T – is it TRUE?

H – is it HELPFUL?

I – is it INSPIRING?

N – is it NECESSARY?

K – is it KIND?

The THINK acronym can be very helpful in maintaining effective communication with people and in developing thriving relationships.

How many times do arguments start because of false accusations?

Is our ‘feedback’ constructive or are we critical when we speak?

How often do our words inspire someone to do great things?

Sometimes our opinion isn’t necessary, do you need to keep your mouth shut more often?

Most importantly, are your words kind and uplifting?

Do people leave your presence feeling better about themselves?

Now is the time to make some changes…. THINK!

Deak (2002) argues that girls are a subset of the species that cares deeply about belonging and connecting, has a propensity for emotional expression and intimacy, and often a heightened sensitivity for reading the social scene.

She explains the “Strudel Theory”
“Start with her personality, and label it either sweet cherries or tart apples. Imagine adding a cup of sugar (your loving attention), some salt and spices (friends and family interactions), a pastry crust (home and school environments), and some heat (the excitement and pressures of everyday life) and bake it all together. No matter how carefully you measure or mix those ingredients, each strudel is going to turn out a little differently, depending on the characteristics of the fruit and spices, and the chemistry that occurs in the mixing and baking.”

In human terms, Strudel Theory says that whatever qualities a girl’s basic nature brings to the mix, the layering of experiences and actions over time, on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis, leave a lasting impression on a girl and profoundly shape her image of herself and herself in relation to others.

Read Raising Confident Girls article here

You can read all about it in the link below.

They found:

• Gender and age seem to matter: Women generally reported experiencing more gratitude then men. Older respondents also reported more gratitude, with higher levels generally reported for each decade of life.
• Employment status seems to matter: Self-employed people and stay-at-home parents reported the most gratitude; unemployed people and students reported the least. In the middle were all the other people with jobs, and the retired. This was all true regardless of their gender or age.
• Spirituality matters—a lot: The more spiritual people reported to be, the more gratitude they experienced, with “extremely” spiritual people scoring about 20 percent higher on average than people “not at all” spiritual. Again, this was true regardless of gender or age.

These folks are big advocates of learning how to be grateful! Another article suggests…

• Keep a Gratitude Journal.
• Use Your Senses to become more mindful.
• Make a Vow to Practice Gratitude.

How are you training yourself to be more grateful? Contact Lifehouse Project and let us know!

Here are the links for more information:
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/heres_how_grateful_you_are
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/ten_ways_to_become_more_grateful1

We’ve been so blessed with wonderful speakers in the past, ‘gee wiz’ we have to push ourselves to keep sourcing new creative options to present to our ‘princesses’!

Part of what is important to us within our event is connecting the girls who attend with good role models. This could be, their peers, their teachers, volunteers, table sponsors, speakers or entertainers … whoever it is, we want the girls to walk out of the event feeling more connected with someone that inspires them.

We had an interesting brainstorm today and really got stuck on … what even MAKES a good role model!? It’s so different for us all … depending on our values we decided!

Some value … a loving relationship, some professional work. Some value giving, some value family. Health, money skills, travel & lifestyle … the list goes on!

In the end we decided, there is no such thing as a perfect female and we in no way want to present a ‘finite’ ROLE MODEL to our girls who attend, but we’re aiming to find new powerful speakers who …

* Can open the girls minds to new possibilities
* Live lives that not many do
* Have made a journey to reach their current situation
* Share our core values and message … have a dream, believe in yourself, take action, be greatful.

Let us know if YOU know of someone who could be a great speaker at The Princess Party!

Planning (and action) has begun for The Princess Party 2012!

Our first piece of exciting news is … our new event name … MADE WITH LOVE!! Check our logo – designed by the ever talented and creative, Ashiya!

We thought this name was just so fitting as to how we feel about the event, the girls that attend and the nature of The Princess Party activities.

This years event is set to be more creative than ever. Some of what we have instore … music, art and expression activities, fun food, hair & make up, speakers, decorations … wheee!

Our second piece of exciting news is … the location. MIRRA again! We just loved this space last year in Brisbane – perfectly beautiful but slightly off beat with it’s fun alley location. We’re still searching for a space for the Gold Coast … so stay tuned.

Thirdly … the amazing people getting involved … Yay that schools are coming back because they had so much fun last year. Yay that people want to sponsor again and YAY for volunteers returning.

The Princess Party is such a team effortl If you would like to get involved in the event this year please contact mary@theamiraproject.com … xxx

What about holding the door open for someone? Holding the door open is a polite and thoughtful act you can easily do for your family, friends and even strangers, every day. Whether you’re at school, the shops, at work, or at home, those around you will certainly appreciate you and your generosity. See how many smiles you can create by offering this simple gesture of kindness.

Looking for more generosity and kindness inspiration?
Go to the website www.randomactsofkindness.org

They have some great ideas for you and your youth group!

Everybody Knows:
You can’t be all things to all people.
You can’t do all things at once.
You can’t do all things equally well.
You can’t do all things better than everyone else.
Your humanity is showing just like everyone else’s.

So:
You have to find out who you are, and be that.
You have to decide what comes first, and do that.
You have to discover your strengths, and use them.
You have to learn not to compete with others,
Because no one else is in the contest of *being you*.

Then:
You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness.
You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions.
You will have learned to live with your limitations.
You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due.
And you’ll be a most vital human being.

Dare To Believe:
That you are a wonderful, unique person.
That you are a once-in-all-history event.
That it’s more than a right, it’s your duty, to be who you are.
That life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish.
And you’ll be able to truly enjoy your life and find true happiness…

Author Unknown

Gratitude means thankfulness, counting your blessings, noticing simple pleasures, and acknowledging everything that you receive. It means learning to live your life as if everything were a miracle, and being aware on a continuous basis of how much you’ve been given. Gratitude shifts your focus from what your life lacks to the abundance that is already present. In addition, behavioral and psychological research has shown the surprising life improvements that can stem from the practice of gratitude. Giving thanks makes people happier and more resilient, it strengthens relationships, it improves health, and it reduces stress.

Read more of this blog at www.thechangeblog.com/gratitude

Lifehouse Project is currently undertaking a research project investigating the housing and support needs of young parents.
Funded by the Gambling Community Benefit Fund, the project is collecting statistics, stories and information that will help us understand more about what needs to be done to reduce family homelessness on the Gold Coast.

If you are a young parent living on the Gold Coast we would love to know your story.
You can either complete a survey on-line, or call us (07 5522 8835) for a confidential interview.

If you are a service provider please complete our on line survey or call us for more information.

Thank you for your help!
Ruth

This event will be held at The Mirra in Fortitude Valley on Wednesday May 9th.
Tickets are $10 and youth workers and teachers can register their interest by contacting me.

There are a limited number of seats and its first come first served so please let me know as early as possible if you want to attend.
See you there!
Ruth