How does one become self-defined?
By breaking down the media’s distorted views of beauty. By being self-aware – understanding who she uniquely is. By knowing her worth and feeling her strengths. By mindfully choosing the people she calls her tribe. By defining and honoring her boundaries. By standing in her own beautiful light and shining – just as every girl should.
Teen girls today are dealing with a LOT. These transformative years have always been full challenges with friends, school, boys and fitting in. But technology has created an environment for our girls that has created a very different experience compared to when her mother was a teen.
Teens today are exposed to everything at a much younger age. They are bombarded with mixed messages of who they should be. It’s a time they often pulling away from their parents and relying more on their peers. Social media allows them to become voyeurs in the lives of others. Lives that appear to have much greener grass even though we know that anyone can stage photographs, use filters and create an illusion of ‘kicking-ass’ in life. What we are seeing are girls living in other people’s lanes instead of being grounded in their own.
The objectification of women has always been around us on billboards, magazines and music videos. Today it’s also all over social media, particularly Instagram, luring our young girls to place their value and worth in their bodies and sexuality.
Dragonfly Girls addresses objectification of women and how its constant presence influences behavior – placing so much value on looks and our bodies creates low self-esteem, comparing, bitching, jealousy and ‘girl against girl’.
We create awareness for girls to shift where they place their value and worth. If we can’t prevent the presence of advertising, music industry and social media using women’s bodies and sex to make money, we can certainly change the way we perceive it and recognize it for what it is.
The heart of the program is centered in self-love and the relationship a girl has with herself. Every choice she makes is generally a reflection of this relationship. If she is full of negative self-talk and has a low self-esteem, it’s going to effect decisions she makes – from communicating with her parents, to the people she surrounds herself with, to the boys she dates.
We celebrate her beautiful truth and we acknowledge the inner critic that exists in us all. We recognize thoughts and the patterns she creates.
Equally as important as understanding what it takes for her own light to shine, is knowing who is worthy to share it. Mindfully creating a tribe of friends who ignite her light instead of draining her is an important part of honoring and feeding her spirit. Understanding what healthy relationships feel like and creating boundaries – knowing when to walk away.
The power of the sisterhood is a theme that is near and dear to my heart. My tribe of soul sisters are a life-line for me and I wanted to create a movement of teen girls who not only understand the importance of female friendship, but who are committed to empowering and lifting others through kindness and connection. To encourage others and lift them can make a huge impact in the world of another girl, as well as raising the vibration in your own character. We need more girls supporting each other and strengthening the sisterhood instead of tearing strips off each other.
And of course we couldn’t spend an entire day with a group of teen girls without talking about boys. We get down and juicy about what’s important and what’s not acceptable. Again having clarity about what we desire and establishing very clear boundaries is key to making decisions that honor who we are.
More than ever our girls need to be secure in who they are and have a healthy relationship with themselves. We cannot remove the challenges they are faced with, but we can help them develop the confidence to make good solid choices that are aligned with their truth. I wish I had these insights when I was a teenager.
Spaces are limited. To register, visit www.girlbewhole.com/teens
