BREAST CANCER…two words that almost everyone reading this has been affected by in some way. Your mother, aunt, sister, friend, or sadly, even yourself. I lost my warrior…my  mother, Velma Gordon-Kelly to this cancer back in 2006. She battled breast cancer for over eight years like a true shero and I admired how strong she was throughout it all. Throughout the chemotherapy, radiation, numerous drugs and their side-effects, she fought it out with a smile. She never wanted people to feel sorry for her and was determined to keep doing the same things as usual. The one thing my mom did that shocked a lot of people was keep it a secret, which many people were in shock and even upset at her funeral. I think it’s just because she was old fashion and didn’t want people to start worrying about her. However, what I think it good is to let people know so that you have more people praying for you and sending you good energy. You may also inspire others and help young women to prevent it to happening to them!

Today, I’d like to showcase three warriors who are a dear friends and members of the Own Your Power Community.  They are truly OWNING THEIR POWER and are examples of strong individuals we should all strive to be. Please check out what they are doing, give them a ‘virtual’ high-five of encouragement and if you can be so generous, even a donation to their cause.

It’s time to Pay it Forward….

Angela Darling, founder of Love Your Breasts.

I met Angela over 8 years ago while waiting in line for a women’s event and we have been friends ever since. Instantly, I connected with her and when I found out what she did, I was even more intrigued. Helping breast cancer survivors is her mission and at the time I met her, my mother was still with us and battling breast cancer. She began to offer free advice and great health information to my mother. I saw first-hand how she helps women in the community and vowed to support her business even more. Please take a look at what Angela Darling is doing to empower others and learn why she loves what she does! Her website is: http://www.lybi.org/

Carol Dunlop, founder of www.optimumbodysculpting.com and staff member for Own Your Power Communications, Inc.

She is one of our very own fitness experts who coaches “Diet Victims” to lose weight and keep it off by learning how to create a healthy and nutritious diet, following a consistent workout plan and implementing positive lifestyle changes that really work!

Recently diagnosed with breast cancer, she is one of the strongest people  I know and is taking her experience and sharing it to empower others. She is currently in need of donations for her treatments. Read on and see if you can help!

“Man, I long for the days when I could go weeks, even months without seeing even one doctor. I’ve been healthy all my life and can almost count the number of times on my two hands that I’ve seen doctors for any reason. But now, all that has changed. Actually, everything changed on July 7, 2011. That’s the day that I found out that I have Breast Cancer. That was the day that changed my life, challenged my thoughts and put everything that I’ve worked for into a fog. How could I have breast cancer? There was NEVER any cancer of any sort in my family history and I’ve always worked very hard through exercise, eating right and affirming good health all my life. So how could this be?...”

Read full story here..

Rhonda Smith founder of Breast Cancer Partner

Breast Cancer Partner is a sanctuary for breast cancer survivors who are nearing the end of treatment or who are on their journey to recovery. We strive to support, inspire and empower survivors to live strong and healthy lives after treatment ends.

Our goal is to help shepherd survivors through the recovery process by providing information, resources, guidance and tools to effectively deal with life post-treatment. We recognize that in some cases life after treatment ends may be more challenging and difficult than while undergoing treatment.  We want to ensure that survivors don’t struggle unnecessarily through the recovery process.

Join her site and please forward to other survivors!

www.breastcancerpartner.com

]]> http://ownyourpower.biz/blog/2011/11/21/breast-cancer-sheros/feed/ 0 http://ownyourpower.biz/blog/2011/03/11/educate-yourself-and-your-kids-about-money-by-charice-mccray/ http://ownyourpower.biz/blog/2011/03/11/educate-yourself-and-your-kids-about-money-by-charice-mccray/#comments Fri, 11 Mar 2011 22:45:08 +0000 Carol: Fitness Guru http://ownyourpower.biz/blog/?p=1786 There are many ways to educate your children about finance, credit management, and some basics about saving. My mother stressed to me about the importance of paying your bills on time. She spoke of how important it is to be frugal and save your money and not overspend on junk. Growing up my mom always shopped at the thrift stores; buying me used clothing and picking up household items for a deep discount.

At the time I didn’t realize that this allowed my mom to help me out with some college costs and that big down payment that so easily slips through your hands to the mortgage company on settlement day, or all the other countless catastrophes and emergencies that pop up along the way growing up. But my mother realized this from day one and I am ever so grateful for her sharp sense of financial awareness.

Read more>>

This disaster has touched many of our lives, whether we have family or friends in Haiti. It’s something unfathomable and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the numbers of lives lost and injured. The number of people who have still not heard from loved ones and need our prayers. We really need to help as much as we can.

I received an email from a Own Your Power member and I wanted to share it, since many of us want to give, but it’s good to do your research since unfortunately there are some people taking advantage of this tragedy with scams. Please see what our member Lashelle Wooten had to say:

“Hello all.  Like most of us, my heart and prayers go out to the families in Haiti.  I was anxious to figure out what I could do that would actually DIRECTLY help the families there.  So, I called my friend Michelle Karshan (who some of you know).  Michelle has lived in Haiti for much of the last 20 years working with the government to improve international relationships and living conditions in Haiti.  She is also the founder and executive director of Chans Alternativ  (Alternative Chance), an advocacy organization for criminal deportees in Haiti.  In my world, she is a foremost expert on what has happened in Haiti and what is happening now during this tragedy.  Her advice to me which I am passing along to you is that the two most important things we can do for Haitians in Haiti and abroad are 1) share our thoughts of support and prayers with any and all Haitians in any way we can communicate it to them and 2) send money by donating to organizations that are doing DIRECT work with this unimaginable situation in Haiti.

Here are Michelle’s suggestions for organizations she KNOWS from her work in Haiti over the past two decades:

Partners In Health (Paul Farmer’s organization) – PIH.org

http://www.pih.org/youcando/donate.html

Red Cross International – (Haiti is not in America)

http://www.icrc.org/eng

I have also been told that Wyclef Jean’s charitable organization is doing very direct impact services.  There site is:

http://www.yele.org/ (THEY’VE RAISED  2 million so far!)

We can all send this email to our friends, family and colleagues and email blast lists.  If we can invite 200 people to a party, let’s invite all those folks to donate whatever they can to help OUR people.

Please pass this on!

News Update:

“TENS OF THOUSANDS OF EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS NEED EMERGENCY SURGICAL CARE NOW!!!!!” the group said in the statement. It did not describe the basis for that estimate.

The reasons are varied:

• Both national and international authorities suffered great losses in the quake, taking out many of the leaders best suited to organize a response.

• Woefully inadequate infrastructure and a near-complete failure in telephone and Internet communications have complicated efforts to reach millions of people forced from their homes.

• Fears of looting and violence have kept aid groups and governments from moving as quickly as they would like.

• Pre-existing poverty and malnutrition put some at risk even before the quake hit.

Governments have pledged nearly $1 billion in aid, and thousands of tons of food and medical supplies have been shipped. But much remains trapped in warehouses, or diverted to the neighboring Dominican Republic. Port-au-Prince’s nonfunctioning seaport and many impassable roads complicate efforts to get aid to the people.

Aid is being turned back from the single-runway airport, where the U.S. military has been criticized by some of poorly prioritizing flights. The U.S. Air Force said it had raised the facility’s daily capacity from 30 flights before the quake to 180 on Tuesday.

About 2,200 U.S. Marines established a beachhead west of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday to help speed aid delivery, in addition to 9,000 Army soldiers already on the ground. Lt. Cmdr. Walter Matthews, a U.S. military spokesman, said helicopters were ferrying aid from the airport into Port-au-Prince and the nearby town of Jacmel as fast as they could.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the military will send a port-clearing ship with cranes aboard to Port-au-Prince to remove debris that is preventing many larger aid ships from docking.

The U.N. was sending in reinforcements as well: The Security Council voted Tuesday to add 2,000 peacekeepers to the 7,000 already in Haiti, and 1,500 more police to the 2,100-strong international force.

“The floodgates for aid are starting to open,” Matthews said at the airport. “In the first few days, you’re limited by manpower, but we’re starting to bring people in.”

The WFP’s Alain Jaffre said the U.N. agency hoped to help 100,000 people by Wednesday.

Hanging over the entire effort was an overwhelming fear among relief officials that Haitians’ desperation would boil over into violence.

“We’ve very concerned about the level of security we need around our people when we’re doing distributions,” said Graham Tardif, who heads disaster-relief efforts for the charity World Vision. The U.N., the U.S. government and other organizations have echoed such fears.

Occasionally, those fears have been borne out. Looters rampaged through part of downtown Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, just four blocks from where U.S. troops landed at the presidential palace. Hundreds of looters fought over bolts of cloth and other goods with broken bottles and clubs.

USGS geophysicist Bruce Pressgrave said nobody knows if a still-stronger aftershock is possible.

“Aftershocks sometimes die out very quickly,” he said. “In other cases they can go on for weeks, or if we’re really unlucky it could go on for months” as the earth adjusts to the new stresses caused by the initial quake.

READ FULL ARTICLE:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cb_haiti_earthquake

The Holidays are a special time and you can help spread joy for women and their children who are in crisis by donating new, unwrapped toys, and canned goods. Take a stand for someone this season!

On Sunday, December 20th, Own Your Power and La Tans have joined forces to bring a fun gathering to give back to ourselves and others. Put your busy life on pause for a moment of Me Time as we come together for a discussion on inspiration, balance and make time for great  networking. Oh, of course we had to lure you in with FREE and DISCOUNTED relaxing spa treatments and Life Coaching specials.

A Massage therapist will be available!!! Come on you know you deserve it ?

Bring a bag and get a gift bag!

Any “Angels” who come with a gift or canned item will also receive a gift bag from our sponsors*. Spa and Reiki discounts and packages will available as well.

Suggested Gifts:

New toys for children, but remember…Teens are often FORGOTTEN! For 13-18, you can offer gift cards, new clothing, new shoes, disposable cameras, any digital items.

Special Holiday Items: Wrapping papers, tape, ribbons, bows, boxes, tags, cards, etc….

We’ll deliver all items to our partner, Women in Distress for you.

Date: Sunday, December 20th

Location:

Book a spa treatment with Angie. (Facials, Foot Detox, Reduce Cellulite, Wrinkles, and more…)

Or relieve your stress and toxins by balancing your energy in a Reiki session with Simone.

CALL US TO BOOK 305-354-8266.

La Tans and Aesthetic Center

NEXT TO LA FITNESS

FREE PARKING!

Time: 2-5 pm

Any other days, you can contact Women in Distress and drop off: 954-760.0800

Special thanks to our  Sponsors:

Macy’s

E. Claudette Freeman, Literary Coach

*While Supplies Last

Donate your gift in exchange for being featured in our Power Packs that we’re giving away to Own Your Power Biz conference attendees. Call us for more information at 877-545-7352 or email me at simone@ownyourpower.biz.

We are also in need of select gifts for some special guests. If you have 10-20 of an item that might serve as a great gift, let us know and we’ll feature it and you at our conference as an in kind sponsor!

Own Your Power -POWER PACKS sponsored by MACY'S