GIRL SCOUT ARTICLE OCT 2004
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Use conflict as a fuel to work for you and help you make the world a better place. Having supportive friends and family is important for a stress free life. But who has a perfect family or friends that are supportive all the time? Being happy with yourself is so important, but also very stressful in today's world. There are many stresses you deal with each and every day; school, peer pressure to do things you don't feel comfortable with doing, parents, friends, the future, war, how you look, even you can stress yourself out. As the Studio 2B Focus book 'Don't Sweat It' points out "A world without challenges is like a movie without a conflict." Even though stress can make you feel nervous, withdrawn, easily annoyed, and make you have trouble getting your school work done it can make you stronger too. What do you do when you get stressed? How do you react when you feel someone doesn't like you or when you worry about the environment? Maybe you get angry, sad, blame yourself for everything, or just want to run and ride. You're not alone. You might be surprised to know who else is stressing out. The popular girl in school worries, the athletic girl has pressure and stresses out about the next big event, even the smart girl worries about her grades. Teachers and parents stress about things too. So who can you turn to if everyone is stressed? Maybe it's as simple as looking in the mirror and thinking about giving your time to help others and change the world you live in instead of letting it stress you out. Deciding to make a difference instead of getting angry, upset or sad can calm you and help you focus on helping an organization or project complete an important task. Whether you have volunteered in the past, never donated your time to a single thing, or if you just want to learn more about a certain subject, it doesn't matter. Getting interested in something or volunteering with different organizations is a great way to focus on something other than stress and make a real difference in the process. Every project has room for volunteers. You might be surprised what programs are waiting to hear from you and benefit from your ideas. You can be a leader or join an existing team and project. Don't wait for others to get it started, there are many programs that you can start or volunteer for as an individual or with a parents help. Imagine you woke up late for school, your hair had a mind of its own, you thought you heard someone in the hall laugh and say your name, you spilled your milk in your salad at lunch, you left your homework on the bus, your locker jammed , when you got back home your mom was waiting at the door and unhappy about the mess in your room, then you find your little brother has used your favorite nail polish to paint designs on all his toys and himself. Your mom is so stressed out she immediately sends you to your room and if you are lucky she will decide your punishment after she calms down. Your stomach hurts, your head is pounding, your heart racing, you feel alone and just want to cry. Take a deep breath, put in your favorite CD and think. Yep think. Clear the stress out of your head, gaze out the window, read or write do whatever helps you de-stress. Ask yourself what is important to you. Pretty big question isn't it? Don't stress about it, the answer is very simple, it's just about what makes you happy. That is what volunteering is about; doing what you love and making a difference in that chosen area. If you would have been focused on a project that you were interested in that bad day might have been tolerable instead of stressful. Do you love animals? Contact a local pet shelter or the humane society (if you are 16 or older) and volunteer your time to help out some lonely animals. Concerned with the environment? Start your own recycling program or neighborhood clean up day, visit www.keepkansascitybeautiful.org for more information. Want to help sick children and their families? Contact the Ronald McDonald House at www.rmhckc.org for more information. Like the outdoors and want to learn more about them? Contact www.conservation.state.mo.us/areas/kcmetro/discovery for programs and classes about the outdoors. Check out all of the learning and service opportunities in the back of this magazine. Sign up and get involved! Most local churches and hospitals have volunteer opportunities too. The possibilities for volunteering and learning are endless. You can think about the opportunities mentioned here or start your own program. As you read in the testimonials volunteering can be extremely rewarding and while helping others you can help yourself leave stress where it should be; far away from you!
