Friday, December 26, 2008

A New You in the New Year in 5 Easy Steps

A New You in the New Year in 5 Easy Steps
By Mike Marinaro

Every year about this time people make ridiculous New Year's resolutions that they never end up sticking to. Don't be one of those people. Here are some resolutions that are easy to obtain and will make you feel good about yourself!

The most important thing is that you do not worry so much about the resolutions; there is no sense in getting yourself all stressed out about trying to stick to them. Just do what you can to make little improvements in your lifestyle and enjoy yourself.

Matthew 6: 25-27 (New International Version)

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

1. Every day do something just for you

We all get busy doing whatever it is that we do on a dailybasis and more often than not we have very little time forourselves. So this year make sure that you set aside a littlebit of time each and every day, just for you! It can besomething as simple as taking a walk, working in your garden, reading a book, writing in your journal, or drinking a cup of your favorite tea. Just make sure it is something out of your ordinary routine…something that you do just for you to make yourself feel good!

2. Learn something new each month

Change is a good thing! It is too easy to fall into the sameold boring routine and before you know it you find yourself in a big rut! Set a goal to learn something new each month this year. It could be a foreign language, or maybe taking a class in pottery or a dance lesson, maybe learning to play the guitar. By doing new things you will feel much better about yourself.

3. Pat yourself on the back

You deserve it…if no else tells you what a great job you have done; then give yourself a big pat on the back! Youraccomplishments are important so make sure you recognize them and treat yourself to something nice when you reach a goal or achieve something you have been trying to do for a long time.

4. Stay healthy in the New Year

Fitness is important, and it will make you feel better if youare healthy. Make a little time each week to exercise and try to eat healthier in the New Year. There are thousands of different diets out there and they all stink! If you are anything like me it's very difficult to stick to a regimented diet and exercise program; however, I have found that just by recognizing that I need to eat healthier and exercise regularly, it helps. Here are a few tips: •Be aware of what you eat and how much you eat•Avoid the fast food joints•Cut out the late night snacks •Park far away from the store not real close; the walk will do you good•If you are watching TV, do a few sit-ups or crunches instead ofjust sitting there eating popcorn

5. Set goals that are obtainable

Goal setting is important, but make sure you set goals that are obtainable. Instead of saying that you are going to lose twenty pounds this year; how about just saying that you will work on eating healthier and exercising more so you can lose some weight. Keep track of your progress and reward yourself for sticking to your exercise schedule and eating plan. Before you know you will have lost a few pounds! It's much easier and a whole lot less frustrating to set goals that you can actually reach! Good luck with your resolutions and Happy New Year!

About the Author: Mike Marinaro is a web master and published author.
Visit http://www.webdesign4him.com/ or http://www.womensempowerment.info/ for more articles.

Source: http://www.isnare.com/

Please leave your comments.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Finally...24 is Coming Back

Finally...24 is Coming Back

I can't wait to see Jack back in action again for season 7 of 24, the best show on TV! Here's a trailer...enjoy. 24 was originally supposed to start season 7 a whole year ago but was delayed due to Writer's Guild of America strike! I am so looking forward to January 11th, 2009!!!

The first two hours will air on Jan. 11th and the second two hours on Jan. 12th. JACK IS BACK!!!

Please leave your comments.



Monday, December 22, 2008

When One Door is Closed...Another is Opened

When One Door is Closed...Another is Opened

1 Corinthians 10:13 (New International Version)"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

Sometimes what appears to be a disaster can actually be a blessing in disguise! I am a firm believer in the fact that everything happens for a reason and when one door is closed, another will be opened.

August 31st, 2008 was not a very good day for me. I was laid off from my job of eight years and then when I got home there was a letter in my mailbox from the Dept. of Motor Vehicles telling me I had to surrender my driver's license due to my vision problems!

Now I had no job, no way to go on interviews for a new job and no more health insurance coverage!

Two weeks later my wife was also laid off from her job; now we were really in serious trouble!

Luckily a neighbor knew of a job opening where she works and my wife was able to get a job within a couple of weeks. I decided that since I had no way to get to a job I would find a way to make money from home. I have been designing websites for about ten years and had a handful of clients so I contacted them for referrals. That got me a few new clients and now that I had the time to devote to my web design I started to pick up more clients.

One of the guys in our church heard I was out of work and offered me a telemarketing job with his company which I could do from my home. So now I at least have a little bit of income between the web design and telemarketing.

Of course, neither one of these is a full time job with benefits so I am still struggling to make ends meet.I was in the Navy so I am using the Veterans Administration for my health insurance and that is a blessing.

Since I have not been working 40 hours per week and commuting 10 hours per week I seem to be a lot less stressed. My diabetes is under better control and my blood pressure has improved. I now have time to walk every day and exercise more. If I hadn't been laid off I would not have had the time to expand my web design business, so actually a new door has been opened for me!

The bottom line here is don't despair when things get tough. These are hard times and the economy is in pretty bad shape. Many people have been laid off from work or are in danger of losing their jobs and their homes. But when the going gets tough, the tough get going! Look deep inside yourself and you will find that you have some special talents. All you have to do is figure out what it is you like to do and then find a way to make some money doing it!

Here is an example: I have enjoyed playing the guitar for 46 years, so I am going to offer beginner guitar lessons from my home starting in January. This is a way to share my talents with others, while at the same time earn a little money doing something that I love to do!


Visit www.webdesign4him.com or www.womensempowerment.info for more articles. Mike Marinaro is a web site designer and published author.

Your comments are welcome.



Friday, December 19, 2008

Facebook or Myspace?

Facebook or Myspace?

I switched from Myspace to Facebook and I am curious to know what your feelings are about these two social networking sites. Which do you prefer, Myspace or Facebook?

I have tried advertising on Facebook recently and was very pleased with the results. Although I did not make any sales from the ad I placed, there were 116,232 impressions which drove lots of traffic to my website. The best part was the ad was FREE because I had a coupon from one of my favorite blogs, Shoemoney.

The only complaint I have about Facebook is the generic look. If there is a way to change the theme of your page I am not aware of it. If someone knows how to change the look, please let me know.

Your comments are welcome.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

OH NO...There goes my harddrive!!!

OH NO...There goes my harddrive!!!

I hate it when that happens! The last month or so my harddrive has been making a grinding noise; I got that sinking feeling in my stomach because I knew the harddrive was about to fail!

I have a second harddrive in my computer so I backed up most of my files but did not manage to get them all done before it crashed. This is very upsetting to me because I make a living from my computer and without it, I am out of work! So you think I would have a better system for automatically backing up my files...duh! Don't let this happen to you, make sure you back up your files frequently!

This has happened to me before, I believe this is the 3rd harddrive in the last five years. Does anyone have suggestions as to why I keep losing my harddrive? Please leave a comment and let me know. This is very frustrating, not to mention expensive.

Friday, December 12, 2008

The Lost Phone

The Lost Phone

My wife and I have a tendency to misplace our cordless phone and seem to spend quite a bit of time in search it. The good news is there is a little pager button on the base section of the phone that we can push and it will send a signal that causes the handset to beep enabling us to locate our lost phone!

Wouldn’t it be great if we could have such a device for people? We try to be good Christians, but day to day life tends to get in the way. Often, we get lost just like the cordless phone. If only someone could just push a button and send a signal so we could be found again when we get lost.
In “The Parable of the Lost Sheep” we see that God is like a shepherd and will look for us when we stray and He rejoices when we return!

Luke 15: 4-6“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.”

We can take comfort in knowing that there is a way to be found when we get lost. It is much better than a paging device on a cordless phone. Like the sheep we have a Good Shepherd watching over us.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Lost Season 5 - Coming in January 2009

Lost Season 5 - Coming in January 2009.




Finally...Lost is back. Coming Wednesday, January, 21, 2009 to ABC. I can't wait, it's been such a long time coming! This is just one of those addicting shows that you can't miss. One of the best mysteries I have ever seen. Please leave your comments and tell me who your favorite lost character is. I'm gonna have to go with Kate...she is just HOT!!!!