[video description and repost from YouTube User, knewways,  [ Beautiful Flower lyrics found on completealbumlyrics.com ]

This is the original recording of the song “Beautiful Flower.”   One LIVE performance… a real talent… effortless and emotional… sung from the heart.  This song was written to help out the children of Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy For Girls in South Africa.

LYRICS to “Beautiful Flower” by India Arie

This is a song for every girl who’s Ever been through something she thought she couldn’t make it through I sing these words because I was that girl too Wanting something better than this But who do I turn to
Now we’re moving from the darkness into the light This is the defining moment of our lives
‘Cause you’re beautiful like a flower More valuable than a diamond You are powerful like a fire You can heal the world with your mind
There is nothing in the world that you cannot do When you believe in you, who are beautiful Yeah, you, who are brilliant Yeah, you, who are powerful Yeah, you, who are resilient
This is a song for every girl who Feels like she is not special ‘Cause she don’t look like a supermodel Coke bottle The next time the radio tells you to shake your moneymaker Shake your head and tell them, tell them you’re a leader
Now we’re moving from the darkness into the light This is the defining moment of our lives
‘Cause you’re beautiful like a flower More valuable than a diamond You are powerful like a fire You can heal the world with your mind
There is nothing in the world that you cannot do When you believe in you, who are beautiful Yeah, you, who are brilliant Yeah, you, who are powerful Yeah, you, who are resilient
Yeah, you, who are beautiful Yeah, you, who are brilliant Yeah, you, who are powerful Yeah, you, who are resilient
Yeah, you, this song is for you Yeah, you, this song is for you Yeah, you, this song is for you Yeah, you, yeah, you You are brilliant

What LIFT Mentors Have Been Reading…

LIFT mentors just read an article that lifted our spirits and we wanted to share this amazing article with our butterflies because we feel you are too often pressured to have sex at an early age. We’ve been there too, but didn’t let the peer pressure take over us. LIFT is proud to say we’re pro-virginity (26-years strong) and it’s cool to wait until you’re an adult, and preferably married, to have sex.  Who caresif anyone laughs at you or talks about you, beacauseat when it’ all sai and done, they know, and you know, you made the right decision to wait.

Having sex too early can result in a lot of things, dissapointment, regret, a broken heart, sexually transmitted diseases, and an unplanned pregnancy. You’re better than that butterflies. Let your light shine by taking a stand and holding your body as a the temple that it is. And if you meet a guy who is pressuring yo to have sex an threatening to leave or cheat on you if you don’tgive it to him; that’s ok. Let him go! It’ll only make room for a better young man who sees you as someone WORTH waiting for. All YOU have to do is continue to carry yourself as such and make abstinence or celibacy (if you’e already been sexually active) an option from now on.

It’s not too late; choose to wait. You can do this! You’re heart, mind and body will thank you for this later. Just listen to heavyweight boxing champian, Evander Holyfield’s daughter — “A 27-Year-Old Virgin On WHY You’re WORTH Waiting For — in an interview with Essence magazine.

A 27-Year-Old Virgin On Why You’re Worth Waiting For

By Charli Penn

The beautiful, Evette Holyfield, strikes a pose

When your father is former undisputed heavyweight boxing champ Evander Holyfield, you’re gonna be one tough cookie. At 27, Evette Holyfield’s convictions are stronger than ever, and when it comes to having sex before marriage, she refuses to budge. She credits her father for giving her the bright idea at the early age of six, but her faith for helping her see it through from then on.

Now Holyfield speaks to young women about her decision to put herself (and her body!) first and to focus on her dreams rather than making a man happy. We sat down with her to ask all of the things we thought our readers might: Is it hard to do? What do your boyfriends have to say? Do other women give you a hard time about it? Holyfield was refreshingly honest and a total inspiration. Read her answers now.
ESSENCE.COM: When did you decide to be abstinent until marriage? EVETTE HOLYFIELD: We grew up in a Christian home. When I was around six years old, my dad said to me, “You don’t need to have sex outside of marriage.” He went through the whole spiel with me. So as I grew up, I thought, okay dad, if you don’t want me to do it, I’m not gonna do it. Then I started to really understand church – the words in the Bible and what the pastor is really saying. At that point, I wasn’t just doing it because my dad said don’t, but rather, I now believe that by waiting, God will bless me and bring me a great husband. I want to meet somebody amazing, and I know that if I do this, I’m doing this for him and I. That’s what I want.
ESSENCE.COM: Has it been a difficult decision for you? HOLYFIELD: Honestly, it’s easy for me. I was in a three-year relationship, and I never had those desires for him in that way. He never pressured me. In my mind, I already have it set that I’m not (READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE ON ESSENCE.COM HERE: http://www.essence.com/2012/11/26/27-year-old-virgin-why-you%E2%80%99re-worth-waiting/)

If I had one thing to say to my young sisters, it would be this: Be thankful for a new season and a new wave of God’s mercy. We can sometimes take very important markers for granted, such as the start of a new year. But I encourage you to use it as an opportunity to begin anew in your own life, just as I do.

There have been seasons in my life in which I desperately needed a brand new start. Let’s face it; we all deal with tough arenas in life, like broken relationships, unwise personal choices and financial lack or hardship. But the awesome thing about having faith in God is that we always have hope, which gives way to confidence that God will perform His word. We can have confidence in Him when everything else seems to be failing.
There are some very tough circumstances we endure, but God promises victory for those who have faith in Him. We will have challenges in this life, but at that point we reassess as we face these obstacles head on, and trust God to guide us to victory.

I recently married and found that with my time squeezed and focused on a new husband and son and more household duties, time for writing (a personal passion) seemed to slip away. In fact, I went on a sabbatical of sorts from writing while I re-ordered my life, rested, and allowed God to rev up the creative juices. He has given me a new start, and there’s this sense of a rekindling of my love of writing. This love of writing is so strong, that I become frustrated when I’m not jotting down my thoughts.

Now…my passion comes at a price. It costs me time, comfort, and sometimes money, but the reward is far greater than the temporary discomfort associated with sacrifice. I trust God will reward me for my obedience, and you should too.

So, in what area do you need a fresh start? Let go of the past year, and look ahead to what God has in store. I believe God is waiting on you to seek your new beginning. I’m rooting for you so you can begin anew!

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Hey girls, get more inspiration and information about Keisa’s other hobbies by going to www.thenaturalhairdiva.com! Want to chat more with her?  Email her at Keisa@thenaturalhairdiva.com. Also, check out her previous blog post Letter to a Young Sister

CHANGES AND GROWTH

Our logo, the butterfly, represents what we strive to do for ourselves and for young girls everywhere — personal and physical change. What has been some of your biggest changes in life so far? Do you see the growth from where you started? How did things pan out from start to finish?

Share your journey with others to inspire them to change and grow as well.  Invite friends to like “LIFT Program for Girls” on Facebook and follow @LIFT Mentors on Twitter for upLIFTing words and more inspiration.

(PLEASE COMMENT TO THIS POST ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, OR YOUR OWN BLOG)

I only have one adopted sister, but it’s funny because I’ve taken on a personal mission to help inspire and motivate other young women to be all they can be in this life. I’m very transparent about my successes and failures, and I continually pray that God uses me to help other people. If I had to sum up some keys for your personal victory, it would look like this:

• Develop a strong relationship with God. He is the only one who can help you win in this life and give you sound guidance to keep you from falling. Will you miss it sometimes? Absolutely. But just know He’s waiting on you to help you recover at every turn.
• Accept all of your unique traits and don’t strive to be a carbon copy of anyone else. Your uniqueness is what makes you the person you are, and there isn’t anyone else on this earth like you, so learn to love and respect yourself first, and (trust me on this one) everything else will fall in place.
• Learn to prioritize. Do what’s important first… your homework, chores and other vital items in your household and school. Sure, you can expect to play, but recognize this has its place. This order makes for a happy home life and peaceful school days.
• Respect authority, and that includes your parents, teachers and other trusted adults. My heart is saddened at times when I see a lack of reverence for adults by young people. I truly believe that special things await those who respect their elders.
• Finally, have fun! Enjoy this time in your life, with all of its many changes and discoveries. I know too many young people who want to be adults before their time. That’s coming soon enough ladies. Just know that every stage you go through, no matter how uncomfortable or awkward, prepares you for what’s next in life.

Pray this helps you. If you have any questions or comments, write me at keisa@thenaturalhairdiva.com. Also, visit my website, www.thenaturalhairdiva.com. We’ll be chatting again real soon…

• When meeting someone, introduce yourself, firmly shake hands, speak clearly and maintain good eye contact. Repeat someone’s name after you meet them (this also will help you remember their name).  For example –  Person: “Hi, my name is Kesha.” You: “Hi Kesha! I’m Stephanie. Nice to meet you!”
• When meeting someone, get to know them first by asking questions about them and not simply talking about you
• Don’t gossip. When girls, especially, are around one another, we tend to talk and gossip a lot. Instead try loving and supporting instead of hating and discouraging someone.
• You can look, but don’t stare at someone.  It can make them feel uncomfortable.
• When someone asks you to respond or RSVP to an invitation, respond in the timely manner they requested you to respond by
• Show up to meetings or events on time
• Stick to your word.  If you cannot do something you said you would, let someone know ahead of time, and don’t make promises you can’t keep.
• Let the lady or elderly person have the first seat when choosing seats or considering who sits down first
• Hold the door open for the person behind you
• Don’t use bad language in public
• Sit up strait and stand tall when you are around others.  Do not slouch or lean
• Cover your mouth and say “excuse me” when sneezing, coughing, burping, or passing gas
• Do not talk with food in your mouth.
• When tasting something you do not like, try your best to go ahead and completely swallow the food or drink or finish as much of the meal as possible. If you cannot stand to completely finish swallowing the food or drink, simply dispose the food by placing your fork or spoon back in your mouth and placing your food on it or bringing the cup to your mouth (as if to swallow) and releasing the liquid back into the cup. If you did not use a utensil to place the food in your mouth in the first place, use one if it’s available or use a napkin to remove the food. Do this as discretely as possible. Thank the cook, server, or hostess for the meal either way. View more detailed information about dining etiquette here: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Menu/DiningEtiquetteGuide.htm
• Close your legs when you are sitting down, whether you have on a dress or not
• Don’t bend all the way over (whereas your rear end or chest is in someone’s clear view).  Instead, close your legs and slightly bend only your legs half-way to pick something up
• If you find hair, bugs, or some other foreign object in your food, do not scream or cause a scene.  Just, quietly and privately, tell the waiter, cook, or hostess of your meal that you found an object in your meal or drink and politely ask for a new plate of food or drink
• Often say please, thank you, and you’re welcome
• Don’t talk loudly on your phone in public. It disturbs others.  Also, do not text or talk on the phone while someone else is speaking to you or when you are in class, in a meeting, on a date, or at dinner with someone. Instead, turn off your phone or take your call to a private area.
• When responding to someone, don’t say “yeah,” “huh,” “uh-uh,” “uh-huh” or “ok”.  Start saying  yes, no, yes ma’am/no sir, no ma’am/no sir, or excuse me, could you repeat that please?

Part II:  Teen Pregnancy

Written by guest blogger, Karan J., 18 years old. Visit her blog at http://dancinginthecity.tumblr.com/

By now, many of us have seen at least one episode of the MTV show 16 and Pregnant. Although, it makes a decent show, it unfortunately does not show the complete reality of having a baby.

Did you know that there are many ways to prevent pregnancy?

34% of young women become pregnant once before they are 20 years old, that is about 820,000 pregnancies a year in the United States. Luckily, the rate of teen pregnancy has been steadily declining since 2002 because contraceptives have started to be utilized more.

Contraceptives include, but are not limited to, condoms and birth control.

Condoms are 99.9% effective, but you will be surprised how that .1% can change your life. If you are sexually active, PLEASE make sure the condom isn’t expired. Also, make sure the condom doesn’t have any holes in it prior to, during, and after sex.

Remember this: If a guy tells you that having sex with a condom does not feel good and it feels better without a condom, he is just using you and he doesn’t love you. It’s better to protect yourself, always.  Sex should be with someone you love and plan to be with for the rest of your life.

Also remember: A sexually active teen that does not use any contraceptives has a 90% chance of getting pregnant within one year. If you think you may be pregnant at any point, take a pregnancy test to be sure (tests can be purchased from a local drug-store) , consult a trusted adult, and see a doctor.

IF YOU ARE PREGNANT:

You still have options. Some girls that become pregnant still go and do great things. Don’t think that just because you are pregnant you can’t get an education, graduate from high school, go to college, etc.

It helps to inform someone close to you that you are pregnant. No one should have to go through it alone. Tell your parent(s). Yes, they may be upset, but if you come to them with a plan, they will see that you are trying to be responsible. If keeping the child to raise as your own is not an option, consider adoption. There are many couples unable to have children who would greatly benefit from it. Speak with a trusted adult before choosing this option though.

Some teens are turning to abortion. Yes, this is a controversial topic. No, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. If you do this, make sure you can live with the consequences. Make sure you have someone with you who can stand by your side and support you. Many girls do not know that it costs a good bit of money to get an abortion.

In the first trimester the cost for an abortion ranges from $300 to $950. The price gets higher in the second trimester. In June 2010, 36 states in the US require that a parent or guardian sign for a minor to get an abortion.

If you are pregnant and keeping the child, brace yourself for judgment. It’s sad how people are these days, but just know that you are not alone. There are many programs for teen mothers. Some programs help even more if you are still in school. Keep in mind that it costs money to raise a child. It costs about $200,000 to raise a child from birth to 18 years old. Make that your motivation to finish school and get a well paying job. Just because you have a child doesn’t mean your life isn’t over. It’s just opening a new chapter, so make the most of your life and take opportunities that can advance your life!

In the end, when it is all said and done, make sure you protect yourself in the future, whether through abstinence or contraceptives, such as condoms and birth control.

Statistic Sources:  PlannedParenthood.org, PregnantTeenHelp.org, FamilyFirstAid.org, Guttmacher.org
View Part I of the “Let’s Talk About Sex…or No Sex” series here — Part I Virginity and Celibacy: Let’s Wait a While

Girls just want to have fun, but life is more worth-while when you can have fun and also fulfill a purpose or goal in the process.

Being well-rounded, meaning, well-developed in different things, is a good quality to possess because you add new accomplishments and titles to your name, meet a variety of people from being involved in a variety of things, learn new things, expand your education and hobbies, and create an overall better life for yourself.  To become well-rounded, make a list of all things you are interested in and learn about them or become involved in them.

Love listening to music?  Learn to make music by taking voice lessons or learning to play an instrument. Always wanted to know how your mom makes that amazing apple pie from scratch, ask her and start a bake-sale with her or take general  cooking classes to learn how to make other things so you can sometimes help your mom when she’s cooking.  Ever wanted to star in a runway fashion show?  Sign up for modeling classes.  Want to make a difference in your community?  Work with an adult to start a petition to change things you think are not right, volunteer at a place in your community, start a clean-up group for the neighborhood, or attend your neighborhood meetings to share some ideas you have to improve the neighborhood.

Change yourself and change the world by becoming involved in a range of amazing activities and groups. The possibilities are endless!  Here are a few ideas for hobbies to get you started in becoming a well-rounded you:

• Learn to play an instrument
• Get cooking lessons
• Take voice lessons
• Sign up for acting classes or take theater classes
• Take art lessons
• Sign up for the spelling bee
• Sign up for the science fair
• Learn to play chess and join a chess club
• With the help of an adult, invent a product or service and sell to others
• Take dance classes
• Join the choir
• Sign up to play a sport
• Join the cheerleading or dance squad of your school
• Take a class in film-making
• Take Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors classes for a more enriched education
• Sign up for other college prep classes and/or study harder on college exam prep tests to further your intellect
• Attend a summer camp of your choice
• Join the Girl Scouts
• Join an organization at school
• Learn how to sew, knit, or quilt by taking a class
• Blog about your favorite topics
• Take a creative writing class to write a book, short stories, or poetry
• Start your own group or organization related to your interests
• Become involved in your school’s student government

Being a leader means guiding others to a common goal and having others follow your example.  Each of us leads in some way in our life, whether for better or worse.  A good leader is what you should aim for, because a good leader truly makes a big difference in the world around them and leads others to a good outcome, not one that leads to chaos and negativity.

To become a good leader, first, you must know yourself and what leadership style works best for you.  Are you shy?  Perhaps you want to take small steps to lead others like being the first to raise your hand when no one else volunteers to answer a question in class. Are you very talkative, perhaps you can be the spokesperson for a school organization or become a debate team captain.

Sometimes, a leader has to make tough decisions that others would not normally make so learn how to decide what’s right and what’s wrong for the cause you are leading.  Write out an action plan with ways to get started on leading others to what you feel is right. Also, every leader must communicate well with others and learn the audience you intend to lead by listening well to their wants and needs as well as explaining clearly to them how you can help give them what it is they want and need.  There must be something about you that is likeable so others would want to follow you, so tap into your good qualities and let them shine for others to see. All of these traits will help you work well with others.

Following the example of a good leader can also give you a clearer picture on how to lead others well. You can find positive female leaders to learn from in your own home, school, or neighborhood.  There are also many good female leaders in the media for you to take note of:

First Lady Michelle Obama leads initiatives such as the “Let’s Move” campaign, to encourage kids like you to exercise for your health in order to fight childhood obesity.

Hillary Clinton led the way for other women to want to run for president.

Media mogul, Oprah Winfrey teaches girls and women alike to become involved in activities important to them and encourage others to do the same.  Oprah manages her own television network called OWN where she make decisions on what TV  shows to play on her network, and encourages people to better themselves  through watching the inspirational shows on her network. She also influences others by supporting certain movies or books so others may, in turn, support them as well.

The second female Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, was voted 20^th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes Magazine in 2006 because she led the people of New Zealand just by supporting positive causes, such as Earth Hour, as an endeavor to get many people to reduce energy consumption to protect the environment.

For further inspiration on female leaders, please check out The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women listed by Forbes at http://www.forbes.com/wealth/power-women. Also, try to attend the next Junior National Young Leaders Conference to meet other young leaders and shape your own leadership skills; you can find more information about the conference on their website at http://www.cylc.org/jrnylc/.

Last year, First Lady Michelle Obama started the “Let’s Move” campaign, a campaign, aimed at reducing childhood obesity.  The campaign is done in part due to the many health issues that can stem from obesity, such as diabetes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, etc.

According to ABC News, the average American now carries 23 extra pounds.  To avoid being part of this statistic, simply make sure you do some type of physical activity everyday, such as jogging, playing a sport, skating, hiking, riding a bike, and dancing.

If you find that these physical activities are too much or seem boring, try throwing a little music into the mix.  Dancing is a great way to burn calories, build your strength, get your energy going, and have fun. Entertainer, Beyonce, recently released a remix of her hit song “Get Me Bodied” called “Move Your Body,” for the “Let’s Move!” campaign.  The video features Beyonce doing some of the latest dances in a cafeteria of a school with everyday students.  Not a good dancer?  That’s ok. The moves in the video are repetitive and can easily be done. If you miss a step, simply rewind the video to try again.

So, what are you waiting for?  Get up now, watch Beyonce’s video below, and move your body to be healthy!

Warning:  As fabulous as it seems, do not try this in heels as Beyonce did because you could fall and hurt yourself.  To be safe, wear comfortable tennis shoes.