“We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already.” – J.K. Rowling

Here at the JCC, in our Girls on the Run program, we talk a lot about our star power.  Our star power is that light inside of all of us.  We talk a lot of about how we can activate our star power and how we can help others activate theirs.  When activating your star power, you make a decision to focus on the positives, which will help to brighten and improve your life and well-being.

Around this time of year, a lot of people make New Year’s resolutions.  I challenge you this year to become more intentional in your thinking.  Becoming more intentional will help your star to shine it’s brightest.  Using techniques such as turning negative self-talk into positive self-talk and using visualization to positively impact your thoughts and feelings can help your star to shine bright.  There may be times when a cloud dims your star’s brightness, but using these techniques can help your star to overcome and shine through the clouds.

This fall, our Girls on the Run team had the opportunity to learn, practice and apply these skills during each practice.  The girls had to overcome mental and physical challenges each practice and used these techniques to help keep their stars shining bright and to encourage their teammates to do the same.  Over the course of the 10 week program, the girls trained for their end of the season celebratory 5k, increasing their run time each practice.  In the beginning, there was some hesitation and doubt.  As the girls learned the skills to overcome that, they became more confident in their running and in themselves.  Even at our practice 5k (it was dark, cold, and rainy), not one girl complained.  In a time where it would have been easy to let the negative self-talk stay, I actually heard them singing and cheering while they were running!

On Sunday, December 2, the girls participated in their end of the season celebratory 5k.  Every girl from our team participated, tried her best, and crossed the finish line with a smile on her face.  I could not be more proud of them.

The quote above by J.K. Rowling really resonates with me.  The star power lives within all of us.  It is our job to make that star shine bright and to help others recognize their star power.  Imagine a world full of brightly shining stars, encouragement and support.  That would truly transform the world.

It starts with us.

Be the light and let your star power shine even in the darkest of times.  Here’s to a bright, happy, and healthy 2019!

Have questions or need help to get registered for a class?  Contact Brandi D’Amico at 412-697-3532 or fill out the form below: