personal development

6 Ways to Become Well-Liked

At our Midwest summer camp, we focus on individual empowerment. Just as our campers maximize fun and sociability at camp, a recent blog by Lolly Daskal reinforces some ways that help one maximize sociability and become well-liked. See below for bullets, with the whole article at this link to become more well-liked. Well-Liked Traits Be positive and encouraging. An attitude of positivity and praise goes a long way. People are drawn to positivity. Have fun! Seriously. Be sensitive to what’s going on around you; there will be times your playful […]

9 Things to Do Before Bed to Maximize Your Well Being

At our summer camp outside of Chicago, Illinois, we recognize the importance of goal setting and positive psychology to maximize one’s well being. A recent article details 9 steps you can take each night to do the same for yourself. Summaries below, with the whole article by Jacquelyn Smith available at this link. 1. Read. Experts agree that reading is the very last thing most successful people do before going to sleep. 2. Make a to-do list. Clearing the mind nightly means cluttered thoughts don’t end up invading your head space during the night. 3. Spend […]

Striving for Daily Peace and Harmony

I’m not one for writing reviews, but Rachel’s recently published book Not Quite Nirvana drove me to do an Amazon review. In addition to offering stories cute, pithy, and funny, the book also offers practical tips and easy suggestions for bringing more peace and harmony into one’s daily life. One of my favorite passages reads: “I want to act as if I’m in a world where compassion, kindness, and the awareness of our mutual dependence is the status quo. There is no need to wait.” The Amazon description: “With honest and vivid […]

3 Tips to Help Manage Stress During the Holiday Season

As we approach winter and the holiday season, amidst commitments that can sometimes tax families and parents, a blog by sociologist Christine Carter has some good tips on how to minimize stress. A quick summary of her tips on how to prevent burnout and breakdown during the holiday season are below, with the whole article at this link. 1. Get enough rest. You will not fulfill your potential unless you get the sleep your body, brain, and spirit need. We also need to rest during the day. After about 90 to […]

Limiting Smartphones Can Enhance Social Intelligence

At our intentionally empowering summer camp near Chicago, we have always recognized the importance of unplugging. Because the whole point of our camp is to enjoy nature, facilitate communication, and empower children by developing those skills, we don’t allow cell phones or Ipods, which diminish interpersonal interaction. A recent survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed that children today are plugged into some kind of electronic medium almost eight hours a day–“more than many full-time jobs, and more time than they spend doing anything else besides sleeping.” Recent research […]

8 Ways to Respond to Bigoted Words

As this month continues in recognition of National Bullying Prevention Month, we look at we as adults can respond to situations where a bigoted bully might be acting wrong. Below is advice verbatim from the Anti-Defamation League about bigoted words. Challenging bigoted and offensive remarks are critical to ensuring dignity and respect for all people. Below are step-by-step strategies that can assist you if you find yourself in situations where such remarks are made. Think Explore your understanding of the situation. Take a moment to reflect on what was said […]

How to Deal with Mean People

During this October’s National Bullying Awareness month, even as we focus on bullying behavior, we can also examine what we as individuals can do if/when confronted by behavior that is mean. As we do at our girls-only and boys-only summer camps, we can focus on empowering ourselves to make our world a better place. Here’s a good article from sociologist Christine Carter on steps individuals can take when confronted by mean behavior from others. The whole article is at this link, with the main takeaways summarized below: To maximize social and […]

Things I Learned When I Stopped Yelling at My Kids

Often, despite being an “intentional parent” and trying my best to offer only constructive lessons, well-thought-out feedback for my child, and other mature, responsible, fatherly-type actions, I find my voice rising seemingly uncontrollably, and only afterward realize…whoops, I yelled for no apparent reason. An article from blogger “Orange Rhino” encapsulates why we should endeavor to manage those emotions properly. Below are the highlights from her pledge to refrain from yelling at her kids for at least a year, with the whole article at this link. 1. Yelling isn’t the only […]

How to Make an Empowering Plan for the New Year

The new year is approaching for us at our summer camp near Chicago, and for everyone around the world. For those who are resolution makers, here’s a recent article from psychotherapist Maud Purcell on how to make a plan that you can stick to. Highlights include: • Work backward: Start now by clarifying your goal and then envisioning, in precise terms, what you want to have accomplished by the end of 2014. Now work backward to determine the objectives necessary to get there. • Create a schedule: Break down your objectives into […]

How to Wire Your Brain for Happiness

A recent article from the Huffington Post summarized a book by neuropsychologist Rick Hanson, author of Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm and Confidence. To summarize, on a day-to-day basis, we need to stay with our positive experiences long enough for them to be encoded into neural structure and transfer better into our long-term memory. Below are five of his tips, that we’ll certainly be sure to try to incorporate further into our multicultural summer camp. Take in the good. Appreciate moments of joy and increase their intensity and duration by lingering […]

9 Things to Do Before Bed to Maximize Your Well Being

Striving for Daily Peace and Harmony

3 Tips to Help Manage Stress During the Holiday Season

8 Ways to Respond to Bigoted Words

How to Deal with Mean People

Things I Learned When I Stopped Yelling at My Kids

How to Make an Empowering Plan for the New Year

How to Wire Your Brain for Happiness

Sound Fun? Ready To Go To Camp?

Stay In-Touch

Support The Kupugani Scholarship Fund

First Time Camper Discount