This one’s for the girls… (insert Martina McBride song) 
I know you, Jr/High School girls, you are trying to figure out who you fit in with, what career path you want or maybe just trying to navigate through the daily grind of life and school.

You are as Ugly as a Cow

1996, this was me. The 15 year old me was completely comfortable with who I was or maybe even better the person I wasn’t. I was not normal.  Don’t get me wrong, I had a few people who picked on me. I’m fact in Jr. High a girl told me I was an ugly cow, in High School some made fun of my big eyebrows. (to all the mean girls out there…you know who you are) there are some things you never forget, so use your insults wisely. Be Kind!

Today, these make for good stories to my kids, and I actually thank those girls for making me stronger, at the time they hurt a lot, this is normal. Fortunately, my mom always reassured me that cows are pretty and Brooke Shields never thinned her eyes brows and she was famous. (I linked to Brooke Shields so you young ladies can look her up)

Brace Face

Back to my story about this less than flattering photo of me.  I signed up to compete in the Fairfield County Fair Queen contest because I could. 15 was the the youngest age you could apply. I knew this was for the interview experience and had zero expectations, I just wanted to see what it was like to interview so that maybe the following year I could really compete. Much to everyone’s surprise I won. I was shocked, it was so exciting minus the fact that I still had braces on. I really wanted them off before the contest. I thought if I won I would have a metal mouth on the cover of the local newspaper…guess what, I did have a mouth full of metal on the cover of the newspaper. My orthodontist tried telling me I was free advertising for him so he really hoped I would win. 

Celebrate Successes of Others

Sometimes there are people in our lives who can not celebrate the success of others. Sometimes people are not nice. Frankly people say mean horrible things. We have all been there right!? At the age of 15 I learned some people would be my cheerleaders and others would teach me resilience. When people choose (it’s a choice) to tear others down; it’s because they have major insecurities about themselves. They in some twisted way make themselves feel better by leaving us feeling yucky. Do not let their words of negativity effect you, let those words make you stronger. You become better for this experience and use this to set goals and as a result be a more kind person.

Write Down Your Dreams

Don’t just dream about things you want to accomplish write them down. Once you put dreams on paper they become a goal, goals can become reality. Remember, life isn’t supposed to be easy. It may seem easy for some but it is not. Everyone has something that hangs over their head or they struggle with, this is totally normal. Enter that contest, try something new and don’t worry about your age, experience or even what your friends may think. Be bold, stand out, even if it is not always the popular choice. When you have successes there will be people who try to tear you down or doubt. That’s ok! If you are the kid who’s waiting for something to finally go right for you…keep waiting, trying and practicing, when your goals become a reality you will never feel more accomplished.
This One’s for the Girls, Dream without holding back, and write those dreams down.
(Listen to the song if you haven’t heard it…I know I know it’s old)