And Lo A Steaming Cup of Coffee Should Appear!

So, it is very much a good time to dust off this blog and breathe a bit more life into it. I've taken the past month or so to figure out what it is that I would really like to do with this. After some very deep and critical thinking on that...I have come to the conclusion that there are things I've learned in the past decade. Things I wish many others around me would learn without having to go through the "learn your lesson the hard way" ordeal.

So, that is what the next few posts will be about. Thank you for checking back, for the messages and for linking the articles and such that have been posted here to other places on the web. That means a great deal to me!

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I’m Responsible

Let’s talk responsibility.  I love responsibility.  Hold on, those of you who’ve already started rolling your eyes at me.  Let me put that in a way that doesn’t sound incredibly dorky, I love the feeling of accomplishment that responsibility brings.  That little feeling, the feeling of having power over oneself via accomplishments, is a key component to human drive.  It has fueled everything from the greatest achievements of humanity to this blog post penned by a dullard with a word processor.

Responsibility and that little feeling is also the greatest killer of creativity, efficiency, and genuine accomplishment in the history of the world.  I can already hear the cacophonous cry of a thousand mothers the world over, but please douse your torches, stay your pitchforks, and let me plead my case.  Everyone knows the basics of responsibility.  Cleaning up after ourselves, doing the laundry, washing the dishes, vacuum, dust, taxes, so on and so forth.  The kind of thing we are all taught either when we are young, or we learn as adults when we find ourselves eating soup out of a milk jug and sitting upon a throne constructed of clothing.  Those are, in general, a good thing.  I am not trying to say otherwise.

However, I do want to say that you can have too much of a good thing.  No duh, no doubt most of you are probably thinking right now.  You may also be adding that you are well aware of the notion and are capable of knowing your responsibilities and priorities.  To those people I wish to extend my thanks.

You are fine examples.

Everyone knows that faffing about hurts us in the long run.  How we waste our time is irrelevant, be it playing video games, yammering on Facebook, clicking every little link on a Wikipedia entry, even reading the rambling blogs of a blithering dolt.  All of it equates to the same in the end; you are preventing yourself from doing what you want/need to accomplish.  Everyone knows what these kinds of timesinks are and everyone knows how to avoid them.

The time wasters that I’m talking about are all a part of that little list I had a few paragraphs ago.  The little chores we do around the house are just as bad as any time waster in that they can waste time just as well as any of the aforementioned ones.  We can kill just as much time doing laundry as we can playing Farmville.  Both kill the same time, but the chores have two means by which they are worse.

First off, these chores are easy accomplishments.  They are the empty sugar of the achievement world.  The problem is that we derive pleasure from them just as much as greater or more difficult accomplishments.  To sit and write an article, to learn a new skill, to put the work in to follow that whim, dream or idea you had is difficult.  To do your laundry, to wash a dish, to do all the stuff you were taught good adults do is easy.  Both give you the same feeling of self-satisfaction, maybe not in the same amount, but the latter is a hell of a lot easier than the former.  Thus, we go for it, the candy bar, rather than the better-for-you-but-harder-to-swallow broccoli.

The second reason what we call responsibilities are so insidious is because of how plainly accepted they are as being necessary.  I don’t mean simply necessary either, but always necessary.  It is this air of legitimacy that so easily deceives ourselves into thinking we’re doing the right thing even when we are not.  It ends up a sort of solo Milgram experiment where we are authority, agent, and subject all balled into one.  We hurt ourselves and then turn around and give ourselves a pat on the back for doing so because we falsely believe it was the better (read: more “responsible”) option.  After all, those things we want to accomplish are just wants.  They can’t possibly be more important than the needs a responsible person has to take care of.

The truth of the matter is that much of what we call needs are not needs, or, they are not needed with the frequency we take care of them.  The laundry can wait.  The dishes do not need immediate attention.  Checking your bankbook can wait.  Going shopping can be held off in favor of a night of take away.  Those tasks, those responsibilities will always be there.  They will always exist for you to tackle.  The urge to write a story or song, the spark of invention, the strike of wanderlust; these things will not be there.  They are momentary and ephemeral for most of us.  They are to be leapt upon with ferocity and indulged to their fullest.  The only thing more damaging than reckless abandon is rationalized abandon.

Take a chance.  Be Irresponsible.  You never know what you can accomplish.

Written by: Craig C.
E-mail: curranc753(a)yahoo.com

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Ways To Manage Stress

Although stress is often viewed as a negative, it is actually a natural and normal physical response. A stress response is simply the body’s ability to defend and protect itself. This “fight-or-flight” reaction can help a person stay energetic, alert, and focused. These behaviors can be beneficial. A winning touchdown, successful board room presentation, or an A on a test can all be partially due to a healthy stress response. However, too much stress can become harmful and can cause extreme damage to a person - physically, mentally, and relationally.

Chronic stress is caused when the body is subjected to an overwhelming amount of physical and psychological threats. Since the body cannot differentiate between extreme or moderate stress triggers, it reacts with the same intensity, regardless of how major or minor the cause. This means that a bounced check or a long commute can be the catalyst for intense stress related symptoms (that may feel as intense as a real life-or-death crisis). Symptoms may include muscle tension, headache, fatigue, anxiety, changes in eating habits, mood swings, lack of enthusiasm, and/or an upset stomach.

Each person has a different tolerance level when it comes to calculating stress. It is important for each individual to understand his or her stress level threshold. Factors that influence stress tolerance include: one’s ability to deal with emotions, one’s preparedness for stress-inducing circumstances, one’s sense of control, one’s attitude, one’s support network, one’s physical health and nutritional status, one’s fitness level, and one’s sleep habits. These variables are what enable one person to maintain a sense of calm while another person feels completely overwhelmed.

Just as each person must evaluate the factors that cause stress, it is essential for individuals to consider the ways in which they react to stress, and whether or not their responses need to be altered. Some individuals react by freezing up and becoming extremely internally agitated. Some become very outwardly agitated and may become volatile. Others become withdrawn and show little to no emotion. Understanding personal stress triggers and individual reactions are key in moving forward and coping with stress.

Although stress can affect any individual, those with fast-paced and challenging work environments (such as medical professionals) are more likely to experience the symptoms and signs of stress. Strategies for managing stress (whether it’s work related or personal) include: avoiding unnecessary stress, changing one’s situation or environment, adapting to and accepting one’s environment, upping one’s fitness level, and scheduling time for personal leisure and relaxation. Taking control of one’s life and prioritizing what’s truly important (and worth stressing over) are integral methods of managing stress.

Written by Shena Fowler

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Conquer Your Brain

Imagine this, for a moment: You're suddenly given time off from work! You feel elated, happy and suddenly...he question pops into your mind: What can I do with this time off? You then find yourself beginning to plan what it is you would like to do during your time off from the daily grind. A list is slowly forming in your mind! Today is for this chore or that project you've been putting off for too long and tomorrow is for things you have yet to plan. The things on your list could be anything from catching up on reading a few books, tackling that craft project, spending as much time in your pajamas as you can or watching an episode or two of a show you enjoy watching (because you can't start the new season of that one show until you see the VERY last episode!). Now...imagine yourself feeling lost and unmotivated because you suddenly piled so much onto your plate that you felt intimidated by it all.


Yeah, that was me once.


During the Spring of 2011, I found myself in a very different part of the country with a new occupation as a full-time freelancer and student. It was a new and very different change of pace that took no time at all to get used to. There were a few benefits to this change: no more having to bother with rude customers from my previous job, none of the stress and pressure that came with it and I could now spend all day in my pajamas and do what I love to do most: write (for money). It was great! I found my calling!

...or so I thought.

It took about a week for me to get a bit too settled into this new cozy way of living. After about a week, I became complacent, and quite honestly, very lazy. That isn't to say I became irresponsible, no. All responsibilities were handled as they should have been without lack of desire to go above the call of duty. I began lacking the desire to see things accomplished; feeling the urge to be an over-achiever slowly disappeared. I became comfortable in my own laziness and various things began to suffer for it. Things slowly went from "Heck yes! Awesome change of pace!" to "What just HAS to get done today that can't wait until....next century?"

Three months rolled by before it hit home how much time I had wasted and the realization turned me into a paranoid, depressed train wreck of a woman. It was frightening how much could have been accomplished in that span of time. I cried, alot. Probably too much. But then I dried my tears and turned the pangs of regret into urges for success. Even as I write this my hands feel clammy with regret over this amount of wasted time. Now? Who cares? I don't! So what! It is in the past and the only thing I urge myself to do (as well as others) is to keep moving forward while keeping the lesson learned from that as close to me as my strawberry-flavored Chapstick. We are only human and we fail inevitably. All we can do is suck it up and keep moving forward.

Since then I've turned my daily routine into something slightly more structured. For me, structure is a comfort zone. It lets me know where I have flexibility and where I do not; that helps a whole lot more than having a day of nothingness ahead of me. It took the better part of the summer to feel completely comfortable with the challenges and tasks that came with the structure of my newly revised daily routine. I give myself "days off" and even schedule "overtime" for when I'm wanting to push myself harder than the previous day or week. I usually do that when there is a project that is near completion. This  schedule varies from day to day. It consists of small goals and the rewarding benefits that will come with them. Anyone can create a list or schedule, but it takes way more than the "want" to do something. Sometimes it's good to kick yourself in the ass in order to get a jump-start toward what it is you want out of life.

Think about what it is you want. Create a plan as to how you would like to get what you want. Do it, right now. This moment. Start pushing yourself. Stop telling yourself you can't. You are a living, breathing and amazing human being who needs some kind of jolt. You can find it, and with it, you can do something amazing for yourself or others. Don't let your brain dictate what you can or can't do, like brains tend to enjoy doing.

In the event you find yourself in a period of physical stasis because your brain is being a deprecating jerk-face, say this, very loudly: "Shut up, BRAIN, or else I'll stab you with a Q-tip!"*


*I am not responsible for any occurrences as a result of this method. It was meant to make you laugh, be smart and don't jam a Q-tip in your ear, folks. That kinda smarts.

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Snark Is A Word

I know someone who enjoys making up their own lingo. One day, this person began using the word "snark" and admitted to having heard it somewhere and decided to use it simply because it was a different word. (Later, I found the word in a piece by Carroll, as well as many others.) It is a pretty fun word to say. Say it once. Snark. Snaaark. Sn...aaaaaarrrrr...k! SNARK! Good. That was fun.

That isn't the real definition of the word, but the above meaning applies to MY cats, and maybe even YOURS.

And that's it for this post. Sharing is caring!

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I'm A Motivated Blogger

I have been mulling over this post for nearly the past month in hopes of losing the urge to share the information displayed below...in length. But, with the popularity of the "censoring" of the interwebs via SOPA/IP Act...here's my two cents. I hope you enjoy it; the context of this lengthy piece of writing is obvious and hopefully what I am sharing here with you will be informative and non-invasive. I've learned much in my years as a blogger...here is just a snippet about blogging for money.  

          Using a blog as a form of online journal-keeping can bring many great benefits. There has been quite a bit of debate in regards to how quickly and easily making money with a blog is. Aside from how quickly and easily it can be, what exactly is involved in the process? Truth be told, any sort of online work (even offline) one wishes to have a level of financial gain with must include a few very important things. A plan, for starters, would be a very useful thing to have. There is nothing that can be accomplished unless there is a plan detailing the steps that must be taken to achieve a goal. Patience plays a role here, as well, but so does a realistic view. One has to be patient in order to deal with the reality of failure in any aspect; but, if it were easy then the failures before an eventual success would not be worth it.

            Now, the aforementioned requirements for financial success through blogging can be placed toward things like a store crew stocking the shelves of a large department store just before the holiday shopping season, or an IT group coming up with a solution to preventing hackers from accessing the corporate files. Both scenarios incorporate hard work and a plan. Both of those are great endeavors and tasks that require much dedication. The same idea can be applied to blogging for a profit or blogging for fun. Blogging is one of the most obvious and most hidden examples of making money on the internet today; the number of people who discover this money-making method is growing larger every day.

            Friends and family ask me all the time, "What's a blog?" or "Why do you blog?" Well...a “blog” is more popularly known as a personal journal that is kept on the internet and published through website providers such as Blogger.com and Wordpress.com. Who would use a blog, and why? For some people, blogging is a form of keeping a personal journal. It is an archive of their favorite images and textual documentation of their travels, thoughts, feelings, day-to-day life or just a place to share craft ideas and recipes. Having kept two blogs created solely for the purpose of sharing a photography hobby and a “family journal,” it is safe to say that it all began as a personal interest. Everyone has their own personal or professional reasoning for beginning an online journal. Sadly, most don't know how to use it to their advantage.

            Using a blog as a form of online journal-keeping can bring many great benefits, one of those benefits being an escalated improvement in use of grammar and a show of evolving writing style. One of the first and most obvious personal benefits of blogging is how the blogger can express their thoughts easily and clearly with text. This is done by taking a little time to think about what to write, first and foremost. When this is done, the content of the blog will be further improved and will attract more readers.

          For the writer, when the ease of writing becomes more apparent it becomes the motivating factor to write more. The same can also be said when speaking of other bloggers; there is a motivating factor to continue doing something enjoyable when there are others involved in one’s interests. In this case, reading journals created by other bloggers are a great way to connect socially, because there is a common ground. The common ground here is blogging.

The consistency with which the average blogger posts their journals (be it for business or pleasure) is a show of how dedicated the writer is; yet, there must be good content to show for it. The content sought out by readers will increase website traffic and help the writer gain more of an audience geared toward the content of the blog itself. This is even more true if the website is geared toward one topic, as opposed to several. There's a saying I learned from a group of individuals who began profiting with blogging, and have since moved up the scale of internet jobs. I love it, because it makes sense. This phrase is, "Disregard Niches, Acquire Target Audience." There's a bit more to that phrase than meets the eyes, so I really do suggest doing a bit of research as to what a "niche" and "target audience" are. Believe me when I say that you will be happy you did. Also, keep to mind the 3-C phrase coined by yours truly: Consistently Creative Content.

Boom! Now keep reading...

Blogging has increased in popularity over the years; even businesses have found that keeping a blog is beneficial to their business. This is very true. When a business begins creating blog posts, the business is participating in a form of social media that reaches out to an expanded target audience that brings forth the potential to turn into a broader customer base. This is seen through the way businesses notify their customers about products, promotions and also the purpose of the company. The more a customer knows a company, the more likely that customer is to show appreciation and faith to the brand.  Not only that, the company would be able to interact with its blog readers with feedback to things like blog commentary. 

Many people underestimate the potential of earning an income with just a blog. For most online merchants, blogging is a form of in-depth (and very low cost) advertising that allows their customer base to keep informed and updated about goings-on in the company, sales and notification of new products. Not only does this assist in keeping their customer base, it helps attract more customers, and to the company this means more potential for profits. Blogging doesn’t just financially benefit companies; it can even benefit the casual blogger if they do a little research and keep a consistent approach toward selling for other merchants.

Having owned a few online journals, being able to earn a consistent income through blogging took a solid three months of work. There was much trial and error and as mentioned earlier, many lessons through failure. Though, in the end the benefits were very much worth it. Research on the blog’s main topic is definitely the most important step on the road to financially benefitting from a blog. Checking to see where, with who (age demographic/region of the world) and how well the topic sought is trending is a good indicator as to how financially well it will do. In doing this, providing content that would catch interest would potentially provide a consistent audience, which would then turn into a following of readers over time.

Some of the other work involves exploring similar interests (blog topic/theme) blog readers and other bloggers would take interest in. This can be done through consistent blog posts on the topic and material related to it. For example, if the blog were about photography, then there would be content related to photography equipment and famous photographers throughout history. This would allow for more search results to be directed toward the blog and the result of that would be bringing in more readers. The addition of that small detail will garnish even bigger results.

It is generally recommended that any blog begin with providing content available for readers to enjoy before stepping into the area of e-commerce (advertising/selling through the web). This way, the blog won’t seem as if it were geared toward profit and not the topic itself. Readers are far from stupid. They are pretty keen to "selling" on any website, and it is an immediate turn-off if the blog does not have a writer that is passionate about the topic. The immediate show of intent to drain someone's pockets is a giant freakin' NO. Though, after a time of posting blogs related to its theme, then slowly working a bit of e-commerce into the blog is a subtle change that could be expanded upon. For example, affiliate marketing is the most popular form of making money with a blog. Affiliate marketing is a program that allows website owners to place product advertisements on their pages. This is a good form of low-cost marketing for online merchants, and over the past few years it has proven effective. In return, the owner of the website receives a commission for each click and/or sale from each of these ads. Not online merchants are the same, and it is most helpful to have related products on your blog that readers would take interest in.

For now, I think blogging should remain fun. It should be informative and fresh and a blog should contain snippets of something everyone can learn from. If it makes money, then hooray! Personally, I am not trying to make money here. Been there, done that and now I'm here to have fun; I'm motivated to share, to encourage and to indulge the reader in things I wished to have read over the years I've been part of the "blogging community"...plus? I can support my own coffee habit. Huzzah.

Thank you for reading. <3      

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Getting Motivated and Staying Motivated

What do you think of when you think of the term "goal setting?" Do you see too much hassle, too much hard work and not enough of accomplishing what it is you would like to get done? Yeah, I do that, too. I overthink the goals I set and begin thinking on what could go wrong, what reasons I have for not needing to get this or that accomplished before starting on something I'd really like to do, and it's pretty annoying.

For most, the day might go a little something like this: you wake up, get dressed and then head off to work. In that small amount of time you somehow find a few minutes to eat a menial breakfast, maybe have a little coffee and do some e-mail checking before heading out to work. After work you get home, and complete your day with the routine you have set for yourself, depending on the hours you work. During your offtime you handle errands like chores, laundry, maybe some night school or even tending to your health with a visit to the gym. Then, there's time to spend with family and/or friends, catching up on thing you need to get done, etc. You find yourself constantly on the go, pressed for time and feeling down at times because you feel as though you can't get anything done fast enough.

For the longest time, that routine applied to me. Despite how busy I had been, it wasn't healthy. It created a rut that I became comfortable with and soon it seemed as if there weren't any need for a change. To make matters worse, it started making me think that I didn't need any improving or that there was no need to get out and try new things.Not good! This funk was so. Stupid and. Draaaaining.

So, after giving myself a kick in the butt, talking to some of my favorite people about what it is that motivates them and so on I felt...better. I felt a rush. It was inspiring to know that others who were so accomplished and goal-oriented had felt the same way I did at some point. That gave me the urge to push myself, to try harder.

Along with the boost gained by speaking to others about what was "ailing" me, I came up with a list that's helped me keep on track. I hope it helps you out, if you need it.

Ask yourself what you want to do. Take a few days to compile a list of things you'd like to get done over the course of one day, one week, one month or even one year. Be sure to include at least one fun activity  and at least one serious goal.

Put that list in a visible area of your home, preferably in the room you usually spend your time in, like your home office, your living room or even your bedroom. Making a copy of that list and placing it into your work space is a good idea, too.

Create your schedule! Start by setting one goal to be completed in the time you have alloted for yourself. For now just ease into it and start with something easy, then work your way up from there with things little by little.

Sometimes the most unexpected results can happen before you expected them to occur. For example: Let's say you want to clean the attic. You alloted yourself an entire weekend, with an hour per day on getting it situated, dusted. etc. Now let's say because you scheduled that hour over the course of a week, that you got the job done in three days, instead of seven. You suddenly find yourself with extra time! What do you do? Read the next step...

Take a few minutes to reflect on how you've felt during this change to your routine, how it has affected you, your environment and if the changes you've wanted to make for yourself are influencing anyone in your life include those details as well. Over time, you'll be able to keep track of what it is you have mentioned the most in these reflections, and that'll be a good motivator to focus on.

Remind yourself often why you decided to take charge in putting forth the effort for this change. Sometimes new changes and additions to a daily routine can seem overwhelming. Never lose sight of the goals you are aiming for, as well as what purpose they will serve. Aim to see what it is you have learned during the time it has taken you to accomplish your goals, rather than just concentrating on getting a goal completed.

Reward yourself after each goal is accomplished! Doing something for yourself and getting it done is amazing. It should be rewarded with an activity that will benefit you in the long run.

What motivates you? What other things would you add to this list?

Share your thoughts!

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