This is so true!

A friend shared this photo from www.marcandangel.com. It is so easy to get sucked into negative self-talk, but maybe we should try treating ourselves the way we treat our friends – with support, understanding, and love.

How To Untrain A Bully

Have you ever felt like this? Like any excitement or good things or fun you felt as you started your day had been sucked away, and there you were, feeling faded and fragile. Bullies can do that to us. A single comment, look, or action can make us feel bad, but a trademark of bullies is the continued comments, looks, or actions that make us feel bad every day, leaving us wilted like a flower without sun or fresh water.

Traditionally it was thought most kids who bully do it because they’re insecure or just not very smart. When your parents were kids they were probably told to ignore bullies, or that bullying was just something kids had to deal with growing up. Do your parents tell you that? If they do, it may be because that’s what they were told.

Although some bullies may be insecure, that’s not always the case. Most people who bully want to feel in control, whether it’s because they don’t feel control in other areas of their life or they feel power over other people will help them climb the social ladder. One way bullies choose to get this feeling of control is to try to control other people’s emotions; and sometimes the person they pick is you.

If some time in your life, that person IS you, here is one thing you can do:

Talking Bout My Generation – Generation Z

Have you ever heard your parents or grandparents talk about the Baby Boomers? Or Generation X or Y? Those are names given to people born in a certain time frame – a generation – and each generation usually has its own group of characteristics. Your generation – people born between about 1995 and 2010 – is called Generation Z. Generation Zers don’t know what life was like before the internet. In fact, 96% of 12 – 17 year olds in the United States use the internet at least once a month

Generation Z

What else are they saying about your generation?

1. The “popular girls” will care less about brand names and more about their own personal style.
2. You love to share what you know and what you think about a lot of different things, and it’s easy for you to do with the internet.
3. Your lives are more structured than your parents were, and it is predicted you will be responsible adults with high social values.
4. You will be smarter than generations before you.

So what can YOU do to get noticed in your generation? Developing the below skills will help you stand out in a crowd:

1. Make sure you have good verbal communication skills. This means practicing your public speaking and being comfortable talking in groups.
2. Be patient. Today, people expect things fast, but patience really is a virtue, and if you learn to be patient you will have a skill not many others have.
3. Learn how to talk to people. Any people, whether they are your friend or not, whether you have things in common with them or you don’t. Learning to carry a conversation with people you know little about (or may not even like!) is a skill fewer and fewer people have, especially with so much communication being done on-line.
4. Learn how to work with a team.
5. Have confidence! Get out of the house and do things. Whether it’s playing a sport, volunteering, or just helping around the yard, getting out and getting involved is a great way to build confidence in yourself.

So, does this sound like you? Tell us what you think!

(Resources: www.penelopetrunk.com, www.babyboomercaretaker.com, www.mashable.com)

Resources

Below is a list of places you can call when you need help.  Don’t ever forget – you don’t have to go through it alone, there is someone out there who wants to help you.

Madison Area Services

2-1-1

2-1-1 is a free call you can make to get information on many types of programs that can help you, including for emergencies, with physical and mental health issues, transportation, food, and shelter.

Wisconsin Victim Resource Center

The Wisconsin Victim Resource Center helps victims of crimes get the help they need. If you are a victims of a crime you can call (800) 446-6564.

Deaf Unity

If you are deaf and are the victim of domestic violence or sexual assault, call (866) 970-7932. 

National Services

Girls and Boys Town National Hotline
1-800-448-3000
This hotline is for abused, abandoned, neglected, handicapped, or otherwise troubled children, teens and their family members.

National Crime Victim Helpline
Stalking Resource Center
1-800-FYI-CALL (1-800-394-2255)
8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST weekdays
This helpline will provide referrals to local services anywhere in the country.

National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)
This hotline is for victimes of domestic violence – violence that occurs in your home or with a family member. They offer crisis intervention, safety planning, information and referrals to agencies in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

National Runaway Switchboard
1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929)
Counselors provide information and support for teenagers who are thinking of running away, who have a friend who has run away and is looking for help, or who have run away and are ready to go home. This service will send messages home, provide conference call services for calling home, and provide free rides home for runaway teens.

National Sexual Assault Hotline
1-800-656-HOPE (1-800-656-46730)
Calls are anonymously connected to the nearest community rape crisis center. Services include crisis counseling, information about medical issues, recovery, emergency services, and other community resources. Online hotline available at https://ohl.rainn.org/online.rainn.org.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline
1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
Calls are anonymously routed to the nearest crisis center for crisis intervention, information and mental health referrals. Services are available to anyone who is considering suicide, or family members and friends concerned about a loved one.

National Teen Dating Hotline
1-866-331-9474
Online Chat: 4pm – 2am CST
Counselors provide information, safety planning, and support to those involved in or think they may be involved in dating abuse relationships.

Wired Safety
Online help from law enforcement officers and volunteers. The Web site features information on cybercrime, safety, and security for children and teens. Services include an online self-help resource for responding to and reporting cyberstalking, cyberbullying, and cyberabuse.