Some Friends, Some Advice and Some Learning - by Jacky

Jacky Arness is a college freshman at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota majoring in Political Science/International Relations with a minor in Theatre Arts. Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, Jacky was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of North Dakota for 2011. Learn more about Jacky here!

Be Responsible - National Be Your Best Self Week

This week, we will feature a series of posts in celebration of Distinguished Young Women's National Be Your Best Self Week. Katye Brock, Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2011, will share about one of the five elements of the Be Your Best Self program each day. Learn more about National Be Your Best Self Week here!

Be RESPONSIBLE

As we grow up, we get more responsibility.  Unfortunately, it’s just a fact of life.  Although this can be stressful at times, it is extremely important to stay committed to your responsibilities—not only to others, but also to yourself.  There are so many challenges and moral problems you will face as you grow up; it is your responsibility to yourself to protect and maintain the beautiful person you are.  We also have a responsibility to others to be the best person we can possibly be.  Here’s what it means to accept personal responsibility:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/14698-accepting-personal-responsibility/

Be RESPONSIBLE! Be DISTINGUISHED!

Katye

Katye Brock is a college freshman at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee majoring in International Studies. Originally from Tullahoma, Tennessee, Katye was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Tennessee for 2011 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2011. Learn more about Katye here!


 

Be Ambitious - National Be Your Best Self Week

This week, we will feature a series of posts in celebration of Distinguished Young Women's National Be Your Best Self Week. Katye Brock, Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2011, will share about one of the five elements of the Be Your Best Self program each day. Learn more about National Be Your Best Self Week here!

Be AMBITIOUS

Ambition is an admirable quality—but what exactly is it? Good old dictionary.com defines it as: “anearnest desirefor some type of achievement or distinction.” Did you get that? An earnest desire.  Ambition is more than just wanting something to happen; it’s making it a priority, making it a priority, and not stopping until you achieve it.  What is it that you are ambitious about??

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

-Theodore Roosevelt

Be AMBITIOUS! Be DISTINGUISHED!

Katye

Katye Brock is a college freshman at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee majoring in International Studies. Originally from Tullahoma, Tennessee, Katye was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Tennessee for 2011 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2011. Learn more about Katye here!

Be Studious - National Be Your Best Self Week

This week, we will feature a series of posts in celebration of Distinguished Young Women's National Be Your Best Self Week. Katye Brock, Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2011, will share about one of the five elements of the Be Your Best Self program each day. Learn more about National Be Your Best Self Week here!

Be STUDIOUS

I’m sure it has been pounded into each and every one of your beautiful brains to try your best in school.  As cliché as it sounds, that is incredibly important as you grow up and move to college—I mean, we are talking about the rest of your lives, girls!  Being studious doesn’t simply mean making good grades; it means being curious individuals, excited to learn about the world around you, and not always taking the path of least resistance.  I know we always like to find reasons that we are better than our male counterparts (I mean, there are thousands out there!...Just kidding!), so here is an interesting article from the New York Times about just how studious women are in comparison to men.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/09/education/09college.html?pagewanted=all

Be STUDIOUS! Be DISTINGUISHED!

Katye

Katye Brock is a college freshman at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee majoring in International Studies. Originally from Tullahoma, Tennessee, Katye was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Tennessee for 2011 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2011. Learn more about Katye here!

Be Involved - National Be Your Best Self Week

This week, we will feature a series of posts in celebration of Distinguished Young Women's National Be Your Best Self Week. Katye Brock, Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2011, will share about one of the five elements of the Be Your Best Self program each day. Learn more about National Be Your Best Self Week here!

BE INVOLVED

As Distinguished Young Women, I am sure you are all extremely involved in activities in your schools and communities.  Find your passion!  Get involved in all types of activities, and find that one thing that really just makes you tick.  Though it is important to think of yourself when choosing an activity, sometimes it is nice to think of others.  I encourage you all to find an organization that parallels your passion, and pour some of yourself into it.  Here is a great website that will help you find volunteer opportunities:

http://getinvolved.volunteermatch.org/

Be INVOLVED! Be DISTINGUISHED!

Katye

Katye Brock is a college freshman at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee majoring in International Studies. Originally from Tullahoma, Tennessee, Katye was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Tennessee for 2011 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2011. Learn more about Katye here!

Be Healthy - National Be Your Best Self Week

This week, we will feature a series of posts in celebration of Distinguished Young Women's National Be Your Best Self Week. Katye Brock, Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2011, will share about one of the five elements of the Be Your Best Self program each day. Learn more about National Be Your Best Self Week here!

BE HEALTHY

What does it mean to be healthy?  Most of us think of health as eating healthful foods and exercising regularly.  While those are extremely important, did you ever consider the other aspects of your health? Physical, Mental, and Social Health compose the Health Triangle.  Read more about it in this article!

http://www.ehow.com/about_5047508_health-mental-social-physical-definitons.html

Now—to focus on physical health.  A HUGE part of maintaining physical health is where your motivation lies.  Instead of viewing a workout as punishment to your body for eating that extra piece of cake, look at it as a reward for the wonderful, beautiful, miracle of a body that God gave you.  LOVE your body.  I came across this article on Yahoo, and I love it!

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/learn-love-body-223700779.html

Be Healthy! Be Distinguished!
Happy National Be Your Best Self week!

Katye

Katye Brock is a college freshman at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee majoring in International Studies. Originally from Tullahoma, Tennessee, Katye was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Tennessee for 2011 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2011. Learn more about Katye here!

Finding Prince Charming - by Rebecca

Alright, girls, let’s be honest for a minute. I think almost all of us have, at some point in time, dreamed of having a “Cinderella” fairytale. I mean, who wouldn’t love to have a story like that of their own? She gets her dream guy—one who seems impossible to get—in such a perfect way. There’s the “love at first sight” ideal moment, some drama and suspense, and a true love that reigns over all barriers (including annoying step sisters!). It seems like such an impossible ideal, but I think there’s a lot to learn from Cinderella.

First of all, don’t keep waiting, but never stop dreaming. Your ideal guy IS out there, you just have to wait! Many times, your perfect fairytale isn’t actually your idea. Most couples meet in a completely unexpected way. One woman in my life who recently got married told me, “It was when I stopped looking that I found my true love.” It’s when you STOP worrying and searching for the right guy that you tend to find exactly what you’re looking for and more. So don’t waste your life away WAITING! Just keep living your life to the fullest, and let Prince Charming find you himself, because trust me, if you are meant to be together, nothing will keep you apart! But in that, never stop dreaming. Never give up hope that you will find your Prince Charming. He will come, in the perfect way, at the perfect time!

Secondly, know that your Prince Charming is never too good for you. So in that fact, realize two things: first of all, you shouldn’t think you’re not good enough for anyone, and second, your Prince Charming shouldn’t feel he’s too good for you. Cinderella doubted herself multiple times, wondering why on earth a prince would fall for someone like her. However, in this, I’m sure the prince wondered why someone like her would fall for him, either. When you find your Prince Charming, you should both feel as though you’ve found someone too good to be true. Don’t fall for anyone who won’t treat you as any less than the princess that you are!! With that, don’t lower your standards for anyone. Make a list of every trait you want your “perfect guy” to have, and I can guarantee your perfect guy will meet all those standards and more! Even if he doesn’t match the description perfectly, his flaws should be ones that do not make you lower any of your standards. They will just be small differences that still make him perfect in your eyes.

Thirdly, there WILL be trials. Even Cinderella had trials throughout her fairytale! I mean, she had to deal with an evil stepmother and two evil stepsisters, with no one to stand up for her at home. Above that, she ran away from the ball knowing that the prince had no idea who she was, thinking she would never see him again, and she even lost one of her prized glass slippers! (I think that may be a VERY big issue for some of us!) It is VERY unlikely that your story will play out without any troubles or hiccups. But that’s how it should work! Think of how boring Cinderella would have been if she didn’t have any of those problems. Cinderella would have grown up in a nice castle of her own with her dad, she would have gone to the ball with all the other girls, she would have met the prince, they would have fallen in love and gotten married the next day, and all would have been well in the kingdom. Snore. Besides it being super boring, you can’t grow without trials and problems. It’s through facing these issues that we learn about both ourselves and others. So push through the problems! They will come, but if it is meant to be, everything will work out!

Finally, WAIT. I do not mean spend your life just waiting for the perfect guy; rather, I mean wait to label someone as your Prince Charming. Don’t throw yourself at the first guy who comes your way. Guard your heart, because it’s the only heart you get. You are a prize, and you should wait for the one who will treat you as such. Just don’t rush yourself into your fairytale—you have your whole life ahead of you, and when your true fairytale happens, it will have been worth waiting for!!

So let’s go over our lessons from Cinderella…

1. Don’t waste your life waiting, but never stop dreaming! 
2. Your Prince Charming is never too good for you, and he should treat you like the princess you are!
3. Your fairytale will not go without trouble—there WILL be bumps in the road, just keep pushing through!
4. WAIT to find your true Prince Charming. Don’t put up barriers, but guard your heart wisely, because you are a prize to be won!

Remember that everything will work out as it is supposed to. Don’t stress about finding the right guy, because the right guy will find you! Just be yourself, live your life, and get ready to write your own perfect story!

Rebecca Mitchell is a college freshman at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama majoring in Elementary Education. Originally from Ijamsville, Maryland, Rebecca was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Maryland for 2011. Learn more about Rebecca here!