In March, we launched the Kindness Cake Bake Off where we asked YOU, our amazing fans, to bake something that represented kindness and bravery. We were overwhelmed by creativity and dazzled by the originality of all these submissions. You voted and chose the two recipe and design semi-finalists. After admiring so many beautiful creations, we are thrilled to announce our Design winner, Em. Today, we’re sharing her story behind her cake and her advice for finding happiness in bravery. 

As a survivor of sexual assault, I am brave on a daily basis by making a conscious effort to have fun and smile and live the life I deserve! My cake represents any person who has been through a struggle, and the universal strength we hold by continuing to live our lives in joy!

A BRAVER WORLD

For me, being brave is about acknowledging the things that I’ve been through, and still having the urge to live and be happy. After struggling for years in silence, as a songwriter, I decided to write and publish this song: https://soundcloud.com/ems_13_music/what-i-want-to-say-to-you. What I Want To Say To You really shows how I felt at my worst.

Through the love and support of my friends and family, as represented by the handholding on my cake, I have been brave enough deal with what has happened to me, and to try my hardest to move on and be happy and to live the life I deserve to live.

I know so many brave people, who have been through terrible things, but are still a joy to be around every single day. Being brave is making the choice to be happy and positive and to NOT LET OUR PASTS DEFEAT US.

As represented by the globe and the universal handholding, we can all become much braver if we support each other and work together! If you are going through a time of trouble, DO NOT STRUGGLE ALONE. Reach out to https://bornthisway.foundation/get-help-now for help on a number of issues. After my long struggle in silence, publicizing my assault to all my friends and family is the best thing I have ever done, and I have never felt stronger or happier. I cannot emphasize enough that you are not alone.

A KINDER WORLD

To be kind is many things. I try to be kind to every person I encounter; I smile at as many people as possible and make as many people feel good as I possibly can. When I feel great all I want to do is spread that happiness!

I make an effort to accept and love all my friends and family for the differences they have, instead of resenting them. Being kind is making people feel as good as you can and bringing joy to the lives of others – and from this you will feel great!

I also ensure that my friends and family know that I will always, always be there when I am needed. I make it known that I am here for my loved ones, cherish in their accomplishments and help them through any challenges.

As shown in my cake, the world is a stronger and kinder place when we work, live and love TOGETHER. We are all one race, so why not be kind to each other and work together to create the kindest, bravest world possible. Think of what could be achieved, in all areas, if everybody worked together! Pledge to spread kindness daily at https://bornthisway.foundation/kind-monsters/

REMEMBER YOURSELF!

After years of insecurity, I have finally managed to be kind to myself! I make a conscious effort daily to not judge myself or think badly about myself.
Treat yourself as you would treat others and remind yourself daily how great you are! Focus on all the positive things about you and learn to love yourself!

My cake represents both kindness and bravery, which I talk about in the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0ljFl_JkGU

A HAPPY LIFE

Living a kind and a brave life will not only ensure the happiness of those around you, but it will also bring so much love and happiness to YOU. I strongly believe that happiness is THE most important thing in life – so why not spread it and receive it in return?

Spend your days spreading love, happiness, joy and laughter and watch your life begin to change!

Bravery and kindness together are what helped me move on from my awful experience, and my life truly has changed – I have never felt happier.

Join us and learn more about living a kind and a brave life!

In March, we launched the Kindness Cake Bake Off where we asked YOU, our amazing fans, to bake something that represented kindness and bravery. We were overwhelmed by creativity and dazzled by the originality of all these submissions. You voted and chose the two Recipe design semi-finalists. After tasting both of these delicious creations, we are thrilled to announce Allison Chang as our Recipe winner. Today, we’re sharing her story behind her Hummingbird Cupcakes. We hope it inspires you just as much as it did us. 

Aim to Inspire

https://vimeo.com/162321252

For my kindness cake submission, I chose to do a spin on my favorite cake, the hummingbird, to represent the ideas of kindness and bravery. The cake itself represented kindness because it has been a cake I have baked for many different occasions, celebrating anything from a baby being born, a family holiday or just to bring into the office to share with coworkers. I think so many people love it because the flavor profile is bright from the tropical banana and pineapple notes. It’s impossible not to smile when taking a bite of a really good hummingbird cake, which is why it is one of my favorites to bake and share with others. The hummingbird itself was an inspiration to represent bravery because although it is a small creature, it is extremely resilient and can travel vast distances while fighting against the odds to reach its destination. For these reasons, I chose this cake to represent the vision of the Born This Way Foundation.

I believe kindness is an intuitive intention inside of everyone; it is the idea to treat both others and yourself with compassion and respect. Bravery is about putting kindness into practice. When I think about kindness and bravery in my own life, it really is a genuine and simple idea at its core; I constantly ask myself, what impact do you want to have on the world and the people around you? I think about how I would want someone to treat me and try to keep that in mind when I do things for others, whether it be checking in on someone when they are sick or baking cupcakes for someone just to brighten their day. The most important aspect of true kindness is for it to be genuine, and to never expect something back in return. It is amazing to see how quickly kindness can spread once it is initiated.

Bravery is about having an awareness and open dialogue about your feelings and how they are received through others’ actions and words. It is the courage to put yourself out there and speak your truth and your story. We all have a voice that deserves to be heard; even if that means clearing your life of those who do not respect your decisions, thoughts, and dreams. By having an open and honest dialogue with both others and yourself, you open the door to those who share your values and will support you in your future endeavors. I am a true believer that half the battle of being brave is to just put yourself out there; you will quickly find out who wants to accept you for who you are and who is not worth your time. Aim to inspire others by putting out the kindness and bravery you want to receive in the world. Once you do that, be prepared to celebrate in the successes that follow, both in the places you go and the people you will meet.

I wanted to give a special thanks to The Born This Way Foundation for being a pioneer in empowering others to be kind and brave as well as providing resources to those who still are lost and finding their way. In addition, I wanted to thank each and every person who helped me along the way in this contest; it was a personal challenge for myself and I am very grateful for the opportunity.

 

<3 Allison

Last week, we hosted a Twitter chat with the Committee for Children to spark further conversation on the importance of social and emotional learning. We were so encouraged by all the participation, we wanted to share the discussion with you!

If the Committee for Children (CFC) sounds familiar, that’s because we’ve been sharing their work all month. As one of our partners, we’ve been able to highlight CFC’s dedication to nurturing and celebrating all children through social and emotional learning, SEL.

The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning defines social and emotional learning as the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the following:

• Knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions
• Set and achieve positive goals
• Feel and show empathy for others
• Establish and maintain positive relationships
• Make responsible decisions

SEL programs focus on cultivating the best learning possible, by providing supportive relationships that make learning challenging, engaging, and meaningful. Beginning social and emotional awareness at a young age allows students to develop a sense of self, empathy, problem solving, and communication skills.

So how can we add more social and emotional learning into the classroom? Online tools and campaigns, like Facebook’s InspirED, give students and teachers resources they need to bring more SEL into the classroom. And, our #SELCHAT last week gave educators a chance to discuss how to improve our schools by focusing on emotions. In case you missed it, we’ve included a recap of our chat below.

Does your school include a SEL curriculum? We want to know about your experiences in school and at home — take our Born Brave Experiences survey and tell us!

And here’s what our online community had to say:

 

 

Update: As of March 5, the English portion of our survey has closed but we are still looking for Spanish respondents.

¡Estamos entusiasmados por el lanzamiento de la Encuesta “Born Brave Experiences” versión 3.0 en español! El proyecto de investigación “Born Brave” guía la programación de la Fundación “Born This Way” y nos ayuda a comprender mejor sus vidas y experiencias. Utilizamos los resultados de nuestra investigación para apoyar nuestro trabajo construyendo un mundo más amable y más valiente. ¡Le agradecemos su participación!

• TOME LA ENCUESTA (EDADES 13 – 18)
• TOME LA ENCUESTA (EDADES 19 – 25)

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Whether we’re at a concert stop in your community, speaking to young people in their schools about Hack Harassment or on the floor of Macy’s for the #LoveBravery launch, Born This Way Foundation values your voice and we want to hear from you.  We’re excited to launch Phase III of the Born Brave Experiences Study and we are inviting you to participate.

The Born Brave Experiences Research is a series of studies focused on improving our understanding of the factors that influence youth engagement, mental health, and emotional wellbeing. Grounded in existing psychological research, the studies are designed to identify the conditions that empower young people to live their best lives and to improve the services and resources available to them online and offline. Working with partners around the country and with youth themselves, the research is used to promote kindness and bravery in schools, homes, and communities. Your survey responses will help us continue to build a transformative model of youth empowerment.

Phase III of the Born Brave Experiences Research will study:

• Revolutionary ways to increase access to and improve youth mental, physical, and emotional health;
• How to assess and increase personal kindness and bravery;
• Strategies to increase social emotional learning in classrooms and community agencies that focus on youth wellness;
• Mechanisms for better access to mental and emotional health resources for young people, by linking community mental health agencies (i.e., National Council for Behavioral Health); schools (i.e., National Association of School Psychologists); and university counseling centers (i.e., that will provide training opportunities across the United States).

Your voice is crucial to making this research a success and we hope you’ll chose to participate.

• If you’re between the age of 13 and 18, click here to Take the Survey.
• If you’re between the age of 19 and 25, click here to Take the Survey.

Be sure to share the survey with all your friends – we want to hear from you!

¡Estamos entusiasmados por el lanzamiento de la Encuesta “Born Brave Experiences” versión 3.0 en español! El proyecto de investigación “Born Brave” guía la programación de la Fundación “Born This Way” y nos ayuda a comprender mejor sus vidas y experiencias. Utilizamos los resultados de nuestra investigación para apoyar nuestro trabajo construyendo un mundo más amable y más valiente. ¡Le agradecemos su participación!

• TOME LA ENCUESTA (EDADES 13 – 18)
• TOME LA ENCUESTA (EDADES 19 – 25)