April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and as sad as it is that we as a society need to designate a month to get 'aware' of such crimes, it is so. Many organizations around the country are stages events to make us more aware, so we can be better prepared. One such organization, Peace Over Violence, which runs the oldest rape crisis hotline in Los Angeles, is holding its 10th Annual Wear Denim Day. Why Denim? This is significant -- this commemorative event was inspired by a rape conviction that was overturned by the Italian Supreme Court, because in their opinion, the victim was wearing jeans and therefore had "invited" the rapist to rape her. Astonishingly, this court decided that the rape was consensual. Clearly we need to raise our awareness about sexual assault, and sexual abuse. These are crimes of violence, rage and power. Such crimes are perpetrated against people of both sexes, all ages, and wearing all different types of clothing. Show solidarity with victims of sexual abuse and assault. Wear Denim.

Women tend to experience more stress in their lives than men. Heart disease is one of the leading health problems women face, and unfortunately, stress exacerbates this condition. What can you do to moderate your stress? Studies show that meditation can help. You can actually meditate away your heart disease, and lower your blood pressure. Transcendental meditation, a technique founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1957, has been a proven antidote for many conditions that are associated with the development of cardiovascular disease. So women would be wise to take a meditation break. If you practice TM a couple times a day for 15 or 20 minutes, you will greatly improve your overall health.

Get into habit of forming healthy habits; you'll live longer and be happier about it if you do.  Author Dan Buettner spent seven years researching communities with a high percentage of centenarians, and found that several habits were common among these older people, and if we follow their lead, we may get a few more happy years on the planet. Try the following: 1.  Happy Hour!  A glass of wine, some nuts or nibbles and a relaxing gathering with friends is good for your heart. 2.  Be nice!  When you're nice to people, when you're likable and kind, other people will be inspired to be nice to you.  These friends will then be happier and more likely to provide you with companionship and care as you age. 3.  Maintain close family connections, both emotional AND physical.  Such connections are key to longevity. 4.  Hara Hachi Bu - which is Japanese for "Stop before you're stuffed," is one of the habits these centenarians adobted.  Essentially, cut your calorie intake by 20 percent, and you may add 6 years to your life. 5.  Choose to be around health-conscious friends.  Your friends' habits can influence you as much as your exercise and diet programs can.  Laugh, smile, and write happy journal entries as well.  You DO have a hand in the quality of your life. 

The White House Project has partnered with O, The Oprah Magazine, and American Express, on a three day women's leadership training program to be held the weekend of June 20-22.   Though the application process is now closed, this venture should spark interest of us all; good things are sure to come from it.  Vote, Run, Lead are strong words, and are used often to challenge us; rightly so.  We need to focus our energy in a proactive way to bring about the changes society desperately needs.  And women need to lead the way.

The White House Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that aspires to advance women's leadership in all communities and sectors - even up to the United States Presidency. Closing the Leadership Gap, written by the White House Project's founder and President, Marie Wilson, details how to become equipped, inspired and informed to lead a political life. Are you up to this? Want to help? Visit the White House Project website and be inspired!

The responsibility for the cleaning and maintaining of our homes generally falls within a woman's purview, whether we do it ourselves, or hire or delegate someone else to do it.  Now, in addition to maintaining them, we're taking that responsibility even farther to encompass home improvement, home purchasing, and home renovation.  Women are flexing their formidable organizational and design muscles to get their needs met.  Rather than wait for our men to fix our toilets, patch our walls, and re-model our kitchens to suit our specific desires, we're doing it ourselves. Women are influencing home design and buying tools too.  In 2004, we bought 47% of all painting supplies, and nearly half of all new bathtubs.  Women now outspend men $55 billion to $41 billion at Best Buy -- a consumer electronics retailer that historically sold its products to boys and men.  And by the way, whether we're in charge of the purse or not, we're influencing 90% of the total purchases a family makes.  Excuse me for noticing, but that figure represents significant buying power.  In many domains, we're shattering old taboos about what we can or should be able or allowed to do, i.e., wield a hammer, purchase dry-wall, and handle a mortgage.  Did Atlas blink perchance?  Maybe, but this trend hasn't gone unnoticed.  More and more companies in the United States and elsewhere are waking up to the fact that if they overlook women, they do so at their own financial peril.  Women have also taken charge of the 'family vacation,' and make 70 percent of the travel decisions for their families, suggesting the necessity of a whole new business model for the tourism industry.  Based on the loud and clear earning and spending message women are sending, companies are reaching out to an increasingly female-centric consumer base that has more financial muscle and purchasing independence than ever before.  Good.  Let them woo us.  We're here, we're strong, and we're gaining power.  If we continue in our current trajectory, we'll earn more money than men by 2028;  we'll have accomplished the unimaginable, and cut a substantial wedge from the Mother Lode.  That's a prediction worth saluting.  Now -- what are we going to do with this new power?  Good question.  The answer is simple.  We're going to change the world.