All about the love - Glendale’s ‘Love Your Self’ program has something for every woman

February 8, 2009

by Ellen Snortland

The week before Valentine’s Day there’s an event in Glendale to help women be their own sweethearts … or at least their own best friends.

On Feb. 7, 50/50 Leadership, a locally based nonprofit, is sponsoring a “Love Your Self” program that includes speakers, products and services in numerous styles and flavors. I don’t know about you, but there are many things I am curious about. But, like a lot of people, I’m often too nervous — or too cheap — to just take the plunge and improve my professional and personal life.

Since I’m a volunteer speaker at this event, I’ll use myself as an example. I’ll be speaking about self-defense because I firmly believe it’s a basic human right for all people to know how to set a boundary, and then protect that border physically, if push comes to shove. My particular mission in life is to educate women and girls in physical self-defense, mainly because they are often convinced they can’t protect themselves. I know a lot of females from all backgrounds who agree that they should have self-protection training, but many don’t really know why. Some don’t know what questions to ask or where to start.

Hearing me at an event like “Love Your Self” is often the catalyst that shifts them from a “some day I should do it” idea to immediate action. While I will speak a bit about my book, “Beauty Bites Beast,” I will also give people take-home information that will help them get started. This may not sound important, but I get emails all the time from women telling me that my talks and my book have literally saved lives. You never know where a call to action will lead; sometimes to life-saving or vital knowledge.

Many of the events and speakers at “Love Your Self” have experienced this. I’m sure lots of us are in the same boat: we know we need to take action, but how? Financially, I have never been so clueless, vulnerable or at risk as I am now.

Audrey Yeboah, a partner in Aberbook Yeboah Accountancy, will be speaking about “How to Stay Solid in All Areas of Your Life While the World and Country is in Crisis and Meltdown.” I can’t wait to hear about that! Carol Wilshire, a certified financial planner with Citi/Smith Barney, will talk about “Repair Strategies to Grow and Regain Wealth.” Dr. Patricia Perry will be on hand to speak about healthy skin, a real concern for many of us now that going out in the sun can be so damaging.

On the home and office fronts, feng shui expert Katar Diamond is speaking. Though I’m a skeptic by nature, I’ve had really great experiences with feng shui, and actually credit it with precipitating the end of my miserable second marriage … but that’s a whole other column. Let’s just say that changing the layout of my second husband’s office led us to understand just how desperately unhappy he was with his entire life, not just our relationship. At the very least, being conversant about feng shui can help us maintain or attract new business.

With skyrocketing grocery prices, have you ever thought of planting a vegetable garden, but don’t know how? I’m really excited about a new business that I’ve hoped someone would start. Do you remember parents or grandparents who spoke about the Victory Gardens they planted during World War II? I remember that very well, and have often talked about a need for their revival. Voila! Victory Vegetable Gardens (www.victoryvegetablegardens.com) will be there with materials. So will Total Woman Gym & Spa, which is creating a fitness challenge with 50/50 Leadership. There may not be anything as life-saving as getting an exercise and weight loss program going that you’ll actually commit to.

In addition to keynote speakers, door prizes, live music and food, there’ll be vendors that can answer your specific questions about their particular services and products.

If your to-do list is anything like mine, there will be a potpourri of STUFF to pore over — from professional photos and massages to belly dancing classes. Perhaps I’m partial to “smorgasbord” approaches because of my Norwegian ancestry. Whatever your story is, give yourself an early Valentine by attending “Love Your Self.”

“Love Your Self” registration starts at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 7. The program begins at 1 p.m. at the Pacific Community Center, 501 S. Pacific Ave., Glendale. There is plenty of free parking. To donate, visit www.5050leadership.org. For more information, call (818) 243-2322 or write to pfield@5050leadership.org.

Ellen leads a writing workshop in Altadena. Contact her at www.snortland.com.

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Letter to the Editor: Good Cars need Good Teams - by R. A. Letcher, PhD

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