Discover Your Wings
Current News
Three Girl Scout leaders in the Phoenix area will be using The Confident Butterfly in April to teach girls confidence and issue a badge. I am excited to see how this will unfold. My goal is for more Girls Scout leaders, and eventually the Girl Scouts as a whole, to use the story within their programs nationwide to instill confidence. The results? A flying success!
May 11, 2012
Donating one hour of my time to read The Confident Butterfly
to the Girl Scouts.
Donating 11 books to a wonderful group of girls
who loved the story.
Changing the lives of 11 little girls... PRICELESS.
Girl Scout Troop 2202
March 23rd, 2012, I was invited to read The Confident Butterfly to the Girl Scouts to kick off a six week event on confidence. As excited as I was about being asked to read, I had to admit I was nervous. I don't read out loud with elegance, and I wondered, would the younger girls understand the message? I originally wrote the book for adults and teenage girls.
I had just been laid off a job I worked for 4 months after three years of unemployment and temporary jobs. My spirits were not exactly soaring. However, my emotions came through in part of the story that made that moment, those crucial lines in the book, come to life as I held back my tears and my voice quivered.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty, but do you know me?”
“You know that we’ve just met,” she answered calmly.
“Then how do you know what I’m capable of? How do you know who I really am?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “I’ve been told my whole life who I’m supposed to be, what to think, that my dreams are unachievable, that I’m a nobody. I chose to leave that life behind and find my own answers for my dreams.
“In the process I’ve been terrified, gotten lost, and nearly eaten by a bird. But I believed my dreams were bigger than my fears and my challenges, and I kept going. Then I learned the truth about myself, and now I’m being denied that truth? I disagree, Your Majesty. I know I’m a butterfly.”
When I finished, they applauded. I could see the messages working in their young minds. Elizabeth, one of the leaders, asked what they learned from the story. Every one of them got the messages. One of the youngest girls said, "I know it's about butterflies and caterpillars, but it can be used for humans because we become the butterfly." I nearly fell off my chair. A girl of about 7 understood perfectly what I was trying to accomplish with the story and the use of the metaphors.
Afterward, they asked me a few questions about the book and then they began their first project. I left feeling uplifted. When I got home, I read this on my facebook page from Elizabeth:
"When the parents came to pick up the girls, some of them were "flying"around the room flapping their arms saying "I'm a butterfly, I've made my change!" :)
Plus, they thought it was pretty cool to have a famous person read to them."
After six weeks, they received their bug badge for confidence. As a gift back to them, I donated eleven copies of the book and each book was personally autographed with their name and goal/personality.
From Elizabeth on Facebook:
"Oh my gosh, Angela! The girls literally SCREAMED when we showed them the books today! They loved that they got their very own copy that was personalized. They kept asking, "how did she know this about me?!" They were so excited and happy, thank you so much for bringing more happiness into our troop! I have a picture I took of them with their books, for you, if you'd like it. :)"
I intended this book to be read by mothers who would share this story with their daughters and to be read by girls who will grow with the it through every aspect of their lives and as adults. It is an eternal story for all ages.
These girls were touched by the time I spent with them, by the lessons taught by their leaders and by the story, a story of a caterpillar named Natalie who knew she was more than what everyone told her she could become. A story every little girl, teenager and adult can relate to.
If you know of any other Girl Scout Troops who would like to use this book, please contact me: angela@discoveryourwings.net.
How different will a child's life become if someone believes in them?
City Sun Times October 2011
