Author: Impower You

Healing through art & therapy! I used to be depressed and codependent with very low self worth and many unhealthy habits. But several years ago I started the healing process and am sharing what I learned with gratitude and hope for each of us. Peace & hugs, Leah
Social Action

Is Human Trafficking Happening In Your Community?

Impower You

When I worked at the Women’s Resource Center we received training on how to talk to a trafficking victim. I learned how to identify, approach, and report a victim to a local organization that rescued victims or to the police. It was a sad and eye-opening experience. As if there is not enough bad news to receive each day. However upsetting it is, I paid attention and I feel good knowing that there are amazing loving people who help victims, whom I can report suspected trafficking to. Please share this blog post with your network.  Talking about this crime and making it a public issue is a simple act we can each do to create a safer, healthier, happier world.

Human trafficking is the exploitation of another human and is a form of slavery.  I used to think smuggling was the same as trafficking, but that is not necessarily true. Smuggling is transportation based. Trafficking is exploitation based.  Don’t get confused by the word trafficking.  It does not need to involve any transportation.

Trafficking involves using force, lies or coercion to enslave a person. Victims are controlled via sexual exploitation, violence, a need to work or being in debt to the trafficker. It is a terrible act that affects anywhere from 12-27 million people worldwide. Those are scary numbers to think about. Below are some ways traffickers control victims. One or all of the actions below are used to enslave a person.

  • The trafficker will hold someone’s personal documents such as a passport, work permit, or ID so that person is afraid to leave.
  • The victim will not be paid or paid less than expected. They may have to pay of f a debt that can never actually be reached.
  • Physical beatings are used to control people and emotional abuse as well. Victims are not allowed to socialize, see family or have friends. They are cut off from everyone except their abuser.
  • Traffickers create unsafe work and living conditions.
  • Victims are often threatened with deportation or jail if they leave.

Be ware of those signs and you may be able to save a life and help them find freedom. Below are two things I remember to be aware of from my training.

  •  You know those kids you see selling candy bars in parking lots? Ask the children if they are being forced to sell the candy or if they need help. Look around for a van with dark windows nearby. Write down the license plate number and call the police. The traffickers may be inside the van forcing these children to work.
  • Are there a lot of women selling Avon or MaryKay to the same house in your neighborhood?  Is there a lot of traffic in and out of that same house at any or all hours? Those women may be forced into prostitution.

The Department of Homeland Security finally did something right(don’t get me started on all they do wrong) by creating a training video so all citizens can learn about human trafficking and how to report it. You can watch this short informative training video for free here: www.dhs.gov/human-trafficking-awareness-training Check it out and pass it on. You can report suspected human trafficking via phone or online. Call 1-866-347-2423 (toll-free) or  1-802-872-6199 (non toll-free international) Report online at www.ice.gov/tips

What if it was my niece, nephew or younger cousin that was trafficked?   I would be devastated and would want to do anything I could to stop it from happening to someone else.

Become involved and get informed and about human trafficking through websites like Volunteer.NotForSaleCampaign.org and StopSlavery2013.com. Find information by state at PolarisProject.org/state-map.

What if it was your daughter or son? What if the next victim is your little sister or brother? 

If you find this information helpful pass it on. Knowledge is power.

Read all my books at www.Bookemon.com.

Have a Kindle? I have ebooks at www.Amazon.com.

Empowering Discussions

How To Spot a Feminist

Impower You

I cringe every time I read about some female celebrity who says they want equal rights, but are not a feminist. Ha! Have they been brainwashed as to believe the F word is somehow offensive?  It’s a mad mad mad mad mad mad world for sure. So for anyone who is still confused about what a feminist is here is a list so you can tell whether or not someone is a feminist.

  • Their skin color is brown/yellow/black/tan/white/beige/ any color.
  • The shape of their eyes is small/slanted/wide/round/uneven/or any other shape.
  • They do OR don’t shave their legs/arm pits/mustaches/or any hair on their body.
  • Their sexuality is LGBTQ/heterosexual/anything they desire.
  • They have a vagina/penis/neither.
  • They wear mini skirts/high fashion/long dresses/trendy shoes/combat boots/jewelry/makeup or nothing.
  • They want a paycheck that is equal to any man’s paycheck for the same job.
  • They believe all women should have access to birth control
  • They may or may not be pro abortion. (This can be argued many ways depending on the person. Impower You is of course Pro-Abortion/Pro-Choice)
  • They believe women and men should both be treated equal despite biological differences.
  • They know that neither women nor men are better than the other.
  • They don’t refer to other women as slut/bitch/ho/or any other demeaning reference. (Some of us slip up now and the, but we try to be conscious of our words).
  • They never EVER blame the victim in any case of rape/molestation/sexual assault/attack .

There may be some traits missing in this list. HOW ELSE CAN YOU SPOT A FEMINIST?  Leave a comment below. Keep it respectful or your comment won’t be published.

Fierce: A New Generation of Female Empowerment

Fierce Fridays – Gender Bias

Impower You

Welcome to week four of sharing excerpts from the book, Fierce: A New Generation of Female Empowerment. This book is for those who have a desire to get the most out of life. Those who want to make positive change, but are not sure how to make it happen. It is for young women who will soon be out of high school and on their way to college or some other adventure. It is also for women of any age who needs a reminder of how fierce she can be.  My hope is that you will share these posts with all the girls and women in your life. Let them know the book can be read for free online or a a soft cover book is available for sale at Bookemon.com. Enjoy!

“Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.” – Chris Kramarae and Paula Treichler

Gender Bias 

   Starting at a young age we are assigned roles for our genders. Girls are dressed in lots of pink and white because it is “pretty and innocent”. We are then given dolls and kitchen sets so we can learn old school feminine roles. Boys are dressed in lots of blues and red because those are “tough, manly” colors. They are then given trucks and building blocks so they can learn old school masculine roles.  Slowly, but thankfully some parents have clued into the idea that stereotypical roles at a young age does effect how we grow and limit ourselves in relation to the world.

Gender bias is not just directed towards females. It goes both ways. The downside to only doing what “fits your gender” is missing out on so many experiences. Girls may never learn how to stand up for themselves against domestic abuse or change a flat tire when stuck on the side of the road and boys may never know how to care for their own children or sew up a hole in their favorite jeans. We don’t have time to learn everything in life, but it is important to not be stuck in a limiting role.  We should not feel like certain activities or goals are specific to only one gender.

  • Is it fair that girls are usually expected to do household chores like clean the dishes or vacuum?
  • Is it fair that boys are told they need to play sports to be manly and tough?
  • How do you feel when someone describes something or an action as “girly” or “manly”?
  • What other characteristics could you use to describe someone without gender indications?
  • What types of careers do the women you know have?
  • What types of careers do the men you know have?
  • Do you see patterns of gender limitations in the careers they chose?

As we get older, gender roles become even more enforced. Clothing and products are marketed to girls so they can look pretty and sexy. Boys are marketed clothing and products so they can look rough, tough, and handsome.

  • How do you feel about toys and clothes that are limited to princess or flower themes?
  • What types of clothing do you like to wear?
  • Do you dress to look older or prettier?
  • Is it important for you to look sexy?
  • Does it seem like you are being forced to look a certain way so that you are “girly” enough?

We have yet to become a truly equal society. Women still get paid less than men in some careers, our reproductive rights constantly face attacks, and we are still objectified and abused around the world.  There is an old belief that men are the primary income providers of families so they should be paid more than women. Of course this is not often true. Many families that have two parents rely on both incomes to get by and there are no shortage of single mothers who are a family’s sole income provider.

It is important that women are paid as much as men when they perform the same job. How do you feel to know that a man can be paid more than you for the same job? In 1963 the Equal Pay Act (EPA) became law and legally abolished the practice of paying men more than women for the same type of job, though it is not necessarily enforced. In 2009, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act (LLFPRA) was signed into law.  While the EPA is supposed to ensure that women and men are paid the same, it does not state that women can seek lost wages if she finds out that she is getting paid less than a man for the same job.

This act started because one woman, Lilly Ledbetter found out that while working at the tire company, Goodyear, she had been paid thousands of dollars less than men who worked the same jobs. She sued the company for sex discrimination and won. But Goodyear appealed, the case went to the Supreme Court and after 8 years of appeals it was ruled that she could not seek restoration. This happened because before the Lily Ledbetter act, a person only had 180 days to file an employment complaint, but she didn’t know about the wage gap until years later. She fought back and eventually succeeded at creating a new law that gives women the right to seek restoration pay. *(3)

You don’t have to spend several years of your life fighting like Lily did. You can be active in politics and make sure that everyone has equal protection through our government.  Go online to USA.Gov/Contact/Elected and contact your elected officials. To find local elected officials go to StateLocalGov.Net. You can speak up by calling or sending an email to express your concern about laws and issues that are most important to you. If you don’t vote and express yourself to the people who are in charge of your city, state and country than someone else with a different opinion will. It is up to you…. Continue reading at Bookemon.com.

Book Reviews

Book Review: Freedom Writers Diary

Impower You

I roll my eyes every time I hear the phrase “Teenagers these days are useless”.  It’s been said for many generations and like all stereotypes is the product of someones underactive imagination. Anyone who thinks that should read “The Freedom Writers Diary” by Erin Gruwell. It is a collection of journal entries by High School students in the late 90’s attending school in Long Beach, CA.

The students in her class were “unteachable”. Mostly it seems because they were living in neighborhoods with gang wars and violence keeping them from studying or aspiring for very little and struggling for a lot. Yet their thinking began to change when they learned about the Holocaust in Germany and the atrocities of the genocide in Sarajevo.  Every kid in that class kept a journal and they did not sugar coat their entries. They wrote about death, sexual assault, being homeless, overcoming peer pressure and other hardships. They became friends despite racial prejudices, cliques, and upbringing. Thanks to their teacher Erin, these students were shown a different world via field trips, meeting new people, and books. They met Miep Gies, the courageous women who sheltered Ann Frank.  They became friends with Zlata Filopivic, who was the same age as them and survived a war.  Some parts are sad and scary to read, but overall this book is amazing. It shows you that YES, real change is possible if you try, if you have support, and if you reach out to others.

The Freedom Writers Diary book, teens who change the world

It doesn’t stop there. The Freedom Writers lives on as an organization that empowers educators and students to reach for their full potential and not let violence, drugs, prejudice, or apathy decide their future.  Please read this book, buy it for a friend and check out www.FreedomwritersFoundation.org for more information.

How has changing your thinking changed your life?

Social Action

Role Model: Shadrak Kyobe of Empower And Care Organization

Impower You
What if you grew up in a community surrounded by poverty along with a high infection of HIV/Aids? Would you have the strength to know you were capable of changing these conditions? Shadrak  Kyobe grew up with a supportive family and a dream to make his home country of Uganda a healthier happier place for everyone.
He is an active supporter of women’s rights, is working hard to reduce the infection of HIV/Aids, and has decreased the cycle of poverty. He does all of this by teaching people that they are capable of creating change in their own lives. He founded the  Empower and Care Organization in Uganda. His mission is “to reduce poverty and HIV/AIDS through economic empowerment, educational opportunities and support for disadvantaged groups. Their activities are targeted toward vulnerable women, especially widows and those living with HIV/AIDS; vulnerable children, youth, and the elderly.”  I hope his interview inspires you to create change in your own life and eventually in your community and the whole world.
What was your inspiration or what necessitated you to begin this adventure? I grew up in a very poor environment and I also used to see vulnerable people not living a happy and healthy life. Now I devote my time to make a difference in people’s lives, develop a wide network, develop a range of skills and experience that can be used in everyday life, Each week, my gift of time will help nourish and sustain the quality of life for someone less fortunate than me and I love to see vulnerable people living a better and healthy life.
People who are poor and ill with AIDS are vulnerable to social isolation, depression, and the inability to care for their own and their family’s basic needs; Children are often forced to leave school to care for their dying parents. A widespread response is a home-based care program, which provides a community with trained volunteers to visit the homes of the ill. Home-based care volunteers assist with a range of needs, including food preparation, hygiene, basic medical care, and counseling. You can take your time and volunteer with this Uganda organization. And to me I have a belief that every human being is a unique individual and that we all have a right to good health and basic needs and should access means to a comfortable life in one way or another
Therefore I want to see women (since they are the mothers of the world) to be transforming from a state of hopelessness to a state of excellence hence freeing them from exploitation and fully exhaust their potential.
What steps did you take to create your program? Identified the status of these people and then the needs of these communities after that it was easier for me to start a program in this community.
What obstacles were you forced to overcome? That was poverty in our community, most of the people in our community thought that they were poor but these people were rich only that they didn’t know, so I am giving these communities the skills and knowledge on how to utilize the resources surrounding them.
What were the hardest problems to solve or actions to take? Is to drive out people’s mind that for them its poverty that has kept them to be vulnerable and they need money to solve their problems. Then I let them know that its not money that can solve a problem, but their the ideas if well expressed can bring money!
What must you do to stay operational? I must be trust worthy, Focused, Determined, Patient with a positive mind!
Who, if anyone, helped you succeed? My Parents and few friends have been on my side to see that I be what I am today, I remember my parents used to tell me that Shadrak you need to be patient, Hardworking and you have to listen to what others are saying as well as respecting their views if you are to win the battle. Besides that they advised me to have friends who are productive and that I should never and never look behind or having any negative thought in me because this can affect my future.
Get involved and learn more about the EACO at www.EACOuganda.webs.com  …This interview is from a  book that includes 15 other amazing people who are creating positive change. You can read the full book and buy a copy for you or your school at Bookemon.com
***
Fierce: A New Generation of Female Empowerment

FIERCE Fridays: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Impower You

Welcome to week three of sharing excerpts from the book, Fierce: A New Generation of Female Empowerment. This book is for those who have a desire to get the most out of life. Those who want to make positive change, but are not sure how to make it happen. It is for young women who will soon be out of high school and on their way to college or some other adventure. It is also for women of any age who needs a reminder of how fierce she can be.  My hope is that you will share these posts with all the girls and women in your life. Let them know the book can be read for free online or a a soft cover book is available for sale at Bookemon.com. Enjoy!

I don’t think anybody anywhere can talk about the future of their people or of an organization without talking about education. Whoever controls the education of our children controls our future. -Wilma Mankiller

Critical Thinking

  Critical thinking is using rational, clear minded thought along with unbiased evidence. You can teach yourself this by asking questions. That is one action we can always take to create our own opinions and to find solutions. Everyone has an opinion and many people want others to think just like them. Those who are in power are very often willing to spin facts into half truths or tell flat out lies so they can keep their authority and power.

We do not have to automatically believe what we are told or shown. We are each capable of questioning, researching, and evaluating what we learn. The world we inhabit is not stuck in place, right and wrong, or black and white. New information is brought to our attention on a constant basis. We are always evolving. Change is an important, valuable, and inevitable gift of life. Critical thinking is a must for our society to progress.  Question, Research, Evaluate and Decide for yourself.

Question: Why is it important? Who told you? Where did you get your information?  What is your evidence?

Research:  Look up your questions at the library, online, and ask experts. Who says this is true? Who paid for this study? What do they have to gain? It is biased? Why is it important to know this? In a world where people will tell lies to make a profit, always ask the question “Where did you get your information?”

Evaluate: Compare disagreeing sources. Does it all fit together? Are there holes in the argument? Is this an issue based on personal experience, religious beliefs, or scientific fact?

THINK for yourself.

 

Problem Solving 

  Problems can seem unattainable when another person is involved. Below is an action plan you can use to keep situations from blowing up into a bigger problem and to keep feelings and egos from being hurt. This action plan is one I use and was created from my education and experiences. If you can master the first step of neutralizing your emotions instead of becoming defensive or angry the other steps will be easier because then you are thinking with a clear mind.

  1. Calm your emotions.
  2. Identify the root of the problem.
  3. Control the argument before it escalates.
  4. Find a solution or compromise.
  5. Walk away without burning bridges.

1) Calm Your Emotions. Consciously make a choice to calm yourself and neutralize your emotions. Allowing your emotions to run wild can cause you to become irrational. Focus on the root of the problem, the real issue at hand. In the beginning it is important to not get caught up in drama or all the little points. Focus on the biggest point and go from there. Don’t get caught up in fighting a war. Instead neutralize the battle and turn it into a discussion.

Ask yourself:

  • What do I have at stake?
  • Is this an argument I can win?
  • Do I need to win this time or can I walk away with a loss that won’t ruin everything else?
  • Will this turn into a long term problem?
  • Is it only a problem in the short term?
  • Does this remind me of a problem before that went unresolved?
  • If so, how could I have resolved that problem?

2) Identify The Root. Start by figuring out if the problem is caused by a situation or person. We all have bad days or moods that can cause a simple problem or disagreement to grow into a huge storm. Sometimes we are forced to deal with someone who is either creating a problem or escalating it.

  • Is this situation causing problems?
  • Is a person creating a problem?
  • Is the other person being mean or just reacting to the problem?
  • Is the other person acting difficult and arguing because this is how they solve their problems?
  • Is this a person who is always difficult?
  • Are they in a position of power and used to taking what they want no matter what?
  • Are they purposely making the problem worse?

3) Control the argument or problem from escalating. Start a dialogue. Ask the other person to explain their side instead of simply attacking. Then explain your side. If the person is threatening you it might be time to move to a safe space or a neutral environment. Empathize with the other person instead of opposing them. Ask them questions. Giving someone a chance to explain their story may not be our first instinct so it has both the element of surprise and allows other people to feel like they are being heard.  Not everybody is going to want to talk it out and in that case you need to move on finding a solution, a compromise, or walking away.

  • What do you feel is wrong?
  • Why is this important to you?
  • What do you fear to lose if this doesn’t go your way?
  • Does this remind you of a problem before that went unresolved?
  • If so how could you have solved that problem?
  • Can you control the outcome by changing your view?
  • If this problem does not need to be solved immediately, can you take some time to reach out and ask for assistance?
  • Who are your allies?
  • Who can you ask that is neutral on the subject?
  • Can you find a mediator?
  • Can you ask a supervisor?

4) Find a Solution and Compromise. If you were able to start a dialogue and see the problem from different viewpoints than it is time to find the solution that works best for everyone.

Find a Solution

  • What are all our options?
  • What would be the pros and cons of doing it this way or that way?
  • What if we took part of the problem away? Then could we find a solution to the rest of the problem?
  • Ask each other, what would you do in the other person’s position?
  • How will this solution keep the problem from worsening?

Compromise

Can you find an alternative solution?

Can both of you find something to let go of?

What can we do differently to keep this from happening again?

5) Walk away. Some problems cannot be solved right away. There are times when we or another person aren’t willing to budge. We all have bad days, so don’t be too harsh. On the other hand some people are not willing to find solutions or compromise. If this is the case you may want to walk away and stay clear of them. If both of you have reviewed all the options and cannot agree on a solution or compromise than it is time to take a break.…Continue reading at Bookemon.com

 

Empowering Discussions

The SWM Label

Impower You

What is  SWM? It stands for Single White Male. In some circles it is a compliment and in others a terribly mean discriminatory remark.  Like most of life, how you will view those three words depends on INDIVIDUAL RELEVANCE.   The point of this site is individual empowerment so it fits in nicely among other posts.

I recently read what to me was a hilarious blog attempting to explain to clueless and privileged single white males how much easier life is for them than other groups of people. I laughed reading it and laughed at the follow-up post. So I am sharing those two blog posts for your own enjoyment and to get you thinking about what legacy you one day (hopefully very far into the future) want to leave this wonderful world. Your legacy will not just be one shining moment or a handful of successes. It will be every action you take in life. Because like the wings of a butterfly supposedly causing a tornado across the globe, every breath, every thought, every word, and every action we take has a reaction. It’s often called “the circle of life”.

First post: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/05/15/straight-white-male-the-lowest-difficulty-setting-there-is/

Follow up post: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/05/17/lowest-difficulty-setting-follow-up/

Third Follow up post: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/05/23/final-notes-for-lowest-difficulty-setting/

Ultimately your life is up to you. You decide what to learn, share, love, and hate.  Compassion for others, acceptance of others, standing up for others, and actively pushing equality for all is something we can all do despite our difficulty setting.  For many centuries, a patriarchal predominantly white class of people have ruled the world. This post is not about vengeance or blame. It is a reminder that we have progressed many strides, and yet we have many more to go.  If you find this discussion worthy leave a comment or share it with a friend and start your own discussion. Think of actions you can take to create a world all about positive change.

 What level do you perceive your difficulty setting?

What can you do to create easier settings for everyone in the world?

🙂

BTW: Thank you to my wonderful brother for sharing the original blog post. 

Fierce: A New Generation of Female Empowerment

FIERCE Fridays: It’s Up To YOU!

Impower You

Welcome to week two of sharing excerpts from the book, Fierce: A New Generation of Female Empowerment. This book is for those who have a desire to get the most out of life. They want to make positive change, but are not sure how to make it happen. It is for young women who will soon be out of high school and on their way to college or some other adventure. It is also for women of any age who needs a reminder of how fierce she can be.  My hope is that you will share these posts with all the girls and women in your life. Let them know the book can be read for free online or a a soft cover book is available for sale at Bookemon.com. Enjoy!

“I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” -Hariet Tubman

Book Excerpt: It’s Up To You

  Life is full of changes, whether you like it or not you need to be prepared, and to be prepared you need to have a lot of self love. If you don’t believe in your own capabilities, don’t respect yourself, and feel like you are not good enough than life is going to chew you up and spit you out. Creating a healthy confidence about your body, mind, and spirit allows you to create a strong foundation to clear hurdles and overcome problems.

Start with the very beginning by recognizing that your DNA is like no other. This means you are unique and have something special to offer the world. Healthy bodies are as important as healthy minds. Healthy is not necessarily what the media or culture dictates. A great example is the preoccupation of looking skinny and flawless. Beauty and body image has become overwhelmingly important to women AND men who want to look perfect so they may feel good about themselves and be accepted by both friends and romantic partners. But PERFECT does not exist.

We are human and humans are flawed. It is our nature. Perfection is an abstract idea. We may feel like our hair, nose, toes, arms, stomach or eyes are perfect. Someone else may disagree. That is fine. If we all had the same idea of perfect, looked the same, and felt the same life would be boring.  Love your body! Love that it works. Embrace the fact that you only get one body and you will care for it.

If you feel bad about your body consider how it would feel if you lost an arm or leg. What if you had scars or deformations that really set you apart? Beauty is truly relevant. Design your own idea of beauty because there are so many different ways depending on what you see, feel and have been taught.

Tell negative thoughts to get lost. 

Do you ever call yourself stupid, fat, ugly?

Why would you talk to yourself that way?

Would you be friends with someone who talked that way to you?

YOU are the only one that can truly understand your capabilities, intellect and emotions, so treat yourself right. Negative self talk is a waste of time that brings you down and distracts you from your best talents.

  • What do you love about your body?
  • What do you love about your mind?
  • What do you love about your personality?

There is a lot of talk about how the media influences our thoughts and behaviors.  Body image based on unreal magazine photos is a popular example.  The majority of models and celebrities we idolize and see on the covers of magazines have been altered using photo enhancement tools so they look thinner, skin is as smooth as glass, hair is shinier and skin color is lightened. Why is it so important to look flawless? A young woman, Julia Bluhm, took this cause online by starting a petition to ask Seventeen magazine to stop “perfecting” the models that are used to advertise the latest trends. After 84,000 people signed her signature, the magazine responded with a promise to not change models bodies in photos. *(1)

Despite this success, models continue to be a specific body type which is thin with enough makeup to hide any blemishes or supposed “flaws”. This is only one minor solution to the issue of how we treat our bodies. Lasting change starts with you as an individual.  Take action by being aware of what you say when hanging out with your friends and younger children. We listen to our peers as much as we do the media so what we say does affect those we spend time with. You will get blemishes, you will gain and lose weight, and unless you live on the page of a magazine you will not look perfect all the time.

Ever heard the saying “A mind is a terrible thing to waste”?  It’s possibly the best philosophical statement in the history of the human race. We are more than what we look or how we feel. Love your whole body, every single part. You have a brain with magnificent power. So use it already.

  • Do you want to be an astronaut and study the cosmos?
  • How about become a research scientist who finds a cure for Cancer or Aids?
  • Would you like to invent something to make life easier for people with physical disabilities?
  • Want to create a million dollar fashion line?
  • Is directing or producing movies your dream?

All of those careers require intelligence. You need to learn as much as you can and fill that beautiful brain up with all the information available so you can reach for the stars. We learn how harrrrrd Math or Science is, but really it takes the same brain power as learning language and writing.

Sadly there is a stigma attached to technology subjects as if you have to be a certain type of person to learn Algebra or Biology. Please do not fall into the stereotypical attitude that math and science are for geeks and nerds. Why throw away an opportunity to learn skills that you can use in so many amazing careers? What about creating computer programs and games, curing cancer or AIDS, creating sustainable cheap energy for the world, saving the environment, providing medicine and nutrition for malnourished people, inventing life saving devices used in emergency situations, and unlimited other choices. You don’t have to be a genius to be great at math or science. Educate yourself.

Each and every one of us are born with creative tendencies. Remember coloring and making crafts when you were a child?  That is when we are at our most uninhibited at creating. Later on we begin to compare our artistic capabilities with others and if we aren’t as good we give up. Being creative is an important part of growing. If drawing, painting or sculpture is not your thing then pick up an instrument, write stories and songs, mix music, build model cars and robots, carve wood, or knit.

There are so many ways to be creative and art can also be therapeutic. Art is used as a tool for meditation because it allows you to rest your mind and take your focus off of stressful day to day activities. Creativity is not just about painting a portrait that sells for thousands of dollars. When you turn a plain object into something beautiful or useful, then you are increasing your brain power by challenging yourself. In his book, Imagine, Jonah Lehrer says that “Once we know how creativity works, we can make it work for us”. *(2) So go be creative and see what artistic talents you possess… Continue reading at Bookemon.com

Empowering Discussions

Book Review: Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives

Impower You

I recommend this book to anyone who loves zoos, hates zoos, or is on the fence about zoos. It takes an inside look at what life is like for both the animals in captivity and the keepers.  “Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives”, by Brian French begins at an animal reserve in Africa and takes readers to Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa Florida.  The author is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who does a good job of reporting both sides of the story. Whether talking about people, animals or politics I didn’t feel as if the author was particularly swaying me in one direction or another. He asked questions and brought up important issues such as the impact of enslaving animals, how humans have destroyed so much wilderness, the double edge sword of conservation, and the moral ethics of taking animals out of their natural habitat.

The moral issue of enslaving animals, Zoo Story by Thomas French, book about animals

It’s not possible to honestly tell a story through an animals voice since we cannot communicate directly with them.  Still I felt varying emotions as I read about different mammals, reptiles, and birds. There was Herman, the chimp brought up in a human family and then donated to the zoo. His family returned often to visit him. A mishmash herd of elephants journey from living in nature to captivity.  Enshala, the tiger whose life was filled with tragedy and beauty. The people were just as intriguing with their habit of  subconsciously and consciously imitating animals characteristics and becoming attached to particular ones. Births and deaths are a common occurrence for the animals and uncommonly for the human keepers.

Have you read this book?

 If so what was your opinion?

What is a great book about animals?

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Social Action

A Day of Celebration – Equality for All

Impower You

In honor of the wonderful holiday celebrating civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., I am sharing some positive inspiration for this day. I don’t even like to imagine how awful it would have been to live in a time when so many of my family, friends and neighbors would instead be segregated or enslaved strangers. YUCK!

“I Have a Dream” 

“Put Your Hands Up”

Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech”