I want it NOW!

In the movie ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’  a selfish little girl sings the song, ‘I want it now’ http://youtu.be/TRTkCHE1sS4.  She makes several demands and when she doesn’t get what she wants, she proceeds to knock things down and destroy what is around her.

This little girl is like many people today.  We want instant gratification.  We want life to provide us with everything we want IMMEDIATELY.   We don’t want to wait.  We want it to happen today – NOW!

Society teaches us to be selfish and keeps reinforcing this bad habit every day through programs and ads.    People are brainwashed to believe that ‘stuff’ will bring us friends, happiness and success.  If we just have more of this and more of that, we think our lives will be perfect!  In our impatience to find that perfect life, we rush out and spend money on worthless products and services just to have our happiness short-lived when the initial excitement wears off.

We need to take the time and consider what is valuable and worthwhile in our lives.  Is that new outfit going to win new friends?  If we lose weight are we going to get a better job?  If we buy that expensive car, will all our problems go away?

Building good relationships takes time but this is far more important than quickly building a pile of possessions.   This is something important that we can teach our children so they will grow up to be responsible adults who make good choices instead of being selfish and demanding.

So what is it that you want NOW?  Will it really make you happy and for how long?  Try thinking about what you need in the future and work on being patient.  Don’t let the world pressure you into wasting your time and money.

Be a positive role model

Children learn by what they see and hear.  They see how you treat them and also how you treat other people.  They listen to how you speak to them and also how you speak to other people.  This forms their idea of what life is like.

If you are passing on positive messages to your children, they will develop a positive self-concept.  If you are passing on negative messages to your children, they will develop a negative self-concept.

It is the responsibility of every adult to be a positive role model so their children will learn how to be a responsible adult who can influence others in a positive way.

When I became a grandmother, I realized that I had not always been a positive role model for my children and I started doing research on positive parenting.    While writing down some notes, I discovered there were a few basic guidelines that really made sense and ones that I should have used when I was a parent.    I decided to put my thoughts together and wrote a book called, Grandma’s Notes on Parenting.

You can preview this book at http://www.blurb.ca/books/4113149-grandma-s-notes-on-parenting.  (softcover $7.19 CAD – PDF instant download $4.99 CAD – Ebook, Apple iPad format $2.99 CAD)

A narrow definition of beauty

Did you know that only 2% of the women around the world describe themselves as beautiful?

Did you know that two-thirds of women strongly agree that ‘the media and advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty that most women can’t ever achieve’?

These shocking statistics were discovered by DOVE (you know the company that makes soap and other beauty products) through the results of a major global study – a study that showed how limiting and unattainable it was to be beautiful, unless one was thin, young and blond.  This narrow definition of beauty was having a profound effect on the self-esteem of women.

Dove decided to start a campaign to help make women feel beautiful every day by widening the stereotypical views of beauty.  Information about their campaign can be found on the Dove website at http://www.dove.ca

My project I M Confident supports the Dove campaign and I believe their social mission can help young girls and women of all ages to build confidence and develop strong self-esteem.  Click on the following link for information, articles, games and quizzes on self-esteem….. http://www.dove.ca/en/Social-Mission/default.aspx   PARENTS…check out the Self-Esteem Guides for Moms that will help give you ideas on how to start a positive conversation about beauty and body image with your daughter.   Dads you can get in on the conversation too!  With just some slight modifications, these guides can also be used for Moms and their sons or Dads and their sons.   These guides can also benefit adults in learning how to become more confidence and increase their esteem.

Let’s all try to help our young people develop an awareness of what real beauty is and encourage them to just be the unique individual they were meant to be!

EVERYTHING HAS BEAUTY, BUT NOT EVERYONE SEES IT.   ~Confucious