[Health and Wellness]  [Women & Finance]  [Jobs & Careers]  [Books & Stuff]  [Inspiration Corner]

Featured Articles - November 2006

Health & Wellness

"God-Esteem Eliminates Low Self-Esteem!"
The word Esteem, in Webster’s dictionary, is described as:  to high regard with respect, to prize or consider.  My friends, I must share with you the secret to removing Low Self-Esteem from your spirit once and for all. You must begin to develop High “GOD-Esteem,” which will eliminate your low Self-Esteem! If you begin to depend on your All powerful and mighty Father God, you will always realize how He holds you in high regard and calls you His Special Treasure! Low Self-Esteem makes you feel dead, unwanted, unproductive, unappreciated, lonely, unloved and depressed. On the other hand, “GOD-Esteem” keeps you focused on the Awesome Power of God, life more abundantly, blessings, strength for your trials, and makes you recognize how great He made you in His image.

Understanding Domestic Violence
Every year in October, many people notice purple ribbons on the lapels of friends and neighbors. Similar to the pink breast cancer ribbon, the purple ribbon is a symbol of support in the fight to end domestic violence, and October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Why devote a month to this cause?  Domestic violence is often misunderstood. All around the world, one in three women experiences some form of domestic violence in her lifetime. Also called family abuse, it is not confined to physical violence alone. Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behaviors used by an individual to gain and/or maintain power and control over another person in the context of an intimate/dating/family relationship.

The Gift of Leadership and Legacy
Today’s world, with its varying aspects of diversity, seems to be lacking in the transfer of the endowment of leadership and legacy. Leadership is shown in the influential ways that a leader has and shares when nurturing untapped skills and abilities, in directing others towards accomplishing goals and for assisting in establishing high standards. Basically, guiding others to their full potential.  The foundation of leadership is set in attributes such as beliefs, values, ethical standards, character and selflessness, trust, confidence, commitment, integrity, respect and assertiveness.

Achieving Personal Health
A paradigm is a model of thinking that guides one to achieve a desired result. We know that achieving good health is not due to a lucky break with genetics, but requires  a thoughtful, consistent plan for its’ achievement. That is why I have developed this model, some of which will be familiar to you, but some will be new.  So, who am I to write such a model or plan? Well, I like to describe myself as very thorough, determined, research-oriented and caring person. I do give my opinion about this health model, only after years of experience and success with a chronic illness (type one diabetes), extensive research with health information (career as a medical record administrator, outside books and internet sources), and a determination to help others’ become healthier.

Women & Finance

Women Leading The Way And Leaving A Legacy...
Whether its real estate, wealth building or entrepreneurship, everybody’s getting the message. Women and our wealth is the new trend! As women, we have always been the backbone of families, businesses, our lives and now we realize that we are the backbone to the future. There was a recent study done by CBS and the consensus was that women are changing the landscape of the real estate market; single women are becoming homeowners and investors at a rate never seen before.  The question becomes why is this trend and why now? Women are remaining single longer and we are focused on our futures more than ever before.

It Takes More Than Luck
One-third of Americans believe that the only way to become financially secure in life is to win the lottery. A multi-million-dollar jackpot would certainly give you a head start on financial independence – but don’t count the winnings just yet.  You are more likely to be struck by lightning than to win the lottery.  Achieving financial security is far more likely when people have a plan. Yet there is no guarantee that even the best-crafted plan will be successful. Because of such variables as investment performance and the length of your career, you may not be able to know exactly how much income you will receive until your retirement. 

Money Wise, Financially Fit and Sexy
Most people are surprised when they find out who has filed for bankruptcy relief.  Sometimes co-workers or friends will reveal to each other that they have filed bankruptcy, but sometimes it’s someone more famous.  I want to provide some much needed light-heartedness to this often very serious subject by sharing names of famous people who have filed bankruptcy.  “Name That Bankrupt Person” is a game that my firm, The Boleman Law Firm in Richmond, Virginia, often uses during our seminars to help ease the tension and break the ice. See if you can guess who these famous people are in the following five questions. 

The Family and Medical Leave Act: What It Means To You
Mary has recently started a new job in Texas, working for a large retailer, but she is worried about her ailing mother in Maryland. She would like to take a month off from work but does not have enough leave. Her supervisor tells her it is “out of the question” because she has only been working for the company for six months.  Stephanie is one of 60 agents working at an insurance company in Arizona, and she has worked there full time for over a year. She has decided to adopt a Chinese baby, but she will be required to travel to China to finalize the adoption. She has two weeks of leave but would like to take off a total of six weeks.

Understanding Disability Insurance
The statistics are frightening. During our lifetime, we’re more likely to become disabled than to die. Yet most of us plan for the likelihood of death by purchasing life insurance, but not for the probability of becoming disabled. Ask yourself, if you were unable to work, how long could you survive financially without an income? Do you have substantial savings, investments, home equity or understanding relatives? Maybe. But for those who don’t, disability insurance could be the means of financial survival. 

Jobs & Careers

ALANA DISCOVERS THAT SHE NO LONGER NEEDS TO POWER DRESS!
A high-powered professional who looked the part in her power suits, Alana admitted that she had a deep-seated fear of being “found out.” Looking at her, it was almost impossible to believe the words that were coming out of her mouth – but hers was a story I had heard many times before.Fear of not being good enough drives many men and women to work harder and harder in a bid to quell the gnawing anxiety that dwells at the pit of their stomach. Many stories involving workaholics are similar to Alana’s – and very often the cause of this form of perfectionism stems back to childhood.  In Alana’s case, she was the last of three children and being nearly ten years younger than her youngest sibling, she had grown used to being labelled a “mistake.”  

Lessons From The Amazon Rainforest
Going to the exotic and mysterious rainforests of South America had been a dream of mine since I was a child. I had always wanted to experience the adventure and excitement of tropical rainforests. In May of 2006, that dream finally came true when I was offered a position as a field research assistant to a scientist doing work in Amazonian Ecuador.  I am a junior in the Environmental Studies department at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, and I want to be a Tropical Ecologist. Thanks to a guest lecturer at my college, Dr. John Harte, professor of Energy and Resources at the University of California at Berkeley, I was able to get connected with a scientist named Margaret Metz at Cal Berkeley, who has been doing research on biodiversity in the Amazon for 5 years.

Books & Stuff

Book Review: Give God the Glory! Your Role in Your Family - A Gift and Devotional Book
ISBN: 0-9705902-4-5
ISBN: 978-0-9705902-4-6
Price: $7.95
Pages: 54
Publication date: May 18, 2006 (Book Expo America, Washington, DC)
*Winner: 2006 Gospel Publisher of the Year Award, 2006 Book Expo America, African-American Book Pavilion, Washington, DC, May 20, 2006
*Winner: 2006 Independent Voice Award, Capital Book Fest '06, Largo, MD, October 7, 2006
The “Give God the Glory!” series of books and devotionals continues with book #5. A companion gift book and devotional to book #4 in the series, The Godly Family Life, Your Role in Your Family, offers greater detail on the Biblical significance of the family as God intended in the beginning. 

Movie Review: The Departed
Starring: Leo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, and Mark Wahlberg
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Overview: This movie contains some of Hollywood’s heaviest hitters in acting and the legendary Scorsese as the director, yet there was something missing. The Departed is about the interactions of the Massachusetts State Police and their attempt to take down an Irish mob boss. Leo DiCaprio plays a deep undercover state trooper (Costigan) who infiltrated the mob; although his past family history allows him to move into this role with ease, getting the necessary information for a conviction proved challenging because of a dirty detective.

Holiday Dazzle Do’s & Don’ts
The holiday season is almost upon us and the invitations are already coming in for the myriad of holiday parties. For those women who struggle with holiday fashion do’s and don’ts, here is some comfort and joy!  Your Basic Holiday or Evening Wardrobe:  - The little black dress only in fabrics that wear well such as wool, silk or velvet.  - Pants in black, ivory, or red silk georgette, wool crepe, or velvet.  - A sweater set in a fine gauge knit such as wool, silk or cashmere in black, ruby red, ivory, silver or royal blue. Choose a simple, fitted silhouette that is flattering to your body shape.

Inspiration Corner

Kim Newlen: Reaching out to Women One Sweet Invitation at a Time 
Twelve years ago, Kim Newlen got an inspiration from God. She opened the doors to her home to women she knew and did not know. She called it Sweet Monday (Women’s Socials on a Shoestring…Tied to a Generous God) and today, it boasts outreaches in 44 states and 15 countries. So, how did this former school teacher and stay at home mom become a leader in her community?
Average Girl Magazine: Tell me about Sweet Monday. How and why did you start it?
Kim Newlen: Sweet Monday is a simple outreach tool with a mission of “reaching out to women one sweet invitation at a time.” I can’t even believe we are on our 12^th season of Sweet Monday.