In the mood for a gala? Check out Step Up Women’s Network’s annual gala event on May 29th at New York’s IAC Building:

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Step Up Women’s Network Celebrates 10 Years at the
2008 Inspiration Awards in New York City

Thursday, May 29, 2008
6:00 pm: Dinner
9:00 pm: After-Party & Wine Tasting Reception
IAC headquarters, New York
~

Step Up Women’s Network is a non-profit organization devoted to helping women and girls across the nation. Through this unique network, volunteers donate their time, effort, and skills to create programs that empower underserved girls, educate and advocate for women’s health, offer professional mentorship, and provide social networking opportunities. By honoring inspirational women, Step Up hopes to encourage and motivate women of all ages to give back to their communities.

This year’s gala will be hosted by Veronica Webb and will honor Kelly Rutherford (Gossip Girl), Lisa Shotland (Creative Artists Agency), and the Dove Self-Esteem Fund.

By making philanthropy accessible to every woman at any level, Step Up Women’s Network is becoming the first organization that women think of when they want to make a difference. Please click here for more information.

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On Thursdays we take you to “the well” - your source for inspiration and how-to’s.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that most of us prefer happiness to gloom…I know I do! But when a bad mood strikes, it can often be tough to break free. When you find yourself down-in-the-dumps, how do you handle your bad mood? Do you wave a white flag in surrender or do you forge your way to happiness?

In one of our featured articles, we touched on the idea of having a Bad Mood Emergency Kit. I love this idea. There are emergency kits for all sorts of catastrophes and injuries: earthquakes, tornadoes, cuts, burns, and bruises… so why not have a one ready to combat a lousy mood? It just makes sense! Plus, the idea of putting it together sounds like a lot of fun, too.

There are many ways to feel joy and many things can bring joy in different ways. Your emergency kit will be as unique and individual as you are. Although you are free and welcome to come up with any mix of items that suits you, here are some fun ideas to choose from: music, movies, scents, photos, memories, mantras, and activities.

My Bad Mood Emergency Kit includes:

• Get-up and dance music: Safety Dance CD
• 3 favorite feel-good movies: Amelie, Monsoon Wedding, So I Married an Axe Murderer DVD’s
• Uplifting scent: Spearmint Essential Oil
• Favorite photo: One I took in Oaxaca of a young girl sitting beside an old, blind man as he softly strummed his guitar and sang…
• Memory: Time spent with my newborn niece – I’ve got plenty of photos and keepsakes!
• Faithful mantra: “Everything’s gonna be alright” (for an extra kick, I’ll sing it Alicia Key’s-style)
• Perspective-altering activity: Anything involving fresh air

Putting together a Bad Mood Emergency Kit gives you a chance to reflect on all of the things that make you truly happy. And it’ll help bring a smile to your face whenever you need one.

So, what’s in your kit? We’d love to hear!

~Kristen
Related Articles:
Feel Fabulous!
Understanding Your Life’s Purpose

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Wellness 101:
In today’s Wellness 101 we bring you 5 Rhythms Dance…

Have you ever lost yourself to the rhythm? I become ecstatic when I see a small child bounce around the room–free to move and express themselves as they tune in to the music. I am envious. Why is it so hard for most of us adults to just get up and dance? One great way to let go of all the mind chatter and just cut loose is through a practice called the 5 Rhythms.

5 Rhythms is a form of improvisational dance. Teachers of this practice guide a class through 5 different types of moving expression: flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical, and stillness.

Gabrielle Roth, founder of this practice, talks more about it below. I love how she describes the droning critical voice in our head, and learning to “Drown that voice out with the beat…”

I first discovered the 5 Rhythms at Esalen Institute in California. It is practiced regularly in the morning movement classes. As someone who has experienced her format, it is fascinating to explore the boundaries of your own self through dance and become a witness to your own life experience. Learn more here or find classes in the US or worldwide.

Related Articles:
5 Ways to Improve Your Life
NYC Ballet Dance Workout

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Kick-Start Mondays: On Mondays we share our ideas to help you kick-start your week!

Have you ever struggled with the awareness that two values are in conflict? This Sunday, I went to an organic grocery store first I reveled in the vibrant colors and smells of fresh produce. Then, when I came time to snatch some from the bounty I reached for the nearest plastic bag and reeled with the awareness that myself and everyone in the store (except one woman with a basket) was making a terrible mistake. The plastic bag, is my weapon of cleanliness to avoid any contact that the precious food might have with the grocery cart or–heaven forbid–with the checkout conveyor belt!! My husband laughed, reminding me that who knows how many hands and bins, and the truck ride itself a green bean had been handled by prior to my grasp.

So this Monday, I offer you, a humble and gentle reminder. Stop the plastic. It is an American obsession that has reached epic and harmful proportions to mother earth.

Related Articles:
Our Obsession with Germs
Findings about Leaching Plastic

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On Thursdays we take you to “the well” - your source for inspiration and how-to’s.

Have you ever taken the time to ask yourself what you want to call your partner in your ideal relationship? Terms of endearment and “pet names” carry different meanings for different people, and having a name for the special person in your life can help you gain clarity on what you are looking for in a mate. It can also bring strength, courage, self-confidence, and self-awareness into your life.

The great part about this is that you get to decide on this name—you can refer to this special person however you want! Among many others, you can call your partner your lover, husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, significant other, better half, spouse, companion, spiritual partner, mate, honeybunch, one and only, biggest fan, sweetie, sweetheart, love of my life, soul mate, the “one,” or even snookums, if you want! Reading through this list can help you see how different names conjure different feelings.

When I first heard the word “beloved” I felt a sense of peace, honor, respect, and love. I found that when I said this word it spoke to me and gave me clarity on what I want in a relationship. I believe that this word came to me as a gift when I was figuring out what attributes and values I wanted in a partner. I became absolutely inspired when I chose to use the word “beloved.”

So, how about you? What word best suits your ideal partner? Think it over and, if you like, share your ideas with us in the comments!

~Melissa Risdon

Related Articles:
Are You Ready for Love?
The Gifts in Every Relationship

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