I have a confession. I was an awkward preteen. That’s me to the very left of this picture.
I know what it is to feel not quite right in your own body. I was too tall, too skinny, and too quiet to be one of the popular girls. While these may seem like some pathetic problems to have, remember that it is difficult to see your assets as such when you’re 10 years old and desperate to just fit in.
I’ve talked a lot about why I started Fearless Focus, but I suppose it boils down to this: I could have spared myself a lot of tears and a lot of nervous stomach aches if I had had a place like Fearless Focus when I was a kid.
But hindsight is 20/20. Now, we have scientific research that shows early intervention in a child’s self-confidence can have a lasting impact on that child’s success. In fact, in findings reported by The Urban Child Institute, “a child who experiences early and consistent social difficulties develops the expectation that he will be ignored or rejected by his peers, and that these expectations create low self-esteem.”
And that feeling lasts.
One study found “high inhibition and low social competence in preschool predicted low self-esteem up to age 10!”
“Fearlessness is not the absence of fear. It’s the mastery of fear. It’s about getting up one more time than we fall down.”
– Arianna Huffington
So, it’s no accident that I work mainly with children and teens. I didn’t set up Fearless Focus to teach kids to be unafraid. Instead, I take the methods and tools I used to combat my own feelings of unworthiness, anxiety, social pressure, and more, and pass them on.
In a Washington Post article entitled, “How to build a child’s self-esteem. Hint: It doesn’t involve praise,” three steps are outlined to build self-esteem: identify specific improvements, let kids problem solve on their own, and express unconditional love. At Fearless Focus, we have our own ways of accomplishing these. We target specific improvements with individually-themed classes for every age group. We provide a variety of coping methods and tools for any predictable situation in which a child might find themselves and leave the execution up to them. Finally, we create a safe environment where they know they can always find acceptance.
If you’re anything like me as a parent, you want the very best for your kids. You want better for your kids than even you had for yourself. When I was a kid, I wished I had a place to go to learn skills to build my self-confidence and self-esteem. The good news is, Fearless Focus can be that place for your child.
Sincerely,
Maria Wood
Founder, Fearless Focus
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