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Show THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 14 Volume VI, Issue I April 15, 2002 From the Counselor Gary Smith, Valley Elementary Counselor I am often asked how a parent can improve their child’s self-esteem. We need to first understand what it is we are talking about. Self-esteem is not something we can measure or hold in our hand. It is composed of self-evaluation and feelings regarding the extent to which we see ourselves in four areas: 1. Important and worthy of love, respect, and acceptance. 2. Able to control or influence others, my environment, and myself. 3. Capable and competent, or effective in what I do. 4. In harmony with my moral standards and values. When things go wrong, the natural defense is to blame someone, or something, else. With every choice we make, there is a consequence connected to that choice. If we identify the issues at hand, we will also find we may have made some poor choices. Our brain is the processing center for all choices we make. If we don’t like the consequences of our choices, we must make a change. For years I have used the philosophy, if you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always gotten. The most important thing to remember is, no opinion or judgment is as important as the view one has of oneself. A person with a good opinion of themselves sees the world with confidence, optimism, and expectations of success. A person with a low opinion distrusts their own judgment and abilities in dealing with life situations. This causes them to approach every situation with insecurity, fear, and a guarantee to fail in most encounters. Negative self-talk convinces them they will never be right, good enough, or smart enough, or at least as smart as others. Put downs are very costly in all situations. A put down serves only one purpose—to tear down or make another feel inferior. We have been hurt so we do the same thing to someone else we don’t like—the very thing we didn’t like done to us. If you will stop and think about it, there is no logic in this kind of behavior. It is, however, a cycle repeated far too often. With many people it has become a way of life. Habits are so very hard to break, and doing so takes a conscious effort by everyone involved. Make the commitment today to start to change the way you do things. Raise your level of thinking and behavior within yourself, and you will see it change others along the way. Mistakes are okay, because they help us learn. If we continue to make the same mistakes, then we aren’t learning, only building bad habits, and bad habits are hard to change. On the other hand, good habits are a good part of our lives. If this has sparked your interest, or raised some questions for you, I would like to hear from you. I am at Valley Elementary on Mondays and Tuesdays of each week. Golden Key International Honour Society Inducts Eden Resident Eden resident John Charles Witwer has accepted membership in Golden Key International Honour Society, and was individually honored during a campus ceremony at Weber State University. “It is only fitting that a high academic achiever like John be recognized by Golden Key,” said Kali Boatright, Golden Key assistant executive director. “Our members are inspired and motivated by the challenge, not only to be recognized for their outstanding accomplishments, but also to make a positive impact on our world through the Society’s commitment to service.” Golden Key International Honour Society is a non-profit, academic honors organization that provides academic recognition, leadership opportunities, community service, career networking, and scholarships. John is in his first year of the RN program at Weber State University. Carroll College Names Local Student to Dean’s List Lauren Finan from Huntsville was recently named to the Dean’s List at Carroll College for the 2001 fall semester. To be included on the dean’s list a student must receive a 3.5 gradepoint-average, or better, for the semester, and be registered for at least 12 credits. Carroll College is located in Helena, Montana, and is nationally ranked for academic quality as a regional liberal arts college providing opportunities for personal, professional, intellectual and spiritual growth. Check the Calendar of Events on page 9 for more dates connected with AYSO |
