I used to struggle with making friends and trying to fit in. So I’d always find comfort in talking to adults, especially teachers. In elementary school, that meant I was called the "teacher’s pet." At first, I thought it was cool to be a teacher’s pet, until I found out that I was being teased for it. People described me as bossy, and sometimes I even used to yell at others to do things.
As individual expressions of the one infinite Mind, we are each created with a specific sense of purpose and direction we are intended to pursue in our lives. For one it may be the love of creative expression, for another something completely different. Yet for each of us, it is absolutely unique and God-given.
We may start out searching for our sense of worth from the approval of others, not knowing where our true sense of satisfaction comes from. We may crave love from sources outside of the one ever-present I AM. Yet, for each of us, in one way or another we all must ultimately discover where our real sense of satisfaction comes from. (more…)
“Wait a minute!” you might be protesting. “Love myself? That sounds like self-centered, ego-tripping, caught-up-into-my-own-world, look-at-me-everybody, type of thinking. It sounds so conceited. And aren’t we supposed to avoid worship of self?” (more…)
What I remember about seventh grade is finding myself in a new school about five times as big as I’d ever known—I was stumped by algebra, and the girl who wanted to help me get through that class was my only friend. Neither of us were cool, and she didn’t care, but I longed to be accepted by the in-crowd. But every attempt to connect with them ended up in some awful embarrassment. It was a painful time of learning how to make friends and how to be a friend.
I watched a Dr. Phil show on Girl World yesterday—the world where girls bully each other mercilessly. It was eye opening and scary. Dr. Phil said that a recent survey of sixth- and seventh-grade girls showed that almost one in three admitted to hitting someone as a form of bullying. And that doesn’t even count verbal abuse and cyber bullying. That’s a crazy percentage, and frankly, don’t you think that one abused kid is too much?
No doubt about it, the show had some good ideas on how to deal with bullying. They talked about things like talking to your parents, teachers, or other school authorities if you’re being mistreated at school. They talked about how important self-esteem is and what you can do to protect yours.
October is Abuse Awareness Month. As director of a domestic violence intervention program, I work daily with men who have been abusive to the women and children in their lives.
One of the ways that abusive behavior hides itself is by deceiving us into believing that verbal or emotional abuse is not a bad as physical violence, and isn’t really abuse.
Name calling, put downs, intimidation, and threats, however, are forms of aggression that have an impact no less than a slap, push, or hit. Identifying abuse for what it is, and then doing whatever is necessary to correct it, is a critical step in its elimination. Identifying behavior as abusive is freeing for both those affected by this behavior and the abuser because it pinpoints what needs correcting.
by Amanda – April 28, ‘08 Christian Science Sentinel
After college, i moved to new york city to begin a career working for the marketing division of a record label. I was mesmerized by the thrill of living in a thriving metropolis and landing an exciting job that included lots of social opportunities and free concerts. What I didn’t realize at the time is that I would soon be embarking on a more important journey out of hopelessness that would put God at the center of my life.
Melissa – Christian Science Sentinel, Oct. 22, 2007
“Be soft with yourself.”
The idea spoke to me, suddenly, and carried with it profound meaning.
Don’t be so hard on yourself: Be kind and gentle. It had never occurred to me that I didn’t love myself, but I discovered that I didn’t. But then as I set about to understand this statement, wonderful things began to happen. I started to learn what beauty is really about. Let me back up a bit. By the time I reached college, I was just coming to terms with the idea that I had a feminine side. My grooming and dressing habits had improved, and for the first time ever, boys seemed to notice my existence.
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The following posts are adapted for mBL from a tmcyouth.com online discussion printed in the Christian Science Sentinel, Sept. 8, 2008. To read the complete article, visit tmcyouth.com.
Sosacoli
I was wondering if anyone could share ideas that they’ve had when praying about acne.
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Christian Science Sentinel, Feb. 11, 2008.
The following posts are from a recent tmcyouth.com discuss-ion. (Several of the responders were young adults in their twenties.) These selected comments are not republished with the Sentinel’s intent to endorse particular views, but to give a snapshot of current issues young people are thinking and praying about in today’s world.
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