Love Yourself

WHAT REALLY MATTERS

By

Sondra E. Hayes

LOVE YOURSELF

What does it mean when I’m told to love myself?

Is hearing this enough?

Is there more I should know?

Is it something I do, say, wear or have?

Is it my attitude?

How do I love myself?

I hear it a lot these days.

Can anyone explain what I have to do to love me more?

ANSWER

How To Love Yourself.

The first step to loving yourself is self care. Your parents began to take care of you before you were born.  While you were small someone provided you with nutritious food, shelter, clothing, and a loving environment. Now it’s time for you to love yourself by taking care of yourself.

1.      Eat a variety of healthy foods. This includes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day. Avoid sugary drinks, soft drinks, candy, salty foods and fried foods.  Eating a healthy diet makes you look and feel healthy. 

2.      Sleep at least 8 hours every night. Turn off all of your electronic gadgets and get in bed at a time that will guarantee that you get your full night’s rest. You will wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the challenges of the day.

3.      Exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle. Enjoy your gym class because exercise is actually good for you. You may want to join one of the sports teams at your school…softball, volleyball, track, tennis, swimming, etc.    

4.      Practice a cleanliness routine that gives you a chance to luxuriate. Wash your face with a special face wash, rinse and pat dry. Shower or bathe using your favorite body wash. Brush your teeth and floss at least three times a day. Wash your hair and keep it looking its best.

5.      Dress in comfortable clothing that fits your style. Have fun learning what looks best on you. Experiment with colors and find your best colors.

6.      Reward yourself for your accomplishments. After completing a long assignment, treat yourself by listening to your favorite music; relax with a healthy serving of popcorn, call your best friend, etc.  Write a list of good rewards for a job well done.  

7.       Set daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals for yourself that include things you want to do or tasks you want to complete.

8.      Be respectful of your parents and siblings. Practice treating them and others the way you want to be treated.

9.      Be kind to yourself. Smile and say thank you often.

10.  Always show gratitude. Make a list of all of the things for which you are thankful. Before you read the list aloud say, “I am truly thankful for:”

11.  Say ten positive things about yourself every day. Use only positive words. Start at the beginning of the alphabet and use each letter to come up with one of the positive things you think about yourself.

            A                     I am ambitious

            B                     I am beautiful

            C                     I am confident

            D                     I am determined

            E                     I am enthusiastic

            F                      I am friendly

            G                     I am generous

            H                     I am happy    

            I                       I am intelligent

            J                      I am just

12.  Make a list of things to work on that you think need improvement.

                            1.  I plan to turn my homework on time.

                            2.  I plan to volunteer to do something kind for my parents.

                            3.  I plan to stop saying negative things about others

                            4.  I plan to smile more

                            5.  I plan to see beauty in everything.

12.  If you are having a serious problem that you find is making your life  miserable, ask for help.  Keep asking until someone listens to you.  You’ll be glad you did.

How do I Love Me

Let me count the ways

I love me through the healthy food, the exercise, the sleep and the happiness that come to me each day.

I love me through the positive things I say and do.

And, if I love me, I know I can be kind and loving to my neighbors, too.

                                                                                        By  Sondra E. Hayes

Copyright ©2011 HARTES PUBLISHING COMPANY

Think before Voting

Voters are being bombarded daily with half truths, stereotypes, and incendiary code words. Politicians are spending millions of dollars on a barrage of desperate, unscrupulous tactics purposefully designed to trick and cajole voters into making uninformed decisions.  Those who vote for a candidate without thoroughly investigating and researching his or her character, actions and deeds will ultimately regret their decisions.  

How can voters discover the truth about an issue or a political candidate? Think before voting. Examine statements, beliefs, assumptions, and opinions and weigh them against actual proven facts. Gather facts and figures from a variety of sources, i.e. the Internet, public forums, newspapers, magazines, lectures, etc. Evaluate statements made by politicians while keeping an open mind. Seek answers. Analyze what is being said without bias or judgment. What does that information mean to you and what affect will it have on your life? Make sure you understand the information. Don’t accept as fact statements that are merely opinions, or personal biases. Ask questions until you have a thorough understanding of the issues. Consider both sides of the argument. After thorough research, determine the quality of the information and use logical reasoning to reach a conclusion. After doing all that is necessary, make an informed decision.  VOTE!   

Back to School Celebrations

Improve Our Educational Systems: Where Do We Begin?

     We are now in the Information Age in a global economy. Is the education of our youth keeping up with the demands of this new age?  How can an antiquated paradigm work when all of the rules have changed? Are schools failing children or are children failing due to an archaic system that has fallen behind the times? How relevant are today's methods of introducing our children to the realities of this global economy?  Learning can take place outside of a traditional school building. Spending long hours within the confines of a school building taking tests cannot be the answer.

     Education must become more hands on and participatory. Children should be taught basic material and be given an opportunity to interact with individuals who use that particular discipline in their work. Math will become more relevant when students are introduced to the work world of accountants, civil engineers, architects,  surveyors, computer science engineers, bankers, stock brokers, insurance agents, builders, construction workers, buyers, financial planners, and others to see exactly how math is used in each of these professions. This will demonstrate the importance of math in everyday life. Even a trip to the grocery store can provide a truly realistic view of pricing as well as the cost of feeding a family. Exposure to research departments at universities, hospitals, pharmaceuticals, pharmacies, laboratories, archeological sites, and environmental agencies will certainly provide children with a more realistic understanding of science.

     Modern languages, public speaking, art, music, and physical education are subject areas that are particularly hands on. Interestingly, children who participate in these areas, more often than not, can learn to speak a second or third language with proficiency, produce beautiful drawings, play beautiful music, sing, and show off physical prowess on track, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, and football teams. These courses provide opportunities to practice and produce quality work. Students in these disciplines are frequently in situations where they are in actual contact with individuals who work in these areas. They travel to countries where the target languages are spoken;  attend and compete in speech contests; they are on  debate teams.  These are realistic settings where they will practice and develop their talents. It would also be fair to mention that their teachers are proficient practioners in the areas they teach. Sadly, many of these vital areas of learning are often subject to elimination in many school systems throughout the country.

     Rather than discontinue courses that are great examples of sound educational principles, school systems should begin to study these models and impliment them in the teaching of  literature, social studies, science, math, reading, writing and arithmetic. Since most journalists, authors, politicians, government leaders, leading scientists, doctors, lawyers do not teach in public school systems throughout the U.S., it stands to reason that children might be more motivated if they had opportunities to actually spend time with such individuals in an effort to understand and appreciate the role that education has played in their lives. 

     When young people can see the relevance of the subjects they are learning, education will actually become more relevant and our educational systems will actually began to improve.


School takeovers...
"It makes little difference who is driving the car if it does not work."

Our Children are Our Future

Can you imagine one day seeing a doctor or other professional who looks much like your twenty-seven year old son? Think ahead and realize that your little bundle of joy will one day become a contributor to society in one way or another. If given the proper tools to succeed at a chosen field, your son or daughter or their friends may one day serve as your young accountant dentist, doctor, lawyer, pharmacist, religious leader, secretary, judge, public safety official, or even hold public office. If deprived of the proper tools, i.e. education, a safe family environment, nutrition, health, adequate medical attention, love and kindness, that young child may very well become the drunk driver, murderer, robber, shoplifter, drug dealer, felon, and abuser who plagues your city.

Advocate for every child's right to have the proper tools to succeed!  Volunteer to become a mentor and make a difference in a young child's future. Your investment today will pay high dividends in a child's future!

Sondra E. Hayes