Blog Has Moved

My blog has moved to Day Improvements, just click on the link and you will be redirected there.  There will be no new content on this page, all new content will be on my new blog.

Advantages of Being Well Rounded as a Person

No I do not mean being well rounded physically, but meant it more so as being well rounded mentally.  This means knowing a small amount about many different things in life.  These things can be something you encounter everyday and want to learn a little about in order to improve your daily life; or you may choose something that is more rare and doesn’t happen everyday but is something you have always wondered about.  No matter what thing or things you start to study and learn about, whether they are daily things or odd side notes, you will become a more rounded person and will be able to reap the benefits of being so.

The whole point of being well rounded is to broaden your knowledge to relate to more people and find new interests.  The more people you relate to can lead to new friends or can add more depth to existing friendships.  The possible new interests you find can lead to many different things, this includes a new hobby, joining a group in your community that has a relations to your new found interest, or even starting your own at home business that can start out as a hobby and possibly flourish into something more.

To get started on your mission of being well rounded you should start by making a list of things you have always wondered about.  This can be a broad topic such as gardening, or can be more specific like how airplanes fly.  Just make a list of things that come to your mind and actually write them down.  After you have done this read over your list and pick a starting spot.  If you are wanting to learn about something that can be a possible business start up then make sure to check out this Research Article.  Otherwise you can start out by doing a basic internet search if you have a specific easily answered question.  If you have more of a broad topic that is going to take time learning about then look in your community for different groups, seminars, or classes that focus on your topic.

If you don’t have the time commitment for groups or classes in your area, then consider going to a local library and checking out books on the topic you want to learn more about.  Books are a great way to learn new things and the reading can even lead you down the road of another topic you want to learn about.

The purpose of high school and college general education classes that students are forced to take, is to make them more well rounded and introduce them to new things that they might be interested in and pursue a career in.  After leaving high school and college however, we are no longer forced to take classes or learn about new things outside of our job or career.  The plus side to this is that instead of being told what you have to learn, you now have the power to learn what you want and when you want to.

 

Reward Yourself: Take a Break

Everyone eventually gets overworked, the key to minimize the negative effects of being overworked is to remember to take a break.  You can over exert yourself in many different ways, this can happen through working too hard at your job and becoming stressed, or it can also come from manual labor you do around the house.  One way of overworking yourself is mental, while the other way is physical, the main point though is that you realize when you are being overworked and remember to take a break and relax every once in awhile.

After coming off this Holiday Break which included Christmas and New Year’s I’m sure you are rested up and ready to return to work.  Remember this feeling and think about how taking your own break every few months would benefit you and get you in the mood to work again when your own mini vacation is over.  You can do this by taking two days off on your own, and then having the weekend off like normal and turn it into a 4 day break in which you will relax and not worry about anything just like you did over this Holiday Season.

To make it seem like even more of a break from work you can even leave your house and take a vacation somewhere.  Now while doing this a few times a year may not be  financialy responsible, your vacation doesn’t always have to be somewhere far away and expensive.  You can take a vacation to a place within driving distance that you have never been to before and stay in a hotel for a few nights and just explore.

Many top companies have realized that productivity is at its highest when employees are recharged and take time away from work in order to relax.  There are countless research experiments behind their method to force employees to take time off in order to raise productivity.  For most people though they don’t have the luxury or forced time off, they instead need to take the initiative and take their own time off with their PTO and find a way to really relax and make it feel like a vacation.  Just remember, you deserve a break, so take one.

Top Secrets to Successful New Year’s Resolution

With New Years sneaking up on us now is the time to start thinking about your New Year’s Resolution.  If you haven’t thought of one yet don’t worry, there is still time.  If you have thought of one, keep reading and you will find out some secrets to making your Resolution a success and completing it for maybe the first time in your life.  For those who haven’t come up with one yet just start thinking about something this year that you feel you didn’t do very well or something that you have neglected doing for years.  These include cutting out unhealthy foods in your diet, reading more books, picking up a certain hobby and so on.  Now after you have picked out your New Year’s Resolution these are the secrets to making it a successful New Year.

Be Specific- When making your Resolution make sure you are as specific as possible.  Instead of saying “I will eat less candy bars.”  Change it to “I will only eat one normal sized candy bar each week, and then after 4 months I will only eat one fun size (small portion) candy bar each week.”  Of course you need to base your Resolution off of what is most realistic for you and if you eat say one candy bar a day, maybe start out with only eating 4 candy bars a week and they cut it down from there.

Write it Down- Writing down your Resolution is one of the BEST ways to make sure you are always thinking about it and stay with it.  Write it down more than once and post it at different place.  If your resolution if about food, write it down and post it in your kitchen, also make sure you have one posted at work if you have a job, the key is to be constantly reminded of it.  If your resolution is losing weight, posting pictures can be a helpful tool to keep you motivated.

Don’t Bend the Rules- The start of almost everyone’s cave in on their Resolution is the first time they think they can bend the rules of their Resolution and maybe eat one extra candy bar in a week than they are supposed to.  People may also think they can take a day off of their workout routine because they don’t have the motivation to do it that day, when it comes to that you need to do a self assessment.  If you really have been beating yourself down in the gym and your body needs a rest then take it, but if you are just not in the mood you need to find a way to be or just grind through it.  The first time you bend the rules is most likely not the last, it opens the door that you can break the rules.

Find a Partner or Talk about it- If you have a partner who has the same New Year’s Resolution goals make sure to team up with them and do it together.  When you have someone you can do it with it is easier to motivate each other and motivate yourself so you don’t let your partner down.  If you are unable to find a partner, another option is to make your goal public to some of your friends and family, if you talk about it with them you will have more incentive to finish it because when you see them they will ask you about it and no one likes to admit that they quit something to their friends and family.

Reward Yourself- Don’t confuse this with bending the rules.  I don’t mean reward yourself with the very thing you are trying to kick.  I mean make sure that if you obtain your goal, make sure you have something of a reward for yourself.  Things like this could be a short vacation for you, or doing something you have always wanted to do but haven’t, such as sky diving, base jumping, or some other want of yours.

How To: Make Life More Enjoyable

Everyone suffers from sadness and depression at one point in their life.  Unfortunately it affects some people more than others and longer than it affects others.  The reason for this is because they allow it to keep affecting their mood and in turn it makes life less enjoyable.  Sometimes it is harder to get over something than it is other times, but the bottom line is that you have the power to get over anything that life throws at you.  The easiest way to move on is to simply change your perception on life.

When something bad happens, it is human nature to think about how many different ways it can negatively affect your life.  When instead, you should change your perception on life and look at the positives.  Dwelling on the negatives doesn’t do any good for anyone.  No matter what happens to you there is always someone who is less fortunate, who is also more thankful for what they have.   The real secret to changing your perception and being happier is to stop taking things for granted.  To really see what advantages you have in life, take the time to volunteer at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter.  By doing one of these things you will see many people who are less fortunate than you are, and how happy they are to receive a simple meal or be given clothing and shelter.

In order to change your perception on life and be happier, you must really realize what is important in this world.  The quote “Money can’t buy happiness,” can easily be proven true.  When you think about some of the most important things that make you happy, the list can get pretty narrow, that is when you include things that are really needed and not wants such as a brand new car.  One thing that is common on almost everyone’s list of things to make them happy, is love.  Something that money cannot buy, so in other words the previous quote means money can’t buy love.  Love is something that everyone is able to achieve no matter what their financial or social status.  You do not need tangible things in order to feel love and find someone special.

So the next time something bad happens to you, such as not getting a promotion at work or not getting the grade on a test you wanted, just change your perception on life and look at the things that make you happy.  Even if you don’t have love for someone at this point in your life, keep in mind you still have the ability to love and someday will find someone special.  Think about how when you go home after a tough day that you have food in your fridge, clothing for the next day, and the means to donate to a charity and help other people get some of the things they need that you already have. There is always a silver lining in every situation and your life, the task is just to recognize and embrace it.

Easy Ways to Make Extra Money

No matter what your occupation is, or if you are still attending school or currently out of work, there are many ways you can make some easy money with skills you already have.  The amount of money you make from these ideas is solely dependent on how much money you put into them.  They can either be a small part-time thing for extra spending money, or they can maybe rival your job in a few years and turn you into an entrepreneur.  Either way, read closely and you will definitely find something to help you make some extra money.

Writing- This covers a huge variety of ways to make money.  Despite what you may be thinking this doesn’t require any formal writing classes or a degree in writing.  As long as you know basic grammar and have a computer with spell check you are in business.  You can show you writing through blogging, or writing for a local newspaper or magazine on a weekly basis or more depending on how much time you have.  You can self publish an e-book if you have enough time to write it, then you simply find blogs or websites which you can put ads on and when a sale is made the website gets some commission and you receive the rest.  Or, if you enjoy reading but not writing yet still know grammar rules and spelling, you can sell your skills of being an editor and proofread and edit other people’s books, blogs, or articles.

Coaching or Tutoring- Coaching is also known as consulting, so open up your own consulting business in an area which you are very knowledgeable on and help people with their problems in that area or simply give them tips.  This can be done either in person or over the internet where you make your own website and can have e-mail or phone conversations with your customers.  Tutoring on the other hand is mostly done in person but is very easy to gain customers.  Just find your best subject (something you have completed) and put up fliers in your community, around colleges or high schools,  or put up ads on Craigslist.

Computer Skills-Computer skills give you the opportunity to go into many different kinds of internet businesses.  There’s the opportunity to create websites and then sell them after some time, or make websites for other business.  You can create different applications and sell them on your website, which is similar to making your own software and selling it on a website also.  Using Photoshop or other computer design tools you could make logos or business cards for companies and make money that way.

Arts & Crafts- Really good at making something?  Start up your own website and sell it.  If you aren’t good with computers and don’t want to pay for someone else to make you a site, find local craft shows and bring your products there or else sell at local colleges if what you are selling is cheap enough for them to buy.  The items you make and sell can range from necklaces and bracelets all the way to blankets and scarfs.

One of these 4 small business ideas is bound to fit into at least one of your skill sets.  The important thing before starting this business or using one of these skills you have to make money is to read a book outlining how to do these things on your own.  If after reading a book you still have questions you can join an internet forum where there are many people with experience in your business and all are willing to help you out.

Failure: The Best Way To Respond

When someone is met with failure after an important task, the typical response for them is to sulk and let it affect them the rest of the day, or maybe even longer.  This can be problematic for many reasons: lower work performance, inability to focus, or a depressed mood among other things.  Everyone is affected by failure in their life, failure is how you learn and eventually succeed in life.  People can either experience failure first hand after a dismal performance, or know someone who has failed at something as is letting it affect their mood and performance.  Whereas failure can affect people in different way, the bottom line is that it is something that needs to be gotten over.  Everyone fails, and everyone must get over it.

When dealing with someone who has failed at something, the most common approach is to try to make them realize it was only one time and they will have many more chances to succeed.  We try and point out the silver lining in the failure and want them to just forget about failing and move on.  When this is the natural reaction for almost everyone, think about how many times someone has taken that approach towards you failing at something and them trying to make  you feel better by pointing out the silver lining.  Then ask yourself how often it helps.  It may help occasionally for some of the smaller things, but when you fail at something important and are really down about it, do you really listen when someone tells you the upside.

An alternative to the silver lining approach to failure is the empathy approach.  Empathy is simply letting the person know you understand how they feel.  It essentially is you acting like you also failed at something.  What you say to someone when trying to show empathy is things such as, “I know it really is a bummer” or, “I know you really did work hard it’s just a real bummer it didn’t work out.”  When doing this you may not feel like you are helping the person or giving them encouragement, because you really aren’t.  You aren’t giving them a pick me up, you are simply letting them know they are not alone.  Empathy can be more useful than encouragement in some cases since being alone is a common fear among people, and the main goal of empathy is letting someone know they are not alone.

Here is a quote to keep in mind when you think your failure is setting you back: “Failure is on the path to success.”

Book Review:The Camel Club-David Baldacci

This Washington D.C. thriller by David Baldacci is a book that will be harder to put down the farther into it you get.  The Camel Club brings fictional events and people, combined with real life scenarios to bring the reader deep into the mind of special agents from different government organizations as they try to prevent a plan of treason by American government agents.  Baldacci uses a fictional group of men with different and secret backgrounds who form together to make “The Camel Club.”  This group of four men observe different government people and operations to try to uncover the truths hidden in Washington D.C.  The Camel Club is a great read for people who enjoy suspenseful books which combine elements of danger, crime, and heroism all into one exciting story.

9/10 Peanuts

To purchase this book and others visit Amazon Books

Get Hired: 5 Words To Get You Hired

Whether people have a job or are unemployed, almost everyone should always be looking for a job.  Even if you are currently employed, there are always opportunities to advance your career by going someplace new to a higher up position.  You don’t necessarily need to be applying to other places constantly, but keeping your ears and eyes open is a great way to learn about new opportunities to get hired somewhere. Here are 5 keywords to keep in mind during your interview to help ensure you get hired once you find a job opportunity.

Passion- Use the word passion in your interview and say how you are passionate about the work you do and how you have a passion to help people.  This will show the interviewer you care about your work and are going to put everything you have into it.

Asset- Explain to the interviewer why you are an asset or an important piece to the company you are applying to work for.  Tell them what special skills you have and how that will help and advance the company.

Communicator- This is important because in order for business to be done people must communicate.  This includes with their co-workers along with higher up management and even the customers.  Explain how you get along great with co-workers and are able to describe things clearly and efficiently.

Quick Learner- Let them know you are willing to study and learn even more about the business you are in (don’t make it sound like you have minimal knowledge) and wish to learn from fellow co-workers.

Practical- Don’t show too much excitement during your interview, this could turn on the interviewer.  You must still show a certain enthusiasm towards the company and the job you want.  Let them know that you are excited about new opportunities and when working you will make sure to think logically before making decisions.

Top 5 Emotional Movies of the 2000’s

Here is a top 5 list of the best emotional movies between 2000-2010.  The movies are ranked off how emotional they are and how involved the viewer feels and is affected by the characters in the movie, along with how entertaining the movie also is. For more movie reviews visit IMDB.com.

1) The Pursuit of Happyness- This movie stars Will Smith along with his own son, Jaden Smith, who plays Will Smiths’ character’s son in the movie.  The movie is based on a true story of one man’s life starting with his wife leaving him because of money troubles; all the way to his rise as a top stock broker for the company Dean Witter.  The movie gets its emotional appeal by following Chris Gardner (Will Smith) and his son through their different homes from motels to the streets, while being completely broke.  The viewer is brought into the movie by the great acting of Will Smith being the ultimate dad and still providing for and protecting his son during their unfortunate stint on the streets of New York.

2) Hard Ball- This baseball heavy movie centers around an in debt gambler in Keanu Reeves who must coach a youth baseball team filled with black boys who must live below the poverty line.  The boys on the team all live in dangerous neighborhoods and must face gangs and guns everyday.  More than once in the movie is a member of the team assaulted or killed by gang violence.  Watching this movie the viewer learns to love Reeves’ character despite all the wrong and selfish moves he makes because in the end he shows his true emotions and helps the boy’s on his team succeed at the game of life.

3) Seven Pounds-  This movie also stars Will Smith, who years earlier causes a late night car crash which kills 7 people total including his fiance.  To make up for his mistake and sadness Smith goes about trying to enrich the lives of 7 random people.  He does this through bodily transplants to the people he sets out to help.  To gain even more emotional appeal to the viewer Smith ends up falling for one of the woman he tries helping.  The love effect along with Smith giving up his own body and health to save other is what makes this movie so great and very emotional.

4) Remember the Titans- This very popular movie takes place in the early 1970’s  and stars Denzel Washington as the head football coach of a southern high school which has recently become biracial.  This movie shows the problems both on and off the football field caused by racial tensions back in the 70’s.  While it shows the success of Washington’s methods on the football field to bring together the black and white players, the community still struggles from racism and this movie puts all viewers on the front line of what life was like for black’s back in the day’s of racism and social inequality between whites and blacks.

5) Marley & Me- When there is a movie starring Jennifer Aniston the guys go flocking to see it, when you include a cute troublesome dog the woman are also drawn into the movie.  Marley & Me contains both Aniston and a cute lovable but troublesome dog.  This movie takes after the book and doesn’t disappoint.  Owen Wilson and Aniston are a married couple who are trying to start a family while also raising a dog, both are journalists in the Florida area where Wilson writes a weekly column about the troubles his dog Marley gets into both by destroying his house and at the public beaches.  The emotion in this movie starts out as happy while including many funny parts, but turns more serious and sad as the family moves north and Marley ages  while their 3 kids worry about their loved dog.