Every wonder how we make it look so easy? I know that’s a broad question, but seriously, have you? Here at Girls Inc. we believe in working smarter-not harder.

“I’m having a fat day,” I told the mirror, countless times over the years. They are just innocent complaints I throw around in passing, words that I think do no harm. After all, I’m an adult, and I’m saying these words to myself. And it’s truly just one of those days where nothing looks good in the mirror…But something changed for me when I had my daughter.

For the second time since becoming a new mom just 7 months ago, I turned my head away from the images on TV and the updates on Twitter and focused, even more so, on my child.

When I co-facilitated “Work It Out” for a group of 12-14 year-olds, I was up close and personal again with one of the most challenging time periods of my own life: junior high. Witnessing the experiences of this generation of girls gave me a deeper perspective on navigating today’s choppy waters of adolescence.

April is volunteer appreciation month and Girls Inc. would like to extend a special thank you to our volunteers.

I learned the hard way about the importance of taking time out to rest, relax, and recharge. My body has shut down on me on more than one occasion. So, I find moments where I can disconnect from everyone and everything to get my “me” time. Here are my tips for getting your own “me” time.

It’s that time of year again, Women’s History Month. Our mission is to inspire girls across the city every day, but it’s the women of history that have inspired our staff here at Girls Inc.!

I recently finished co-facilitating our “Redefining Beauty” program for a group of Indianapolis high school girls. I wondered how our Girls Inc. curriculum would impact our girls at this stage in their social development. After all, they’d had over a solid decade to internalize the false images and messages about what it means to be female in American culture.

I absolutely love the entire mission of Girls Inc. It was the mission and what Girls Inc. stands for that made me want to volunteer, and then luckily became a staff member.

Jay's adventure continues as she discovers how positive self-talk works.