that person has been through. You haven’t walked in their shoes.
Stepping back and being compassionate is better. Observing rather than judging. Being open to possibilities and transformation. We are all on a path of growth and discovery, especially those facing challenges in life.
Change Your Script
At least forty percent of what we do and say occurs out of habit. That’s a good thing. It frees us up to use more of our energy for other things. For example: When you’re walking, are you continually thinking about how to walk? Ok, let’s see, I have to put my right foot forward, then the left and not fall down, ok I can do this if I just concentrate hard enough. No, we don’t have to do that anymore, as we did when we were toddlers. We turned it into a habit. While we’re walking, we can think about what we’re doing that day or how to solve a problem.
Physical habits are not the only area in which we develop repeated behaviors. Our thinking is on auto-pilot, too. Which is why it’s so important to be intentional with how we function in the world. The subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between a positive and a negative thought. It just thinks what you tell it to. However, your prefrontal cortex, or your conscious mind, does know the difference, if we will only pay closer attention to it and not let the auto-pilot run the show unchecked.
Once we form a habit, the prefrontal cortex, which is the judgment center, doesn’t engage anymore. So if we want to form or break a habit, we have to work at it. The first time you do something is usually the hardest. Then when you do it again, it becomes easier and if you repeat it multiple times, it will form into a habit. I had a teacher once to referred to it as “building technique”. I like that!
The problem comes in when you build a technique for something that’s destructive to you or others or both. Then you have to go in and “break” the habit. The good news is – the brain is malleable . You can unwire the habitual neurotransmitters by discontinuing the habit and/or replacing it with another, better habit. The strong signals of the undesired habit will weaken with neglect and you can free yourself from modes of being and thinking that no longer serve you.
Create new and productive habits and let them propel you forward into the best you!
New Barbie Dolls
I’m trying to remember what I thought of Barbie when I was a girl. I’m 48 now, so let’s see. I had only a few dolls plus one Ken. They were blonde, I was a brunette. They were tall, I was petite. They were big busted, I wasn’t quite there yet.
I don’t remember being especially disturbed by the differences, although there may have been a subconscious effect I’m unaware of. Perhaps because they had the same skin color I had, the rest didn’t matter. I believe that if they were Asian or African, I probably would have noticed. But then again, sometimes children don’t see the same way adults do. So I’m not sure. However, I do strongly agree that the body type of the traditional barbie is so inaccurate to actual women that it holds girls to a standard that is simply not achievable.
Along with more realistic body types, I’d love to see Barbies of different liftstyles – a granola girl Barbie, an entrepreneurial Barbie, a Barbie doctor, nurse, computer programmer, mother and so on.
Congrats to Barbie for updating her look and physique. All body types are beautiful!
Teen Girl Power Videos
We Are All Born With Self-Confidence
We are born with it!
Have you ever heard a baby cry? Have you ever seen a toddler fall down again and again, yet continue to get back up and take another shot at walking? In both cases, the determination and the self confidence to succeed are unshakeable. Why? Because we are built that way. As human beings, we are tenacious once we set our minds to something. That can work for or against us, depending on the situation. When it works for us, it allows us to overcome the obstacles that inevitably come in between us and our goal. When it works against us, we allow ourselves to be stubborn and short sighted.
When we’re babies, it’s simple. If we’re hungry, we cry. If we don’t, we risk our very survival. As we get older it becomes more complicated. We start to attain self-awareness. We notice what other people say and think. We don’t want to be scolded, disliked or ostracized. We tailor our thoughts and behaviors to please others, sometimes putting their opinions first. And that’s healthy! We can’t go around as selfish creatures, serving only ourselves. We must work together with our families and society to live harmoniously. However, there is a limit to considering others. When it comes to our personal dreams, our inner voice of truth, we need to listen and make decisions that we think are best. The trick is to know when to follow and when to exercise our willpower.
Self reflection and meditation can be helpful as you decide when to stand up for what you believe in and when to be flexible and cooperative. Helping your parents with something they ask you to do may carry less consequences than whether to pursue your secret passion for pottery when your family thinks it’s a waste of time because they expect you to go to law school like the rest of them. If you befriend a girl at school that your circle of pals make fun of, you may lose your current friends, but you did what was right, and realize you really don’t want friends like that anyway. Whenever there seems to be a conflict brewing inside you, that may be sign that you need to sit quietly and think it over. Perhaps close your eyes and relax, letting thoughts and feelings rise to the surface without distraction. Writing down aspects the dilemma may be beneficial.
Whenever someone is trying to influence what you do and say, that can challenge your self confidence. It can also take a blow if you are put down and criticized for your beliefs and actions. If it’s strong enough, and done repeatedly it can be abusive, so be careful that you are being treated with respect. If you’re being abused verbally or otherwise, please seek out a school counselor or other trusted adult.
Always remember you came into this world bound and determined to achieve whatever you want. If you have doubts, examine them and decide if they are there to help you make a course correction, or if they come from a negative source either from the past or present. Your inner wisdom is a clear guide for you at all times. If you eliminate all the distractions and devices and take a moment to reflect, you will gain insight and your self confidence will flourish, as it is supported by your clear, well thought decision on how you’re moving forward to be your best and highest you!