March is Women’s History
Month. The Latina Book Club begins the
celebration
with a guest post from author Chiquis Barrón, who shares with our readers
some of her principles to empower young women with confidence and awareness.
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| Desert Arts & Cultural Media |
Open your arms wide to release the
old and then embrace the new and unfamiliar with utmost grace and finesse.—Chiquis
Growing up
is not easy. During adolescence and early adulthood, most of us go through
drastic physical changes as well as deep emotional changes. Social changes at
this age, such as starting secondary school, college or getting a first job,
also imply spending more time with friends and people outside of our comfortable
family circles. Although these changes can be exciting, they can also be
incredibly confusing and awkward.
Most of us
are familiar with the physical changes that occur during youth as a result of
fluctuating hormone levels. The emotional and psychological changes, on the
other hand, are not as well known. At this age, people start to think and feel
differently. They start to develop their own views on things which may not
always sit well with parents or other family members. And this is actually a
good thing. They are beginning to claim their independence and shape their
sense of identity outside of the family unit, an important survival skill.
As part of
this process of becoming more independent, however, there is also an inherent
vulnerability that occurs within young people. They are excited about trying new
things but understand they may not yet have the ability or experience to deal
with everything on their own. As a result, their self-confidence can be shaken
up which often comes through as moody or sulky behavior.
For
girls and young women, emotional struggles can be a littler tougher yet. According
to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), about one in five teens will
experience depression with girls affected twice as much as boys. In addition,
according to Dr. Andrew Weil, founder of the Arizona Center for Integrative
Medicine, modern-day lifestyles – including lack of physical activity, poor
diets and increased exposure to media and technology – are contributing to
unprecedented rates of depression.
After 18
years of working professionally with girls and women looking at the social,
cultural and environmental factors that impact their overall well-being, in
addition to having survived those chaotic young years as a girl and woman
myself, I have learned a thing or two about navigating the world and finding a
healthy, happy place for myself in it.
Following
I share 5 thoughts from my motivational gift book Good Things for a Young Woman’s Spirit in hopes that it will
encourage and fill young women today with confidence and self-awareness as they
embark on their own journeys to learn about the world and find their happy,
healthy place in it.
Reach for the Stars: Believe. Trust in yourself and in
your capacity to do the things you aspire to no matter how far-fetched or
improbable they may seem. Naysayers come a dime a dozen. Don’t let them drain
you of your confidence and enthusiasm. It is better to reach for the stars and
come up short than to allow other people’s reservations to keep you from
reaching in the first place. Take a deep breath and extend your arms high with
determination. The sky is yours.
Practice Kindness: Practice compassion and kindness
toward yourself and others. Nothing defuses feelings of insecurity, inadequacy,
or anger better than genuine compassion. It is extremely easy to fall into the
alluring habit of malicious gossip and trash talk, particularly when it comes
to people you feel have mistreated or offended you. The sense of pleasure it
produces, however, is fleeting and mediocre at best and quickly leaves you
feeling miserable once again. Show people kindness instead—in thought, word,
and action—and you’ll be surprised to witness the wonders it creates both in
their spirit and yours.
Cultivate Real Friendships: There have always been people who
enjoy collecting friends. They seldom establish any deep, meaningful, or
long-lasting bonds with anyone but find a deluded sense of validation and worth
by surrounding themselves with hordes of people. The invention of social media
has provided the perfect platform for these kinds of collectors to attract and
amass virtual friends even when no real or solid connections exist. As you
delve into the wonders of modern-day technology and carefully strategize ways
to increase those all-important numbers, make sure you don’t forsake your good,
old-fashioned, flesh and bone friends. Although they may be few and far
between, there is no virtual number that can amount to the extraordinary
quality and substance these friends possess.
Let Go: Practice the art of letting go. We
often cling to people, traditions, situations, or money even though we know,
deep down, that they are not really what we want, what makes us happy, or what
is good for us. As we loosen our grip on those ill-fitting aspects of our
lives, we open ourselves to the opportunity to receive the things that truly do
complement us and suit us well. Harness your strength to let go.
Ease into Change: Any type of change, even desired
change, can be quite daunting. It requires that we let go of that which has
been a part of us and prepare to receive the unknown. Open your arms wide to
release the old and then embrace the new and unfamiliar with utmost grace and
finesse. Be grateful for periods of restlessness and adjustment because it
means you are morphing into your next phase—that is what growth is. Take the
time to adapt; allow yourself to feel the awkwardness of the transition. It’s
an important and necessary step in the process and acting on impulse to speed
it up is a shortcut that never pans out. Take a deep breath. Unfold with ease
into the beauty of your new form. You are safe. It is only change.###
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| Self Affirmation cards are also available. |
BOOK
SUMMARY: Good Things for a Young Woman’s
Spirit offers practical and relevant advice to empower
young women with the confidence and awareness they need to succeed. The
thought-provoking messages and vibrant illustrations by Chiquis and Martha
Barrón provide quiet validation for being true to oneself and living a life of
one’s choosing – rather than simply going along with the crowd. Young women
will be inspired to create a life filled with kindness, compassion, and
gratitude toward others – and also toward themselves. And as they become more
comfortable with the spirit inside them, they will discover a bright and
promising future where they can flourish through everything under the sun.
Good Things for a Young Woman’s Spirit (also available in Spanish, Cosas Buenas para el Espíritu de la Mujer
Joven) is published by Desert Arts & Culture Media, a non-profit
organization based in Tucson, AZ. A percentage of the profits from the sale of
gift books and related stationary products are used to fund community programs
that support, motivate and empower girls and women. To learn more about the
book, please visit the following links:
Author
Website: http://chiquisbarron.com/books-projects/good_things_young_women/
Amazon.com
(English Edition): http://amzn.to/1OZfcGE
Amazon.com
(Spanish Edition): http://amzn.to/201dpUJ