Bit of a fun self-assessment quiz for you (I appreciate some of you may not think self-assessment is fun but you can have a go anyway 🙂 …answer the following statements, on a scale of 1-10, (10 being the highest);
- I can speak up about things that matter to me – 8
- I am proud of who I am – 10
- I try again if I have a setback – 10
- I can try new or unfamiliar things – 8
- I believe I can achieve my hopes and dreams – 10
- I can enjoy friendships with all kinds of people – 10
When I did this myself, I realised that I’ve been working on getting better at these things for most of my adult life. I didn’t know about these things when I was younger and I had struggles through my younger life with confidence and self-esteem.
Doing this now, I scored quite high, but that’s because I have put the hard work in. I created a leadership model based upon leading myself and others with love and not fear – Power of Love Leadership® – and I use this everyday with myself and with my clients, so I know what that hard work feels like.
These 6 important statements – and measures of how we feel about ourselves, make a massive impact on our happiness. They don’t come easy or naturally and yet, they are the things that will make us happier in our lives and especially at work – where we spend most of our lives!
These 6 statements, are in fact, the core aims and objectives of a charity that I am an Ambassador for, which is close to my heart.
The charity is called Girls Friendly Society (GFS) and they run volunteer-led weekly groups for mostly school-age girls, in mainly disadvantaged areas of the UK, to help every girl value themselves and grow confidence for being themselves.
The groups aim to create a space where every girl is able to be confident about these 6 things – I can speak up, I am proud of myself, I can be resilient, I can be creative, I can achieve my goals and I can have happy relationships.
I became an Ambassador for GFS a couple of years ago, because I have a daughter. If you were once a young girl yourself, and/or you love/care for a young girl, you will know how important it is for them to be confident in themselves and to be happy.
Girls need support – Research has shown that…
- By the age of six, girls avoid subjects they view as requiring them to be “really, really smart” because they believe men are smarter than women.
- Between ages eight and 14, girls’ confidence levels drop by 30%.
- 75% of girls with low self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities like cutting, bullying, smoking, drinking, or disordered eating.
- Despite the negative impact, girls have little access to support before they reach their tween and teen years, when girls are already in a crisis of confidence.
- Adult women do not catch up in confidence to men, until well into their 40s.
Research shows it is easier to sustain foundations of self-esteem, resilience, and ambition built in childhood than it is to start the conversation later in life.
So, to build these foundations, GFS gives girls early access to non-competitive environments where they are supported and valued equally, reducing comparison against other girls and feelings of unworthiness.
This week is National Volunteers Week – and this is why I volunteer.
In addition, I love the team of Ambassadors that I get to spend time with, as well as the wonderful GFS team – Kate Faxen, Victoria Allison, Wendy Ramshaw, Amanda Capon, Clare Davies.. Our Ambassador lead Ellie Rich Poole has also created a Wonderful Women movement, to support GFS and these are the most inspiring events bringing together the most awesome women, to inspire, support and connect.
As well as being busy supporting my clients and my family, I love being part of this community of support for GFS because it brings me joy to feel I am making a difference for those young girls.
These are some of the photos from our recent third Wonderful Women event – photos are courtesy of Victoria Beddoes and some of my own.
The GFS vision is to create a world where girls are free to be themselves, and feel proud of who they are. This is something we should all have.
If you’re interested in being a fellow GFS ambassador, we are currently recruiting, so please get in touch to let me know and I can give you more information – sarah@weloveleadership.com
In National Volunteers Week, why do you volunteer or give your time to support others, and what joy does it bring to you?