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
Empowering Discussions

What is in an Apology?

Impower You

According to the Huffington Post (and about a dozen other news outlets), Sandra Fluke is not so quick to except the apology from Rush Limbaugh for calling he a “slut” and  “prostitute” among other insinuations. I have to agree that his apology seems a bit phony.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/05/sandra-fluke-addresses-ru_n_1321357.html

Usually I can except an apology and move on.  I don’t like to dwell on negativity or live in the past. However an apology that comes from pressure instead of remorse is pointless. When you are quick to take back something you so vehemently stood for, than it can easily be called into question that you are lying. If you really want an apology to carry weight it works best if you take action to back it up.

It’s okay to tell that person that you don’t accept their apology. If you feel wronged and you cannot let go, that is your choice.  If people tell you that you should continue to be angry and you want to move on, it is okay. You and only you can decide what to fight for and when to move on.

When are you able to let go?  When do you feel that it is better to continue to argue?

🙂

Social Action

Education Vs.Conformation

Impower You

This story was reported by Liz Dwyer at Good Education.

A young woman, age 13, was harassed so much her parents pulled her out of school. It wasn’t sutdent on student bullying, but teachers who could not handle criticism.

http://www.good.is/post/a-13-year-old-s-slavery-analogy-raises-some-uncomfortable-truths-in-school/

The girl in question wrote an essay for a contest and compared her school system to slavery. I have to agree with her.  Our public school system was not set up to create critical thinking and dissent. It was set up to create worker bees and patriots. What I learned in school was how to memorize facts. I excelled at school, even though it was challenging to finish all my work and I was bored.

It’s a shame that instead of taking her criticism and fixing the school they simply harassed her so much she left. This reminds me of the saying that “pride causes many falls”.

I have long been a proponent of Montessori, Charter and Home study education. I was able to spend a year in home study and if my mother could afford it I would have stayed that route until graduation. I may have even wanted to attend college right away instead of waiting so long. I was challenged to do more than memorize. I had a wonderful teacher to contact for help and I could work at mt own schedule. Obviously these methods do not work for everyone,but there has to be a better answer. We have millions of students and thousands teachers. We need a system that works for students not for the teachers, principles and superintendents.

It is time for a revolution in education. I believe we need a new curriculum based on critical thinking skills, basic accounting, tax and common sense life skills. We need less History and more Science, less Physical education and more Practical Math skills.

What do you think we need more of in schools?

🙂

Book Reviews, Social Action

Meet Phyllis Chesler

Impower You

If you haven’t heard of Phyllis Chesler, than you are missing out. In my opinion she is one of those amazing women that more people should know of so they can expand their thoughts on what it is to be human. I don’t agree with everything she preaches of course, but she has a lot of valuable information and is an activist for human rights.  She gives a voice to common sense on serious issues. She writes about everything from art and culture to honor killings. If you want sugar coated news and opinions than steer clear. Phyllis is for people who can think for themselves, make their own opinions and take action.

My favorite book she wrote is Letters to a Young Feminist. http://www.phyllis-chesler.com/120/letters-to-a-young-feminist. If you want a heartfelt book on what feminism really is than this is an inspiring and  informative book. It is also not very long. I finished it in 2 days.

Check her out here: http://www.phyllis-chesler.com

It is important to not just express our own opinions but to learn about others. We can learn so much more when we look through another persons eyes because they often have very different experiences than our own. No matter what certain people believe different is good. Different makes this world go round and round. If we all saw everything the same what would be the fun?

Who is someone you admire? Who makes you think, inspires you and encourages you to take positive action? Please leave a comment and if possible a link to where we can learn about that person.

🙂

Empowering Discussions

Update on More Than Skin Deep

Impower You

I shouldn’t be promoting other fundraisers while I am working on my own, but Jasmine Grey is making an important documentary and I want to support her. Besides, since when do I do what sane people do.  Hahaha!

She has reached her her goal, but if she can make more she will be able to do even more with her documentary like add an animation about how AVM happens. This would give people a better understanding of what happens to those affected.  I have donated a copy of my ebook, Word Art and Affirmations to her campaign. There are 17 more days to donate. Follow her campaign here: http://www.indiegogo.com/More-Than-Skin-Deep

I hope this inspires you to do a selfless act for someone else today.

Art, Book Reviews

One Hundred and Five

Impower You

Thank you so very much to everyone who has contributed to my publishing campaign for ‘I Am More Than Just a Girl’.

So far we are off to a great start. We now have $105.00 in the pot. I feel very optimistic to have reached this goal. It may not seem like much, but in my past fundraising experience people are more likely to donate when they see real progress.

Don’t forget to check out my list of ways you help us reach our goal on my blog here: https://writewhatuknow.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/how-to-fundraise/

Only have $1 to spare? You can download a digital print of my art here: http://morethanagirl.webs.com/myart.htm

If you want to empower young women, pass this blog post on!  I need the power of YOU and YOUR FRIENDS to find the right people who can donate money towards publishing.

🙂 Download this photo to use in your own blog post about this campaign.

Empowering Discussions

In a Tree or on a Bench? Where is Your Child Tonight?

Impower You

Brace yourself. This is not a happy story.

I just read a sad story of a 17 year old named George who lived in a tree after he was sent away by his aunt. She had been acting like a mother to him and one day she apparently she put him on a bus from Missouri to San Francisco to a FAKE address. She says he was “out of control”  and wanted him gone.

This story was reported by Samantah Wender and Geoff Martz on http://abcnews.go.com/US/teens-trouble-homeless-youth-lived-tree/story?id=12779365#.T01nu4ePWqh

I just can’t imagine making a choice like this. To send a child far away across the country where you have no idea of their safety is beyond me. I can see putting a child in the foster system or asking another relative to care for them, but not just abandoning one. Homeless teens whether run aways or cast offs, generally have no trust of adults. This is a good example of WHY that happens.

Can you  imagine what it must be like to be as young as 13 and living on the streets? Sleeping in trees, under freeways, or in parks?  Homeless youth is not just something that happens once in a while. Check out the staggering statistics of youth on the streets at http://invisibleyouthnetwork1.community.officelive.com/RunawayandHomelessYouth.aspx Suicide, abuse, rape and assault are the everyday realities of homeless youth.

Last year I volunteered at a 5k walk for my local homeless youth shelter. It was a great experience. My favorite part was hearing the success stories of teens who had gone to the shelter and received help.  This shelter provides beds, clothes, breakfast and dinner, transportation to school, GED help and job search assistance.  Every youth that stays in the emergency shelter goes to school. They are even given a chance to return to the the school they left. Bus fare or rides are provided. What they do there is above and beyond. It is also the only youth shelter in the area.

There is no reason for you to not get involved in your community.  Take the initiative and show the world that for every aunt mentioned above there are many more compassionate caring people. If you want to help homeless youth visit, http://invisibleyouthnetwork1.community.officelive.com/VolunteerOpportunities.aspx.

If you want to find other opportunities  in your community check out www.VolunteerMatch.org.

THANK YOU FOR READING. NOW GO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Empowering Discussions

A Short Rant on Balanced Growth

Impower You

What we desire is usually good for us because we are all unique and what we want is relevant to our self, experiences and beliefs.  The main problem seems to arise when our desires become unbalanced and then so does our life.

A popular example these days is the fairy tale debate. Do we want girls growing up into women who wait for and rely on Prince Charming to save them? Is it healthy to not fend for yourself? On the other hand are we telling them they have to be so strong they should never let a man help or support them? Should we teach our children to sick to stereotypical roles in life or should we teach them dissent. Personally, I lean towards a lot of dissent and the crushing of stereotypes. Other people lean towards assigned roles. That is fine. We are human and have free will to believe differently then anyone. I will not tell people what they should teach their kids. All I will do is give you another point of view and encourage you to ask questions instead of simply accepting everything as is. What you take away from my words are up to you.

I enjoyed princess stories and the accompanying films as a kid. I am fine with them still being around for future generations because they are fun. It’s the all encompassing addiction society has with girls being pretty little princesses who are oh so devoted to their prince that gets on my last nerve. I was both a tomboy building forts in the woods and interested in cute outfits and playing house. I loved (and still love) math and science as much as cooking and sewing. I love pretend as much as the real world.

For boys it seems to be crassness that is cherished.  Swear words are so cute when said by a 8 year old. Burping extra loud and scratching their crotch is an obvious way to be manly. Then of course there is the unequal treatment of women. Even in children’s movies boys are encouraged to see women as objects of lust or in domestic roles. They constantly see men ogling women, calling them dirty words and focusing on the size of their breasts.  I don’t want my 10 year old thinking that a woman is only as worthy as her cup size.

Let us teach our children instead that there are a variety of roles they can play.  Tell them that being a real man is not based on the size of your fist or how many women you have sex with.  Tell them that girls can be presidents, rescuers and moms when they grow up. Make sure they know that how we look does not equal how good or bad we are. Encourage friendships with the opposite gender at a young age. Lastly let them know that it is up to them to teach their children about how many choices we all have.

Balance is the word of the day people! BALANCE!

Book Reviews, I Am More Than Just a Girl Book

How To Fundraise

Impower You

Here is a list of ways you can help distribute 150 books to youth organizations across the USA. Feel free to pick as many actions as you like. If you have any questions about these actions just ask. Your support is greatly appreciated and will have a powerful ripple effect of empowering young women.

1) Donate just $5 via PayPal or with a credit card at: www.MoreThanAGirl.webs.com If every single person I know donates  just $5 then I can publish 300 books. You can also donate by check. Write me an email for my address to: investing in women @gmail.com

2)Share my blog post with people. Either share the link in an email or on a social network. https://writewhatuknow.wordpress.com/2012/02/24/300-books/Write just a few short sentences about why this book is important to you. Make it personal.

3) Join our Facebook page and share it with all your friends.http://www.facebook.com/MTJAG

4)Use the text below these suggestions in an email that you send out and ask others to pass along to all the “Women”, “Mothers”, “Fathers”, “Daughters”, “Youth Leaders” etc. you know.

5)A little bit from a lot of people can make this fundraiser happen! Start a “Change Drive” Ask everyone you know to donate their spare change, collect it, take it to the bank and then donate via my website or send me a check.

6) Send the information about my free book to youth organizations you volunteer with or that you like.

7) Share my campaign with your local news media, women’s rights advocates, children’s rights activists and celebrities you admire.

8)Share one of my YouTube videos with your network.http://www.youtube.com/user/ImpowerYou/videos

9)Make a video about my campaign and the book. Upload it to YouTube and then send it to everyone you know.

10)Hire me to start and maintain a social media marketing campaign for your organization.

11) Download unique digital art for a $1 donations on my site,http://morethanagirl.webs.com/myart.htm


Send this text below as an email and ask your friends to also send this email.
 Want to help publish this great book, I Am More Than Just a Girl ?   It provides resources, information, advice and creative exercises to empower women with the knowledge to make their own informed decisions. 
I won’t go into depressing statistics of how often young women are abused, assaulted and oppressed. You don’t need me to remind you that until recently women had very little rights as equals and in some countries are still considered objects that can be owned.  Society encourages us to be outwardly successful, to make lots of money and then we will be happy. We are not often encouraged to find inner success in the forms of knowledge, happiness and emotional health.
The author, Leah Oviedo, wants to give a free copy of her book to organizations that work with youth in the USA. With your support we can make this happen.  150 books will be given (for free) to youth organizations.  50 books will be given (for free) to young women that are unable to join such organizations. The remaining 100 will be sold and the profit used to buy more books. Later this year Leah would like to have the book translated into other languages so more young women can have access to the book. Currently, young women and parents can read the book online for free, http://morethanagirl.webs.com
An important part of life is to help others feel empowered. We need a total of $1,800 to accomplish our goal. Shout it out on your Facebook pages, donate $5 online or send a check (email: investing in women@ gmail .com for the address). Visit, http://morethanagirl.webs.com to see what perks you will receive for helping publish this important book. If you will join, our goal is to raise the full amount by the end of March.
Read the book for free and pass it on!  Share it with parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, older sisters and brothers, teachers, community leaders, youth organizations and young women. Now is the time to take action! We can no longer wait for someone else to empower the next generation of women. As the saying goes, YOU must be the change you want in this world. If you believe this book is a must have for young women, get involved today.  To follow the progress of the campaign subscribe to the authors blog(https://writewhatuknow.wordpress.com).
Pass this on to 10 other people and together we can make the world a brighter place.

🙂   🙂    🙂   🙂   🙂   🙂   🙂

Book Reviews

300 Books

Impower You

Want to help publish my book, I Am More Than Just a Girl ?   It provides resources, information, advice and creative exercises to empower women with the knowledge to make their own informed decisions. 

I won’t go into depressing statistics of how often young women are abused, assaulted and oppressed. You don’t need me to remind you that until recently women had very little rights as equals and in some countries are still considered objects that can be owned.  Society encourages us to be outwardly successful, to make lots of money and then we will be happy. We are not often encouraged to find inner success in the forms of knowledge, happiness and emotional health.

I want to give a free copy of my book to organizations that work with youth across the USA. With you I can do this.  150 books will be given (for free) to youth organizations.  50 books will be given (for free) to young women I know that are unable to join such organizations. The remaining 100 will be sold and the profit used to buy more books. Later this year I would like to have the book translated into other languages so more young women can have access to this book. Currently, young women and parents can read the book on my website for free, http://morethanagirl.webs.com

The most important part of life for me is to help others feel empowered, but I cannot do it without your support. I need a total of $1,800 to accomplish this goal. Shout it out on your Facebook pages, donate $5 online via my website or send a check to my physical address(please email me at investing in women@ gmail .com). Visit, http://morethanagirl.webs.com to see what perks you will receive for helping me publish this important book. If you will join me, our goal is to raise the full amount by my birthday at the end of March.

Read my book for free and pass it on!  Share it with parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, older sisters and brothers, teachers, community leaders, youth organizations and young women. Now is the time to take action! We can no longer wait for someone else to empower the next generation of women. As the saying goes, YOU must be the change you want in this world. If you believe my book is a must have for young women get involved today. I will be sending out weekly updates. To follow the progress of my campaign subscribe to my blog in the sidebar area or send me your email address.

Check out my post on how YOU can support my campaign, https://writewhatuknow.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/how-to-fundraise/

🙂

Empowering Discussions

Oh Blanca!

Impower You

Blanca Vergara is one of my favorite entrepreneurs. She focuses on the “heart centered” economy instead of one based on greed and power. If you are just getting by and want to replace that with passion for your business this blog is for you.

She is an entrepreneur, author speaker and mom. She holds an MBA, is a certified coach and is fluent in English, Spanish and Dutch. She quit her high paying position at a global company to create a career where her focus is to first be happy and second create profit. This is exactly the kind of attitude that has helped me realize that my true career is writing, art and empowering others.  If you want a business that is full of honesty, authenticity, transparency, integrity and empathy check her out and subscribe to her blog. I hope you get as much from Blanca as I have. She has a lot of knowledge to share.

She has joined the 500 Blog-Raiser Challenge to empower young women with her post, http://www.blancavergara.com/morethanjustagirl/ Please stop by and leave her a thank you comment for empowering young women.

If you want to join the challenge click on the banner ad ion the right sidebar of my blog.

🙂