Happy Friday, RISERS! I hope this week has been good to you. Wow! Where has January gone? This month has flown by! My family is planning a cruise over Spring Break, which is less than eight weeks away. When we began planning it back in August, it seemed like we’d be waiting forever. Now I know that it will be here before I blink. I hope you have a great weekend and do something you enjoy.
Quote of the week: “Happiness and confidence are the prettiest things you can wear.” –Taylor Swift
Book of the week: This week I want to tell you about a great book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey. In the classrooms where I work, these seven steps are posted on the bulletin boards for students to see every day. Among the concepts are principles such as being proactive, seeking first to understand before being understood, and thinking win-win. This book flows nicely as you read it. I hope you glean the best parts from this book. We all want to be the best possible versions of ourselves.
Joke of the week: How do Minecraft players celebrate? They throw block parties!
Nugget of Wisdom for the week: We know that effective communication combines both verbal and nonverbal aspects. Sometimes our body language can send signals that conflict with the words we say out loud. Probably most of us have seen memes about not being able to control facial expressions when responding to others. Some people naturally look happy, while others have a “resting” face that causes others to ask, “Are you okay?” Although we don’t want to be insincere, it’s important to try to have a cheerful countenance when speaking or listening to friends, teachers, and your parents. We may not always be in a good mood, but we should take care in our active listening. I think you will gain a lot of knowledge from this week’s featured workshop.
Workshop of the week: Allie Irwin led an amazing teen workshop on body language for RiseUP in December. With a background in mechanical engineering, she worked at General Motors and at Merrill Lynch before deciding to share her extensive research on body language as a coach and speaker on college campuses across the country. “I truly love this work,” says Allie, “because I needed it so much myself. Growing up, I was smart and capable on the outside, but painfully shy on the inside. The turnaround for me came when I learned body language. It helped me ‘read’ what people were thinking and feeling, which gave me the confidence I needed to make the most of opportunities.”
Click here to listen to this fun, fast-paced workshop, where you’ll learn how to make a great first impression in a way that is authentic for you. Allie shares techniques that will help you communicate clearly in career fairs, job interviews, networking events, and other social situations.
Have a great week. Remember, you are most awesome, and YOU ROCK!
Marion Rhines is a foster-turned-adoptive parent. She lives in Knoxville, Tenn., with her husband and five children. She has written and published two children’s books as well as two foster-care-themed novels. She has a Facebook blog, Tips from the FLIP Side, and enjoys working with children of all ages.