.not just for girls....what we can learn from GOTR.

Last year when coaching for Girls on the Run for the first time, it was a tough year for me. I was going through a lot of personal things that truly affected my self esteem. But slowly through the 10 weeks this group of 15 young girls started to change the way I saw things, myself, and how I worked in this world. They saved me. I thought a lot about the lessons we were teaching this young girls and how they still apply to us as adults. Therefore, each week on the blog we will be discussing the same topics that the girls are learning about!

LEARNING ABOUT COOPERATION

We all know that we are suppose to work in groups well and that being a team player is a great selling point for any resume.  What we don't talk about is how hard this really can be! It's difficult at times to work with a group of diverse people all with different opinions and accomplish one main goal.  Raise your hand if you have even been paired in a group project with someone you don't particular get along and are not sure how to work with them! I'm sure we all have experienced this either in our schooling, work, or other areas in our life.  How did you accomplish it? Did you listen to the others, not just wait for them to stop talking so you can talk, but really listen to what they have to say and add? This is the first important step, hearing what all the voices have to say, then it's important that as a group to define your goal and how each person can have a part in that goal. When you look at the final result, if you really have cooperated with your group you will be able to see the areas in which everyone has uniquely added. Since we are all unique and add something special, it important that we let that shine through. 

STANDING UP TO PEER PRESSURE

Even though I am a 29 year old adult woman, I still fall victim to peer pressure...sigh, it is true. Peer pressure doesn't stop when you leave high school, college, or hit a certain age, it follows you throughout your life. The things we feel pressured about have changed, but the pressure is still there. Now it's about eating that cupcake, buying that expensive item you can't really afford, going out when you don't really want to, getting that trendy outfit to look younger, getting a better paying job, ..the list goes on and on.  Even though the things we feel pressured about have changed, the way we can handle the pressure is the same. What we teach at GOTR is to STOP, BREATHE, LISTEN, and RESPOND.  When you feel pressured stop, take a deep breathe (this will help calm you), listen to that little voice in your head, and then respond. This is an easy thing to do, but we all forget about it from time to time. Next time you feel pressured just remember that you do have a choice and it is one that should be respected, so stop take a deep breathe, listen to how you truly feel, and then respond accordingly. If the person respects you they will understand, if they don't understand maybe it's time to reevaluate that relationship. 

How do you work with groups? How do you stand up to peer pressure now that you are an adult?  I think these are topics that still affect us as adults and I would love for this to be a place of discussion.  I would love to have you leave comments where we can continue the discussion, help support each other, and feel safe to ask questions. 

Next week we will be talking about: Standing Up For Yourself and Gossip Hurts Everyone