Wednesday, May 30, 2007

The Power Within and We Still Need Cheerleaders!

I never wanted to be a cheerleader.
Remember high school when all the girls were just crazy about the whole cheerleading thing? Well, I was not one of them. I like to think of myself as an orginal, a pioneer if you will. I hated following. I hate being told that I had to do something just because every other girl was doing it. Most of all, I would not appreciate being told "take one for the squad!".
So, I finally figured out what Girl Power really means. I finally figured out what it was that drove all those hormonal girls in high school over the edge when the topic of cheerleading came up: it has a lot to do with 'The Power Within'. Most of the men out there think it's just because girls want to show them how cute they are but I think cheerleading is more for the girls benefit than it is the boys. We just want them to think it's all about them, right girls?
Now, I'm not exactly sure what 'the power within' really is and where it comes from. All I know is, I have 'the power'--it just took a very long time to find it and I didn't need a cheerleading outfit to locate it.
I attended The Power Within Conference this past Monday and was pleasantly surprised--I actually enjoyed the speeches about Girl Power.
http://www.powerwithin.com/
They had a great lineup of speakers this year:
Ariana Huffington
Mia Farrow
Kelly Armstrong (Lance's Mom)
Hilary Swank
Dr. Antonia Coello Novello (my favourite speaker)
Cassie Campbell
Terry Savage
Jessica Holmes (she was the hostess)

Check out their website and if you ever get the chance to attend, do it. It's well worth it. You come out of there feeling like you can build a house with your bare hands! Or, change your own damn flat tire!
My favouirte speaker was Dr. Novello (the former Surgeon General of the USA) because you could see and feel the power in her belly. She had the kind of presence and power most of us only dream of having. I wish I could speak as well as she does--I was quite jealous.
See, typical woman! Jealously rules over everything.