Category: Empowering Discussions

Empowering Discussions

More Refreshing Than an Ice Cold Soda.

Impower You

What is more refreshing than an ice cold soda on a hot summer day?   Honesty and Wonder.

Wherever  I turn there are lies, manipulation and drama. It is popular to be bad and cause drama. Why? Drama equals great ratings which in turn equals lots of money.  Ahh, greed.  It has yet to go out of style. Who can amass the most!  Let’s make lots of money so we can buy shiny things and go cool places.   But I am going off subject a bit.  Greed is just a crappy little byproduct of dishonesty.

Soda! Pffft,  I mean who even knows what’s in that stuff? Oh, well… actually I do, and it is not pretty.  What refreshes me these days?  Honesty, open minds, acceptance, love that is given without any thing expected in return. Ten years ago I would have rolled my eyes at this post or just passed it by. I would think, “I am not greedy because I want lots of money for shiny things. I am not into drama, I simply make life interesting. I don’t lie, I embellish so people will like me more. I am like everyone else”.  Well, it turns out that yea, I was greedy and I could never buy enough shiny things to refresh, I couldn’t tell enough lies to impress. I couldn’t get enough of the drama.  But now…..  now I want something that will last forever, that will not go away just because my situation is not ideal.

A lot has happened in 1o years. I  learned more about the world. I fell in love and lost. I saw friends die. I rid myself of people that did not treat me well. I overcame tragedy that I thought would break me forever.  But who hasn’t had this happen? These are not uncommon events.  They paved the way for me to stop and think why I wasn’t happy. I started to look around at the wonders in places I had forgotten or never known.  I learned that the game of life I was playing wasn’t the one that made me happy. I needed a new board, but didn’t know where to get one.  Change did not happen overnight. I made mistakes, I continue to make mistakes.  The difference now, is that I pay attention. I know what I am worth. I am worth a lot, more than you can see with your eyes. You’d have to spend a lot of time with me to see how much I am worth.

I do not feed the drama monster. I do not get involved with people that are angry. I do not lie. When I read, hear or see honesty I feel so happy. I makes me feel like despite all that is wrong, it will be okay.  I do not need to lie others. I don’t need to invent stories or embellish to get what I want.  Manipulation is not part of my day. Drama is not as entertaining to me as humor and kindness and the amazement this world has to offer.  Instead of being bored I ask questions. What can I do now that will bring me joy?  How can I improve this situation? What wonder will greet me today?

Today I feel refreshed because I found wonder in this world. 

What refreshes you? What is better than an ice cold soda on a hot summer day?

🙂

Book Reviews, Empowering Discussions

Anger and Stress Management

Impower You

Anger is a healthy emotion, but when you act out violently it becomes unhealthy. Violence can be expressed in an emotional or physical way. Only you can take control of your anger and choose not to lash out at other people. Take the time to think about what is upsetting you.
Ask yourself questions.
What part of this situation is making me feel so angry?
Is there another reason, maybe a previous situation that is causing me to react angrily right now?
What peaceful actions can I take to change this situation?


An affirmation can help you control your emotions in a bad situation. When you create an affirmation use positive words that reflect your goal. Leave out negative words like never, no, against or stop. Replace those with words like always, yes, for and go. Create your own or use the affirmation below. Repeat as needed.

MY THOUGHTS ARE PEACEFUL THOUGHTS
MY WORDS ARE PEACEFUL WORDS
MY ACTIONS ARE PEACEFUL ACTIONS

When you feel angry try these tips to CALM DOWN.
Walk away from the situation.
Take a deep breath in and exhale slowly. Repeat this step until you feel calm.
Talk to someone you trust. It can be a teacher, mentor, friend or family member.
Count backwards to refocus your concentration. This will give you time to think of what to do next.
Keep a journal and write how you are feeling. Keep track of what upset you and how you dealt with your anger.

YOU CAN’T ALWAYS CHANGE HOW YOU FEEL, BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS CHOOSE HOW YOU ACT!

This doesn’t mean that you should ignore your feelings or pretend that you are okay when you are not.  This is advice to help you cope with bad situations in a empowered manner. This blog post is an excerpt from my book, “I Am More Than Just a Girl” available at morethanagirl.webs.com

What advice for stress or anger has been helpful to you? Please share in the comment box below.

🙂

Empowering Discussions

The Most Inspiring Young Woman of 2012!

Impower You

I met Jaz Gray online when she was hosting a pajama drive for children with long stays in the hospital and also children at homeless shelters. At the time she was still in High School. What I didn’t know about Jaz at first is that she has AVM, Arteriovenous Malformation.  Now she has graduated from college and is making a documentary about AVM. One that will have you cheering and crying at the same time.

More Than Skin Deep documents the lives and the research being done about AVM. This life threatening birth defect affects hundreds of thousand of people around the world. It causes health problems ranging from disfigurement to death. Jaz herself has undergone 32 surgeries to stay alive. She is not afraid to share her story and show her face to millions of people. Just the opposite, she has a strength that is most often only seen in people who have suffered the most. Aside from the dangers of AVM, there is also the obvious differences that you see when you first meet Jaz. Her face doesn’t look like you’d expect from a vibrant, happy compassionate young woman. In a society that is so obsessed with outer beauty it can be terribly hard to look different. Despite the unacceptable judgments from others Jaz is determined to live her life with pride, beauty and compassion.

As a recent college graduate, she cannot afford to produce this documentary alone so she and her wonderful team are raising funds on Indie Go Go, a social fundraising website.   Every “donation” is accompanied with a prize. There are two easy ways you can help, give a donation and spread the word.

Visit the Indie Go Go Campaign Page and use the share buttons to help her story travel to all the right people. Send an email and introduce this amazing person to your family and friends. Or if possible consider donating $ to her campaign. There are amazing incentives like autographed posters, film credits and ebooks.

I personally funded $5 for her campaign because I know nothing will stop Jaz from following through on her dreams.   Please share this post on every social site you belong to.

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Jaz is also a part of our 500 Blog-Raiser Challenge.  Check out her post here: http://morethanskindeepmovie.webs.com/apps/blog/show/12041194-fiercely-unpretty

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Empowering Discussions

WWYD? What Will You Do?

Impower You

I was browsing Care2.com and found some inspiring and disturbing articles.

INSPIRED! A breath of fresh air or at least fresher than before will be felt now that the EPA “announced new protections from mercury pollution from power plants on Wednesday, December 21, 2011″. 

As a proponent of clean air, land and water this makes me happy. It is a step in the right direction. As long as we use electricity from toxic substances there will be pollution. One day I would love a world where everything is sustainable and the planet is clean. It will probably not happen until  my great great great grandchildren are here, but I am willing to speak my voice and take actions to ensure a clean future does happen. Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/success-epa-announces-new-protection-from-mercury-pollution.html#ixzz1kyGlSDPT Pass on the good news.

DISTURBING! Should we go back to hanging people?  Well not literally, we can just shoot them up with  poison and watch them die. At least that is what Larry Pittman wants to do. “If murderers (and I would include abortionists, rapists, and kidnappers, as well) are actually executed, it will at least have the deterrent effect upon them.”

I cannot ever put murderers, rapists and abortionists  in the same category. Rape is about control and violence.  Murder, unless in self defense, is a violent cruel act. Abortion is about personal choice and or life saving decisions for mothers.  Of all the pressing problems of our world, what a woman does with her body is not part of it. Impowered people do not tell other people what to do with their bodies.  http://www.care2.com/causes/north-carolina-gop-public-hanging-for-abortionists.html#ixzz1kyEasOhv Decide for yourself.

What I love about Care2.com is that you can be a part of a better world.  Sign petitions, send letters to senators, call your politicians, start a movement!  Do whatever you can to make a positive difference.

Impowered people take positive actions that create positive outcomes.

Impowered people find peaceful non-violent solutions.

Will you share an article about something that inspired you and or disturbed you?  Forget WWJD. WWYD? (What Will You Do?)

(@_@)

Empowering Discussions

The Odd Couple

Impower You

The Odd Couple is the newest partner in our 5oo Blog-Raiser Challenge. This blog covers topics of “marriage, family and all that goes with that.”  Ron and Shawn are married and write the blog together. What experience do they have?  The best kind. They have been married TWENTY-SEVEN years and raised three children.  Whether you are looking for basic or sizzling advice this is the blog for you.

I love their post about sharing and receiving. They talk about how the power of helping others can strengthen your own relationships. As someone who highly values volunteer work and giving to those in need I completely agree with them. Check it out for yourself, http://theoddcoupleblog.com/give-marriage-receive

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Can you help us get to 500 and join our blograiser? You will also be part of our goal of empowering young women with resources and information. Check out this post for more information: https://writewhatuknow.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/the-500-blog-raiser-challenge/

Empowering Discussions

Gorgeous Gems

Impower You

Thanks to GorgeousoCity blog for joining my blog challenge.  This blogger is ‘Sharing Gems of Gorgeousness’ by writing about beauty and skincare – particularly of the natural and organic variety. This former beauty editor took the jump from working for someone else to creating independence with her own business.  One of my favorite posts is about eidble beauty oil by Bay of Plenty.  You simply enjoy a yummy spoonful of this oil and it replenishes your skin from the inside out.

 She also has solid advice like her wonderfully honest post on our quest for perfection.  She talks about a film by Jean Kilbournde and the prevelance of photoshop in the beauty/fashion industry. It’s great advice without being judgemental.

So visit this blog and subscribe to the updates so you don’t miss out on a new and healthy beauty products. http://gorgeousocity.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/empowering-young-women

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Can you help us get to 500 and join our blograiser? You will also be part of our goal of empowering young women with resources and information. Check out this post for more information: https://writewhatuknow.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/the-500-blog-raiser-challenge/

Empowering Discussions

Simply Stated, A Social Media Superstar!

Impower You

A big thank you to BCB Social Media for joining the 500 Blog-Raiser Challenge. 

If you are looking for strategies and tools that actually work for social media marketing than follow this blog. The articles are well written so everything is easy to understand.

I loved the post about using third party apps that can save you time, but can also waste time or keep people from seeing all your info. BCB covers so many topics like social media news, sneaky social media tricks, third party app integration and how to get the best out of each one, books for business, other business resources and so on.

BCB is operated by sisters Lily and Patricia.  Their goal is to make social media services available to small businesses on a budget.  Stop by their blog today and see what you can learn!  Start here: http://bcbsmedia.com/blograiser

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Can you help us get to 500 and join our blograiser? You will also be part of our goal of empowering young women with resources and information. Check out this post for more information: https://writewhatuknow.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/the-500-blog-raiser-challenge/

Empowering Discussions, Social Action

Empowerment is Not Control or Denial

Impower You

Individual empowerment is not about telling others that they are wrong, that what they believe is not true or keeping others from being their best.  It is not about living a lie because you are scared of your own feelings and desires.

You can only empower others by being an inspiration and sharing the change in ourselves.  Telling yourself or someone else that you are wrong for your feelings, your gender, your spiritual or religious beliefs is not going to work. You can pretend to be someone else. You can fight your instincts every day, but you will spend ALL your time and energy fighting and  not accepting yourself for who you are. Why? Is it worth it to be angry, to feel unaccepted, to feel wrong all the time?

Sure rehabilitation is something that is needed in certain cases.  Violent offenders should have a chance to change, but changing someone that uses violence is not what this post is about.

The last non-empowering news link that stuck in my head was about torturing lesbians in Ecuador under the guise of curing these women.   It is disgusting and inhumane. These “clinics” that heal with sexual assault and violence are not empowering anyone by fixing them.  Being a lesbian is not a disease.  It is a way of  life for a large chunk of the population.  Luckily actions have been taken to close these horrendous torture clinics down!

http://news.change.org/stories/victory-ecuador-ministry-of-health-investigates-and-closes-ex-gay-torture-clinics

 

Are you living a lie?  Are you taking out your own problems on those that are different than you?  Do you know someone who does?  Start paying attention to yourself and those people.  What is the root of the problem?  Why act one way and feel the complete opposite?

 

 

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Can you help us get to 500 and join our blograiser? You will also be part of our goal of empowering young women with resources and information. Check out this post for more information: https://writewhatuknow.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/the-500-blog-raiser-challenge/

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/