Did you know that the way you think can affect what you accomplish? Have you ever seen the power of positive thinking?

February is Expect Success Month, a month devoted to positive thinking and achieving your goals! When you think positively and expect success, you are more likely to get it. If you have a negative attitude and believe you will fail, it is more likely that you will.

Positive thinking, hope and determination are the main themes in Jane, 13, New York’s story “Swimming My Way to Victory,” about the power of having a great attitude! Cassandra, 12, Minnesota’s also wrote about positive thinking in her story “Pikey The Positive.”

Positive thinking is also the idea behind movements like Operation Beautiful. The power of a post-it note with a positive message could be so great for someone who needs to hear it. Check out Project Beautiful, a very similar idea from Marianna, 13, California!

Sometimes it is hard to think positively about something like saving money, finishing a project or passing a test. Here are a few tips on how to expect success and achieve it:

• Rid yourself of negative thoughts. What you think affects how you act and negative thoughts do nothing but weigh you down!
• Instead of thinking “I can’t,” think “I can and I will.” When you can envision yourself achieving your goal, it will be easier to stay on the right track.
• Remember that setbacks are normal. When you hit a snag, don’t give up! Hard work and determination can overcome even the most difficult obstacle.
• Never never never give up!
• Expect to be successful and push hard toward your goal.

Check out Marie and Anna’s awesome poems about positive thinking and expecting success! Read others’ success stories and share your own on the Positive Thinking message board.

Remember, your attitude can play a big part in whether you are successful in achieving your goals or not. Expect success, envision success and don’t give up and you are more likely to get what you want!

Lara, 11, New Zealand says “You Are What You Think.” What do you think? Have you expected success and achieved it? How important have you found positive thinking to be in accomplishing your goals? Let us know in the comments below!

Emily

New Moon Intern

Did you know that nearly half of all girls will deal with bullying before finishing middle school? Chances are either you or someone you know has been bullied in school or elsewhere.

There are many types of bullying:

• Emotional bullying hurts your and others’ feelings.
• Physical bullying hurts yours and others’ body.
• Cyber-bullying is bullying over the Internet.

Bullying can be anything from calling someone a mean name, to teasing them because of their appearance, to hitting or pushing someone.

Have you ever been or known someone who has been a victim of cyber-bullying? A lot is being done to put an end to cyber-bullying, and you can help. Have you ever felt unsafe at New Moon? New Moon Girls works very hard to prevent bullying from happening on our website, so if you ever experience bullying, tell us about it. Read our Respect Differences Policy to see what is not allowed on our site.

If you or someone you know has ever been a victim of any type of bullying, know that it is not okay for someone to be treated that way. It is a very important issue, and can be dangerous. The best way to deal with a bullying situation is to tell a trusted adult.

Fortunately, many strong and confident New Moon Girls have inspiring stories to share about how they stood up to bullying. Kathyrine, 12, California was bullied in first grade. Lisa from Minnesota was teased for her appearance in middle school. Jane, 12, New York shares tips on how to handle bullying. For even more tips on  how to handle bullying you can check out past Luna blogs.

To get great advice from your New Moon Girls sisters, join the discussion on bullying on the Sister to Sister message boards: “Help! I’m being tormented at school” and “OSOM: School Bullying.”

Test your knowledge on how to handle bullies with Chloe, 10, British Columbia’s quiz “Are you an anti-bully?” And share your experiences with us in our survey “Have You Ever Been Bullied?”

Remember, bulling is never okay and can sometimes cause kids to have harmful thoughts. If you or someone  you know has ever had thoughts of self-harm due to bullying or any reason, please visit our suicide prevention page for ways to help.

How have you handled being bullied, or seeing a friend go through it? Do you have any helpful tips when it comes to standing up to a bully? Share your experiences and thoughts with us in the comments below.

Emily

New Moon Intern

Table manners are important. Chewing with your mouth closed, asking to be excused and picking up you dishes are some good manners to remember.

Do you think you have good manners? Do good manners mean doing things like respecting your elders, listening when others speak and chewing with your mouth closed?

Lots of New Moon Girls  think that having good manners is very important, and many have been bothered by others who have bad manners. Maia, 10, Quebec has a friend who never says, “Thank you,” and it really bothers her. Check out the advice she received on helping her friend learn some manners.

Alexis, 13, Indiana has a similar problem with her friend, check out the awesome advice she received! Rosa, 10, United Kingdom thinks it would be great if there was a way to thank all the girls who give advice on Ask A Girl — how polite!

What different people call “having good manners” has changed over time. Celiedh, 13, Indiana and her friend Moira, 11, shared an interesting story on manners in the 13th Century. Did you know that some common manners during that time included, “Don’t spit across the table during a meal,” and, “Don’t pick your teeth in public?”

Manners that some people think are important today are:

• Saying “please” and “thank you.”
• Listening to what others are saying without interrupting.
• Sharing your toys and other things with your friends.
• Being a good sport if you lose a contest or game.
• Having good table manners.
• Helping others, like your parents or other people you care about in your life.
• Showing respect to others.

Does it really bother you when someone has bad manners? What do you say or do?

Check out these awesome message boards on How Aggravating to share your experience, get and give advice about how to deal with bad manners. Middle School Advice suggests you be respectful toward others. THINGS. I. JUST. CAN’T. STAND. gives great advice on dealing with bad manners. In Pet Peeves learn how to deal with people who show bad manners, especially at lunch time.

Sharing with others is a good manner to remember!

We all want to be polite and respectful, and it is not difficult if you remember to act like you would like others to act. Isha, 9, British Columbia has advice on remembering your manners!

What are some manners that are important to you? Does it bother you when people don’t have good manners? Or are manners just not important to you? Share with us in the comments below!

Emily
New Moon Intern