A brand new series about Self Love, Tolerance, Resilience, Optimism, and Grit from the author of STOP and Read This Book
I’m beyond excited to introduce you to my book, “How to Be STRONG”! It is the first in an empowering series that teaches children about inner strength using the simple STRONG acronym. And guess what? It’s now available in paperback and Ebook format on Amazon!
What does it mean to be STRONG?
Throughout my own personal mental health journey, I have had the opportunity to explore a number of acronyms that therapists use to guide people towards better self-esteem, resilience, and communication. After exploring these acronyms and methods, I decided that children require a simpler approach to understanding inner strength. The STRONG acronym was born.
S- Self Love
Self-esteem, which I have simplified for children’s sake into Self Love, is a core element of inner strength. If we have within ourselves a foundation of love, respect, and positivity towards ourselves that lends itself to positive self-talk, or Positive Affirmations, we become stronger against forces that seek to cut us down verbally or attack our personal view of ourselves. This especially important for children experiencing bullying or othering in a classroom environment. Children who have a higher level of self-esteem and practice Self Love through the daily ritual of positive affirmations are not only less susceptible to bullying behaviors, but they are also less likely to put down others or become bullies themselves.
T-Tolerance
The concept of Tolerance is often taught to children in the scope of diversity and inclusion. Therapy for adults, when focusing on this key concept, focusses more on Tolerance as radical acceptance and anger management. For the sake of children, I have summed up tolerance into two key parts, accepting that which you cannot control, and controlling the ONE THING you can control: YOURSELF. Accepting what they cannot control plays into what children already know of Tolerance from school. They cannot change the beliefs, feelings, or actions of others, but they can learn to accept them and learn things about and from their classmates that enrich their perspective. I expand on that concept of tolerance they already learn to include stressful situations, world events, unwanted behaviors, and the weather. I also enforce the concept that they cannot control others and can only control themselves. This is particularly important as a concept for children in the case of inner strength, as children who are more tolerant of the world around them are less likely to take the actions and beliefs of others personally, and more likely to defend their own in a calm and assertive way. It is also a key piece of the puzzle in anger management, distress tolerance, and behavior management that children can carry through their adolescence into adulthood. Teaching children this key concept now, in a simple way, avoids years of therapy for reactive and stressed adults later in life.
R-Resilience
Most often, when we think of inner strength, we think of Resilience. The two are almost always mentioned together. Resilience is essentially the secret sauce of inner strength. A resilient kid gets up when the fall down, brushes it off, and tries again. They push themselves to try even when they feel failure, and they don’t give up in difficult times. they learn from mistakes and keep trying. The example I use in How to Be STRONG is a classic and relatable story of resilience: a boy learning to skateboard. He is resilient because he gets back up every time he falls. Rather than giving up, he patches himself up and tries harder. This concept can be applied to many more situations in life where life itself knocks us down and we get back up and try again. With resilience, being STRONG becomes easier, even in the worst of times.
O- Optimism
When looking at Optimism from a child’s perspective, it’s easy to simply say “optimism is happiness”, and leave it there. But the truth, as many adults learn later in life, is that optimism is complex and multifaceted. “Don’t worry, be happy” sets us up for the expectation that we should be happy, even when there is great cause to worry. We will still worry. We will still have hard days. We will still have days when the rain falls. Bad things happen. The difference between the optimist and the pessimist is their mindset, not their mood. Their mood is a direct effect of that mindset. Take into account the example of a rainy day, one where a child had intended to go swimming. It is going to rain, but a child who is optimistic does not fret about the rain. A child who is optimistic jumps in puddles instead, achieve the very thing they wanted to begin with, splashing in the water. An optimistic child finds the joy on even the worst days, which makes them stronger when difficult times come.
N-Nobility
The concept of Nobility can be a tricky one, as there are many different perspective views of what is right and what is wrong, with a large grey area for customs, beliefs, and stigmas. The key here that I tried to focus on is that Nobility is standing up for what you feel is right and upholding your personal beliefs with your actions. More simply put, for the child’s sake, it is having a Moral Compass, a part of your heart that guides you in deciding right from wrong. I use the example of stealing in the book because it is an easily identifiable “wrong” choice. It is not honest, brave, or kind to steal, and therefore is not a noble choice that will give a child a sense of honor. Having a sense of what you believe and standing up for those beliefs, as well as standing up for others, builds inner strength and fortifies their sense of honor. They trust themselves. That is what makes a STRONG kid.
G-Grit
It can be easy to confuse Grit with Resilience. We often refer to resilient kids, those who get back up when they fall down, as having Grit. The truth is that they go hand in hand. I like to think of grit as the Go-Getter attitude that accompanies resilience. Kids with grit don’t give up in the face of challenges, and they have a general attitude of “Yes, I Can!” They stick to their goals in spite of failures, which is driven by the core belief that they can do anything they set their mind to. Kids with Grit continue to believe they can and work toward achieving goals even when they seem impossible. They rise to meet challenges, work hard, and are driven for success. They are STRONG.
Why This Book Matters
In today’s world, inner strength is everything. This book gives kids the tools to build confidence, resilience, and positivity. It’s perfect for families, classrooms, or anyone looking for inspiration and personal growth.
Ready to start your journey?
“How to Be STRONG” is now available on Amazon in both paperback and ebook formats. Grab your copy today and unlock the STRONG superpowers within you!
A note about affiliate links: Links in this article will take you to Amazon.com to make purchases. As an author whose books are printed by Amazon, I receive compensation for purchases made on this site. Thank You for choosing to purchase through links on this site as it helps me grow as indie children’s book author.
