Exercise of the Day: Horizontal Rotation on Exercise Ball

I assure you, this exercise is much harder than it looks if you do it right!

Be sure to visit Fitness Generator to get access to thousands of exercise graphics as well as instructions on using bodyweight, dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, and more!

Horizontal Rotation on Exercise Ball

Not only is this an incredible core stabilization exercise, but it is an awesome exercise for the obliques (side abdominal muscles) as well. The trick to doing this movement properly is to keep your hips up so that your upper legs are parallel to the floor at all times. Also, be sure that just your shoulders are on the ball and not your lower back, and also that you rotate as far as possible to the left and to the right. The farther away you get from the mid-line of your body during each rotation, the more you will get out of this exercise. You can use any kind of a bar, pole, or even a dumbbell or a medicine ball to vary your intensity level.

How to become a Productivity Super Hero who Rights Wrongs, Saves the Environment, and Rescues Cats from Trees

Okay, so that headline was a little over the top - but you're here reading now, so why not make the best of it!

Apparently there is another group writing project going around the blogosphere that actually has some value, and after having been tagged by the MomGadget herself, as well as by Dawud at HealthyWebDesign, I thought it was worth my time and yours, so I've agreed to share some insight!

The idea was originally started by Ben at the Instigator Blog and he called it The Ultimate Guide to Productivity Group Writing Project. As good a name for a series about getting things done if ever there was one, and the concept is pretty basic.

Just list your best productivity habits, highlight your most effective one if you want to, and link back to Ben's site, as well as to the people who tagged you for the project. In fact, if you email Ben after putting up your post, he'll pop over 2 links back to your site. YAY - double the fun!

So, without further discussion, here we go with

In a word (or a phrase, in this case), I keep my eyes on the prize!

There are more websites and blog posts dedicated to productivity systems and concepts than you can shake a stick at. I regularly read Lifehack.org, The Ririan Project, and similar sites, however, in truth, I rarely implement most of those systems simply because I don't believe that life should be systematized like that.

And yes, apparently systematized is a real word because my spell checker did not underline it in red just now when I typed it! :)

However, despite my "anti-systems" mentality, I am ALL about successful habits, and I believe that those habits start - and end - with remembering on a constant basis - why you are doing whatever it is that you are doing.

By keeping your eyes on the prize, you automatically stay focused on the "big picture" which keeps you from straying too far off the path of productivity.

For example, in my case, my long-term goal is complete time and financial freedom so that I can spend a ridiculous amount of time visiting my friends and family members. In order to accomplish that goal, I want to build up my Internet business to the point where most of my income is residual, and does not require me to work 12-hour days.

If I start to get off-track during the day by wanting to read less-than productive blogs or websites (even though they are fun!), or if I start to realize that I am not fully focused on my writing or my marketing efforts, all I have to do is remember that in order to accomplish my long-term goal, I have to work my butt off now so that I can play later.

Doing so always yanks me right back onto the path of productivity and focus!

So, keeping my eyes on the prize is the most important productivity secret that I have, although I do also have a close runner-up for 2nd place, and that is:

I always do the mission-critical tasks first!

My primary job is to write content - period. Yes, being a professional blogger also entails many marketing efforts such as reading and commenting on other people's blogs, participating in community sites like MyBlogLog, Stumbleupon, Digg, and message boards, but Mission Task #1 every day is the writing.

Marketing does very little good if you are sending people to a site that has nothing for them when they get there!

So, my second most important productivity secret is to always do the most important things first.

Third, although I am not a big fan of multi-tasking, my personal computer and Internet set up at home is not as fast as I would like it to be, so I fill in potentially wasted time by doing "quick tasks" while waiting for web pages to load, large files to download, etc.

I keep my Google RSS reader open at all times in a Firefox Tab, and whenever I have 5 seconds to kill, I will pop over to that tab and skim a headline or two to see if I need to give that blog post more of my time later on.

When you subscribe to several hundred blogs like I do, skimming is the only way to even remotely stay up to date!

And finally, my last productivity secret is that I do work in "task blocks". Several people have recommended the use of time blocks, which I also think is a good idea, but I have modified that concept to be what I call "task blocks".

Since I am the most productive whenever I am 100% focused on any given task, I break down my entire day into task blocks. When I am working on any particular task block, that is ALL I am working on.

I can border on being supernaturally productive whenever I truly put my mind to something, so by doing my work in task blocks, I knock out the most possible amount of work in any given amount of time.

I do not limit the amount of time that I work on any task block because I feel that would stifle my creativity or my level of genuine interest in whatever I am doing. Rather than giving myself a time limit, I just refer back to my second productivity secret - doing mission-critical tasks first - and I simply prioritize which tasks are worthy of me spending my time on.

There are many potential things that a professional blogger needs to focus on, but here are the things that stand out the most in any given "work" day for me:

• Writing (and research, as needed)
• Reading & Commenting (done together)
• Email & Comment moderation
• Blog technical work (coding, graphics, advertisers, pulling my hair out)
• Personal time (exercise, meditation/nap, food breaks, etc.)
• Social Networking (Digg, Stumbleupon, message boards, etc.)

So, there you have it! Being the goal-oriented person that I am, I follow this pattern 5 solid days each week, most Saturdays, and also on Sunday when I don't have actual social or family plans.

Does that make me a productivity junkie, a workaholic, or just a slightly insane person? Maybe.

However, when all is said and done and I can:

• Visit my friend Gayla way out in the (sticks?)
• Spend a week in Key West with Andrea
• Camp out in Panama City with Michael and Lisa
• See the back hills of Texas with Craiger
• Get back to my roots in New York, and
• Honor my legacy in the Pacific Northwest

- all without affecting my paycheck - we'll see who is crazy then, won't we??? ;)~

OH - I almost forgot. TAG - you're it! Everyone benefits from learning new and exciting (or insane) ways to be productive, so c'mon and share your ideas!

If you are reading this, you may consider yourself officially tagged to participate. Be sure to show the link love back to Ben, include a link back to this post as your inspiration, and then share your own productivity secrets with your readers.

C'mon - ya know you wanna!

Random great posts from the past:

Email hiccups and time away

Interview with Success Training Network President Darren Hardy

Positively Hating People

Self Improvement Terminology: Do Visualizations and Affirmations really Work?

Self Improvement and Law of Attraction Link Love, Volume 12

This is Volume 12 of the Self Improvement and Law of Attraction Link Love series.

This series will be published weekly and will be comprised of links to quality blog posts that have proven to be extraordinary in their ability to assist, inform, or empower the reader. Enjoy!

1) Intensive Care for the Nurturer's Soul - In the very appropriate context of "keeping it simple," Hueina Su brings on guest blogger Kevin Gianni who teaches us the 10 Commandments of the Best Exercise and Weight Loss Programs.

2) LifeHack - Adrian Savage has a great post called Has Your Fire Burned Low? which includes some great tips on bringing our desires back to a roaring flame, as well as a great bit at the end of the post that you don't want to miss about what happens with fire.

3) Abundance Journal - Still having trouble deciding if the whole Law of Attraction thing works? Belle's great post "It's Not Working!" does a very effective job of addressing the common pitfalls that people experience, and what to do about them.

4) Optimist Lab - Cardin Routh has an incredible post called Keeping Your Precious Things Precious. She discusses how our feelings always tell us if we are on the right track or not, and also how we can achieve maximum success by listening to our own inner voice, rather than what other people tell us. Great wisdom!

5) Life Optimizer - Having trouble getting the job done? Donald Latumahina's post What is the Key to Productivity? brings up the very real fact that many of us are too focused on things that are not mission critical - thus causing us to not always accomplish the mission!

6) Inspiring and Empowering Lives - Do you find yourself thinking that the grass is always greener on the other side? Take a peek at Jacklyn's post Why Is It Important To Improve Your Self? and follow her great advice to stop saying, "If only…"

7) Coffee2Code - Not a personal development site, but if you use WordPress for your blog, make sure to grab the Customizable Post Listings plug-in. See that section down below that says "Random Great Posts from the Past"? That is the Customizable Post Listings plug-in in action!

Blogs that have recently featured Today is that Day

MUCH gratitude to all of the following bloggers who shared the Link Love by telling others about posts here at Today is that Day!

Christy's Coffee Break - I am truly grateful to Christy for picking Today is that Day for this edition of her Best of the Blogs positive blog review series. You rock, Christy!

Something Good - Lorna referenced the Today is that Day blog in a GREAT post that she put together called Creating and Using Affirmations. Awesome stuff, Lorna - and thanks!

Debra Moorehead - In her post Your Magic Wand, Debra packs a lot of information into a small space, including a list of motivational, educational, and inspirational sites that includes the Today is that Day blog. Thanks, Debra!

Abundance Tips - The web links section of the Abundance Tips site is a great (and growing) list of powerful places to visit on the web, and they were kind enough to list Today is that Day among the other click-worthy entries. Thanks a bunch for the Link Love as well as the great format of the list!

Live the Power - Karen has put together a very cool feature called Joy Links, and she referenced the recent Today is that Day post about affirmations. Ironically, I also mentioned her site in that post. Reciprocation of reciprocation? I love the blogosphere! Thanks a million, Karen! Love the Joy Links concept!

Blog Carnivals that have recently included Today is that Day posts:

Personal Development Carnivals - The Urban Monk showed the post 'The Agony of Victory: Personal Development Breaking Point', and Balanced Life Center included 'Personal Development Roadblock: Are you Specializing too Soon?'.

Law of Attraction Carnival - Edward at Evolving Times put out another great edition, and he featured the Today is that Day post 'The Death of the Law of Attraction'.

Carnival of Powerful Living - Another information-packed edition hosted over at Verve Coaching which featured the post 'You're about to get hit.'.

Positive Mindset and Wealth Creation - The Women Internet Marketers site put together a huge list of posts about staying positive, making money, and achieving success! The Today is that Day post 'No Rocket Science Required: Self Improvement Starts Now!' was piled in with the rest of the quality knowledge included in that blog carnival.

That's it for this week, and if that list doesn't keep you busy learning and growing, then I don't know what will! Thanks as always to the many bloggers who contributed their time, knowledge, and their generosity!

Random great posts from the past:

Naked pictures of Antonella Barba Kill Captain America!

How was your Day?

Do You Deserve it, or are You Mistaken?

Self Improvement and Law of Attraction Link Love, Volume 8

Self Improvement Task: Affirmations that really Work

Insert Your Mental Reprogramming System of Choice Here: Affirmations, Visualization, Hypnosis, Meditation, Self-talk, Brain-wave Synchronization, and on and on the list goes…

There are so many ways to reprogram your mind these days that I'm beginning to wonder if we're all just running around in a brain-wash induced state of self-imposed denial.

OUCH! That came out a bit more harshly than I had intended! However, in truth, there is a slight grain of irritation here, because, much like the Law of Attraction, there is so much confusion about how to use some of these tools that their meaning is starting to get lost in the shuffle. This post is my attempt at setting the record straight on one of the most popular systems: Affirmations.

To cut right to the heart of the matter, the question on the table is "Do affirmations work"? The answer to the question is "Yes, if your affirmations really work". Confused yet? Allow me to clear the fog a bit.

As Karen Lynch points out in her post "Words," the end result that you are after with an affirmation is a feeling. That's it. That's all you get.

You can't manifest a new house or a new car with affirmations. You can't bring forth a huge pile of money with affirmations. You can't conjure up a rewarding career, nor magically create a loving and loyal romantic interest.

Affirmations, do not do any of those things. In fact, affirmations don't "do" anything - not in the 3-dimensional world anyway. The job of an affirmation is not to conjure up the things that we want to have in our lives, but rather to conjure up the feeling that having those things will create in our lives.

Then, once you have that feeling, you Law of Attraction junkies will recognize that the feeling will then create the vibrations which will speed the house, the car, the job, the money, the mate - whatever - directly to you at a rate that is proportionate to your level of allowing and belief.

However, for those of you who aren't so sure about the whole LOA thing, don't despair! You can use affirmations just as effectively to generate feelings of happiness and success.

You see, by feeling what it will be like to attain your goal, what you are doing is building something.

Oh yes, Grasshopper, you are building something truly wonderful. You are building something as large as the tallest building, as far-reaching as the infinite dreamscape, and as real to you as anything ever possibly could be.

You are building Belief.

By constantly creating the feeling of having something that is not (yet) physically in your life, you are creating a new belief system from scratch. This belief system will allow you to "know" what it is like to have the things that you desire because - in your mind - you already have them.

By continually reaffirming the feeling of having the things that you want, you will find ways to bring those things into your 3-dimensional existence. This may be through a burst of inspiration, a sustained motivation to take action, or it may happen by you actually coming across the method needed to bring you what you want.

So, the question of whether or not affirmations actually work, and if so, how to create affirmations that really work for you, is answered simply by asking yourself the following question:

"What can I tell myself that will create the feeling of having {insert the thing that you are affirming for here}?"

Here are a few examples from my own life, and I use them to reaffirm whenever something actually happens, so that the feeling that the thing generates is clear and present in that moment in time:

"Money comes to me easily and frequently." - Stolen from 'The Secret', I say this every single time I get money in any amount. Since I "work" on the Internet, I receive revenue from many different sources, and every time I get a check or a deposit into my PayPal account, I say this affirmation - no matter what the sum of money is.

"I am so grateful for…" - Gratitude is one the keys to success, and I practice it all day, everyday. From saying "I am so grateful that I don't have to get out of bed yet" to saying "I am so grateful that today was a good day with my family," not a day goes by that I don't actually say some rendition of a gratitude affirmation several times throughout the day.

"Since I live …" - One of my primary life goals is to own a house on the beach in St. Augustine, FL. I live in northeast Florida already, so anytime anything "beach-like" crosses my mind - even in a visualization - I reaffirm it. "Since I live on the beach, I can spend my upcoming day off there." "Since I live on the beach, I can run along the shore as the sun is rising." "Since I live on the beach, I can hear the surf from my window as I am working in my home office".

These are just examples, and are obviously specific to my lifestyle, but that is also why they work! If I ran around all day affirming things that had nothing to do with me, or that were so far out of my belief system that it would not be possible for me to take my affirmations seriously, then those affirmations wouldn't do me much good.

If you try to affirm "wild and crazy" success into your life with off the wall affirmations, the only feeling that you will be creating is one of disbelief, and that will get you nowhere.

So, if you want affirmations that really work, think of affirmations that work for you. Once you have done that, it is just a matter of repeating them as often as you want to feel that feeling of success!

Random great posts from the past:

Self Improvement and Law of Attraction Link Love, Volume 4

Shortcut to Success using the “Easy Button”

The Consistent Inconsistency of Self Improvement

Law of Attraction Naysayers and Rampant Capitalism

Exercise of the Day: Push-ups on Exercise Ball

Even people who are good at push-ups will find this movement challenging!

Be sure to visit Fitness Generator to get access to thousands of exercise graphics as well as instructions on using bodyweight, dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, and more!

Push-ups on Exercise Ball

A standard push-up is already a challenging exercise that includes the use of many different muscle groups, including the abdominal and lower-back muscles that collectively make up your "core". By doing this movement on an exercise ball, not only do you radically increase the recruitment of those core stabilization muscles, but you change the way the upper body muscles are recruited as well. By modifying the way a muscle is used, you get the double benefit of strengthening it from a different "angle" while at the same time increasing your level of neuromuscular coordination - the mind-muscle link.

5 Simple Methods for Banishing Negative people from your Life

Negative "energy vampires" are not living a life full of happiness and success, yet they will happily drag you down to their level unless you escape their clutches before it is too late!

Use these 5 basic guidelines as an outline that will help to safeguard you from negativity, and will also help you to identify negative people so that you can remove yourself from their sphere of influence.

Once you have internalized not practicing the following unsuccessful habits, you will suddenly start noticing people in your life who consistently practice them on an almost daily basis.

No Gossiping

It doesn't matter how justified you think you are in talking about other people's perceived shortcomings, doing so will never serve to bring about positive results.

When people do things that you don't agree with or that you don't understand, all that demonstrates is that they do not see life in the same way that you see it. It doesn't it make them a bad person, it just means that their understanding of any given situation is different than yours.

Granted, in many circumstances it may seem painfully obvious that someone could have handled a situation in a more positive manner. However, even if that is the case, rehashing the details with other people will only perpetuate the negativity.

In addition, many people thrive on discourse and chaos, so by participating in negative discussions about others, all you are doing is indirectly giving people permission to continue adding fuel to that fire. When you are seen as a "negative fuel source," you will invariably find that people will continue stopping by to get a fill-up!

No Whining or Complaining

Let me ask you this: Does whining or complaining about any given situation actually do anyone any good whatsoever?

I'm not talking about constructive criticism, learning from our mistakes, or recognizing pitfalls so that we can avoid them in the future. No, I'm talking about when a situation is already clearly less than desirable, yet you continue to talk about how undesirable it is!

When the office thermostat is broken and it is cold as a deep-freeze in your building, will anything be gained by continuing to repeat the obvious? If your spouse or significant other is being (in your opinion) unreasonable, are you going to gain anything by constantly spouting off about how upset you are about the situation?

Complaining accomplishes absolutely nothing other than drawing attention to an already less than favorable set of circumstances. If something is worth complaining about, then it is also worth taking action on. Stop whining, and start taking action, because if you don't, all of the whiners and complainers will crowd around you in order to get their negativity fix.

No Co-Dependency

All of us have friends, family members, or co-workers who bring real-world negative issues to us, and ask for our input. Sometimes they are looking for advice, while other times they just want to "vent".

In either case, however, pumping up their already negative point of view by agreeing how terrible any given situation is will only serve to cement in their minds how terrible that situation is! In addition, you will be sending them the clear signal that you are willing to be a sounding board for their complaints in the future.

Rather than rallying the forces of negativity in order to combat someone's issues, instead just provide for them a calming, reassuring voice of reason when their lives are in turmoil. Don't turn your back on them, but don't fuel their point of view that they are the "victim" either.

Instead, listen with a compassionate ear while keeping your own feelings in check. You will do them much more of a service by helping them to find a positive spin on their situation rather than becoming a participant in their negativity.

No Cross Contamination

It is impossible to swim in a river full of muddy water, yet still be able to get out of that river without a speck of dirt on you. The only way to avoid that dirt - or that negativity - is to refuse to take a dip into that river in the first place.

From an emotional standpoint, it is not possible for you to participate in negativity, and then go back into your positive bubble without dragging some of that negativity in with you.

Most people would say that it is not possible for them to completely avoid negativity, and I would tend to agree. However, just because you are physically present in a situation does not mean that you need to actually participate on an emotional level.

You can be involved in a discussion or in the resolution of a negative situation without allowing your own emotional set point to drop down to a less-than positive level. When life throws negativity at you, stay in the game, but practice equanimity in order to handle the situation without allowing the negative vibrations to affect you on an individual level.

No Being "Holier than Thou"

After finding all of these great ways to recognize and avoid negativity, it becomes very easy to think that you are somehow "different" than everyone else. You start to feel "enlightened" and you recognize how a large number of the people in your life are on planes, trains, and automobiles that are all headed in the wrong direction.

Here's a clue: get a grip on yourself! You are no better, nor any worse than any of those people. Those people are neither better, nor any worse than you.

The only difference between the "enlightened" you and the people who practice negativity is that you see things from a different point of view than they do. It is not appropriate for you to try to force your way of thinking onto those people, and in most cases it is also quite impossible.

By running around life with an attitude that you are somehow better than other people, all you will do is serve to alienate most of the people around you. Then, before you know it, other "holier than thou" individuals will start to flock to your side. Then all you will have accomplished is serving to divide your circle of influence into people who live on the "right" or the "wrong" side of the tracks - from your point of view.

Conclusion:

By following guidelines similar to the methods that you just read, and by practicing the fine art of being positive, you will begin to enjoy your life and consciously create it to be whatever it is that you want it to be.

That's the prize.

However, be advised that these success habits are just that - habits. Only practicing them when it is convenient for you to do so will only bring about positive results in small doses. Consistency is key.

Also, be prepared to burn some bridges in the process. Right now in your life there are probably people who will fade away completely when they realize that you will not be participating in their drama anymore.

The ladder of success is never crowded at the top!

Exercise of the Day: Exercise Ball 1-Leg Push-Ups

Adding an exercise ball and a bit of instability can make an already challenging exercise even harder!

Be sure to visit Fitness Generator to get access to thousands of exercise graphics as well as instructions on using bodyweight, dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, and more!

Exercise Ball 1-Leg Push-ups

The idea behind this exercise is to make the push-up more difficult by doing it from a feet-elevated position, but then adding in another level of difficulty by adding the instability of the exercise ball, as well as the additional neuromuscular coordination needed to lift 1 leg off of the ball. Don't let the seeming difficulty of this movement stop you from making the attempt, however! It is a great exercise on many levels, and even if you can't do full range of motion repetitions at first, start out by going down and up just a little bit, and then increasing your range of motion as you get stronger.

The Death of the Law of Attraction

Have you ever had to sit by and watch a wonderful thing die a slow, humiliating death?

That's pretty much how I feel right now as I watch from the sidelines as the glorious Law of Attraction is being both misunderstood by non-believers, and perverted into some grand money-making scheme by supposed followers.

The whole thing makes me ill, yet being a true believer and a true follower of the proper ways to utilize conscious creation in my life, I neither dwell upon nor give consistent thought to these negative circumstances.

Why, then, am I writing a blog post that calls attention to these things? After all, the LOA teaches only to notice - not to dwell upon - things that do not resonate with our desires.

I am writing - dear reader - so that you can see the difference between hype and hope, and so that an actual objective account of this situation can be given in order to avoid seeing a headstone like this one on display in public record.

There are two very basic reasons why the movie The Secret and subsequent teachings about the Law of Attraction have caused so much potential negativity in the world, and it boils down to nothing more exotic than human nature.

The need for Security

As a race, we have always had an instinctive need to know that "everything was going to be alright". This need goes back as far as the days of prehistoric man seeking shelter in rock-solid caves, and continues as an integral part of society all over the world.

This quest for security has led us to scientific discoveries, philosophical understandings, and religious belief systems. Science, philosophy, and religion have been part of the human condition since time immemorial, yet suddenly an idea has come into the mainstream that challenges all three.

According to the Law of Attraction, science as we know it may not be as we know it anymore. Need proof? Go find me a quantum physicist who says he has all of the answers.

Philosophy itself has also been challenged by people who now say that humans have always had the ability to consciously create their lives. This throws historical record itself into chaos when you consider that this belief would have changed the very face of history had it been widely practiced centuries ago.

And what about religion? By using the LOA, are you denouncing your deity? Are you saying that there is no God? Are you saying that each of us IS God???

Whoa! This whole thing is starting to get a little bit out of control, isn't it? Challenging science? Challenging philosophy? Challenging RELIGION??

I'm sorry, but this is just bringing up way too many questions that humans just don't have answers for. Better to go bury that whole "attraction" business under a rock somewhere. We'll all feel a lot better - a lot more secure - when things are back to the way they used to be and we had answers for all of this stuff.

Greed

I'm sorry to have to be the messenger for this less than savory bit of news, but it's true. Greed is running rampant and everyone wants to cash in on the deliberate creation money train!

Ya know, it's really funny that this is the case, because true believers know that abundance is everywhere and that greed itself is not only unnecessary, but that it will actually retard the power of the LOA, leaving the greedy person without the pot of gold they were hoping for

This greed has come up in every way imaginable, including teaching and coaching programs, books, seminars, audio programs, teleclasses, eBooks, and last, but not least, let us not forget the SPECIAL REPORT!

Whatever is in the SPECIAL REPORT must be really special, because this blog alone gets at least half a dozen spam comments every single day from alleged LOA practitioners who are offering the SPECIAL REPORT, and it's FREE!

Okay, here's a clue from me to you, SPECIAL REPORT PROVIDERS: I already know how to consciously create my life. If you had read through this blog you would know that I teach my readers how to create their lives, and your SPECIAL REPORT is of no interest to me or to my readers, which is why your daily spam comments keep getting deleted.

What about the rest of these product and service providers, though? There must be someone who really knows how to teach people to take control of their lives by using these principles.

You are absolutely right! Please don't mistake my previous comments to mean that you shouldn't listen to - and even pay for - the teachings of people who truly understand these concepts.

However, on that same token, do your homework. Any products or services that are being offered to you should at a bare minimum come with a money-back guarantee, and the seller or coach should have plenty of data to back up his/her expertise.

A blog that teaches about the Law of Attraction, a list of articles that teach about conscious creation, or a decent track record are all positive indicators. If someone has none of those, yet they are claiming to be an expert, what exactly are they an expert in, I wonder?

After reading all of this, is this really the end?

No, of course not! The principles of deliberate creation have been around literally since the dawn of time, and no present day insecurities or levels of greed are going to change that.

However, greed and insecurity are at the moment still an integral part of human nature. For that reason you will continue to see plenty of negativity surrounding these concepts, and you will continue to see a lot of people exercising their greed in order to take advantage of those insecurities.

Here is the takeaway that you need to remember:

Draw your own conclusions! Don't believe me, and don't believe your friends, co-workers, or family members.

Do your own research and decide whether or not you want to believe in and practice the many wonderful concepts that make up the Law of Attraction.

At a bare minimum, these concepts will make your life a happier and more positive place to be, and that is a fact that I am willing to share with you free of charge, no security blanket needed.

Exercise of the Day: Exercise Ball Oblique Crunches with Medicine Ball

Looking to actually accomplish something with your ab workout instead of just doing crunches day after day?

Be sure to visit Fitness Generator to get access to thousands of exercise graphics as well as instructions on using bodyweight, dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, and more!

Exercise Ball Oblique Crunches with Medicine Ball

Although this movement targets the oblique (side) abdominal muscles, it exercises your entire core musculature at the same time. By balancing yourself on the exercise ball and also adding outside resistance (the medicine ball), you force all of your core muscles to activate just to keep you stable, and that is before you even start moving back and forth to exercise the oblique muscles!

You’re about to get hit.

Despite what you may see in movies or on television, getting smacked in the face is not very glamorous. You can, however, improve your life by learning how to take a punch.

If you've never had the dubious pleasure of getting punched or slapped, please do not run right out and do it so that you can equate to what I am talking about here. It hurts - just trust me on this one, okay?

So how does that knowledge help you to improve your life? Simple: by teaching you how to keep your guard up!

You see, as a general rule, people do not go through life ready for action. In fact, most people go through life not really ready for anything!

They just sort of float along in a reactionary state, waiting to see what life is going to throw at them, and then they react appropriately or inappropriately when the time comes.

That's not exactly conscious creation! In fact, that's not exactly living, in my opinion.

The way to break out of this self-induced funk is to realize that every single moment of your life is an opportunity for you to be aware.

The easiest way to be aware is to act exactly as you would if you were in a potentially dangerous physical situation.

Think about it. Have you been outside at night and felt like you might be in danger? Your senses are all very fine-tuned, you are constantly watching and listening for any sight or sound that might herald the onset of actual peril, and you are primed and ready to fight or flight with a split second's notice!

Compare that to how you walk around at your job.

Compare that to how you react when you see your spouse, your kids, or your friends.

Compare that to how you approach an upcoming workout that you don't really want to do.

In the types of situations that I just described, you wouldn't feel like your life was in any real danger, so you wouldn't feel the need to really focus on what is happening during those times.

In general, you simply float along knowing that this cubicle leads to the next cubicle, that your spouse, kids, and friends are all going to act a certain way, and that your next workout is going to be just as boring and listless as the last one was.

Now, consider what would happen in each of those situations if you actually thought someone might come up to you out of the blue and just belt you right across the face!

Would you be more aware of your surroundings? Would you notice what people were doing and saying, and whether or not you were going to be affected by that? In short, would you pay attention?

Of course you would!

• Your eyes would consciously register - not just look at - all of the things in your field of vision.
• Your mind would consciously make note of - rather than just observe - what people were doing, saying, or even what they were wearing.
• Your posture would stay strong, and firm, ready to instantly take action on anything that happened in your environment that might affect you.
• Your awareness of your own physical stature would increase, thus exponentially increasing the mind/body connection.
• Your memory of events would increase since you consciously made note of each aspect of your surroundings, rather than just floating through, barely even aware of yourself, let alone what other people were doing.
• Your ability to respond physically, emotionally, or mentally to the world around you would be sharper and more directed, rather than just having instinctive reactions which might or might not serve you.

Do you think that your life would be better if you started actually participating in it, rather than just having a front row seat, and asking the other non-aware person next to you to pass the popcorn??

I am not saying that you should run around looking for a fight all day every day, or that you live your entire life as if you are waiting for the other shoe to drop.

However, I am saying that by consciously being aware of - and thus being consciously prepared for - your life, that you will automatically start creating your life, rather than just reacting to it.

So, are you ready to attack life with a gusto, or are you just sitting around waiting to get sucker-punched?

Exercise of the Day: 1-Arm Squat

Using a kettlebell, a dumbbell, or a medicine ball, you can develop incredible strength, stability, and neuromuscular coordination with this one-sided movement.

Be sure to visit Fitness Generator to get access to thousands of exercise graphics as well as instructions on using bodyweight, dumbbells, resistance bands, and more!

1-Arm Squat

Be sure that the weight you are holding does not migrate in front of your head during this movement. The idea is to create a "counter-weight" situation where the weight pulls you slightly backwards and you have to compensate for that by using your core stabilization muscles. Also, be sure to practice perfect squat form - feet flat on the floor, toes parallel and pointing straight forwards, head and shoulders up and not rounded forward.

Do you know the 3-Letter Formula for Personal Development Success?

If you can say your ABC (skip the rest of the alphabet), you can consciously and successfully create the life of your dreams.

Back in my network marketing days, I was taught a very useful acronym for success called A.B.C. - Always Be Closing. In a nutshell, it meant that everywhere you went and in everything that you did, you always acted as if you were "closing" the sale.

Everything was done with confidence, poise, and surety of purpose. It was (and still is) GREAT advice. However, I have come up with a modified version of that acronym, which I think is even more powerful - regardless of your career field or what your individual goals are:

It seems overly simplistic to say what I am about to say, but it certainly must not be as simple as it sounds, because most people - even the supposedly "enlightened" people - still have trouble grasping this on a day to day basis:

You always have a choice about how you react to life.

Sure, everyone claims that they know and understand this concept, yet they still don't practice it.

Whenever a job interview doesn't go their way, they CHOOSE to get upset and to start having fears about their career status.

When someone's spouse or significant other is acting in a negative way, they CHOOSE to have a negative reaction to that, which invariably leads to plenty of continued negativity.

When a scheduling issue causes chaos in someone's daily activity, they CHOOSE to throw up their hands in despair and just give up, cursing their bad luck. Then they resolve to allow that scheduling problem to change the entire course of their day.

In each of those examples, there is no doubt that each of those situations did not go the way that the individual would have preferred. However, it was not the circumstances themselves that caused problems, but rather that person's reaction to those circumstances.

If a job interview does not go your way, you can choose to either get upset and let fear and doubt begin to cloud your future judgment and actions, or you can choose to see it as a positive thing.

For all you know, there is a very good reason why you didn't get that job, and a better or more appropriate opportunity may be right around the corner. You will not see that next opportunity if you are busy wallowing in self-pity, however.

If your spouse or your boyfriend/girlfriend is being argumentative or causing negativity in your environment, how do you know that an opportunity isn't being presented to you?

Fate/God/The Universe or whoever might be tapping you on the shoulder to get your attention. Maybe you need to open up communication lines with your mate and frequent arguments are a telltale sign of that. Maybe that person really isn't for you and you are being guided to make that realization.

However, if you just get angry and start shouting back, what is going to be accomplished? Nothing positive, that's a safe bet.

What about when a scheduling issue causes chaos for you? How do you know that by getting caught by a slow train that you didn't just miss a drastic 10-car pile up that would have happened if you had made it to the other side of the tracks?

How do you know that what you perceive to be a day that has been ruined because of a blown schedule is not a great opportunity for you? Maybe you need to reevaluate your scheduling practices, reassess your daily task list, or maybe you are just getting a big wallop to your ego telling you that you need to slow down and stop trying to get so much done every single day.

Do you know that Americans work longer hours yet have less life-happiness and contentment than any other country in the world?

All of the examples that I just gave are merely random circumstances that I came up with while I was writing this post, and there are millions of other situations that could apply specifically to you. However, in each case, the lesson is still the same.

No matter how many curve balls that life chooses to throw at you, no matter how much negativity you are exposed to, and no matter how much your "mettle" is tested, there is always one - and only one - way to deal with it:

The way you CHOOSE to deal with it.

By choosing negative reactions, you will ensure continued negativity in the future. By choosing positive reactions, you will always give yourself a fresh start, a fresh perspective, and in some cases, a completely fresh slate from which to start all over again.

So, are you going to be a victim in life, or you are you going to choose to be in control?

The, uh, choice - is yours.

Exercise of the Day: Calf Raises with Exercise Ball

Ever wanted to get a great calf workout, but standard calf raises just weren't doing it for you? Try Calf Raises with an Exercise Ball!

Be sure to visit Fitness Generator to get access to thousands of exercise graphics as well as instructions on using bodyweight, dumbbells, resistance bands, and more!

Calf Raises with Exercise Ball

When doing this movement, lean into the ball at about a 10-degree angle. You want enough of an angle to both cause the exercise ball to be needed as a stabilizer, and also to change the angle on your calves as you do the exercise. Be sure to go all the way up as far as you can onto your toes with each repetition, and also hold that peak contraction for 2 seconds before returning to the start position. Also, once you start a set, never let your heels touch the ground until that set has been completed.

Doing it Differently Blog Carnival, 1st Edition

Welcome to the very first edition of the Doing it Differently Blog Carnival!

This carnival is dedicated to the concept of stepping outside of the box and living our lives in ways beyond the "norm"!

Whether you want to learn unique ways to think or act differently, or if you want to share your own unique ideas, this carnival is for you!

There will be a new edition of the carnival posted every two weeks, on the 1st and the 15th of every month. You can click here to learn more, or click here to submit a post for the next edition, which will be posted on April 30, 2007.

Many thanks to all of the authors who brought us their Doing it Differently wisdom for this ground-breaking very first edition!

1) In her post Perfect Mess, Perfect Day, Karen Lynch of Live the Power reminds us that whether you are a neat freak or you thrive on clutter, both ways are the right way as long as you can be true to yourself and also keep things in perspective.

2) Over at Sharp Brains, learn about alternative ways of dealing with stress that are outside of the commonly understood methods by reading the post I am a busy executive with a challenging job. How is brain fitness relevant to me?

3) The post Creating a Culture of Productivity and Success at Verve Coaching brings home the fact that in order to maximize effectiveness, a culture of success - rather than just standard practices - will consistently produce better results for your organization.

4) At Fish Creek House - INNside Innkeeping, 3 success tips are written out in the post Time has Come Today. I especially liked the "Do it Now" tip because as the author points out, it eliminates "brain clutter" and the need for a to-do list.

5) In her post How to fake it until you make it, K-L Masina dishes on one of my favorite subjects, that of consciously creating our life experiences. She spells out the thought/feeling process and offers a real-life example of how she successfully used the process in her own life.

6) Praveen at My Simple Trading System gives us the inside scoop on a unique system of stock trading that he has come up with. In the post My Stock Trading System, concepts such as Zen and Tao are mixed with some financial advice for a one of a kind stock trading mentality.

7) In his post You Create Your Own Reality, Kevin Kinchen of Creative Power of Thought talks about our tendency to accept a view of the world that has been presented by other people, thus causing us to create our lives "by default" rather than deliberating creating our own unique world view.

8) Over at Campus Grotto Ted Reimers has a great list of ways for eating dirt cheap. Be sure to bring your appetite when you read Top 10 Cheap Foods/Drinks for the College Student.

9) What is more important - loving yourself or loving others? In her post Beloved - Part II, Joice of Joysoriano.com gives a great comparison along with a large list of ways to keep love in your life.

10) At Energies of Creation, Lexi Sundell brings us a story of remarkable beauty on earth while at the same time discussing ways of using her earthly journeys as a way to develop from the inside out as well. Check out An Unusual Way to Develop Intuition.

11) At the Actors And Acting Informational Blog we are given a candid look at the trials and tribulations of finding success in the acting business. Check out Acting - So You Want To Be A Movie Star? and decide for yourself if that lifestyle is as glamorous as many people think it is.

12) Conan Stevens brings us the post Getting Started - Get On Track Today, which discusses the common task of making a list and prioritizing, and also adds in uncommon concepts like planning your recreational time as well as your "work" time so that your relaxation time is just as effective as your work.

13) At Renovate Your Life with Craig, the post Do It Yourself Prison finds Craig Harper sharing some great wisdom about how we can get out of "the big house" by doing things differently and getting outside of our well-known comfort zones.

14) Are You Sure You Know What You Really Want? over at 360 Degree Success is a very telling piece that talks about the fact that many people are chasing dreams that are not even their own. After reading it, ask yourself honestly if you do the things that you do because YOU want to do them.

15) At Creating Abundant Lifestyles, Wanda Grindstaff brings us the post Be the Rhino, A Life of Purpose and Intention, which shares the wisdom that following your path - regardless of what everyone else is doing - is always the shortest route to success.

16) At The Digerati Life, common methods are mixed with seriously unusual ways to save money in the post Seriously Thrifty? Some Wild Ways To Save (Part 1).

17) The post Things To Do Once in a Life Time over at Live Your Inspiration points out the very real fact that each of us is living a lifetime right now - no matter how many lifetimes we believe we have - or don't have - to live. Jane Chin discusses not just 3 things to do with that lifetime, but also talks about seeing the value behind doing those things.

18) Can you use your BRAIN to lose weight? You can if you know how to program it, which is exactly what is discussed over at The Fit Shack in the post How To Use Your Brain to Lose Weight.

That's it for the very first edition of the Doing it Differently Blog Carnival!

Thank you once again to all of our authors, and thank YOU as well for showing your support by checking out the information that they all shared.

Don't forget, the next edition will be posted on April 30th, and the closing of this edition is also the official call for submissions for the next one! Get the inside scoop on what this carnival is all about and access the submission form as well by clicking right here.

Self Improvement and Law of Attraction Link Love, Volume 10

This is Volume 10 of the Self Improvement and Law of Attraction Link Love series.

This series will be published weekly and will be comprised of links to quality blog posts that have proven to be extraordinary in their ability to assist, inform, or empower the reader. Enjoy!

1) HELLO, my name is BLOG - Scott Ginsberg brings us more of his common sense wisdom with the post Make your best one your last one. Imagine how great life would be if everything you did was done with the attitude that you only had this ONE shot to do that thing in the best possible way?

2) Contemplate This - If you've been looking for an up to date list of websites that offer plenty of recent information about the Law of Attraction, look no further. Check out the post Law of Attraction Blogs for the complete scoop.

3) Getting Your Music Out There - Mark Spivey is a musician composer who does a GREAT job of sorting out the difference between real and "make believe" in his post What's Wrong with 'American Idol'?. His message: YOU are in control of your destiny, regardless of what the rest of society may be telling you.

4) Sky Windows - One of the participants in the Simply Successful Secrets project put together what I consider to be one of the most no-nonsense guides to successful parenting that I ever seen. What does that have to do with self/personal development? Try being successful while your kids are running your life! Must read for parents or would-be parents: Simply Successful Secrets - Parenting.

5) The DO-Follow Movement - A lot of people don't know it, but many blogs prevent search engines from finding your blog or your website after you post a comment on their blog. It's called a no-follow reference, and it is a total outrage to people who participate in online discussions. A number of people (including Today is that Day) have banded together to start a DO-Follow Movement. Check out the details and some of the thought leaders at Essential Keystrokes, MomGadget, and Randa Clay Design.

6) Scott H. Young - Guest blogger Leo Babauta writes an excellent post called Do Less to Be More Productive in which he not only discusses the real value of quality over quantity, but he also puts forth a simple system that you can use to find and prioritize the tasks that are most worthy of your valuable time.

7) Success from the Nest - Regular readers of this blog will recognize Tony Clark's frequent wisdom, and 15 Minutes as Your Model of Success is no exception. Tony talks about how you can set yourself up for success by getting "inside the head" of a role model. I concur 100% and will also add that by so doing, you may actually redefine what you consider to be "success".

Blogs that have recently featured Today is that Day

Cardin Routh at the recently re-designed Optimist Lab has put together a powerful edition of the Carnival of Deliberate Creation. Many thanks for featuring my post, Cardin, and for your positive feedback as well!

Dr. Hal Sommerschield over at North Star Mental Fitness discusses the very cool concept of Ho'oponopono in his post Four Miraculous Phrases. Dr. Hal delivers a lot of great information about Ho'oponopono in a short period of time, and he references one of my recent posts, as well as some wisdom from Shama Hyder, who was recently interviewed here at Today is that Day.

That's it for this week! Thanks as always to all of our authors for their continuing efforts to keep us all informed, empowered, and entertained!

p.s. - Don't forget - The very first edition of the Doing it Differently Blog Carnival will be up here at Today is that Day on Sunday, April 15th. I've received a ton of great submissions, so look forward to learning about some ways to handle your life that you might not otherwise have thought of!

The New WWW: What’s Worth Wanting?

If you could have anything at all that you ever wanted, but you could only make one wish, what would you wish for?

QUICK! Don't think - just answer!

The problems start when we start thinking, which is where the whole process of getting what we want out of life starts to break down - almost immediately.

We are powered by our conscious minds which control all of the decisions that we make seemingly "on purpose," but our subconscious minds are the real powerhouse behind our thought processes - and thus - our results in life.

In the example above, you may have had a gut reaction to the question, like wanting a million dollars, or world peace, or the perfect mate, etc. However, as soon as your conscious mind started to analyze the situation, it immediately started throwing out reasons why you can't have whatever it is that you thought of.

So the challenge before you now is to ignore for the moment what you think you can have, and be totally honest with yourself about what you would want if you could literally have anything that you could imagine. Is it something Worth Wanting?

Dr. Rob Williams and Dr. Bruce Lipton are the founders of the amazing Psych-K system of destroying the self-limiting belief systems that are often responsible for holding us back from attaining our peak potential.

However, in an interview that Dr. Williams recently did with Kelly Howell of BrainSync.com, he explained that getting rid of self-limiting beliefs is just the first stage of personal development.

It isn't really that difficult for our conscious mind to grasp that unhealthy, unethical, or irresponsible practices are not good for us. However, many people fail because they are then stuck with answering the question of what it is that they do want.

Based on our almost instinctive ability to rationalize or use logic to determine whether or not it is even possible for us to attain any given goal, most human beings simply lack the internal programming needed to allow ourselves to believe that we can truly attain our most heartfelt desires.

So, rather than actually wanting to attain something that we have a burning desire for - something that we deem Worthy - we instead "settle" for what our internal programming says it is possible for us to actually get.

In the Psych-K workshops, Dr. Williams, Dr. Lipton, and several dozen other instructors around the world use a popular belief testing system called "muscle testing" to determine if the statements that we make about our lives are deeply rooted in the subconscious, or if those statements are just our conscious minds rationalizing and categorizing our beliefs about the world around us.

So, although this post is far from an infomercial for the Psych-K system (I've never been to one of their workshops), I do feel strongly about at least bringing up the very real truth that many people are going through their lives chasing after dreams that they think they can someday catch.

Knowing that is the case, ask yourself the following:

"If I could have anything that I wanted - no matter how far-fetched or unrealistic it seemed - what is worthy of me actually wanting it?"

When you have your answer, you'll also have a direction for your life.

Pretty cool, huh?

And then it all came crashing down…

Apocalypse: any universal or widespread destruction or disaster: i.e. - the apocalypse of nuclear war.

Skipping the non-biblical references (for the purpose of universal agreement on the term), the above definition of the word apocalypse should illustrate for you - dear reader - just what we are talking about here.

Or, to be more specific, we are talking about the end of all things here in the blogosphere:

What would you do if the concept of "blogging" was about to suddenly and completely go away forever? Would you shed a bitter tear? Would it matter to you at all?

More importantly, would you have succeeded in getting your message across to the people who needed to hear it??

These are the kinds of questions that have been asked by The Urban Monk in a group blogging project for charity that he has coined 'The Blog Apocalypse'.

Having started my own project called Simply Successful Secrets, and then also partnering with Alex Shalman for Gotta Get Goals, I was originally not very excited about the idea of running through this again.

However, The Blog Apocalypse has the potential to truly open up some hearts and minds about why people do what they do in the blogosphere, and more importantly - if you should even care!

So, with no further introduction, I invite you to check out The Urban Monk's instructions, and I implore you to see this as a chance to really learn something not just about bloggers, but about why you read what they write, and the Urban Monk will make a donation to charity just for you making the effort.

Also, if you see the value in this project as I have, you can participate by putting together your own apocalyptic blog scenario and sharing it with your readers! Here we go.

The end of the Blogosphere

Well, Grasshopper, it looks like you are finally going to be on your own.

I started this blog when I realized that blogging was the best way to consistently and easily share knowledge with you that would one day allow you to become empowered and self-reliant, and to embrace a true excitement about your life.

I have worked at attaining those goals by holding absolutely nothing back when I have written to you, and it is my sincere desire that you have recognized that fact as you have read my words.

When I taught you about the Law of Attraction, I gave you workable strategies for using that amazing belief system, but I kept it all grounded at the same time by maintaining an objective point of view whenever possible.

When I taught you the unlimited power of Gratitude, my own heartfelt gratitude should have jumped from the pages as you read those words, because I am truly grateful for you, for me, and for this existence as a whole.

When I taught you ways to consciously create your life, or to get rid of your self-limiting beliefs, it was my sincerest desire that you actually practice the methods that I taught you, and not just continue to cruise through your life without making the positive changes I knew you were capable of.

When I taught you about positive thinking, personal development, and self improvement, I truly gave you every bit of knowledge that I had, hoping that just one more word, or one more moment of clarity would help you to finally leap the barriers that you had put around yourself, and allow you to finally become the person that I always knew that you could be.

But, alas, our time has come to an end, Grasshopper, and you must now stand upon your own two feet, as my teachings will no longer be available to you.

As the blogosphere comes to an end, so to does my means of continuing to be a guiding force in your life. However, I walk away from this teaching post with neither a regret, a concern, nor even a tear, for I know that you have been taught well!

I know that this tome of knowledge - this "blog" - contains all of the answers that you will ever need in order to literally do whatever it is that you want to do with your life.

You can have, do, or be anything - and the knowledge of how to make that happen is indeed contained in the very pages that are before you at this moment.

So I will end my final message to you, Grasshopper, not with a final bit of a advice, one last nugget of wisdom, nor even a parting vote of confidence.

Those trinkets are unnecessary, because, you see, the power that is inside of you right now - the very knowledge that fuels your existence - has always been there.

My words simply helped you to awaken it.

Remember to seek not the advice of others, but to realize that your answers are - and always have been - right there inside of you.

It is up to you to let them out, Grasshopper.

I will not say Goodbye at this time, for we are all one, and I will most certainly see you "out there".

Create Life in Your Image!