Disagreeing with the Pink Princess about Selling eBooks Online
A difference of opinions about whether or not the buying and selling of eBooks on the Internet is indeed DEAD. Link to Full Story
June 5, 2007
Exercise of the Day - Alternating Single Leg Bridge
A great overall body exercise that works the shoulders and arms, lower back, abs, and legs - all at the same time! Link to Full Story
2,000 Gather for Nude Photo Shoot
Can you add the fact that you can get thousands of people naked to YOUR resume'? This guy does it, and with his camera at the ready! Link to Full Story
How to Look Good even if You’re Fat, Ugly, and Have a Big Nose
Think that you need to go "under the knife" to improve your appearance? Not anymore! Now you can find out what you will look like after plastic surgery without actually HAVING plastic surgery! Link to Full Story
Book Blog Tour: Life on Purpose - Six Passages to an Inspired Life
My review of a very enlightening book that discusses purposefully creating the life that we want, rather than just being "victims" of the life that we are living. Link to Full Story
A Good Push Up Workout, Part II
A powerful and exhausting push up workout that will net you incredible upper body results, including strengthening and growth of the shoulders, triceps, and chest muscles. Link to Full Story
Self Improvement and Law of Attraction Link Love, Volume 17
This week's self improvement and law of attraction information runs the gamut from productivity to happiness to visualization to wake up calls. Check it out! Link to Full Story
Celebrity Endorsements - The Key to Inflated Prices
Apparently the world in general has a surplus of money to spend, because the celebrity endorsement deals are still going strong. Who do people think is paying those celebrities to pretend that they like something?? Link to Full Story
Doing it Differently Blog Carnival, 4th Edition
Parenting, money, health, laughter - all that and more in this edition of the Doing it Differently Blog Carnival! Link to Full Story
Exercise of the Day - Dive Bomber Push Up
If you are looking for a great way to get more out of the push up exercise, the Dive Bomber Push-up fits the bill! Link to Full Story
Rehab - The Celebrity Drug of Choice
Despite the fact that rehab is obviously just a joke for celebrities these days, am I the only one who sees an escalating situation here that needs to be recognized? Link to Full Story
The Top 2 Methods of Losing Bodyfat
There are 2 simple techniques that can be a part of any weight loss program that will ensure the maximum amount of body fat loss! Link to Full Story
Happiness Quotient - What Blueprint are you Creating?
Is your blueprint for life one that will ensure the building of a life of joy and contentment, or one that will be dependent on certain circumstances in order for you to be happy? Link to Full Story
Topless pictures of Cecilia Bolocco create Scandal - Why do we Care?
Apparently we are supposed to care deeply for the fact that a former Miss Universe just got nailed on tape half-naked, and most likely also cheating on her husband. I'm sorry, I can't seem to get worried about this... Link to Full Story
May 9, 2007
Exercise of the Day - Alternating Crunches on Exercise Ball
Unlike a standard Exercise Ball Crunch, this movement requires the activation of more core muscles, including the obliques, thus making it a much more effective exercise.
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!
Alternating Crunches on Exercise Ball
The most common mistake with this exercise is bringing the upper body off of the ball and then twisting to one side or the other. You will recruit more muscle fibers by twisting as you come up, reversing the twist on the way back down, and then doing the same movement on the other side. Also, when in the top most part of the movement, hold that peak contraction for one or two full seconds before returning to the bottom position. Come back up from the bottom position immediately, though - do linger there and rest.
May 7, 2007
How to Live Out Loud
Did you ever stop and wonder if your life is hurtling past you while you just hang on trying not to fall off, rather than you consciously creating a life that is full of happiness and joy?
Having just returned from an absolutely wonderful weekend in Panama City, FL where my wife and I attended the wedding of one of my closest friends, I have had the chance to give some serious forward-looking as well as retrospective thought to life in general, and posting those thoughts for the benefit of my readers immediately came to mind.
Smile and Laugh Often
Although the concept of laughter being good for us in nothing new, that hasn't stopped people from consistently taking life WAY too seriously! None of us is getting out of life alive, so why would you squander the opportunity to have a good time while you're here?
Yes, you've got issues. Financial considerations, personal demons to battle, family problems, health concerns, career considerations, blah, blah, blah. So does everyone else.
If you sit around waiting for all of your "stuff" to be handled before you can start laughing and smiling all day, you'll be laying on your death bed wishing that you had spent more time laughing and smiling.
Do What you Want to Do
Each of us is an individual and we choose what we want to do with our lives. However, in addition to choosing a direction for your life, you can exert that same free will on a daily basis in your home, your place of business, out in public, and when visiting others.
Yes, you should consider the needs of others as a general rule, but that does not mean that you are here for the sole purpose of serving others! Quite to the contrary, actually - you're job here on earth is to serve yourself. You are here to learn and have fun.
If you spend your entire life - or even an entire day - not doing what you truly want to do, then refer once again to what I said earlier about what you'll be saying on your death bed.
Expect the Unexpected
You can try to foresee all of the different things that may be a part of your experience in life, but no matter how hard you try, unexpected things are still going to happen. For many people, this is a huge part of the reason why they are not enjoying their lives as much as they could be.
Whenever something happens that is outside of a person's "plan," they tend to immediately focus on trying to find a way to deal with this bump in the road. Dealing with the bump is not the issue, however.
The issue is that whenever someone comes upon one of these bumps in the road, what they consistently forget is that they still need to focus on being happy and having fun. In a world that offers a lot of negativity and plenty of opportunities for stress, our "default mode" is one of being negative and stressed out.
Consciously creating a life of living out loud means exactly that - consciously creating. If you stop focusing on being happy, you can probably guess what will happen to your level of happiness. When something unexpected happens, deal with it from a position of power, and then keep on cruising along being happy and creating joy.
See Value in Each Experience
After something unexpected happens in your life, that is a prime opportunity for you to ask "What was the value in that experience?". Every experience has something to offer, although it is not always as obvious as other times.
For example, if someone that you care about almost dies, it is hard to see the value in that. However, as you quickly realize that you now have a better appreciation for that person still being alive, it becomes apparent that there was some value in that situation after all.
Every single experience in life fits into that same mold, so I will not pass out endless examples here. However, trust in the fact that no matter how bad something may seem, not only does that thing have some sort of value, but in most cases it will also help you to live a happy and joyful life.
Refer back to the example of almost losing someone that you care about and you will see an immediate opportunity to start enjoying your life more by spending more of it with that person.
Be Who you Want to Be
I saved this one for last because I feel that it is the very cornerstone of happiness. There are many people who define happiness by material possessions, certain experiences, various opportunities, etc. However, each of those things will only hold value for that person based on that person's 100% unique view of the world.
So, by trying to serve the "greater good," or by living your life by standards that have been set down by anyone other than yourself, you are just setting yourself up to live a life that you don't truly want to be living.
The only way to truly enjoy life is to be the person that you actually want to be! Your friends, family, co-workers, mentors, counselors, and advisers cannot tell you to be - or not to be - a certain type of person. Their input can be incredibly valuable and I certainly advise seeking guidance from anyone who has an opinion that you respect. However, when all is said and done, you are the only person who is qualified to decide if you actually want to listen to them.
At this time you have the opportunity to give yourself a little "pop-quiz" to see if you are on the right track to start Living out Loud:
- Are you going to nod your head and say that this blog post makes some great sense, run around for the next few hours feeling inspired, give some serious thought to creating the life that you truly want to be living, and then follow those thoughts up with some consistent action?
- Or, are you going to let all of this go in one ear and out the other because you are already late for some task that you need to accomplish, and you just don't have time for this mamby-pamby, feel good nonsense?
The choice, of course, is yours. However, I believe that in a day, a month, a year, and a decade, the people who chose option number one are going to have lived a far better life than the people who chose option number 2!
April 30, 2007
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.
April 29, 2007
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:
April 28, 2007
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
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:
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.
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:
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