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

Smart is Beautiful. Does your child know?

Impower You

Take that all you silly shirts aimed at young girls and boys.  Telling them studying is stupid. Partying is better. blah blah blah! I would not let my daughter wear a shirt that says something along the lines of instead of homework I’d rather be at the MALL.   I am sure she would be. Well I secretly hope she will rather be saving the wetlands or fighting for human rights or heck even setting up a lemonade stand than the mall. Bu every good parent knows what a child wants is not necessarily what they need.

So thank you Justice brand clothing for this design.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!   We need this message more often. We don’t need pretty girls acting in movies and pretending to be smart. We simply need to focus more attention on smarts and less on the drama of whoever flashed their underpants on the next hot reality show.  It isn’t just about girls either,  I see ignorance and stupidity marketed to boys as well. Violence is a more popular theme with boys and it is no better than promoting a girls just want to have fun mentality. Than there are the Girls rule Boys drool.  UGH! I am sure most boys just roll their eyes,  but I’d wager it makes some feel that maybe they are lame.

 

THIS HOODIE SPEAKS THE TRUTH. SMART IS BEAUTIFUL.

I have more suggestions:

KIND IS BEAUTY

COMPASSION IS HOT

TOLERANCE IS SEXY

ACCEPTANCE IS COOL

Thanks for reading, leave a comment. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ON YOUR CHILDREN’S CLOTHING?

 

 

Can you help us get to 500 and join our blograiser? Check out this post for more information: http://writewhatuknow.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/the-500-blog-raiser-challenge/

Empowering Discussions

Talk it Out vs. Black it Out

Impower You

With share buttons on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, just to name a few, we are constantly given permission to share work and this is confusing. Are share buttons illegal?

Why would a studio not want me to share a trailer for their movie on my Facebook page?

When someone writes an article can I add a link to that article on my blog?

If I do add that article do I have to note the author and the media outlet or is that obvious enough when someone follows that link?

Can a teacher print out an article or share a video with their class to spark a debate?

I am not a fan of SOPA or PIPA. I have singed the petitions and written my senators. This bill is just more enforcement on laws we already have and I feel it goes overboard. I am artist. I want people to share my work and I don’t want them to be afraid to because they think it is illegal. I respect any ones right to have their work copyrighted and not to have it pirated. Whether a small time (but oh so happy) artist like me or a studio raking in millions(that also create jobs), we all deserve to be credited for our work.

The reason for these bills is to protect work by people in the USA from being pirated and sold in foreign countries. Personally I think it goes too far. We need less Big Brother and to enforce the existing laws. From what I understand YouTube or Facebook can remove you from their sites if you add a video that is pirated, even if you don’t know if it is. Visa and Paypal can block your whole site from selling through their services. It seems a bit extreme and confusing to me. Plain and simple, it is already illegal to share anything that you don’t have permission to share.

Decide for yourself and if you feel SOPA and PIPA need to be stopped, you can sign Googles petition here: https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

Book Reviews

Bookend- What your teens are reading

Impower You

A great big SHOUT OUT to Dani at the blog, Bookend: A Teen Book Review Blog. She posted a wonderful review of my book, I Am More Than Just a Girl.
http://bookendbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/12/i-am-more-than-just-girl-empowered.html

On Bookend you will find a varied selection of great reads for middle school on up. She doesn’t just blog about teen romance, her topics range from humor and friendship to thrillers and politics. There are some that even adults will enjoy. The reviews are well written and comprehensive. There are several books she has reviewed that I recommended to my niece and my roommates daughter.

Dani herself aspires to be a published novelist in the future, so keep an eye on this blog.

YAY!This puts us at 4 blog posts about “I Am More Than Just a Girl” Can you help us get to 500 and join our blograiser? Check out this post for more information: https://writewhatuknow.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/the-500-blog-raiser-challenge/

Art, Empowering Discussions

My newest video- Word Art and Affirmations

Impower You

Check out my newest video about my my book Word Art and Affirmations. I published this last year. It is a collection of word art from the past few years. I have set it to some nice classical music. This is a great chill out video that will also inspire and bring joy to you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNIIVy5_sa8

Words have the power to brighten or darken our moods and the moods of those around us.
In the case of people we interact with regularly, our words and actions impact their whole
lives.

Ask anyone who was teased in school or has been the topic of nasty gossip. Look at
women, men and children who are victims of domestic violence. Even society pressures us
and tells us we are not perfect and that we need to change who we are to be happy.
We are barraged with words that affect us negatively on a daily basis. It should be no
surprise that negative words affect our self esteem and change how we see ourselves. While
it is not always possible to ignore negative comments, we have the choice to not give any
power to the words that are meant to hurt us.

Start your day off with a positive affirmation and put positive, encouraging, complimentary
words in your mind. When you say your positive affirmation enough and take actions to
make your life better, your life and confidence will improve. The change will not be
immediate. You have to say the words enough so they become true to you.

We have a choice of what words to use. Become aware of the words you use when talking
to people and talking to yourself. Are you being positive or negative? Are you agreeing with
others when they put themselves or another person down? If you need to change how you
talk, start slow with a few positive comments each day. Think about when we meet people
that we want to impress. We are on our best behavior and say positive words to that person.
We can act this way around our partners, family and friends as well.

We simply must be aware and be open to change.

Self Defense

34 Seconds

Impower You

So last night I stayed up late working on a comprehensive video for my book. I had a good background, lighting and a video recorder. I tried a few different takes and an hour later I sat down to watch my work. Well I looked great, but the audio is broken and I could not hear myself. LOL!

I was upset, so I decided to make a 34 second video(that’s all the time available) on my phone.
This is not the most professional video in the world, but I wanted to see what I sounded like. I also wanted more info out in the public eye, about my book, “I Am More Than Just A Girl”.

You can watch my 34 second video on YouTube at this link: http://youtu.be/03pqXH_7r3s

I am working on a more comprehensive video. It will be ready as soon as possible. I also am going to make separate videos on the topics covered in my book. My hope is one or two will go viral and my book sales will really take off.

I also created a slideshow of photos from the book that you can see here: http://youtu.be/55465M3GxGU
This video is 1 minute and 20 seconds

Stay tuned!

🙂

Empowering Discussions

Another happy update about my BOOK!

Impower You

You know how much I love my book, but you don’t know how hard it is to market my love! I spend some amount of time finding relevant places where I can market it. Luckily, a while back I learned the secret of reciprocal links. Not only does this allow me to network with like minded people, but I get free marketing and also a good resource for visitors of my website.

One of my “friends” is Suzanne Player of Amazing Wiz Kids. This is really cool educational toy company that I was lucky to find online.

We talked and decided that we were definitely compatible for swapping links. We both want to offer products and services that empower others and create a more educated world.

You can see the link to my book on her page here: http://amazingwizkids.com/AwesomeLinks.aspx

Likewise, I have added a link to her site on my page here: http://morethanagirl.webs.com/moretoshare.htm

Working together is the best way to move your business forward. I am so excited to be partnering with Suzanne and looking forward to other really cool partners that I can add to my site for you, the readers!

🙂

Empowering Discussions

What haters?

Impower You

I love the internet for the versatility you can find. I love how anyone has a chance o speak their minds and disagree or agree. Being able to have conversations with so many different people is a wonderful gift. What I don’t like is the amount of haters. I went to a page on Facebook for Women’s rights and there were several posts by men who said nasty, hateful or just ridiculous things. These are not people that want to have a conversation, learn or share experiences. They are simply bored, unable to use the comment areas as forums for real conversations. They are complainers, whiners, immature losers. It is so pathetic it makes me laugh. I have met these people in real life and they are just as annoying.

What I love about the FB pages is you can use the X next to a comment to Report Abuse, Mark as Spam or Delete. When you report abuse it gives you an opportunity to write a note to that person(waste of time) or block them and you never see their posts again. So the next time someone is acting up and being hateful to you or what you believe, use that X. Than smile, laugh and let it be in the past, because at least you are not filled with as much hate as them. Use your inner strength to move on and enjoy the rest of your day.

🙂

Empowering Discussions

Uh Oh! Someone is Having a Hissy Fit.

Impower You

I am often surprised by the lack of maturity people show. This sign just makes me laugh so hard. It is like a child refusing to clean their room until they get a toy they want. I would never do business with this company after seeing this sign. Maybe they would decide to not finish a job they agreed to, because they didn’t like my pro choice stance on abortion. LMAO!

I’d guess US Crane is just too broke to hire anyone. They probably voted for Bush twice. You remember that guy, the one that helped destroy our economy so we could blame Obama for it all.

I only hope the people reading my blog would never act like such a baby. I hope you get as much of a laugh from this as I did. Happy Tuesday.

Self Defense

DEFEND YOURSELF!

Impower You

Don’t be afraid to use your voice. Speak up when someone harasses you. Nobody deserves to be treated badly. If someone hurts or scares you, they are wrong and you have the right to take action. You have the right to protect yourself. Despite what you may have been taught, you can be strong and stay safe. Empowering yourself requires confidence and knowledge. Use the information below to educate yourself and your friends. If you are attacked, report the crime to the police, your boss, a teacher, family member or friend.

STAYING SAFE
Stay with groups of friends when you are out at night and stay in well lighted areas.
If drinking keep an eye on your glass or someone can slip drugs in your drink. These drugs can be used in any drink because they are colorless and odorless.
When you are alone or in an unfamiliar area pay attention and BE ALERT!
Carry bags close to your body and hide your jewelry when out alone.
Take a self defense class at your local college or recreation center or join a martial arts class.

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!

EVERYDAY SELF DEFENSE WEAPONS
Roll up a magazine and jab the end into an attackers neck.
Take a brush and rake the bristles across an attackers eyes.
Spray your attacker with mace, perfume or other liquids that will sting when sprayed into their eyes.
Use your keys, pens or nail file to scratch an attackers face and arms or use it to poke them hard in their ribs.
Hit an attacker with your reusable water bottle, a book or bag.
When in doubt yell for help or RUN!

Buy the poster for work or home! http://www.zazzle.com/basics_of_self_defense_poster-228774719816209111

Empowering Discussions

Positive Thoughts Equals Strength

Impower You

YOU must respect yourself because unfortunately many people will not. YOU must believe in yourself and show the world that you are more than “just a girl”, that you matter! YOU must learn. Get an education so you can educate other girls. Whatever your favorite subject is, find out more about it than you can learn at school. Go to the library and continue your education.

Try this simple exercise each day as you follow your dreams. Repeat the positive affirmation that is below as often as you want. Write this affirmation in your journal. Decorate a shirt with these words. Post it online where all your friends can see it and use it for themselves.

I AM IN CONTROL.
I AM STRONG.
I AM SMART.
I DESERVE EQUALITY.
I AM BEAUTIFUL.
I AM POWERFUL.
I AM A SURVIVOR.
I CAN CREATE POSITIVE CHANGE.

Read the book, “I Am More Than Just A Girl” at Bookemon.com Continue reading “Positive Thoughts Equals Strength” →