When girls are young, their worlds are wide open.  As girls grow up, doubt and insecurity creep in.

We can guide them on a path of discovery that focuses them on their future.

Protect Their Confidence and Self-Image – Be very mindful of the words they use and what others say about their intelligence, body, eating habits, style, unique characteristics, etc.  The most innocent comments intended to tease or criticize with a sharp tongue intended to discipline, can have a long lasting effect.

Identify Their Gifts and Talents – Pay close attention to what they love, that’s where their dreams live! Observe their behavior through a different lens (like a mentor), what skill or capability does it represent? Listen closely to their teachers, coaches, and parents of friends.

She . . . loves cooking and adding different ingredients (chef/restaurateur); watches animal documentaries all the time (zoo veterinarian); mixes things together in the bathroom like a science experiment (research scientist); draws on everything – walls, windows, school books; jumps off the beds doing flips (gymnast); mixes and matches their outfits with a funky style (personal stylist); recognizes every make and model of cars & trucks (design engineer)?

She is . . . the first to offer to help you or someone else (social worker); in-tune to what is happening around her with an understanding beyond her years (therapist); outspoken and is ignited by injustice (community leader); very organized and always making lists (project manager); a quick thinker and can explain her way out of anything (lawyer).

Expose Them To The Possibilities – Give them a wide range of experiences in different genres – and at a adult/professional level.  Your goal is to see their eyes sparkle!  That sparkle represents hope and possibilities without boundaries.

Encourage Them To Visualize Their Future – Set life-goals early for their education, their families, their careers, and their communities — so they can connect their day to day actions and decisions to the  bigger plan for their lives.

Challenge Them To Face Their Fears – Don’t let them walk away from experiences because they’re afraid – insist they do it anyway!  What they learn about the process and themselves is a confidence builder for future choices they’ll make.

Remind Them – It’s Not Just About Them! . . . their future has a higher purpose.  If they are only focused on the fame or money it will bring, they will miss the joy and fulfillment that makes life meaningful.

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