Sometimes we make mistakes by being thoughtless, careless or not being mindful of our words and actions. Maybe we forget to do something, or we hurt someone’s feelings. Making a mistake doesn’t feel good. Sometimes you’ll feel embarrassed, sometimes you’ll feel scared of what others will...
After seeing a UPower presentation, young people often share their thoughts and struggles with me in person and then later through social media and emails. One recent message I received stood out: Hi Sara! I’m Alex, I don’t know if you remember me but I said “I...
Let’s pretend I have a new friend and I think that because they like me, I’ll feel happy. At first I am really excited! I send them a text and wait for their reply. I start to look at my phone every few minutes, checking to...
I speak to a lot of parents and I often hear them say, ‘I don’t understand why my child behaves the way they do.’ Parents are looking for strategies that will help bring some control back into their home. Recently a parent shared her frustration about...
‘There’s been many times in my life Where I have doubted myself But I will achieve great things Because I refuse to give up.’ Lyric from ‘Push Through’ Sara Westbrook Everyone experiences fear, especially when it comes to achieving dreams. Often dreams come with taking risks,...
In February we are bombarded with the message to show your love for that special someone by giving gifts. And while it can be nice to have a day where we show someone you love appreciation, we don’t have a day where we acknowledge the most...
Who do you smile at? Do you only smile at friends or people you know? Or do you smile at strangers too? Smiling is such a little thing, but it has a big impact. A smile can brighten someone’s day. If they are feeling low, a...
At the beginning of each year, many people set their intentions and create resolutions. They see the New Year as an opportunity to change something they feel stuck or unhappy within their life and hope to use January as the motivation they've been missing to...
Recently I arranged for a family Christmas photo shoot for myself, my husband George and my son Kai. I wanted it to be perfect - you know - the colour coordinated family photo with all of us dressed in our ‘Sunday best’. Thirty minutes before our...
I recently spoke with a recruiter for a local university who shared a common (and alarming) trend that many young people are applying without the ability to advocate for themselves as they are used to their parents advocating for them. Without the life skill of self-advocacy,...
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