WomanScope NewsMagazine

October 2012

INSIDE

CREATE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL [4]

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PREVENTION STARTS

NOW

ZUMBA MOVE YOUR BODY [8]

RECYCLE YOUR

STYLE [9]

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www.womanscopenews.org • October 2012

COVER STORY

n e m o W ng

You

o o T , r e c n a C t s a e r et B

G Courtesy of SheKnows.com

T

hough the incidence of breast cancer in teenage girls is small, it is never too early to teach your young daughter about breast health and breast cancer prevention, especially if you have a family history of the disease. Here are some helpful tips on how to talk to your daughter about breast health, along with information about a new breast cancer awareness initiative from Yoplait.

sibly talking about breast cancer to make it less frightening and to empower your daughter to be proactive about her breast health.

Encourage your daughter to know her breasts

Raise awareness without raising fear

Breast awareness is a key in preventing breast cancer as well as catching it early enough for successful treatment. Your daughter should get to know her breasts now and be aware of the natural changes that will occur as she matures.

"As young girls go through puberty, their breasts undergo changes as they develop into the mature system of ducts and lobes," says Brown. Young breasts have a greater proportion of breast tissue compared to fat, making them feel very dense. As your daughter gets older, her breasts will soften and feel looser, especially during and after pregnancy.

Brown says your daughter should expect breast changes throughout her teen years and into young adulthood, and to be aware of any changes that don't affect both breasts. "Teens should expect their breasts to become tender, swollen and lumpy prior to their periods," she explains. "[However], like women of all ages, if a change is noted in one breast and not the other that persists, she should seek the advice of a healthcare provider." Asymmetrical changes can indicate breast cancer or other breast health issues.

The way you approach your daughter about breast cancer will influence her thoughts and feelings about the disease. You certainly don't want to bring up breast cancer in a way that keeps your daughter up at night worrying that she has it, particularly given that teen girls rarely get breast cancer.

According to Brown, the incidence of breast cancer in teen girls is so small -- just a few cases a year -- that it isn't often reported in the national statistics. The breast health expert suggests sen-

Brown recommends the following checklist for teaching your daughter about breast health: • Educate your daughter about breast cancer but reassure her that it rarely occurs in teens.

• Encourage your daughter to be aware of her breasts and to let you know if there is a persistent change in her breasts that is asymmetrical or just doesn't feel right.

• Let your daughter's doctor know if you have a family history of breast cancer, and discuss risk

Teach by example Your daughter looks to you for guidance -even if she would never admit it -- and if she sees you taking care of your breasts, it will encourage her to take of hers. Making breast cancer a comfortable topic of conversation can also raise your daughter's awareness and curiosity to learn more.

"Moms can teach by demonstration: They can model an overall healthy lifestyle, control their weight, exercise, and limit alcohol intake," says Susan Brown, MS, RN, director of health education for Susan G Komen for the Cure.

"They can talk about breast cancer if it has occurred in a family member or a friend. They can talk about getting mammograms when they get their own mammograms. They can talk about the importance of being aware of changes in their bodies."

Quick guide to teen breast health

factors and prevention with your daughter.

• Teach your daughter about making healthful lifestyle choices that will reduce the risk of breast cancer.

• Encourage her to learn more about breast cancer so it will seem less frightening and give her the ability to help support friends or family who have the disease.

Steer your daughter toward books and quality websites that provide accurate information on breast health and breast cancer prevention strategies such as regular doctor visits, breast self exams and risk factor reduction.

Spread breast cancer awareness: the "Know Your Girls" initiative While breast cancer still has no cure, education and early detection programs continue to be some of the strongest defenses against the disease. To that end, Yoplait has launched Know Your Girls, an initiative to encourage women to learn what is normal for their own breasts and to talk to their doctors about any changes. Yoplait, which has raised more than $22 million for the breast cancer cause over the past 11 years with programs such as Save Lids to Save Lives, is targeting young women with Know Your Girls, because it is never too early to learn how to maintain breast health.

Tammy Sadinsky Martin, senior marketing manager for Yoplait, says, "Young women can and do get breast cancer, and while it accounts for a small percentage of all breast cancer cases, thousands of young women will be diagnosed with the disease during this next year."

You and your daughter can learn more about breast cancer and help spread awareness by getting involved in the Know Your Girls campaign.

"The No. 1 thing young women can do is educate themselves and get their friends and peers involved and active in their breast health; early

detection and engagement are key," explains Sadinsky Martin. "Sign on to Facebook.com/ YoplaitPledge and read the different interactive tabs for information and more. Also, take the pledge to take care of your 'girls' and make sure to pass the information along to girlfriends!"

Take the pledge and become a support for others When you take the pledge, you will help raise money for the Susan G Komen for the Cure to continue research on breast cancer prevention, causes and treatments. Joining the Know Your Girls initiative also allows you to share information and encouragement with your friends to pledge, too.

"For every pledge received by October 31, 2009, Yoplait will donate 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, up to $100,000," adds Sadinsky Martin.

Teaching your daughter about breast health and breast cancer prevention can help spread awareness throughout her network of friends and quite possibly decrease her generation's risk of breast cancer. Talk to your daughter about breast cancer today, and take the pledge together to "know your girls."

Front Cover Credit / Cappuccino_Girl@deviantart.com

October 2012 • www.womanscopenews.org

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PUBLISHER'S NOTES

From The Publisher’s Desk… ContentsMind ~ Body ~ Spirit ~ Self

By Janet Davis-Leak, Publisher/Editor-in-chief

Here we are again, at one of my favorite times of year….Fall. After a particularly hot summer here on the east coast, I am looking forward to the relief the cool Fall breezes will bring.

We are glad to be back with you and appreciate your patience as we’ve needed to re-group and re-launch. It has been gratifying hearing from so many of our faithful readers who have missed us and who’ve sent words of support and best wishes.

Please support us by taking a subscription or giving a donation. Simply visit our website home page and click on either the DONATE or SUBSCRIBE buttons.

Your support is greatly appreciated!

We welcome a new partnership with Wildly Successful Women, a Colorado based women’s business organization, headed by founder and CEO, Dawn Todd and who holds as its purpose that of “empowering women to lead extraordinary lives….”

Together, we are planning fun and exciting things for our respective organizations and our readership at large. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting partnership!

This November, we are facing a general presidential election. Whatever your political leanings, make sure to exercise your civic duty, and cast your ballot. A woman’s right to vote was hard-fought and won; so make sure to have your “voice” heard through the ballot box.

In observance of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our cover story is on how we can better relate to our daughters on the matter of breast care health and breast cancer. It is never too early to start the conversation; especially if there is a history of the disease in your family. Let’s help our girls become knowledgeable about this very serious health concern. There are a number of ways that you, personally, can become involved as well. Contact your nearest breast cancer organization to learn how. And don’t forget to do your self-exams monthly!

As usual, we’ve endeavored to offer you substantive articles for your edification and reading pleasure, and to possibly serve as educational tools. We’ve added a new special “Business Opportunities Directory” whose purpose is to connect-up women interested in pursuing direct sale businesses to companies and consultants wanting to recruit them. The direct sales industry has long been one dominated by women, but in today’s fledgling economy, women have begun pursuing these independent business opportunities in greater numbers, and quite often seeing high levels of success. So, if you’re looking for a way to make a few extra dollars or want to go into it full time, take a look at some of these great companies. It’s quite possible that something here will catch your entrepreneurial interests!

You may have also noticed that we have widened our “scope” (pun intended), to reflect a more national/international appeal. So that, wherever (and whoever) you are, you’ll feel welcome, comfortable and represented through the pages of WomanScope. We are a diverse multi-cultural, multi-dimensional nonprofit news publication, whose purpose is to be a “voice” for women everywhere. We have the distinction of being the only nonprofit news magazine currently distributing both online and in print! We believe that there is a need and place for both new media and traditional journalism. It is our pleasure to present both to you. But, as with anything, there is a cost. Your financial support is needed and appreciated! Give to help a women’s media project thrive and grow. Thanks so much!

So, kick your shoes off, sit back, relax and enjoy!

Janet

P.S. Let us know what’s happening for women in your city or state. Send your emails to: publisher@womanscopenews.org.

NOURISH YOUR

Cover Story 2

The Healing Place 13

Woman of the Month 4

Woman of Faith 14

Mom Central 5

Her Story 14

Family 6

Inspirationally Yours 15

Health 7

Career Corner 15

Fitness 8

Green Living 16

Let's Get Organized 8

Finance 16

Fashion 9

Education 17

Etiquette 9

National News 17, 18

Direct Sales Directory 10, 11

Success Strategies 18

Advice 12

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www.womanscopenews.org • October 2012

WOMAN of the MONTH

Angela Jia Kim, A Woman To Watch (and to Listen to) Courtesy of Ask.com

and I became obsessed to find 'perfection.' I experimented 1000 times before being satisfied to give them as gifts to friends. It was an instant hit, and they began to buy the creams as gifts for their friends."

A Business is Born:

COURTESY ANGELAJIAKIM.COM

S

uccessful woman entrepreneur Angela Jia Kim is a young, multi-talented professional. In addition to being an accomplished pianist (she even has several CDs out), she owns two businesses: Om Aroma & Co., that sells luxury organic spa and skincare products; and Savor the Success, a boutique social network for female entrepreneurs and professionals.

Angela Jia Kim, On Being a Concert Pianist:

"I was always supposed to be a concert pianist. My mom plopped me in front of the piano at the age of three, and that was it-- I never looked back. Rigorous training and strict discipline became a way of life, and although I would often fantasize about doing other things, I never thought I would ever really do it. Well, who knew that a rash right before a concert would change my life forever?"

A Good Business Idea From a Bad Experience:

Before stepping out on stage for a concert in Chicago, Angela applied a "natural" cream on her body and started to break out. After the humiliating experience, she read the cream's list of ingredients - a long disconcerting list filled chemicals and preservatives.

At the time, her cousin, aunt, and two friends (still in their twenties) had been diagnosed with cancer. Angela thought, "Even though I knew that a cream was not the cause, I wanted to make a lifestyle change, and for me, it began with a new beauty regiment."

Applying

Her

Discipline

as

a

Pianist to Create a New Product Line:

Angela was determined to find a luxury cream that did not contain toxic chemicals.

"I was paying attention to what I was eating; shouldn't I pay attention to what I was putting on my body?" Finding none on the market, she rolled up her sleeves, and started to experiment in her Manhattan kitchen on her own.

It was hard work but Angela refused to give up; "My discipline as a pianist kicked in,

When Angela realized that this was becoming a business, she hired a team of holistic formulators and skincare experts to help create a complete line of skincare products free of parabens, formaldehyde, mineral oil, and synthetic fragrances.

"Just like the moment when my mom plopped me on the piano as a youngster, I haven't looked back since the day we launched."

In fact, less than one year later, her products are being sold throughout the U.S. from Florida to California to Vermont, and have received accolades in more than a dozen magazines and websites including Organic Spa Magazine, Forbes, iVillage, and Allure.

About Om Aroma & Co.:

Om Aroma & Co. (a limited liability company) manufactures and sells luxury organic spa and skincare products to five-star spas and resorts. A young, up-start company launched in August of 2007, Om Aroma &

Co. has already established a solid market relationship in private upscale spas as well as in retail stores throughout the United States.

Angela offers, "We take our ultra-sensual ingredients — Caviar, Champagne, and Truffles — and fuse them with organic ingredients to create products that are deliciously sexy and naturally great for the skin."

Information and Phone Orders: 1-888-4434885; On the web OmAroma.com About Savor The Success:

Launched on July 29, 2008, Savor the Success connects female entrepreneurs and professionals to help women build dreams in a real way. There are two components to the model: a boutique online social network (think Facebook meets LinkedIn tailored to women) and in-person workshops, tele-seminars, networking events, and cocktail minglers.

Website Address: Savor The Success Her

Desire

to

Help

Other

Women Launches a New Business

Savor the Success is a natural extension of Om Aroma. I found myself alone as a female entrepreneur building my company. I had a sales team, employees, and an assistant. What was the next step? I had gotten my college degree in music, not in business! I needed to

reach out to peers and respected business women who were going through the same thing to learn from them.

I wanted a network of women who were committed to building serious businesses; who were completely dedicated to beating the odds, and who wanted a supportive community. I also wanted a social networking website that could work just as well as Facebook and LinkedIn - a real tool for getting ahead in business. Finally, I wanted meaningful workshops that helped make my business grow exponentially. If I was going to invest $300 in a workshop, I wanted that to be translated into many more zeros down the line.

I couldn't find such an organization, so I created it in Savor The Success. As a business woman who was building from the ground up, I needed it, and I knew that if I needed it, so did others.

Angela’s Advice to Other Women Entrepreneurs

The biggest lessons that I have learned through business, I actually learned as a concert pianist. When memorizing and perfecting thousands and thousands of notes, it's really the same concept as building a business.

In music, if you don't have a strong concept of how you want it to sound-- and I mean every single note-- you are not going to reach your potential. In business, if you don't know exactly what your goals are-- and I'm talking about exact goals-- you, too, can't reach your potential.

The other thing that I have learned is that so many people leave before seeing the success. I am convinced that success is sometimes just around the corner, and yet people don't turn that corner, they turn around and walk away. As a pianist, I had developed a system of making things happen through a cycle: there's a problem, come up with imaginative solutions, act on it, and then Savor the Success. It's a cyclical ball that will become bigger and bigger as you build.

I take at least ten steps a day to reach my goals. Others take ten a month. Some take ten a year. What do you do? It’s all about how you play your game.

Products from the Om line, such as the Gorgeous Goddess Kit (pictured) can be purchased online

October 2012 • www.womanscopenews.org

5

MOM CENTRAL

So Your Gifted Child Gets All A's... So What?

Grades Are Only A Part Of The School's Information You Should Be Considering Article courtesy of Psychology Today.com, by Christopher Taibbi, M.A.T. in Gifted-Ed Guru

Kids and Money: Playing Games With Your Money Article courtesy of www.wife.org Learning about money doesn’t have to be tedious or dull. Games are a fun, non-threatening way to teach your kids about money, saving, and responsibility. Use the three games below to get you started “playing with money” in your family.

Once you have the hang of it, see if your kids can come up with educational money games of their own.

Penny Accumulation Game Ages 4 and up To play this game you’ll need a pair of dice and 20 of each type of coin in the game. (For younger children, you may want to start with just two types of coins, such as pennies and nickels, and add dimes and quarters later, when they are better at the game). The object of the game is to be the first player with 50 cents saved. Take turns rolling the dice. Each player gets the amount of pennies shown on the dice-but they have to give back all the pennies in their possession if the dice show a 12. As each player accumulates five pennies or more, the five pennies can be traded in for a nickel and so on.

Kids will quickly understand the fact that a dime is worth ten pennies, that a nickel is worth five, and that fewer coins doesn’t necessarily mean less money. Let your child keep the money they win to add to their piggy bank savings.

The Coin ID Game Ages 5 to 12 In this game, your child is going to gather up a few coins and you are going to magically tell them which coins they have. To start, dump out variety of coins from a coin jar or the bottom of your purse. Ask your child to gather up several coins.

Then, ask your child to tell you how much money they have in their hand and how many coins there are. For example, your child could say: “I have 12 cents and 4 coins, what coins could I have in my hand?” You can then guess which coins they have in their hand. (In this case, two nickels and two pennies would be the answer.) Once you get the hang of this and it becomes easy, reverse roles and see if they can tell you which coins are in your hand.

Teen Money Journal Ages 13 to 18 Teach your teen the importance of keeping good financial records by creating a financial journal together using columnar paper, journal paper, or even a computer spreadsheet. The journal can look like a basic check register, or take any other form that you agree upon. Your teen can note every time she receives money (weekly allowance, part-time job, babysitting), and every time she uses money (for lunch, for clothes, for long-term savings such as college). Once a month, you can review the journal and discuss her money choices. Encourage her to share her journals with her friends, or share your own financial journal with her and discuss your own money questions and answers.

I was reminded a few days ago that already, in my school district, we are just a few days shy of the first marking period’s interim reports. Grades for each subject will be sent home so that parents can see how their child is faring thus far.

Presumably, this gives the parents a headsup about what the first quarter’s final grades will look like, should everything else remain the same. For some parents and students this is helpful information.

That B in math could easily become an A if Johnny just turned in his homework more consistently. An average grade could be improved with some careful attention to the study guides the teacher provides before each test. Indeed, for those parents that are interested in their child’s progress at school, this first report can be a valuable tool as they try to set a tone for the year or troubleshoot academic issues early on, before it’s too late.

But for parents of gifted children—and even for the gifted students themselves— grades offered by the teacher can often be of very little help, especially when that gifted student typically gets A's.

To be clear, I will not be attempting to claim in this article that grades are unimportant or that grades have little value.

Far from it. I consider grades to be an important piece of communication between parents and teachers about how a child is performing in class. For those students, gifted or not, who take full advantage of the learning opportunities offered at school, grades can be a terrific source of information and pride. Each of us reading this article right now can probably recall at least a class or two where the grade we earned felt exactly like that—earned.

That B you struggled for in college made you work; you studied hard, you asked the right questions, you stayed up late in the library instead of going out with friends, and in the end, maybe you were even grateful for the B you received. (Of course, the converse is true as well: there were those classes, hopefully few, where the grade assigned to you seemed arbitrary at best; a paper that received an A one week, got a C the next with few comments provided to help you understand the rationale of the teacher’s grading system.)

The issue with grades and gifted stu- Mom and dad praise Sara for the A; Sara dents in particular, however, often revolves feels satisfied because, really, she didn’t around a key element of the paragraph have to work very hard; the feedback she above, namely that grades can and should receives is that all is well in school. Steady be an important piece of communication as she goes. about how a child is performing in class.

However, nothing but trouble comes For gifted students particularly, I would when this typical notion of grades is acargue, it is essential that grades be viewed cepted as the final arbiter of the child’s merely a piece of the academic story, not work ethic at school. There will be a time its end. Here’s why: in many classrooms when Sara, used to getting A's, finally gets across the United States, gifted students to that class where the A is not so easy to are often able to pull A's on a standard re- achieve. The work demands attention in port card with very little effort. a different way, and study skills that have This statement is not had a chance (or even not likely to shock a reason!) to develop in anyone, least of all the past are suddenly, in many classrooms… dramatically, and quite the gifted student himself, but its imobviously lacking. Sara gifted students are plications are prothen simultaneable to pull A's with struggles found. When a child ously to both master the very little effort or parent regards the material and discover A on the report card the best way to manage as a sign of a “job her time. Along the way, well done” it is often she gets a few low grades, tempting to rest at this level. Having little maybe even an F or two on a few key tests, incentive to do anything differently, they and her self confidence plummets. Where neither seek further challenge nor change math was once a source of joy, it is now a any of the (sometimes non-existent) study source of confusion and intense anxiety. habits that led to this grade. Sara, for ex- Perhaps Sara will come across this class in ample, mastered the times tables when high school where she will learn from it she was starting second grade. When her and rebound. Often, however, she won’t classmates were introduced to this in third encounter it until college. And what a grade, she had a leg up on them. Every test shame that is. for her was easy, she had no trouble with For gifted students, receiving high the homework, and the teacher even used marks is very often not a true representaher skills to help other students in the tion of the child’s work habits, potential, room who required extra help. or even her depth of understanding of the So when Sara got an A for the first material—and this is why you as a parent quarter report in math… so what? Sure, must seek more information. You must it shows that she has an understanding ask the teacher questions that will help that places her you determine what that A means. These at the top of her might include the following: math class peers. • What was the numerical average of the But what did that grade? (A 91% “A” provides somewhat A mean for Sara? more interesting information than a 100% In reality it means “A.”) very little.

• What, exactly, is the source of the Most of us grade? Homework? Tests? In-class projects? would like to be- A combination of all three? lieve that grades re- • What is the ratio of these elements to flect serious effort the final grade? How did your child do in and hard work on each of those categories? (Is it possible, for the part of the stu- example, that your child earned a high dent to master the grade even though he turned in his homematerial. The grade work only half of the time?) of a B (over a C or • How can the teacher further stretch and D, for example) has challenge your child? If it is clear that Sara meaning because it knew her multiplication facts early on, for presumably reflects example, what other kinds of homework a higher level of might the teacher have assigned in its achievement on place? Instead of sitting through instructasks that demanded effort. But for gifted tion and material she already mastered, students like Sara who expended very little could Sara have been pretested and then effort, this particular interpretation of offered new material to study using a “what a grade means” is irrelevant. To be learning contract? sure, mom, dad, and Sara are quite happy: See Gifted Grading, Page 7

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www.womanscopenews.org • October 2012

FAMILY

Adoption: Benefits And Tax

By Amanda White (Courtesy of LiveStrong.Com)

As the cost of adoption rises, most people turn to outside funding for help. You may be looking at either the federal tax credit or adoption benefits from your employer to help you fund your adoption. However, you

must investigate these adoption benefits and tax problems they can create to make the best decision in your adoption journey.

TYPES The federal adoption tax credit is subtracted from your overall tax liability for qualifying expenses paid to adopt an eligible child. These qualifying expenses can include agency fees, court costs, attorney fees, travelling expenses and more. In 2010, this credit is a maximum of $13,170 per child, and is refundable for the first time in the credit's history. For prior years, you can only claim credit up to your tax liability.

More and more employers are including adoption benefits in their overall benefits package. Such benefits typically reimburse the employee for adoption expenses up to a set amount once the child is home. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption publishes an annual survey of the best adoptionfriendly workplaces based on the maximum amount of financial reimbursement and paid leave for employees.

BENEFITS When you are able to take advantage of

these programs, you reduce your net out-ofpocket costs for adopting a child. In some instances, if your overall costs are low enough, you can almost negate your costs altogether.

These programs can help make adoption affordable for many families for whom it would not be otherwise.

MISCONCEPTIONS Some people believe that these programs actually pay for an adoption. This is not the case; you still have to fund the adoption in total on your own. Afterwards, you are reimbursed for your expenses through these benefits. In addition, the tax credit requires that you have either a Social Security number or an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number, or ATIN, for your child prior to filing your taxes. It can take quite some time to get either, which can delay your receipt of funds.

CONSIDERATIONS The adoption tax credit serves as reimbursement for expenses you pay; so if you only spend $10,000, you can only claim $10,000 and not the full amount. In addition, you have to subtract the amount of employer benefits you receive from your overall

expenses before claiming the credit. However, the one exception to this is in the case of a special needs child. If you adopt a child with qualifying special needs, you can claim the full amount regardless of your expenses. This is most often used for children that reside without the U.S. foster care system.

PROBLEMS The most common problem with the adoption tax credit is its income cap. In 2010, the amount of credit for which you are eligible will start to dwindle once your modified adjusted gross income, or MAGI, reaches $182,520, and it is completely eliminated with a MAGI of $222,500. This amount is typically adjusted annually for inflation.

In addition, starting in 2010, you will have to file paper tax returns and include specified documentation to claim the credit. This will delay your tax refund if you are accustomed to filing electronically, and thus will lengthen your time between outgoing expenses and reimbursement.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/ article/271031-adoption-benef its-and-taxproblems/#ixzz27OZicYnZ

Rachael Grote | Owner/Graphic Designer 410.967.9073 | rachael@harmonizeddesign.com www.harmonizeddesign.com

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October 2012 • www.womanscopenews.org

7

HEALTH

Mammograms: What's Best for Your Breasts?

By Alyssa Giacobbe

October Goes Pink For Breast Cancer Awareness Month Article courtesy of www.mydailynews.com Kicking off October 1, countries around the globe will celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with 31 days spotlighting prevention, education, and finding a cure.

In the US, the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is planned this month in New York City, as well as in Charlotte, North Carolina, while other races will take place around the globe, such as the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, with dozens of events scheduled this month in cities around the US, and the UK's Race for Life Twilight events.

The Empire State Building will be aglow in pink from October 14-16 to recognize the month. Other global landmarks will be illuminated as well, such as the Montparnasse Tower in Paris and Mexico City's Angel of Independence.

Estee Lauder will be making a $500,000 donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, as well as selling its Pink Ribbon Collection of jeweled pins, lipsticks, and makeup cases.

A T-shirt designed by American actress Jennifer Aniston is for sale as part of Ford's Warriors in Pink, the program created by Ford Motor Company to raise awareness of breast cancer. Ford's program supports the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure series, which will also hold races in US cities throughout the month.

Hard Rock Cafes and Hotels around the world are also launching Pinktober, the 13th annual Hard Rock campaign for breast cancer awareness. Musicians worldwide will host events to support breast cancer charities that include concerts, showcases, and fashion shows.

Throughout the month pop band Bananarama and Hard Rock will tour US cities, including the kickoff in New York's Times Square on October 2, followed by stops in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, among others. There are also pink products (key chains, T-shirts, pins) for sale online and the hotels will turn down pink sheets with 25% of the room rate going to charity.

How Much Value is an Easy A? Gifted Grading, from page 5 In an ideal world, appropriate levels of challenge would be offered to all students as soon as they begin school and would continue throughout a child’s career. But that is often, quite simply, not the case.

It’s no one particular individual’s fault— teacher, parent, or child—but the stakes for not wondering and investigating what all those A's really mean are quite high.

Potentially too high to be ignored.

Perplexed by the new mammogram guidelines? Here, we clear up the confusion.

To test or not to test? Or more specifically, when to test? That's the crucial query. Last November, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that women swap their after-40 annual mammograms for biannual ones starting at 50, and quit breast self-exams altogether. It cited evidence that less frequent mammos could be equally effective at catching cancer. (Fewer tests would also save money, though the group insists it didn't consider cost.) Plus, the USPSTF argued, selfexams haven't been proven to reduce deaths but can lead instead to lots of unwarranted doctors' visits.

The screening revisions ignited a firestorm of controversy (after all,some 40,000 women die of breast cancer each year), thanks to conflicting data on mammogram efficacy.

Current research hasn't yielded any hard conclusions, leaving patients confused and aggravated. "One disturbing aspect of the guidelines is that they're based on the idea that having a mammogram is anxiety provoking," says Karen L. Hiotis, M.D., a breast surgeon at the New York University Cancer Institute.

"That's almost an insult to me as a woman."

Hiotis continues to favor self-exams and annual screenings for average-risk patients starting at age 40 (high-risk patients should start earlier). Yet she has noticed that fewer of her younger patients have booked mammos since the USPSTF recs were released. "Those happened to coincide with the recession, when more people were without work and health insurance," she says. "So, many thought it was OK to have fewer tests. I've spent the past year telling patients, no, it's not OK." The majority of top doctors agree, despite evidence that benign tumors are being misdiagnosed as cancer, sometimes resulting in unnecessary biopsies or mastectomies. The problem, notes the USPSTF, is that women under 50 tend to have denser breasts, making malignancies harder to spot. On the other hand, cancerous tumors in women under 50 can be much more lethal, and overlooking one could be a fatal mistake. "Ethically, you don't want to be a doctor who misses cancer," says Sharmila Makhija, M.D., the director of gynecologic oncology at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

For its part, the American Cancer Society issued its own review in September, reinforcing 40 as the recommended age to begin annual mammos. The group neither endorsed nor discouraged self exams-- essentially, it says, they won't hurt you, but they won't help you either. Hiotis disagrees. "I can't tell you

the number of patients I see who have noted masses in their breasts themselves," she says.

Adds Laura Lawson,M.D., a breast surgeon at Baptist Hospital in Nashville: "I have many breast-cancer patients in their twenties and thirties. And these are not women who were getting mammograms, so self examination is crucial."

The bottom line for now is that while mammos aren't perfect, they're the best breastcancer detection we have. Research on new tests is in the works, and more precise digital mammogram technology is already out. Because the breast-care debate will likely wage on, it's up to you to be proactive and talk to your doctor about your individual risk, and to weigh the pros and cons of early testing. Lawson points out you can never be too careful: "For the person whose cancer is caught early, regular screening is lifesaving."

What About the Pap?

Last year, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) called for a rethinking of the Pap smear, a screen for cervical cancer: Instead of getting their first annual test after their initial sexual experience, women should start biannual screenings at age 21. And those over 30 who have had three consecutive "normal" results can wait three years between tests.

"The new guidelines are right on the money," says Sharmila Makhija,M.D. "The rate of cervical cancer in women under 21 is less than 1 percent. That's a very low-risk category we've been heavily screening." Most docs say patients have been OK with having fewer Paps, though some women still request annual screenings. "I'll tell them why frequent testing might not be vital, but if they still want one, I'll do it," says Makhija. The big caveat: You should not interpret the ACOG recommendations to mean you can skip your annual exam altogether. You still need to head to your gyno regularly to discuss birth control, STD prevention, and overall breast health.

PHOTO / iStockphoto/Thinkstock

8

www.womanscopenews.org • October 2012

LET'S GET ORGANIZED

FITNESS

Productivity = Happiness

By Nettie Owens, Staff Writer, Professional Organizer

ZUMBA

Fun Is Secret Ingredient of Latin Dance Workout Article courtesy of WebMD.com In Zumba exercise classes, it's all about feeling the music.

No Complex Choreography Part of Zumba's appeal is its simplicity, says Perlman. Teachers are encouraged to forego complex cueing, and just let the students feel the music, he says.

"Other classes do complicated choreography. ... You need to pay attention," he says. "Zumba uses four or five steps in one given song and you keep repeating."

Sometimes, says Perez, people even forget they're in a fitness class.

"It's incredibly upbeat," says 39-year-old Jennifer Brooks, of Pittsburgh. "It's like going out with the girls dancing."

"I've never smiled more in an exercise class," says Pittsburgh's Deb Bogan, 59. "I laugh out loud, I sing."

And, Bogan says, she's not alone in feeling that way: "When I look around at the faces of these middle-aged to older adults, their faces are like the faces of children on the playground."

Benefits of Zumba Exercise Zumba lovers credit the dance craze with freer inhibitions, sharper minds -and tighter abs.

"It changes your body better than body sculpting," says McCalister. "Since I've started teaching Zumba, I've lost inches.

My body has slimmed down. I've had to replace all my fitness clothes."

Though Bogan says she's always been a "gym rat," she admits to being uncoordinated. "I never had great balance," but since practicing Zumba, she says, "I can stand on one foot as long as I need to."

Bogan says learning the new dances is great mental exercise, as well: "I'd rather do this than Suduko."

Exercise physiologist Nicole Gunning invites a Zumba instructor monthly to teach her Adventure Boot Camp students in Morris County, N.J. As with any cardiovascular workout, says Gunning, the benefits of Zumba can include calorie burn, increased aerobic threshold, more stamina, increased bone density, improved balance and muscle tone, less body fat, and lower blood pressure.

"It's a decent cardio workout as long as you're OK with letting yourself go," says Gunning. "You have to be uninhibited to get the most benefit out of the workout."

Perez says Zumba fanatics come for more than the calorie burn, however.

"Zumba is more of a philosophy," says Perez. "Sometimes people go for therapy, sometimes they go for social connections, sometimes they love to dance and there's no time. Zumba is the perfect excuse."

Lose weight, and have fun doing it - Zumba lovers sing, dance, and feel the music.

How do you squeeze more from a day? And why would you want to? It is my theory that the more productive you are, the happier you will be. The idea is that if you are moving in the direction of where you want to be in life, consistently, you will be happier. Productivity is the measure of output for a given input. I n c r e a s e your productivity with these three proven strategies and you will stay motivated, get more done and be happier.

In the realm of manufacturing and economics, productivity is measure of output/ input. For instance if making a paperback book requires 1 tree then your measure of productivity is 1/1 or 1. If you can make the same book with only half of a tree the measure of productivity is 1/.5 or 2. In our lives, we can increase our productivity by doing more in less time, with less money or fewer physical resources. But, in a world where we already feel overwhelmed and busy how could we possibly do any more that we already do!

Strategy 1 – Set Goals. You have heard it before but have you actually done it?

You have to review them and set new goals periodically as well. An example goal is to write a book over the next twelve months.

This goal is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time sensitive, or SMART. The larger over-arching goals should fit this model as should all sub-goals you set in order to reach your main goal. Always break your goals down into the smallest possible steps so that they are approachable and easy to complete. Such as, write one paragraph of my book every day.

Strategy 2 – Know how you spend your time. Often we are moving from task to task so quickly that we are being reactive instead of proactive. We feel constantly busy and our activities do not align with the priorities in our lives. Spend one

1.

week writing down EVERYTHING you do in 15-minute increments. Review this information after seven days. What are you doing with your time? Does your time reflect your life’s priorities? Identify your top three priorities then assign a highlighter color to each. Highlight each activity on your completed daily calendars and see how you are doing. David Seah, designer of productivity stationary and blogger, has a effective tool titled, The Emergent Task Planner, available for free download on his site www.

DavidSeah.com that will help in your time tracking process.

Strategy 3 – Schedule your activities.

Now that you know how you are spending your time and the goals you are working towards, it will be easier to create a plan for getting it all done. Take time every week to plan your week ahead considering all activities that involve you. Be sure to include healthy habits such as exercise, meals and sleep. Break down your large goals into sub goals and put the tasks on your calendar. Do not recreate your schedule from scratch every week. Look for trends and utilize ‘block scheduling’ to create routines for yourself. Every evening, review your day and pick three tasks to focus on the next day.

Still confused as to how being more productive will make you happier? Think of one dream or project that you have not completed. Why have you put it off? How does it make you feel? Think about how great you will feel if it is finished? Being more productive and working towards accomplishing that project captures that excited feeling on a daily basis because you are energized and accomplishing your dreams. Set goals, know your time and schedule your activities and you will be able to do more in less time.

SET G _ OA

______L_S 2. HOW DO I SP

EN D M Y TIME?

3. SCH EDULE ACTIV ITIES

October 2012 • www.womanscopenews.org

9

FASHION

Making Old "New" Again

By Jewel McFadden, Staff Writer

N G I S E D T O O R R E

GING

ETIQUETTE

Essential Email Etiquette Tips Courtesy of etiquettematters.com 1. Use the subject line to inform. An e-mail’s importance is often determined by its subject line. Keep the subject line brief, specific, and relevant or else the receiver might accidentally delete or mistake your e-mail for spam or an unsolicited advertisement.

2. Treat e-mails like business letters. It’s better to be more formal than too casual when you want to make a good impression. Use a person’s surname until they respond by signing their e-mail with their first name. This generally indicates that they don’t mind being addressed more casually.

3. Don’t write in ALL CAPs. Using all uppercase letters is considered CYBER SHOUTING. As an alternative, use asterisks to emphasize key words. “Bob and I had a *wonderful* time at the company reception last night.”

4. Company e-mail is never private. If you wish to send someone confidential or timesensitive information, use the phone or meet in person. E-mails can be duplicated, forwarded and printed so don’t send or

say anything you wouldn’t want repeated or posted in your company newsletter.

5. Avoid mood mail. Never send an e-mail when you’re angry. Take time to cool down and re-read the e-mail before you send it to be sure it doesn’t contain anything you will regret later. Facial expression, vocal inflection or body language can’t be conveyed in an e-mail, so messages may be misconstrued as too harsh, too critical, or too casual.

6. Praise in person. A congratulatory e-mail doesn’t have the same impact like a personal thank you note, no matter how many people you copy on the message. Besides, most people are likely to cherish typed or handwritten notes versus an e-mail message.

7. Proof it before you send. It pays to check before you click. Before you hit the “send” button, check for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Take an extra minute or two to proof read, or read your e-mail aloud to be sure that it says what you want it to say.

Ever rummage through your closet and come across a hideous blouse or outdated pants that defy all laws of taste? The solution for many has been best friends Erin Derge and Kristen Swenson who specialize in turning around an ugly situation.

These two ambitious red-headed seamstresses founded Ginger Root Design in 2008. Their hometown of Minnesota may not be recognized as a fashion Mecca, but Derge and Swenson are showing the nation’s capital a little of what the Midwest has to offer.

“Our goal is to provide people with eco-friendly designs that are still fashion forward. You can love how you look, [and] help the environment one repurposed polyester dress at a time” says Derge.

Ginger Root Design is located in the graphic U Street Corridor of Washington, DC. The studio boasts more than just headless sewing mannequins. Because the space doubles as a showroom for local crafters, you can find wall displays brimming with distinctive handcrafted jewelry and accessories.

Derge and Swenson can help alter your ill-fitting clothes but that’s not all the buzz is about. The ladies can also give you a brand new wardrobe from old clothes you were ready to ditch. Their brilliant and ecofriendly idea of making the old new again is attracting plenty of business with the duo usually sewing around 60 hours per week separately.

Those embarrassing bridesmaid dresses with puffy cap sleeves and the checkered suits that should’ve never seen the light of day are perfect examples of what to bring to Ginger Root Design. During a consultation, fashion-hopefuls can share their vision on how to give new life to their garments.

Equipped with a tailor’s deft eye for design, the final outcome is sure to give clients a new favorite piece for their wardrobe.

Not only do Derge and Swenson’s repurposing services lengthen the lifespan of a wardrobe, but it has customers looking at their dowdy clothes with new found hope.

One fan of Ginger Root Design explained how “slim fit” shirts still weren’t slim enough for his thin frame so he took his troubles and baggy shirts to 1530 U St NW. “On the recommendation of a friend whose inexpensive H&M suit appeared custom-made (thanks to Ginger Root's intervention), I visited their shop with an armful of shirts.” He was then fitted in each shirt and after a few weeks, the garments were ready for pickup.

“When I stopped by the shop, I was delighted to try on the shirts that I had long

ignored. Erin made sure that each shirt fit the way I'd hoped; they all fit wonderfully, but I felt confident that if I had any concerns, Ginger Root would work to resolve them and sent me on my way with a better understanding of the tailoring process.

The ladies of Ginger Root are kind, funny, and very skilled; I can't recommend them enough.”

Another couple exclaims how the seamstresses were able to take items they brought back from Sicily including clothing, ties and belts and transform them into a memorable collection they used for their wedding.

“Our favorite pieces of clothing to revamp are definitely the ones our clients have a deep personal connection with. In the past, this has meant re-tailoring mothers' or grandmothers' clothing to fit a more modern aesthetic…I love projects like this, and my absolute favorite part besides seeing their reaction to the finished garment is when customers return with the stories about how their moms react. It's so personal, and really drives us to keep re-purposing,” says Derge.

When not tailoring and restoring clothing for their clients, Derge and Swenson are transforming hand-me-downs from Salvation Army reject bins. Items from the twosome and local artisans are available for purchase at GingerRootDesign.com.

Quirky enthusiasts can find a plethora of lady ties, retro fascinators and earrings made from beautiful twisted metals. Check the website on Fridays for the anticipated reveal of “About a Dress.” Each week the pair presents a dress that has undergone a thorough makeover courtesy of Ginger Root Design. Viewers see the before and after as well as get commentary from the designers themselves on how the look came about. The one-of-kind garbs go quickly so tune in early.

The seamstresses have successfully pinned a name for themselves as wardrobe problem-solvers and sustainable fashion pioneers but according to Derge, Ginger Root Designs is just getting started.

“Next up on our agenda is to renovate our downstairs storefront. Our remodel is tentatively scheduled to be finished in the middle of August, just in time for the launch of our new fall line. We're itching to throw a huge ‘re-opening’ party, so keep an eye on our website or join our mailing list for the invite.”

10

www.womanscopenews.org • October 2012

DIRECT SALES OPPORTUNITIES DIRECTORY ThirtyOne Gifts offers an amazing opportunity for you to start your own business for just $99. You get to be your own boss, set your own schedule and offer affordable products to your friends, family and neighbors. With a huge line of products to suit everyone you know, you can help others get their gift shopping done quickly and affordably. Now offering the new Spirit Collection, Collegiate Patches and Team Phrases, and ICON-IT Embroidery Options!

We focus on Celebrating, Encouraging and Rewarding all our consultants! Contact me to find out more TODAY!

Ivette Muller, Independent Consultant Ivette@MamasNewBag.com www.mythirtyone.com/ivette Request more information and qualify for a free gift: www.WomanScope.MamasNewBag.com Location: Texas

I would love to have you join my team

Pamela J Fatone Votre Vu ~ Star Director skincareinthecity@gmail.com My Blog- Premium French Skin Care With Votre Vu

Jewels by Park Lane has been making women look and feel beautiful since 1955 by helping them to accessorize and complement their wardrobe. Come grow with us. If you have a desire to work in the fashion industry, have fun while working, and earn extra income, this is a perfect fit for you. Call me today to schedule a personal interview!

Karen J. Doniere Jazi Jewels – Jewels by Park Lane 910-228 – 8821 jazijewels@gmail.com www.jazijewels.com Location: North Carolina/Nationwide

La Bella Baskets is a gift basket and fresh flower direct sales company.

We have over 300 baskets and fresh flower designs. We offer free training, pay twice a month, no inventory to buy, nothing to deliver, no sales quotas to meet and no credit card information or money to collect. All you do is advertise your websites online and offline. You make commission and bonuses from the baskets you sell. If you want to you can sign up consultants to work with you as a team. Check out my website for more information. Also, check out how to win a gift basket worth up to $100.

Julie Tucker 770-985-5898 joyfulgiftsbyjulie@gmail.com • www.joyfulgiftsbyjulie.info Location: Continental United States

Direct Sales Companies and Sales Consultants

See your ad Here!

Reach hundreds of today’s smart and enterprising women!

Contact Katie at: Katie@womanscopenews.org

Are you ambitious and motivated with a burning desire for success? Body by Vi™ Challenge is the #1 weight-loss and fitness Challenge platform in North America—we have stellar products that addresses an exploding health and wellness market, and an organization that is purpose-built to support and accelerate your success.

We have helped millions of people shed millions of pounds AND put THOUSANDS of people in new BMWs! The time for you and Visalus is now, call me today!

Initial Outfitters invites you to enjoy a boutique line of personalized jewelry and gifts, a partnership with Charlie’s Lunch Ministries, and of course, amazing incentives!

Benefit from the rapid growth of this ground floor opportunity and be the first in your area to present Initial Outfitters! Most importantly we have a desire to see each and every consultant experience the success she hopes for. Getting started is simple!

You can get started for as little as $99 with our basic business kit, or invest in one of our fabulous personalized kits starting at $149.

Consultants enjoy: 30% commissions on everything you sell, Earn free products in the first 90 days, No monthly minimums, Personalized retail website at no additional cost, Exceptional (& fun!) training, Incentives & opportunity to earn dream vacations.

Initial Outfitters 334-887-1856 info@initialoutfitters.com • www.initialoutfitters.com

BILTMORE INSPIRATIONS ~ A NEW GROUND FLOOR INCOME OPPORTUNITY WITH the BILTMORE ESTATE!!

Visit www.celebratingeverydaywithstyle.com and www.biltmoreinspirations.com/lisachelius today! Contact me with questions and to start your journey with Biltmore Inspirations! We are looking for new consultants to help us launch our company. We’re also booking themed parties!! Please share my number with your friends and family!!

Kelly McElroy

Lisa Chelius

ViSalus' Body by Vi™ Challenge Phone: 720-352-6741 bewellfeelgreat@gmail.com www.getvishakes.com Location: Colorado

Biltmore Inspirations Direct to Company 610-670-8599 lisachelius@comcast.net www.biltmoreinspirations.com/lisachelius www.celebratingeverydaywithstyle.com Follow us on facebook at www.facebook.com/inspirationswithlisachelius!

As a Member of the Leadership Committee, I am able to help women take the best care of their skin by sharing our cutting edge anti aging skincare and makeup line.

At Beauty Society, we are literally changing and enhancing lives while positively empowering women every day through our sales opportunity.

Joining Beauty Society is like joining a family. 100% paraben free, sulfate free, vegan friendly and 100% gluten free. Our Treasure Not Trash refill program helps save the environment.

You can earn a slice of the $2.5 billion anti-aging skincare market while being paid the HIGHEST commissions in the industry. We do not carry inventory, provide full product hostess gifts, FREE coaching and training for your business. Set you own hours, be in

business for yourself, but not by yourself!

Cheryl Lamb Beauty Society Corporate Leadership Team Member 650-296-8148 • lamb414@gmail.com www.mybeautysociety.com/CherylAnn

Blessings Unlimited offers a unique blend of business and ministry. Our exclusive, message-based products include home décor items and gifts created to encourage hearts, build relationships, and bring beauty to the place you live. Through home parties, called Gatherings, we provide a unique shopping experience and a business opportunity which provides the freedom and flexibility to spend time on what is most important to you.

Whether you want a fun, new career or a flexible part-time business that allows you more time with your family, you can choose the path that fits you best. Ask me how you can combine your

work and faith!

Alice Klitz 402-380-3303 www.myblessingsunlimited.net/klitz Facebook: Blessings Unlimited by Alice

Vault Denim Love Designer Jeans? How would you like to sell a product that women already know and love and are able to buy at less than retail price? Inventory of over 120 pairs

of jeans is provided for consultants, customers get to try on jeans in the comfort of a home and take them home the same day! Sizes range from 0-24 in inventories and include online sales of maternity, kids, and mens jeans. Start your business today!

Deanna Forester 208-461-2526 dforester@vaultdenim.com www.EarnFreeJeans.com Location: Idaho

October 2012 • www.womanscopenews.org

11

DIRECT SALES OPPORTUNITIES DIRECTORY Origami Owl was founded by a 14 year old entrepreneur, inspired by the desire to create jewelry that would be beautiful, meaningful, whimsical and fun. In 2010 she introduced the “Living Locket”, a necklace that can be customized with meaningful charms that represent things that are important to you. From humble beginnings at home parties, the success of Origami Owl quickly grew in fanfare and today Weems’ business model is replicated by Independent Designers nationwide. “Women absolutely love creating unique pieces of jewelry that reflect their own style. We closely follow the latest styles to ensure that each item in our exclusive line is fashion-forward and on-trend,” said Isabella Weems, Origami Owl’s Founder.

It's all about you.

Superstar treatment with get-gorgeous know-how. Share-worthy secrets that are simply divine. Laugh-out-loud friendships that last a lifetime. Feel-good beauty that really makes a difference. Exercise the right to make beauty all your own. Ask me how I can help.

Origami Owl Custom Jewelry (www.mylifelocket.origamiowl.com) is a direct sales company that features an exclusive line of trend-setting customizable jewelry. You can have the flexibility to run your own business on your own time, help others design meaningful jewelry keepsakes and make a profit in the process.

Cindy Allen, Independant designer with Origami Owl www.cindyallen.origamiowl.com • cindyallen50@hotmail.com 330-397-9812

Rebekah J. Jones

Independent Beauty Consultant www.marykay.com/rjjcosmeticexpressions 915-257-5565

Origami Owl was founded by a 14 year old entrepreneur, inspired by the desire to create jewelry that would be beautiful, meaningful, whimsical and fun. In 2010 she introduced the “Living Locket”, a necklace that can be customized with meaningful charms that represent things that are important to you. From humble beginnings at home parties, the success of Origami Owl quickly grew in fanfare and today Weems’ business model is replicated by Independent Designers nationwide. “Women absolutely love creating unique pieces of jewelry that reflect their own style. We closely follow the latest styles to ensure that each item in our exclusive line is fashion-forward and on-trend,” said Isabella Weems, Origami Owl’s Founder.

Origami Owl Custom Jewelry (www.mylifelocket.origamiowl.com) is a direct sales company that features an exclusive line of trend-setting customizable jewelry. You can have the flexibility to run your own business on your own time, help others design meaningful jewelry keepsakes and make a profit in the process.

Gilma “G” Acevedo Independant designer with Origami Owl mylifelocket1@gmail.com 305-905-2805

There are many reasons why I LOVE Initials, Inc. Here are just a few: FREE personalization on purses, totes, home organizational items and being a PIONEER in my area!

Do you like to buy gifts and get them personalizationed? Initials, Inc products are great for gifts for your wedding party, birthdays, holidays, showers, and weddings. If you like to introduce a new company to your friends then Initials, Inc is your business! Contact me today as I would love to answer all your questions! There is only ONE you with Initials!

Sheryl Brummer Independent Sr. Creative Leader bsbrummer@gmail.com • www.personalizationisfree.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/bagsRfun 618-553-1108

Vemma (Vitamins Essential Minerals Mangosteen and Aloe) Join me in my mission to make a positive difference in the lives of families. As a Vemma Brand Partner you will find a peace of mind for your health as well as your financial future. This is your opportunity to be part of the next Billion Dollar Wellness Company while it’s still in its growth stage!

changing your wellness, financial situation…your life.

Contact me to begin your journey to Change:

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Country Gourmet Home is a premier manufacturer of gourmet food mixes. As a family owned an operated business our attention to taste and quality is top line. Each mix is created to be easy to make, requiring only one or two simple ingredients. Our flavorful mixes that taste just like grandmas homemade meals will bring smiles to your table.

Beijo is a fashion accessories company best known for their designer handbags. Beijo empowers women by offering a direct sales model and the opportunity to achieve financial independence by selling product through Home parties.

Amy Beth Founder & CEO of Country Gourmet Home 340 N 1st E Preston, ID 83263 1-877-SO-YUMMY www.countrygourmethome.com

Debbie Damron Asst. to Susan Handley, Founder/Owner Beijo Bags debbie@beijobags.com

I began my journey with It Works Global in December 2010 because of my love for the Ultimate Applicator Body Wrap. As a pharmaceutical sales rep turned stay at home mom to 2 boys, I was looking for something to help me with my "mommy tummy" and lose the last 10lbs of baby weight. When I tried the Ultimate Body Applicator the first time, I fell in love. I decided to sign up as a distributor to cover the cost of my own products. However, after only a year and a half in the business, I have replaced my pharmaceutical sales representative income while working from home in a business my boys can do with me. It is an 11 year old company based on Christian values and amazing all-natural products. If you are looking for a business that can change lives both physically and financially, this is it! Contact me for more information!

Nikki Warren Carter Triple Diamond Distributor, It Works! Global www.theslimmingbodywrap.com 865-680-9735 • nicolelcarter@gmail.com

12

www.womanscopenews.org • October 2012

ADVICE

Q

Dear Dr. Renee, What do you say to a female friend who has divorced a guy who raped her while married, cheated on her, abused her and even caused the lost of their unborn child. He left her at the door of the hospital and she is now unable to have kids. I can’t believe that she recently indicated she is talking to him again. ~Speechless

W oman to Woman

A

Dear Speechless, This sounds like a lot of drama to me. The question that I have for you is why are you so entangled in this woman's affairs? If you want to hear more about the details about her affairs then listen with a compassionate ear and let her make whatever choices she wants to make for her life.

Remember that this is her journey and we are not to judge the road that her path to fulfillment takes. You are feeling stress because you want to make decisions for her life that are contrary to what she is doing. If this hurts you, the best you can do is to bless her and wish her well and stay out of her personal life.

Politely let her know that you can no longer watch her do what she is doing to herself. I know this is hard since she is accustomed to sharing her personal affairs with you. This is not serving anyone if it is hurting you to see her in pain.

If you are going to continue to go along for the ride, then do so willingly without any kicking or screaming. You have two options as I see it‌enjoy the ride or cut her loose!

Q

Dear Dr. Renee, My love life is absolutely non-existent. I haven’t been on a date in about three years because I’ve been dedicating so much time to my work.

I realized that some of my priorities have been messed up but I don’t know how to get myself out there. All of my friends that are my age are already married with kids. I’m afraid that I missed the boat for a relationship. Is it too late for me to find true love? ~Loveless

A

Dear Loveless, It’s never too late to find your soul-mate. There are a lot of professionals out there who are in the same situation as you.

They put their career first and now they are trying to find love.

E-dating is one of the easiest ways to get out there and meet people who have similar situations as you. One out of three marriages these days come from online dating. Create a profile and before you know it, your dating calendar will be full. It’s up to you to find true love from there.

Dr. RenÊe is the author of The Four Paths to Ultimate Wellness, an amazing book that reveals the secrets of how to feel fantastic, look more attractive and enjoy more of life’s pleasures. For more information, go to www.DrRenee.com or 410 630-6989. Submit your lifestyle questions to: Advice@AskDrRenee.com.

By Dr. RenĂŠe Parks, Staff Writer

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October 2012 • www.womanscopenews.org

13

THE HEALING PLACE

Rhia's Domestic Violence Story Rhia tells this domestic violence story not for sympathy but to point out that you never know what the one thing in your life is going to be that changes you and everything you believe. This is the way Rhia's life changed: There are many things that can change the direction of someone's life, graduating, getting married, having a child, losing a parent, getting divorced and so many more things. I have done all those things. I got married at the age of 18 years to a man I had known for 3 weeks. I started having babies right away and had three sons in four years.

My husband was not a very good husband or father but I was young and did not want to raise my sons alone so I stayed. In fact I stayed for 15 years before I just could not work to hold onto a broken marriage. After I separated from my husband I met a man.

I did not know that he was going to be the single biggest thing to happen to me in my life time.

We met at a dance and almost immediately we became inseparable. He was cute and funny and seemed to not be able to get enough of me. After 15 years of a man who did not seem to like me much this was a refreshing situation. He called and dropped by with flowers and was just so charming.

He even seemed to get along with my sons who at that time were early teens and hard to get along with. I knew he had just gotten out of prison, but as he always said he had learned his lesson. I was on probation myself at this time and we should have not been together, but that just heightened the attraction. I should have seen the warning signs right then and there but I did not.

He moved in rather quickly, I just love to do things fast, and things seemed so blissful. He made coffee in the morning and cleaned up after himself and just could not get enough of the togetherness, I had been

craving. The abuse did not start out physical it started with: "I was lucky to have him, he could do so much better than me, the house needed to be cleaner, the boys needed to be quieter, and I needed to be home with him when he was, that my friends were not really my friends", and on and on.

The first sign of the physical abuse started not with hitting but pushing and grabbing.

First came the apologies "I am so sorry I did not mean to grab you so hard but if you had only listened or did something right the first time we would have not had to go through that fight." As time went on the abuse got worse and happened at a faster pace. He started punching and kicking and burning and cutting. I was hiding all this from people who loved me, so I had no one to turn to. I could not even go to the law, as he was fond of pointing out. He was on parole and I was on probation if we had gotten caught together I risked going to jail myself. So, as the problem grew so did my fear that one of my boys were going to hurt him and end up in trouble themselves.

The final straw and the single most thing that changed my course with him was the day we had gone over to the neighbor's house for a bar-b-que and he thought I was flirting with the husband. The fight was on when we got home. There was nothing I could say or do to end this thing. I sent my sons to the store to see if I could defuse the situation, I did not want them to see anymore then they had to. He got angrier and angrier and went for his gun. It was not the first time that a weapon had been brought in but this time I was really scared. I was right to be scared, he placed the gun in my mouth because I was lying to him and I deserved to die for that and shooting through my lying mouth made sense to him. I remember being very calm and thinking about a lot of things, was I right

WomanWords...

“

with God, yes, would the boys be ok, no, but in the end the only thing I could pray for was that my boys not be the ones to find me. His uncle showed up and talked him out of shooting me and I ran. I got my children and ran as far as I could.

I tell this domestic violence story not for sympathy but to point out that you never know what the one thing in your life is going to be that changes you and everything you believe. If someone had told me I would let myself be hurt in this manner I would have laughed. I did find out that I am stronger than I thought. I also found out my children were not as blind as I thought. The biggest thing I found out was that even someone who

was smart could get into a situation like this. I just want anyone who is going through this to know you can get out and be safe. That is why I tell my story. I am no longer ashamed and if one person can find a way out because they have heard my story then it is worth all the pain to relive it. So, if you or someone you love is going through this just know you are not alone and you are stronger then you think.

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www.womanscopenews.org • October 2012

WOMEN OF FAITH

'I became a Zen Buddhist nun' Article courtesy of www.firstperson.com From childhood, Miranda Hodgson had been a staunch atheist, but when she began to practise yoga and meditation, her life took an unexpected turn Eleven years ago, I was living in New York, and working as an arts administrator for Carnegie Hall.

I was ambitious and driven, but I felt as if something was missing in my life, and I couldn't explain what it was. My family was from London, but had moved to the US when my two elder brothers and I were very young, so that my father could pursue his career as a surgeon. We were comfortably middle-class, and it was expected that we, too, would develop highly successful careers, get married and, in turn, have successful children of our own.

My father was an atheist of the Richard Dawkins or Karl Marx ilk, for whom religion was simply a mechanism of political and social oppression. Although my mother never said much to contradict this, she would seem mildly upset when I would occasionally deny the existence of God. I, too, was an atheist. As a teenager, I refused to be confirmed.

I was passionate about writing, literature, and languages, and I was also good at sports and music - a classic high-achieving all-rounder. However, the competitive attitude I was encouraged to have, coupled with my rather introverted personality, did not win me many close friendships. Also, being English did not make it easy for me to integrate into American culture.

Finally, when I was 18, I was able to escape the limitations of suburbia by going to Harvard to read English. I loved it there - studying, writing, and running a modern dance company. I began to discover who I was, and even though I lacked the social confidence that so many of my classmates seemed to have, I started to emerge from my shell bit by bit. I even had a boyfriend - a genuine, lovely guy in the year above me who was heavily into drama.

He was a committed Christian, but this didn't cause too many problems, as long as we didn't talk about how we thought each other's beliefs were completely deluded and wrong.

Eventually, the relationship ran its course but, after graduating and landing a job at Carnegie Hall, I began to acknowledge to myself that I no longer found my aggressively

atheist take on life adequate. Although I still found it impossible to believe in a god, I gradually became aware that there were other, nontheistic approaches to experiencing the spiritual side of life. I started to do hatha yoga, and was then introduced to Zen meditation by a colleague.

Something clicked, I left my job and returned to England to do postgraduate studies at Oxford. I continued to practise with a local group affiliated to the International Zen Association, which is based in France. Having previously lived such a goal- and achievementoriented life, sitting in meditation and simply observing my state of being was a new experience. As I examined my ideals, particularly the validation I sought through unrelenting hard work, I found that they were empty; one by one, they dropped away. I realised there were more important things than climbing the career ladder at any cost.

Although it was a liberating experience, it was incredibly frightening at times. I had to reassess my approach to life, and in doing so, acknowledge that, by my previous standards, I felt like a failure. Instead of getting a highly paid job, followed by marriage, a house and children, I was struggling to make ends meet as I cobbled together an existence from undergraduate teaching while trying to finish my doctorate. Then, just as five years of hard work were coming to an end, my supervisors decided that they didn't want to help me with the revisions recommended by my examiners, and I had to move on. Without a doctorate, the academic career I had worked for was impossible. After going through every emotion, and becoming physically ill, I decided to use the teaching experience I'd had at university to go into secondary-school teaching.

I continued to meditate with the Zen group and attend sesshins (retreats) both in the UK and in France. In France, I met a Zen master (a practitioner who has received permission to teach), and under him, I made a formal commitment to follow the Zen path. Unlike in Japan, where Zen monks and nuns are supported by the state, Europeans who make this commitment continue to live and work in society as they did before. For me, the decision to ask for nun ordination came easily. It simply felt like the right thing to do; it made sense. Life

WomanWords...

“

A nation is formed by the willingness

of each of us to

share in the responsibility for upholding the common good.

�

~Barbara Jordan

was beginning to unfold naturally.

The ceremony took place at my Master's little dojo (meditation hall) near Tours, France, on a beautiful summer morning last year. I received a black kolomo (a kimono with extralong sleeves) to wear over my white kimono, as well as the black kesa (a rectangular garment that is worn wrapped around the body and over the left shoulder during meditation) and the rakusu (a miniature kesa that is shaped like a short apron) that I had sewn myself. I was given a document that traces my lineage back to Shakyamuni Buddha, a bowl for my meals, and a nun name that will be used only after my death. I cried throughout the ceremony, but the look on my face in the official photograph says it all: sitting next to my Master I look emotional, almost overwhelmed, but relieved and happy.

Nearly a year has passed since then and people's reactions to my ordination have been varied. My mother has been curious and supportive, while my father does not mention it; I have no idea of his opinion, other than that he does not disapprove. I think he sees that I am happier now, which is good enough for him. Because I am now a teacher, I don't shave my head and, as I wear the kolomo and kesa only for meditation, I look no different from anyone else you would see in the street.

When most people hear the word nun, they think of Catholic nuns. Often, their first question is why would I want to give up having sex for ever. Stated in this way, it puts sex on a par with things such as smoking or drinking: self-gratifying acts of pleasurable consumption. If one understands sex according to such a selfish, loveless definition, then I suppose that yes, I have "given it up". One of the vows I made when I was ordained pertains to sex, and it states that you should not use your sexuality in a way that harms. It is not what you do, therefore, but how you do it: using someone as a commodity for one's own satisfaction is definitely harmful if considered in that light.

Shortly after my ordination, I met a man with whom I now share a relationship based on mutual trust and respect.

Most of my teenage students know I am a nun, and their reactions fascinate me. They are openly curious about what it means to be a Buddhist as well as a nun and, of course, asking me questions about it is a great time-waster in lessons. One question that comes up fairly

frequently is whether I believe in God, but I'm not sure if they understand when I tell them that the idea of the Abrahamic God has no place in Buddhism.

At other times, they ask me how I meditate. They put their hands into what they think is a suitably yogic position, shut their eyes, and say: "Ohmmm."

I find their preconceptions entertaining, and they don't want to believe me when I tell them the truth: that we sit still and don't move or make a sound for up to six hours a day. I think it must be fairly strange for them to be faced with someone who has made such a strong religious commitment. Some of them assume I live like a puritan, and are surprised when I tell them that I do drink alcohol and I will eat meat.

While my status as a nun usually fosters a dialogue between me and my students, I sometimes feel it separates us. Nowadays, students See A Zen Life, Page 18

HER STORY

Barbara Jordan Courtesy of www.womensnationalmuseum.com

Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas in 1972, Barbara Jordan became the first African-American congresswoman to be elected, and re-elected, from the deep South.

Before her election to Congress, she was a Texas State Senator, the first African-American woman to serve there. Jordan captured the attention of the nation during the 1974 Nixon impeachment hearings. As a member of the House Judiciary Hearings she served on the committee charged with hearing and evaluating the evidence bearing on the possible impeachment of then-President Nixon.

It was on this committee that her incisive questioning and her impassioned defense of the Constitution made her a respected national figure. In l976, Barbara Jordan became the first woman and first African-American to give the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention. In 1978 she announced that she would not seek re-election and returned to Texas as a full professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. She remained there, and became a counselor to Texas Governor Ann Richards.

October 2012 • www.womanscopenews.org

15

INSPIRATIONALLY YOURS

A Mother’s Challenge

By V. Lee, Staff Writer

My toddler daughter snatched her hand back from the still warm space heater. She’ll learn, I told myself. But still I made sure that the heater was completely turned off. That was my challenge as her mother back then: to clear her path of hurtful things, make sure she could move through one decade of her life to the next, unharmed and able to fend for herself. As a mother, your challenges are simple when your children are young and full of needs aren’t they? But what is a mother’s role when her children age but don’t grow up?

Perhaps because I raised my daughters as a single mom, I never felt the need to have my grown daughters dependent on me. I encouraged them to learn independence when they were young because I needed to be independent to take care of us. And, like many parents in the Pew Research Center studies who embraced their returning children, I have enjoyed having my daughters and their children, my grandchildren, living at home. But now I find myself struggling with the challenge of figuring out what type of parent I should be.

Who are mothers helping by letting their grown children live at home with no real set of responsibilities? Does it help them to keep paying their bills, cooking their meals, checking to make sure that the heater is turned off? Or are we fulfilling a need within ourselves because we feel like we don’t have anything else?

At the risk of sounding like a horrible mother, I feel like screaming, “I DON’T FEEL LIKE THAT AT ALL!” While I think it’s wonderful that children grow up and choose to live with their parents, I still think there should be a level of responsibility that shows they are adults. I believe that mothers don’t need to mother our grown children; that our relationship has evolved to a “support stage” that leaves us free to pursue our own dreams.

And I crave that freedom now. I’m not content to just let middle-age be my resting place. Like many women in their 50’s these days, I have goals that I want to fulfill. I don’t want to see my grown daughters suffer or struggle, but I figure this is my time now; My time to be selfish in a way that I couldn’t be when my daughters only had me to depend on.

My time to grab my keys and go running without looking for a babysitter, to

write uninterrupted without worrying about cooking dinner, to get the bills paid without working over-time to do it.

I want my time with my grandchildren to be stress free, quality time. I want to have enough money to travel or just put my feet up and do nothing.

But for most women, acting on those feelings is difficult. We take mothering seriously and we’re not sure where we should stop because truthfully, our role of mother never ends. But if the need arises, what should end is our method of mothering.

As this phenomenon of adult-children moving back home grows, I’m surrounded by wonderful stories of parents and adult-children co-existing blissfully in the same household, sharing financial responsibilities, prospering each in their own way. A co-worker told me how much she appreciates her Mom who, now retired, fixes her meals, irons her clothes and wakes her up for work, in addition to watching her two boys while she’s working.

On the flip side, I once had a frustrated neighbor who begged me to keep an ear out for her apartment because she just needed to escape for a couple of days from her five adult sons who lived with her without jobs or household contributions. I waved goodbye to another co-worker one day, not knowing that she’d be dead a week later from over-work and not taking care of herself – all because of her dedication to mother her grown children.

For some adult-children living at home, it’s an asset to everyone. But the reality is that many mothers are putting up with their grown children who never matured to think as an adult. They fully expect their mothers to take care of them and their expenses – and they have no problem disrupting the peace when their needs aren’t met.

We gave birth or adopted and we faced the challenges of raising our children the best way we could. Just because they came back home doesn’t mean we failed. Our challenge now is to remember that while we are their mothers, mothering them won’t help. We need them to be able to survive without us.

Show them where we keep the pots and pans. Hand them the cable bill. Let them figure out how to cut the heater switch off before they touch it.

CAREER CORNER

INTERVIEW DEAL-BREAKERS

By Stephen B. Thomas, Global Career Development Facilitator at Maryland New Directions

When it comes to job interviews, people can be so honest it hurts.

As a job readiness workshop facilitator, I regularly conduct video-recorded mock interviews with job-seekers. The video allows both the client and me to better identify what they do well, and what could use improvement. Interviewees rarely have a problem accepting constructive criticism regarding clothing, personal mannerisms, body language, and frequent “ums” and “uhs”; these things are all easy to spot and correct.

But what about “being too honest” especially on answering the question of “telling me about your weakness?”

In job-seeking and in life, ‘honesty is the best policy. Any lie can and will be used against you in a job interview. That goes for résumé content as well. If you embellish your qualifications on your résumé, the truth will most likely be uncovered during an interview or after you’ve been employed. Chances are that a lie will kill the potential of a job offer, or lead to termination later on.

And yet, you must be careful about which honest fact you choose to divulge to the interviewer.

When the truth describes a grievous error you made on the job, costing the business a lot of money, time, or crucial customer relationships, you cannot leave the story there. If the truth consists of telling the interviewer that you resigned from one job to start your own business, but the business failed for one reason or another, you cannot end your tale at that point. If you are brutally honest, and tell the interviewer that you have trouble with prioritiz-

ing, respecting deadlines, or interacting with a particular type of customer, then an employer will conclude that putting you to work or training you will be too much of a hassle.

By not leaving the interviewer with a “happy ending,” all he or she will remember is how badly things turned out when you were in charge, you’re letting the employer know that you’re someone who causes problems, not an asset who solves them.

So here’s one thing to try: Instead of talking about past failures or personal habits that hold you back, why not mention a skills gap or shortage?

For example, if you are a person seeking work as a front desk receptionist or executive assistant, discussing your desire to learn about Excel or Access is a fine idea. Explain that once you’ve learned those programs, you’ll have a grasp of how to increase efficiency and organization at the office.

The impression you give is: • I’m someone who has done some selfexamination about how I can improve my current skill set; • I’ve learned enough about the industry to see what skills and abilities are most advantageous right now; • When I pick up this skill, I’ll have even more to offer my employer.

Honesty and integrity will always help you in an interview. So will great sales skills. But no one buys a product that showcases its flaws on the runway. So, don’t make that mistake.

16

GREEN LIVING

Green Holiday Gift Alternatives Christmas has traditionally been an important time in the life of many families. It is a great opportunity for sharing the principles behind our lifestyles and beliefs with others, especially with young children. But if your extended families and friends aren’t as environmentally or socially aware as you are, the commercial hype can be troublesome. Here are some suggestions for alternative gifts.

• Children love personalized gifts, so create a simple book about the child, written and illustrated by you.

• Collect all the makings for hand puppets — brown lunch bags, googly eyes, scissors, markers etc.

• Record interviews of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles on audio or video tape; you can ask them to discuss their memories of the person you plan to give the tape to, or your family’s history, especially funny or meaningful anecdotes.

• Frame one of your best photographs. Buy a frame from a local business or artisan. Or make one yourself out of stiff paper or cardboard, decorated with colored paper, old wrapping paper, beads and/or leaves, small pinecones, or seeds.

• Make your own calendar using cut-out pictures, photos, and/or drawings.

• Assemble a collection of favorite recipes.

• Get out your video camera and make a film of the kids putting on a play.

Mail it to the grandparents with a holiday song as the finale.

• Bake a basket of muffins and cookies and deliver them to neighbors.

• Create a hand-decorated coupon for your best friend promising a weekend of babysitting while she and her spouse take a weekend away from the kids.

• Create a coupon book of certificates for your children – ten gift coupons for them to redeem during the year. One could promise a Saturday afternoon building a playhouse. Another might be a promise of tennis lessons or an afternoon of making cookies.

• Your teenager could make a coupon to give to Dad, promising to wash the car or to make dinner three times.

• Promise your significant other some special activities – a candlelit dinner, a massage or an outdoor activity that you both enjoy.

• Assemble a gift basket with compact fluorescent light bulbs, forms for getting rid of junk mail, healthy recipes, some weatherstripping and cozy slippers (so they can turn down the heat a few degrees).

• Give a membership or a donation to a local cause such as a soup kitchen, a shelter for battered women, a local environment group, etc. Call local churches, synagogues and charitable organizations for ideas.

• Give a membership to your local zoo, museum or art gallery, or "adopt" an animal at the zoo or to support an endangered species.

www.womanscopenews.org • October 2012

FINANCE

Buying or Leasing a Car: To Lease or Not to Lease Courtesy of www.wife.org If you are in the market for a new car, you may have been tempted by offers of “low, low monthly payments” if you lease. Leasing has its advantages: With a lease, you can expect to make little or no down payment and make lower monthly payments. At the end of the lease period, you don’t have to worry about the trade-in or sale of the used car. You can just turn back the keys to the leasing company, and walk away-literally, since you won’t have a car. Or you can sign a lease on a new vehicle, and drive away instead.

That leads us to the major disadvantage of leasing a car. Granted, your monthly payment will be less each month, but at the end of the lease period, you don’t own anything. It’s like leasing an apartment rather than buying a house. If you want to continue driving the same car, you must purchase it from the leasing company for its current market value. Otherwise, you’ll have to lease or buy a new vehicle.

Leasing a car has other disadvantages. You’ll need a good credit rating to lease a car, but even a so-so rating will allow you to purchase one. When you lease, you must purchase special “gap” insurance that will cover the remaining lease payments on the leased car if it is wrecked or stolen. And at the end of the lease period, you may be charged for miles you drove in excess of the maximum specified in your lease, and you also may be charged for excess wear and tear on the car.

To decide whether or not to lease, use this handy worksheet. Compare the result on line 7 for both scenarios, and choose the option with the lowest cost.

TO LEASE OR NOT TO LEASE COST TO PURCHASE 1. Down payment 2. Monthly payment 3. Times length of the loan 4. Total payments 5. Sales tax and out-of-pocket expenses 6. Estimated value of the car after all payments are made 7. Total cost of purchasing the car (1 + 4 + 5 – 6) COST TO LEASE 1. Monthly payment 2. Times length of the lease 3. Total lease payments 4. Up-front costs, if any 5. Disposition fees, if any 6. Cost of gap insurance 7. Total cost of leasing the car (3 + 4 + 5 + 6)

x = -

x = -

If leasing looks like the better option, proceed with caution. Car companies have many ways of making the finances so complicated that you can’t tell if you’re getting a good deal or losing your shirt. If you do decide to lease, go through the proposed lease step-by-step and make sure it meets the criteria below.

• A lease term that corresponds to the length of time you’ll want to keep the car.

• No up-front “capital cost reduction” (read “down payment”).

• Closed-end lease so you won’t be charged if the car is worth less than the estimated residual value.

• Mileage limit that corresponds to your driving habits.

• No extra charge for moving the vehicle out of state.

• Guaranteed-price purchase option.

• Security deposit not in excess of one monthly payment.

• No up-front charge for sales tax.

• Payments that are less than you would pay on a car loan. Comparison-shop for lowest costs.

• No early termination fee.

• Ability to incorporate the cost of extra miles into the monthly payment at a reduced cost.

• Refund provision for cost of extra miles you buy but don’t drive.

October 2012 • www.womanscopenews.org

17

NATIONAL NEWS

Life Spans Shrink for LeastEducated Whites in the U.S.

By Sabrina Tavernise For generations of Americans, it was a given that children would live longer than their parents. But there is now mounting evidence that this enduring trend has reversed itself for the country’s least-educated whites, an increasingly troubled group whose life expectancy has fallen by four years since 1990.

Researchers have long documented that the most educated Americans were making the biggest gains in life expectancy, but now they say mortality data show that life spans for some of the least educated Americans are actually contracting. Four studies in recent years identified modest declines, but a new one that looks separately at Americans lacking a high school diploma found disturbingly sharp drops in life expectancy for whites in this group. Experts not involved in the new research said its findings were persuasive.

The reasons for the decline remain unclear, but researchers offered possible explanations, including a spike in prescription drug overdoses among young whites, higher rates of smoking among less educated white women, rising

obesity, and a steady increase in the number of the least educated Americans who lack health insurance.

The steepest declines were for white women without a high school diploma, who lost five years of life between 1990 and 2008, said S. Jay Olshansky, a public health professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the lead investigator on the study, published last month in Health Affairs. By 2008, life expectancy for black women without a high school diploma had surpassed that of white women of the same education level, the study found.

White men lacking a high school diploma lost three years of life. Life expectancy for both blacks and Hispanics of the same education level rose, the data showed. But blacks over all do not live as long as whites, while Hispanics live longer than both whites and blacks.

“We’re used to looking at groups and complaining that their mortality rates haven’t improved fast enough, but to actually go backward is deeply troubling,” said John G. Haaga, head of the Population and Social Processes

Failure: The Secret to Success?

By H. McCubbin, Staff Writer By now many of you have seen the "You Are Not Special" graduation speech given by Wellesley, MA Senior High English teacher David McCullough, Jr. (son of the historian and author David McCullough.) If you haven't seen it, you can catch the speech in its entirety here: http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lfxYhtf8o4. He tells the graduating class that they aren't special.

He sites that everyone is wearing the same cap and gown; all the diplomas are the same sans the name. He says we love accolades more than genuine achievement. Why is that? To succeed and achieve in life, you have to fail, learn from

PHOTO / OnlyOx @ deviantart

your mistakes, make the necessary adjustments and keep moving. Young adults today blame others when they fail: teachers, bosses, parents.

Why? Are we, as parents, afraid to let our children fail?

In the Sydney Morning Herald in Australia there was an article last year entitled "Helicopter Parents Not Doing Enough to Let Children Fail" and out of 7,980 parents polled, 94 percent said they should let their children fail so they can learn from their mistakes. Forty years ago, there was a belief that praising the child and constantly patting them on the back would raise their self-esteem. It seems to have backfired.

As the article states, "children nowadays are less resilient and unable to cope with failure… some [are] even too scared to put their hand up in class and risk giving the wrong answer." This constant praise carries over in a negative way into the workplace. One of the first studies on

Researchers can only speculate as to the cause for the drastic drop in life expectancy Branch of the National Institute on Aging, who was not involved in the new study.

The five-year decline for white women rivals the catastrophic seven-year drop for Russian men in the years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, said Michael Marmot, director of the Institute of Health Equity in London.

The decline among the least educated nonHispanic whites, who make up a shrinking share of the population, widened an already troubling gap. The latest estimate shows life expectancy for white women without a high school diploma was 73.5 years, compared with

83.9 years for white women with a college degree or more. For white men, the gap was even bigger: 67.5 years for the least educated white men compared with 80.4 for those with a college degree or better.

The dropping life expectancies have helped weigh down the United States in international life expectancy rankings, particularly for women. In 2010, American women fell to 41st place, down from 14th place in 1985, in the United Nations rankings. Among developed countries, American women sank from See Life Expectancy Drop, Page 18

EDUCATION Generation Y (born between 1982 and 1999) led by Jean Twenge at San Diego State University shows that this generation wants the prestige and money of a high-status job without putting in the effort. How did this happen?

How many times has a parent brought a forgotten band instrument, homework or lunch bag up to the school because they didn't want their child to be reprimanded for their actions?

Making things easier is not going to help them learn how to handle failure. Letting your child deal with the consequences will help them develop the skills needed to not let it happen again and figure out how they will remember the item next time. Failure helps you learn, it creates ownership and accountability.

As far back as 1989, educators were beginning to see that the constant praise and the supportive environments that teachers were attempting to facilitate were counterproductive.

No student can always be "good" or "nice" or "smart". We can help keep our child's self esteem high by encouraging them, not praising.

Advice on how to help your child ranges by age. If your preschooler draws a picture, you don't have to tell them it's the best picture you have ever seen. Chances are they may hear that phrase a hundred times more in their life. Instead, find a specific part of their drawing you like (the use of numerous colors, for example) and ask them questions about it. "Why did you draw a line over here?" It's amazing the creative answers you will receive when questioning them. If your middle-schooler fails a test they thought they did well on, don't pick up

the phone or email the teacher and ask what happened. Talk to your child about why they may have failed it. Help them develop the skills and courage they need to go back to the teacher and ask for assistance. Hold the child accountable.

Professor Twenge says, ''Feeling special often means the expectation of special treatment…your parents might think you're special…the rest of the world might not. This can be a difficult adjustment.'' Is she right? A parent I interviewed gave me a more detailed thought; "I'd rather my kid suffer a little blast to their self-esteem when they are seven, rather than graduate high school, reading at a 8th grade reading level and not be able to support their family, because they lack the skills necessary for a good job. Which is going to hurt worse?"

Life is unfair. Life is messy. Bad things happen. We can't avoid them or stop them. The best we can do as educators, parents or adult role models is help children develop skills on how to cope with, and overcome, the numerous obstacles they will encounter on the road to adulthood.

References Patty, Anna. The Sydney Morning Herald. April 3, 2010. "Helicopter Parents Not Doing Enough To Let Children Fail". http://www. smh.com.au/national/education/helicopter-parents-not-doingenough-to-let-children-fail-20100402-rjxy.html. Accessed June 26, 2012 You Tube. : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lfxYhtf8o4 Accessed June 27, 2012 Belkin, Lisa. The New York Times. Motherlode: Adventures in Parenting. "Teaching Kids to Fail" September 11, 2011. http:// parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/teaching-kids-to-fail/.

Accessed June 27, 2012.

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www.womanscopenews.org • October 2012

SUCCESS STRATEGIES

Education Level Linked to Length of Life Life Expectancy Drop, from page 17 the middle of the pack in 1970 to last place in 2010, according to the Human Mortality Database.

The slump is so vexing that it became the subject of an inquiry by the National Academy of Sciences, which published a report on it last year.

“There’s this enormous issue of why,” said David Cutler, an economics professor at Harvard who was an author of a 2008 paper that found modest declines in life expectancy for less educated white women from 1981 to 2000. “It’s very puzzling and we don’t have a great explanation.”

And it is yet another sign of distress in one of the country’s most vulnerable groups during a period when major social changes are transforming life for less educated whites. Childbirth outside marriage has soared, increasing pressures on women who are more likely to be single parents. Those who do marry tend to choose mates with similar education levels, concentrating the disadvantage.

Inklings of this decline have been accumulating since 2008. Professor Cutler’s paper, published in Health Affairs, found a decline in life expectancy of about a year for less educated white women from 1990 to 2000. Three other studies, by Ahmedin Jemal, a researcher at the American Cancer Society; Jennifer Karas Montez, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholar at Harvard; and Richard Miech, a professor at the University of Colorado Denver, found increases in mortality rates (the ratio of deaths to a population) for the least educated Americans.

Professor Olshansky’s study, financed by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society, found by far the biggest decline in life expectancy for the least educated non-Hispanic whites, in large part because he isolated those without a high school diploma, a group usually combined with high school graduates. Non-Hispanic whites currently make up 63 percent of the population of the United States.

Researchers said they were baffled by the magnitude of the drop. Some cautioned that the results could be overstated because Americans without a high school diploma — about 12 percent of the population, down from about 22 percent in 1990, according to the Census Bureau — were a shrinking group that was now more likely to be disadvantaged in ways besides education, compared with past generations.

Professor Olshansky agreed that the group was now smaller, but said the magnitude of the drop in life expectancy was still a measure of deterioration. “The good news is

that there are fewer people in this group,” he said. “The bad news is that those who are in it are dying more quickly.”

Researchers, including some involved in the earlier studies that found more modest declines in life expectancy, said that Professor Olshansky’s methodology was sound and that the findings reinforced evidence of a troubling pattern that has emerged for those at the bottom of the education ladder, particularly white women.

“Something is going on in the lives of disadvantaged white women that is leading to some really alarming trends in life expectancy,” said Ms. Montez of Harvard.

Researchers offered theories for the drop in life expectancy, but cautioned that none could fully explain it.

James Jackson, director of the Institute of Social Research at the University of Michigan and an author of the new study, said white women with low levels of education may exhibit more risky behavior than that of previous generations.

Overdoses from prescription drugs have spiked since 1990, disproportionately affecting whites, particularly women. Professor Miech, of the University of Colorado, noted the rise in a 2011 paper in the American Sociological Review, arguing that it was among the biggest changes for whites in recent decades and that it appeared to have offset gains for less educated people in the rate of heart attacks.

Ms. Montez, who studies women’s health, said that smoking was a big part of declines in life expectancy for less educated women.

Smoking rates have increased among women without a high school diploma, both white and black, she said. But for men of the same education level, they have declined.

This group also has less access to health care than before. The share of working-age adults with less than a high school diploma who did not have health insurance rose to 43 percent in 2006, up from 35 percent in 1993, according to Mr. Jemal at the American Cancer Society. Just 10 percent of those with a college degree were uninsured last year, the Census Bureau reported.

The shift should be seen against the backdrop of sweeping changes in the American economy and in women’s lives, said Lisa Berkman, director of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies.

The overwhelming majority of women now work, while fertility has remained higher than in European countries. For women in low-wage jobs, which are often less flexible, this could take a toll on health, a topic that Professor Berkman has a grant from the National Institute on Aging to study.

WHAT’S YOUR CLUTTER QUOTIENT? And how is it Impacting Your Business?

By Ann Hosmer, Team Management Specialist, Building Winning Teams

“It’s time for you to take out the trash. Currently you live in the most expensive type of trash can. The trash in your home (or work environment) consumes precious space and zaps energy from your life.”

Brooks Palmer, CLUTTER BUSTING Brooks Palmer devotes his career to helping people open up their channels for success by first getting rid of “all kinds of stuff.”

Have you ever noticed how great you feel once you clean up a space at home or work?

Clutter take-over destroys motivation, feeds irritability and promotes lethargy. The presence or absence of clutter directly affects our ability to build our business. It is no accident that an entire industry, known as Fung Sui, is going strong and steady around the concept of maximizing the positive energy of our environment for successful living.

It’s Energy Awareness It’s all about becoming aware of the kind of energy environment in which we are placing ourselves.

Clutter quotient = number of spaces defined as important in your life divided by the number filled with useless stuff. If your quotient is higher than 3, then you need to clean up and clear out.

Definition of Clutter: Anything you are holding onto that no longer serves you, to which you experience an emotional attachment (whether you are aware of it or not) This includes old photos and keepsakes, so called family heirlooms, items we save out of guilt or fear of letting them go. Where do we start to take a look? Just begin the process and see what frees you the most.

Physical Space – such as store rooms, storage lockers, basement, garage, barns (tack lockers, and trunks) and outbuildings Out of Sight, Out of Mind Space – What’s under your bed? Pull it all out, toss it, and see how much better you sleep.

Trunk of your car, trailers?

Closets - Do you have a walk-in closet that you cannot walk into?

Mental Clutter- Start disconnecting from disappointments and pent up bitterness you may be holding onto. Visualize yourself bringing up each item, disconnecting from it, and watching it dissolve into unformed energy and dissipating into the atmosphere.

Relationship Clutter – Are you still surrounded by people who no longer serve as positive and supportive?

Furniture – Do you look at that catscratched sofa, and go UGH? Give it away now, and create the space for a new one to come to you.

The Vacuum Law of Prosperity—and then what happens?

Nature abhors a vacuum. When we send stuff out of our life that no longer serves us, we create the space for the things that will arrive and support us. Amazingly, as we are alert to what we are seeking, opportunities arise for them to be seeking us.

Back in early December, I was riding home, contemplating what I wanted to do with the storage unit I had not visited for three years. When I arrived, the light on the phone was blinking with the number of the storage company. “Oh no,” I thought, “They’re calling to raise the rates.”

WRONG!!!! They were calling to tell me that the entire storage unit burned down. What a relief!

Ann Hosmer, Team Management Specialist is the Founder of Building Winning Teams, a company that assists entrepreneurs and small business owners gain tools and strategies to build, develop and manage a team that is self-motivated and united behind your mission. Contact annhosmer@buildingwinningteams.com with SUCCESS STRATEGIES in the subject line. Or call Ann for a Complementary Strategy Session @ 410-752-3437.

A Zen Life, from page 14 think that, to be successful in life, they must strive for high scores, regardless of whether academic learning is right for them. I feel sad at how stressed my students get and, during exams, I remember words from a Zen teacher that to "be adequate" is enough in life.

After I was ordained, my Master told me that in the following year, my karma would move more quickly, and I have found myself making quite a few changes to my life, particu-

larly in terms of my career trajectory. I'm finding the balance, bit by bit. There is a saying that following the Zen Buddhist path is simple, but it is not easy. It takes effort that needs to be renewed daily. When things start to get overwhelming, I just remember the poem that is written in black ink on the white silk that lines my rakusu: "With my kesa and shaved head, I am free." The simple truth of these words will, I hope, always inspire me.

PEOPLE AND PLACES

Orlando, Florida Sponsors Breast Cancer Walk 2012

150 breast-cancer patients and survivors and politicians along with members from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando participate in a walk from City Hall to the M.D.Anderson Cancer Center to kick o "Pink October" in honor of the progress made against breast cancer.