The real G-word

Dear Click!:

I have a MAJOR crush on this one guy that goes to my school. We have so much in common and get along fantastically. The only problem is that I have heard that he is gay. He has dated both guys and girls and he does not strike me as gay but I can't take my mind off him. Taped a post-it by my bed one night and REALLY concentrated my energy towards him. The next day he talked to me more than usual and walked me to one of my classes out of his way! If he IS gay can this power make him like me?

Cassidy

Cassidy,

Gay or not gay... that is not really the question. Gossip or not gossip... that's where we start. If you like this guy and spend time together and have a great time, it seems like you could ask him straight out if he is gay. For every person out there who is gay, i would guess there are 3 who are being labeled as gay and are not. So before you go one step further, go straight to the source and separate the gossip from the truth.

And another thing... about your Post-it inspired super powers. You are doing all the right things focusing your energy on what you want and visualizing it. But remember that you can only create change in yourself. Visualizing a relationship with this guy can make you more open to it, more confident that it could work out and that you are worth the sort of romance that you want. But you cannot make someone else feel something that they do not. They are in charge of how they feel, you can just put your best self forward. 

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

A&E.

We love Allie!

Dear Click!:

I just wanted to say THANK YOU! Click has changed my life. I cannot believe how happy I am all of the time! Even when things don't go my way, I can only seem to focus on the GOOD things! I have become a true positive-thinker, and I can't help but tell everyone about your book! People they are thanking me for changing their lives, but without YOU I wouldn't have been able to encourage anyone. You have inspired me to do what I never dreamed imaginable. I now know my true goal: to be a motivational.

Allie

Dear Allie,

What can we say... you make us blush. We find that the best way to motivate people to be more positive (besides writing a book about it and begging everyone to read it, haha) is to just be more positive. People really do pick up on a change in your energy when you stop bitching and moaning and start enjoying your life. They wonder: what's with Allie? She seems different, has she been waxing her eyebrows? Is she wearing shoulder pads? She definitely is up to something...

So congratulations on changing your life in a way that it is rubbing off on the people around you. In all seriousness, we believe that that is how true change happens in a school, a community, a country and globally. You are off to a great start!!

A&E.

Gloom Busters Click! Contest Winner!

We have a winner for our Gloom Busters Click! Contest... Congratulations to Allie who will receive a signed copy of Click! Read Allie's inspiring Gloom Busters strategy below and stay tuned for more Click! contests.

Dear Click!

How do I bust my gloom, you ask? Well, ever since I watched an episode of Oprah with my mom last year about thinking positively to get what you want – I can’t get enough if it! So, you can imagine how ecstatic I was to find Click! – a book for girls my age- that helped my achieve whatever I thought possible. I got started right away. I bought a cheap a bulletin board for my room, decorated it, and glued a big, fat YES in the middle – I call this my “Yes Board”. I write down, and draw pictures of things I want in life, and put them there to see every day. I also have a mini-list-version which I keep in my coat pocket – in case I ever need a little reminder to keep my spirits up. Whenever I feel negative thoughts creeping into my mind – I pull out the list, look at the board, or call my sister – whom I have trained very well in the ‘positive thinking’ department! I also have trained myself; to see the positive side of all situations, to remain thankful- no matter what, and, most of all, realize that if I want something for the right reasons, it will come to me. Over the last little while, this method of thinking has proved itself more times than one! I won meet and greet passes for my favourite singer, passed my exams with flying colours, got asked to my winter formal, landed my first TV commercial and went to Cuba (and that’s only naming a few!). Overall, the most valuable thing to me – and I know it may sound silly – is this quote: “If you believe, you can achieve”. This is the first thing I see when I wake up, and the last thing I see before bed (as it has made its way onto my bedroom wall). To me, it’s just SO true. I believe, and I DO achieve. Positive thinking has made my life so much more joyful, and one day I hope (actually, I KNOW!) I will share it with the world!

Thank you so much for writing Click!
It honestly goes with me EVERYWHERE!
You are truly an inspiration.

You loyal reader,
Alexandra 

True Rockstar

Listening to “So What?” by Pink, I can’t help but feel empowered. Yeah Pink was dissed by her husband, but so what…she’s still a rockstar. Just listening to her belt about her rock moves, I start to feel more confident too. Except when things get complicated in my own life.

I don’t know about you, but it’s not so easy for me to rock and roll through life when things get messy. When my boyfriend dumped me back in the day, the only way I channeled my inner “rockstar” was by consuming numerous pints of Cherry Garcia and Phish Food ice cream. Stuffing my feelings with ice cream didn’t work. They came back to bite me in the butt for years (literally and figuratively). That’s why these days, when I get that fridge invading-feeling or the urge start a fight (a la Pink), I take a deep breath and try to get some perspective into my feelings.

In Click! we talk about being where you are. So instead of pretending everything rocks when it doesn’t, I am trying to honor my feelings and listen to what they are trying to tell me. When I get anxious watching the news, or something negative happens, and I start to feel a pit in my stomach, I take a second to examine my feelings and question my beliefs.

There are no “shoulds” or “shouldn’ts” in handling obstacles. But I am finding that just taking the time to find perspecitve, helps build my confidence. When I feel confident, I know I will be “alright” and “just fine.” Maybe this is what being a true rockstar is all about.

- Elisabeth

Hey, E.,

I think Pink herself would be proud of the shout out here. It kinda makes me think of this season's American Idol contestants. The ones who repeatedly get all the votes are the ones who come across as truly authentic every week. They have the same vibe on stage as they do in candid interviews, and we can feel that they are the real deal. They are who they are - with flaming red hair or with a half pound of eyeliner - they are giving it to us straight from their core. I think that this sort of authenticity is where real rock star confidence comes from. 

- Annabel

Gloom Busters Click! Contest

Bummed out with the state of the world? Tell us what you are doing to cope with all the doom and gloom out there and be in the running for a signed copy of Click!

So here's how you enter:
- Be 13 or older
- Send an original, unpublished true story that reflects your “gloom busters” strategy. How do you stay focused and keep your attitude positive, during times of stress? Has a difficult situation helped you grow into a better person? Tell us about it in 300 words or less.
- Paste your submission into an email and send it to us at clickquestions@mac.com. Make sure you include your name and email address so we can get let you know you've won!
- Deadlines: All stories must be submitted by 3/30/2009 to qualify. Winner will be announced by 4/1/2009.
- Don't forget to read the submission guidelines section below!

Submission Guidelines:
- You must include your name, age, home address and email. You must be 13 years old or older to submit a story. And yes…we'd love to hear stories from moms and dads too!
- Any work you submit may be published on our website or used for future Click! publications.
- If you are published on our website or elsewhere, you will receive email notification. All works submitted become property of Click! and upon submission all right, title and interest, including the worldwide copyright, are assigned to Click!
- Submissions will not be returned, so please keep a copy.
- By submitting, you attest that all work is original and your own.
- If due to a very personal nature and you don' t want your name published, let us know. However, you still need to include your name, email and address so we can contact you if needed.
- We reserve the right to edit your work and publish and edited version without prior approval. This includes changing or not publishing names for personal or sensitive stories or to protect identities.

We've Got A Winner!!!

Thank you to everyone who entered our contest! We had the best time reading about all the amazing things you guys are doing to make great things happen in your lives. We know it isn't easy to stay positive and focused, but you are all on the right track. So... drum roll please... the winner of a new computer is....

LACIE! from Santee. CA

Ever since I was young, I had always wanted a quilt; maybe one from my grandma, or mom, but they were not the type of seamstresses I had hoped. So, I promised myself, that if they couldn't make one, I would find a way to make one myself. That way, I could be the grandma, to my grand kids, that I didn't have. Soon came high school, I specifically chose the school that taught sewing, only one in my school district did. I worked hard, and in the process got hurt. While cutting fabric I cut a piece of my finger off along with it. But I didn't give up, the next day I was sewing again. I made a charity quilt that went to sick children in the hospital, I felt so happy to give the thing I worked so hard on away. From then on, I knew I would do this for the rest of my life. Now, in my Senior year, and being the only fourth year student in my school of 3000, I continue to pursue my dreams. Quilting and giving, brings me so much joy, it could not be replaced with anything. Every quilt I make, is original, and one of a kind, like a finger print. At the moment I am making one for a soldier fighting in Iraq, and although I don't see the results of my work, I know they are affecting at least one individual in the world.

Congratulations Lacie! We are so impressed by your courage and perseverance. We have rarely heard from someone who knows so clearly what she wants and why. Enjoy your computer!

Also... there were some other entrants whose stories deserve an honorable mention here:

Hazel from San Diego, CA

In August 2007, I hiked to the summit of Mt. Whitney with my Girl Scout Troop. Mt. Whitney is the highest elevation point in the contiguous US. It stands at 14,497.60 feet. The trail that we took was 22 miles roundtrip. Our leader brought the idea to us in April 2007. We all immediately loved the idea, and wanted in.

My Troop loves to hike/camp, so this seemed like the ultimate goal for us. Our leader told us if we really wanted to commit, our training would have to start right away. Every weekend we went on training hikes. These varied from 8-21 miles, round trip. My favorite was when we took the train from Solana Beach Beach to Oceanside, and walked back.

After months of training, we were finally ready for the task. We spent 3 nights at a base camp, getting used to the elevation. Then on Tuesday August 14th, we started the ascent to the top. Leaving at approximately 3:45AM, and returning at 11:30PM. It was by far, one of the most difficult days of my life. But at the same time, it was definitely one of the most rewarding. I will never forget the moment I got the the summit. I saw it about 30 yards away, and even though I had a 25 pound backpack on, I started sprinting towards my goal. I crashed into my friend Jessica, and we hugged each other for what seemed like an eternity, saying thanks, and congratulations.

Getting to the top of Mt. whitney has defined me as a person. I set out with a group of friends, all of us going for one singular goal. Get to the top of the mountain.....and have fun while doing it.

We reached both those goals.


Natalie from Miami, FL

How did I meet the universe half way? Well, it all started the day I bought Click! I couldn’t be more excited to try and achieve my goals and make the decisions for a change. The universe always seemed to beat me to the punch and answer my misleading e-vites. But now, the universe and I have become pretty good friends. The issue was that I’ve always “tried” to be myself but in reality I was being what others wanted me to be. I was wearing the clothes that were in style along with the hair cuts and earrings that were to die for. Others would accept me now and then but I was never happy with the acceptance because in my eyes it was a fake. So what did I do? I read Click! and discovered myself while finding out I was actually someone worth getting to know for personality rather than looks and accessories. I decided to try out my new theory and changed my whole sense of style. I let my true self show and in exchange I gained new friends unlike any others I’ve had before. Together we are unstoppable. No thunderstorm could stop the laughs and memories to come. They helped me out through the toughest of situations without negativity and were like my life-size Click! book. They knew exactly what to say and at the right time to say it. For instance, if I was having trouble, they would take me out and enjoy myself rather than sulk over a carton of ice cream gaining no other than a couple of pounds. I’ve made finally made “It” happen! With no effort but being my own self and sending out great vibes and e-vites. Thanks Elisabeth and Annabel! Without your inspiring words I’m not sure I’ve would’ve been able to make “it happen. I’ve achieved my life goal- Happiness.