May 2012 – Individual Empowerment

Where is the Smoothie Bar?

May 31, 2012December 31, 2012 Impower You

I was inspired by this post by Rebel Grrrl Italiana, http://lachristagreco.com/2012/05/26/youre-no-fun-living-sober-at-26

I tried drinking a lot in High School to make friends, but I never enjoyed it and once HS ended, so did drinking. It’s not an activity that my family is really into either. I did not grow up in a home where alcohol was present. I did have an alcoholic father, but only saw him once a year. I also see a lot of people who at older ages drink and do drugs so much they are not healthy and not all there anymore. It seems like such a waste.

A few years ago while working at a job I would go out drinking with co-workers. It was fun, but I got bored fast and when that job ended so did my friendships. Finally I am at a point where I don’t want to be around people who drink and definitely not anyone using drugs. It isn’t because I feel it is wrong, but rather because it’s not something I enjoy nor do I like how it makes me feel. These days I only have fun on my terms and while I am willing to try new activities, changing my state with drugs/alcohol is not one.

It is rough finding new friends that want to be sober. I REALLY miss going out and being sociable with a drink in hand, but that won’t happen again until smoothie bars are open till 2am.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DRINKING OR RECREATIONAL DRUG USE?

Social Action

Call to Action: Mr. Hateful

May 30, 2012 Impower You

This is really sick stuff from Mr. Charles Worley, who is a nasty, hateful man. He hates people whose sexual orientation is different than his. He wants to put anyone who identifies as lesbian, gay or trans in a giant fenced off area, drop food in there and wait for them to die since they cannot reproduce. It’s not quite the holocaust, but pretty close. His parish supports him. I would love to see this church close down from all the pressure from all of us who are tolerant.

You can call or send an email or letter to Providence Church in Maiden, NC and tell them how offended you are. Heck, the crazy people do it all the time to abortion clinics and the KKK used to do it to our dark skinned neighbors. Call them up until they close down and stop spreading their hate. You can also flood their email with letters to have them stop spouting hate an violence.

Write: Mr. Charles Worley (AKA Mr. Hateful)
3283 Providence Mill Road Maiden, NC 28650
Call: (828) 428-2518 Email: preacherworley@charter.net

Read the article here: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/05/21/pasto/

Pass it on.

Book Reviews

Book Review: If I Get to Five

May 29, 2012May 28, 2012 Impower You

Are you brave enough to read this book?

I loved this book. It was recommended to me by a former teacher. She thought it would be a good read for my work with youth. “If I Get to Five: What Children Can Teach Us About Courage and Character” is written by Fred Epstein M.D. and is a inspirational and fun. He highlights several children, young adults and their parents who survived or died from inoperable tumors. It could have been a total downer, but it’s not. It is the best reminder of how amazing children are and the strength and beliefs they can show in the most terrifying of situations.

Can you imagine being 8 years old and undergoing multiple surgeries or chemo treatments for months or years? I honestly cannot. The worst physical injury I have survived is a broken ankle. I thought that was bad. I was in the worst mood during that time. Maybe I could have been a bit brighter if I had read this book during my bed rest and therapy. It is a short read and one I recommend EVERYONE READ because it crosses cultural, economic, gender, and racial lines. The children and families in this book could be you or me. Some of you reading this are and have been going through physical pain for some time. Despite the grim prognosis given to many children, their spirited stories had me laughing and reminded me how wonderful life is if we only take the time to let it be.

Check it out at the library, your local bookstore, or order it online. http://www.amazon.com/If-Get-Five-Children-Character/dp/080507144X

Empowering Discussions

Favor Your Strengths

May 24, 2012May 24, 2012 Impower You

I see a lot of people self hating and putting themselves down. This isn’t something new, but since until last year that was MY favorite activity it seems especially poignant now that I am aware of how often I participated in this useless action. I constantly stop myself from thinking or saying anything negative about myself or my situation. I just cannot do it anymore. There is nothing THAT bad or THAT wrong with me. Sure I have flaws, so what? I have a lot more strengths. All around me are victims who focus on their flaws. Here’s a wild and crazy idea, let’s remember what is good instead of all this focus on what we perceive as wrong. Because it is a perception. Whether we feel too fat, or too dumb, or too (insert your flaws here) is relevant to what we choose to think.

I have met a few incredibly ignorant people and dangerously overweight people. The key here is “A FEW”. Very few. Most people I meet are so intelligent or at least average. The majority of people I know are not even close to fat. So where is all this self hate coming from? Why the alarm over misguided beliefs?

Favor your strengths. Do it because you can and because you deserve to feel good about yourself. Do it to show the next generation how much life improves after we stop trying to be perfect. The best way to get rid of self hate is to stop cold turkey. Just stop saying or thinking anything bad about yourself.

I heard my friends 11 year old yesterday say she wished she was skinny like the girls in her tween clothing catalog. I asked her not to be one of those people because she was more than how she looked. I really did not know what else to say. She is only 11 after all. I have already told her about airbrushed models in magazines. I hope she understands and I hope she can remember to always favor her strengths.

WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS?

WHAT ABOUT YOU IS GOOD, GREAT, AMAZING?

HOW CAN YOU FOCUS ON THOSE AND GROW IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION?

Art

Art Wednesday: Hodgepodge

May 23, 2012May 22, 2012 Impower You

Laughed So Hard I Cried — Days Like This

: If you would like to have your art featured on my blog leave a comment on my profile page.

Book Reviews

Book Review: King Peggy

May 22, 2012May 18, 2012 Impower You

I admit when I first picked this up, I thought it would end up being a boring story. Royalty holds no interest for me. I was never that girl that played pretend princess and while I did enjoy Snow White and Cinderella, the stories weren’t that great since the girls hardly had any real adventure. So once again my idea of what a book would be like was shattered and I am happy for that. King Peggy, is now one of my favorite books.

Peggy is a secretary at the Ghana Embassy in D.C. who finds out she has been chosen as the new king of her village in Otuam, Ghana(Africa). While this may sound like Cinderella, it is far from it. She is not some poor girl with low self esteem scrubbing floors and holding her tongue. She is a hardworking woman who has loved, lost, moved to a new country, fights her own battles, clearly speaks her mind, and is independent. The title she inherits from her Uncle Joseph, the previous king includes a royal “palace” falling apart in disrepair, no money or jewels, and a large village with just one water station or “borehole”. She has to deal with a council of liars and thieves who have no respect for women or sobriety and for a short time goes into debt herself to revitalize the village and honor for her seven thousand citizens. She uses her wits, bravery and education to create positive changes. She is truly a empowered women, a role model and an example of how anyone despite gender or skin color can make a difference in the live of so many people. It starts a bit slow, but by page 55 I could not put the book down. I didn’t want the book to end.

You can learn more on her website: http://www.kingpeggy.com/

and Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/King-Peggy/169676286446629

I Am More Than Just a Girl Book

Prose and Poetry Empowers

May 18, 2012May 18, 2012 Impower You

I am so honored to be a part of this post on the Somkritya blog.

Why are we teaching children to be so awful to one another and to judge so harshly based on appearances or economic status? I think it is mostly laziness and fear of anything different. I suppose that since I grew up in a multicultural and racially diverse family that is something I cannot understand. Doesn’t everybody realize how awesome it is to have family and friends who are different, but still love you?

I was that girl and young woman that was scared, picked on and assaulted at such a young age that my self esteem was dropped on the floor of my room every time I left the house. Not until I was about 28 did I start realizing that all this negativity I was living in and telling myself was not my only choice.

Even though I grew up with a very independent, feminist, loving supportive mom and family, the outside influences of my peers and assorted adults had as much impact. At home I was told how beautiful, smart, and funny I was and I could feel the love. Despite this, I had no confidence when I met obstacles like bullies, oppression, and hatred for just being me. I just hope that the young women who read his book feel empowered and informed. I want young women to feel confident at any age and not wait so long like I did. My book is not the only answer, but it is a start and a ripple that I believe can really create a positive difference.

Read the blog here: http://somkritya.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/just-a-woman/

Writing

Simple Definitions

May 17, 2012December 31, 2012 Impower You

I see a lot of people making life more complicated and thus more stressful for themselves and others. So I am sharing some simplicity for you to consider. This is what I know and you are welcome to share your own definition of these or other words as long as they are civil. For instance the silly people that leave comments calling me a twat never get published. (though I do get quite a laugh at those)

Love is just wonderful. It is given and received out of compassion, respect, attraction and gratitude. That doesn’t mean you can’t hurt someone you love or be hurt by someone who loves you. Accidentally hurting someone is okay and shouldn’t make you completely doubt your ability to love or be loved. Hurting someone on purpose is not love. Someone who hurts you on purpose is controlling you or abusing you, but NOT loving you. Don’t let this confuse you. People who love you will treat you well, but at some point piss you off or make you upset. The difference is those who love you do not hurt on purpose.

Feminism is just a term that expresses an interest for women to be treated equally in society on a similar level as men. You can be a feminist and be anti abortion or pro abortion. Abortion is a reproductive right and there are various reasons for being for or against it. Being a feminist has nothing to do with makeup, shaving your legs, hating men, being a lesbian or not knowing your place. Feminism is simply a stance on women’s rights and in the end just a word, our actions are much more powerful. *Men and boys can be feminists too.

Normal gets tossed around a lot. It can be used as a term for endearment or condemnation. It is overused. What is normal depends on your life experiences. It is not a bad or good thing. It is just a descriptive word, mostly used by governments to keep people in line and by advertisers who want to sell a lot of product.

Tolerance means you are not judgmental or controlling of others. This is a wonderful and necessary quality to nurture because we live on a planet with seven billion plus people who are all unique. You can either teach yourself to be tolerant and enjoy learning new things, meeting amazing people and seeing the world through different eyes or you can live your life in a negative, non accepting, homogeneous manner. “Live and let live” is a message of tolerance.

Heaven is in your heart, not someplace good people good when they die. We create heaven or hell in our lives through our own beliefs and actions. So give yourself a break and create heaven now instead of waiting to be saved by someone else. You are capable and gifted.

Peace is awesome! There is peace with others, peace with yourself, peace with unexpected events and world peace. You cannot make peace without first being at peace. Peace starts with you.

Wealth means you have a lot of something. It is not necessarily money, gold or material objects. You can be wealthy with love, family, friends, experiences, memories and whatever you choose to grow in your life.

WHAT ELSE DO WE MAKE COMPLICATED THAT IS REALLY QUITE SIMPLE?

LEAVE YOUR OWN DEFINITION IN A COMMENT BELOW.