Exploring Today's Path

One of the few bloggers I make the time in my busy schedule to read is Susan Blake, who is the creator of the wonderful website, Today’sPath.  Suzen (as she sometimes goes by), like myself, is all about healthy lifestyle, better nutritional choices, and offering proactive solutions to preventing unnecessary disease and health—dare I say LIFE—ailments.

Suzen writes about diverse topics like:

•         The importance of being regular
•          The Global Cancer Summit
•          Natural Alternatives
•          Migraines
•          Quinoa (one of my fav foods!!)   

…and just the other day, she took the time and space on her excellent blog to blog about me.  And my book:

LIVELIFE365: A PRACTICAL SELF-HELP GUIDE TO BETTER HEALTH, NUTRITION,WEIGHT LOSS, MOTIVATION, PERSONAL GROWTH, AND LIFE
 

Here are the first few paragraphs of her kind words, offered in her downhome delivery, with emphasis of why people like Suzen and myself invest our time and efforts in our websites:

To reach as many people as possible, affording them the opportunity to change their lives for the better!

…please visit Today’s Path to read the rest.  Thanks again, Suzen, for all your support over the years and for living life 365!!!

LiveLife 365 with and by Mike Foster!

This is such a special blog for me to write, I'm grinning ear to ear - can't ya tell?  Sometimes you meet somebody and you know they are kindred spirits.  I must have a good healthy love for mine then cuz I sure love his!

I started following a blog by Mike Foster called Live Life 365 about three years ago.  Mike does videos on his blog that are great - I learned the easy way to cut/eat avocados, for instance.  You name it, he will tell you what it is, how to cook it and eat it - many things the average person has never tried I'll bet ya!  He is ALL about healthy foods, nutrition, staying motivated, taking walks in nature, and making good choices.  Every once in a while he will write a song and sing it with his guitar.  The walks I've actually BEEN ON with him since he takes his camera right along with him. 

He videos from his lanai in Maui on his vaca there every year - so nice to see it when there is winter in the air here - he videos when he is gardening and sweating - always good to see somebody sweat, isn't it? -  and of course  many videos in his kitchen.  Writing songs, writing blogs, making videos........

Visit Today’s Path to read the rest and enjoy Suzen’s site.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

Mikesdaily…

Mike's Daily Thoughts

First off, many of you are probably thinking: "Mike actually has daily thoughts?"

Ahem...funny.

But believe it or not, I tend to have a lot on my mind, a lot of which seems destined to be shared via blogs, pics, vids, and Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or one of my many websites.

The wonderful thing is that we have all of this technology at our fingertips, the ability to transmit those thoughts across cyberspace, literally reaching billions of folks.  Okay, that's only if your SEO is strong.  Otherwise, said thoughts and pics and vids, etc., may only reach a handful of interested people.  No matter, I got things to share and if you are reading this, I am very pleased to share them with you.

I created this blog several years ago, as a way to promote my video website, livelife365.  I have been overwhelmed and thrilled at the response and feedback I have gotten from both this blog and my website, so much so that I wrote a book to expand my base, so to speak.

I have further expanded my ability to share the healthy, inspirational, motivational, and entertaining word of livelife365 with the creation of another blog, called:

Mike's Daily Thoughts, Pics, Videos, and More...

This blog is a less formal way to communicate and share many of my videos and photos, insights and just whatever is on my mind that day.  The intent is to write a post everyday, but sometimes life gets in the way of all those plans...you know what I mean.  I would be pleased to at least get five to six posts out each week...any more than that and we will all be sick of me (if you aren't already)...

So, when you have a few spare minutes in your hectic and busy day, please take a stroll over to my new blog and check it out, leave a comment, and enjoy.

Here is my latest video, by the way, about a very sweet and tasty fruit I recently discovered while vacationing on Maui, called Chico Fruit, or Sapodilla:

What is Chico Fruit (Sapodilla)?

 

Until next time...

peace,

Mike

Mike's Daily...
Buy the book
livelife365

The Collector

Whenever someone visits my home, one of the first things out of their mouth is, “Wow, read much?” Or something along those words. Why? Picture a library, with furniture—not library furniture (desks and chairs), but living room, bedroom, dining room furniture—and you have a snapshot of my house (“our” house—mine and my lovely wife’s, who besides being wonderful in countless ways, is a saint for allowing me to turn much of our home into a book lovers paradise).


I am a collector. Not just books, but a collector of many things collectible.

Is this a bad thing? A form of some obsessive/compulsive disorder?

Here is the Mayo Clinic description of Obsessions:

Obsessions are repeated, persistent, unwanted ideas, thoughts, images or impulses that you experience involuntarily and that appear to be senseless. These obsessions typically intrude when you're trying to think of or do other things.

And for compulsions:

Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that you feel driven to perform. These repetitive behaviors are meant to prevent or reduce anxiety or distress related to your obsessions.

I can relate to my collecting the words—repeating, persistent and repetitive. But not “unwanted ideas or images”—I WANT to collect. Does my desire to visit bookstores intrude on my thoughts when trying to do other things? Sure, at times, but that’s not a BAD thing, is it? Do I feel driven to collect? Again, sure, at times. And, again, not a bad thing…is it? Does collecting help reduce anxiety or distress? Ahh, some good news: not when related to my obsessions, which are still debatable. Okay, now I’m not just concerned about the possibility of my having OCD, but bordering on confusion and bewilderment that may appear to be senseless. Let’s skip the psychological evaluation portion of the program and get back to collecting.

I was talking about books. Okay, maybe I exaggerated about our house looking like a library—my wife may be a saint, but she’s not stupid. She has magically managed to tastefully distribute over twenty bookcases throughout the house while still able to maintain…oh, heck, the place reeks with books, almost 3000 of them! What can I say? I can’t help myself—I’m a collector.

My love for reading began as a boy growing up watching my dad devour paperback after paperback with delightful ease. He was a paperback juggler, able to read a half-dozen at a time, leaving dog-eared, food-stained, abused and battered pulps strewn throughout every room of the house. Yes, I always enjoyed reading, but collecting? I used to be like my dad—read a paperback with nary a concern for its safety, then toss it aside like a candy bar wrapper. Then one day, about two decades ago, something clicked inside my skull. While visiting a book store, I noticed a queue of folks, brand-new hardbacks in hand, waiting to meet an author. I grabbed one of the books for myself and joined my fellow readers, met, chatted with, and enjoyed watching this writer (Robert McCammon) autograph my copy—and like that, I was hooked.

I started collecting signed first editions from all the writers I already liked, then expanded my tastes and collection from there. My hobby quickly became a passion; my passion a vocation—one that has yet to show any signs of slowing down. I still love nothing better than leisurely perusing the musty shelves of a used book store in search of buried treasure in the form of an elusive first edition needed to complete a collected set of one of my favorite author’s works. I’ll figure out where to put it (my book cases are overflowing) later. I just can’t help myself. Why? You guessed it—I’m a collector.


And I don’t just collect books. I have happily amassed turtles and frogs (not the real things!), guitars and magazines (I cannot throw them out), globes and tea. Yes, tea! I have over fifty varieties of organic teas, mostly green, rooibos, and yerba mattes. And, yes, I drink my collection every day. That’s another great thing about my collections—they, for the most part, are functional. I read the books I collect, drink the teas, play the guitars, read the magazines. Okay, I admit it—I like to talk to my fake turtles too.

Eliminate the massive quantities of these items and I am basically your everyday normal person…save for a few idiosyncratic tendencies that shall remain nameless.


It is just me? This collecting thing? I don’t think so. Human beings are pack rats, they enjoy accumulating things—be it old newspapers, cabbage patch dolls (remember them?), hammers or Hummels. It could be worse— Jay Leno collects expensive automobiles . Besides being way out of my league cost-wise, imagine what his living room looks like. Oh, that’s right; he has a garage the size of ten of my houses. Makes sense—he also collects a much larger paycheck than I do.

How about you? Are you a collector?

I bet you are.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

Is Self-Promotion A Bad Thing?

Here I am, dedicating a blog post about something most bloggers regularly do: promote their blogs. Yet, is this a good or bad thing? Well, when it's your blog getting promoted, it's a good thing, right? I'm half-kidding here, but you get the point. I am constantly being asked for an add-for-an-add, sub-for-a-sub, rate my blog and I'll rate yours, add me to my blogroll, scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. The bottom line is this: I don't mind self-promotion, not one bit.

One of the things I enjoy about promoting my blog is the social networking. I have met hundreds of nice people out there doing the same thing I'm doing--working hard at attempting to communicate to the masses about topics dear to our hearts. And if having to toot your own horn every now and then is what it takes to get the word out, then toot away! Okay, well, here goes:

I am excited about several things happening at livelife365 these days, including a new advertisement that I am showcasing in this blog entry. I welcome any feedback, but would really welcome anyone wanting to use it to promote my blog and website on their site. Drop me a line if you would be interested in adding it to your site.

I also have just published a new book, this one is called "Mikey and the Mysterious Kite." It is a young adult fantasy novel about an eleven-year-old boy who discovers a magical kite outside his bedroom window. The kite has the power to transport its owner anywhere in the world, during any time period. Read how the mysterious kite takes Mikey and his friends on an adventure that includes wizards, kings, dragons, and much more. Click on the link to the right of this blog entry or visit my Products page at livelife365.com. By the way, you don't have to be a kid to enjoy this story.

My last self-promotion is a video that I have posted at Metacafe and YouTube (as well at the bottom of this page) titled "Lose Weight at livelife365.com." Watch it and let me know what you think. In it, I bare my chest to show how much weight I have lost over the past several months. The fact that I have the nerve, or gall, if you will, to remove my shirt in front of potentially millions (on a very good day in my fantasy world) of people is testimony to how much I want to share the secrets of my success in weight loss. I have several videos dealing with health, nutrition, exercise and weight loss that, I know, can help countless people. I hope this video helps get the word out.

So, to self-promote or not self-promote? After reading this blog post I will let you be the judge.

Until next time...

peace,

Mike

Look, Up in the Sky! It's a Bird, a Plane, a Blog, a...Vlog?

I am one of those rare birds lucky enough to have both a blog and a vlog. Most everyone knows what a blog is: a shortened version of "web log." This is a site where people can post just about anything that interests them, and, hopefully, the masses. There are blogs about everything one can possibly imagine. Most are very entertaining. I enjoy visiting them, checking them out, seeing what's new and interesting. And though, originally, they were mostly just in the form of the written word, now quite a few blogs have branched off into other areas of communication. Like videos. Technology has made it a breeze to add vids right onto most blogs with simple cutting and pasting. Heck, even I can do it.

The other side of the coin is something close to my heart: vlogs. The name derives from Video Log, and just like blogs these sites can be about any topic that interests you. The major difference between blogs and vlogs is the amount of video. Take my site, livelife365.com, for example. My goal when I created this site was to offer a venue to share my information using a video format. And, save for a few bits of text here or there, I have been true to my vision. A visit to my site offers you tips on diet and nutrition, exercise and motivation, self-help and overcoming adversity. As well as entertaining and funny songs, videos, and rants. And all of them are in video form. You will not find a written piece, like this one, anywhere on the site. And that to me is a true vlog.

But a funny thing happened while I was promoting my site, visiting other sites, mostly blogs, networking with all of the wonderful people who make up the blogging community. I wanted to be one of them, join them. And not just as the new kid on the block with the vlog. I wanted to be part of their blogging community with my very own blog. An interesting self realization, coming from a guy who thought that video-driven sites were going to be the next big thing.

The fact is, I have come to understand that while video is here to stay and will eventually be everywhere, on every site, mark my words. The blog will never die. Just like newspapers. Books. Magazines. Because there were many who thought that any paper-based from of media would eventually dry up and blow away, never being able to compete with the convenience of an electronic media. Not the case. True, sales and subscriptions may be down, but I honestly believe that newspapers will never die. And neither will the blog. There is room in this here town for the both of us.

I want to take a moment to thank all of the great people with whom I have networked and met online while promoting livelife365.com. I feel lucky and blessed to be part of such a kind and giving community...even if I do have a vlog. But, now, also a blog.

So, read or watch, as long as you are doing all that you can to make each day count, living your life every day and every way. Until next time...

peace,
Mike