Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Social Networking Blues


I confess I am not a good social networker.  Actually, for a guy with multiple websites and networks of the social kind, I rather suck at it.  And the stupid thing is that if I were any good at all, I would generate tons more traffic to my sites, et al.

The good thing for me is that I am still able to reach millions of people every year, and this is in spite of my poor social networking skills.

In short, I am a crappy:

  • Facebooker
  • Youtuber
  • Blogger
  • Website administrator
  • Tweeter
  • Stumbleuponer
  • Entrecarder
  • Emailer
  • Friender
  • Sharer
               
But does this make me a bad person?

I sure hope not.

I have been doing this thing called the Internet for years.  I have had lots of ups and many downs.  When I first began the social network scene I subscribed to all networks as a means to spread the good word of livelife365.com.  I got into it so much that I produced this song and music video, way back in the day, for your listening and viewing pleasure.  Many of the networks are no longer relevant, giving you an idea of the challenge it takes to remain so in a nanosecond world where news and updates are just a finger snap away.

Please enjoy (again):




And enjoy my latest music video:





Until next time,

Peace,

Mike

Sunday, December 30, 2012

C’ya 2012 – Hello 2013!

Another year is about to bite the dust.  How does that make you feel?  For me, I like to take this time of year and look back at those three hundred plus days just passed, and see if I accomplished as much of what I set out to do.  So, I guess, it makes me feel…

1)      Nostalgic
2)      Wistful
3)      Yearning
4)      Reflective
5)      Sentimental
6)      All of the above

So, Mike, how was 2012?



Like all years, it seems this one that is about to end has had its share of ups and downs.  While I attained many successful goals that I set for myself, both personal and with my work, there were other areas of my life, and my family and friend’s, which was nothing to write home about.

  • Health scares
  • Financial challenges
  • Issues with the day job
  • And the everyday battle for consistent balance 
The good news is that for most of the above I have been able to work on and correct—which, again, is what all years, and life, is about.  Good year or bad, good life or bad, one will have challenges, adversity, heartbreak, and loss.  The key, as with all of life (and, remember, years are the chapters [and days the pages] of the novel called “your life.”) is the ability to cope and deal, learn from and not repeat mistakes and missteps…and try to make the best of all situations.

So, again (ahem), Mike, how was your year?

Glad you asked.

My brand, livelife365, had its best year ever.  I had more visits and video views than any other time since its creation—almost 2 million!!  That only encourages me to keep doing what I’ve been doing, but even more so.  It also indicates to me that people dig my message and want to change their lives for the better.

I was able to finish and publish another book, song, and music video—a project that I am very proud of.

 


My websites and videos generated more income this year than all of the previous years combined—a good thing!  Why?  Because I am now able to expand my reach and tackle even more projects.

I enjoyed a successful book signing for this book:




And produced and uploaded more videos than ever!  With two going semi-viral:





I survived another decent year with my day job, keeping my streak of being gainfully employed well into my fourth decade.  This is nothing to take for granted in these challenging financial times and I am thankful.

On a personal note, I enjoyed my 19th year of the best relationship in my life with my lovely wife—thanks for putting up with me, baby!

I traveled, spent important and fun time with family and friends, continued collecting and reading modern first editions, played my guitar, collected (and consumed) more excellent wine from around the world, exercised just about everyday, and lost a dozen pounds (few more to go).

Leaving me to look ahead to 2013.

Goals are always important to me and this coming year will be no exception.  Here are a few:

Ø  More balance between work and non-work
Ø  Drop those last few pounds
Ø  Produce more videos…ahem, good videos
Ø  Keep spreading the livelife365 brand
Ø  More volunteer and charitable work
Ø  Have I mentioned better balance?
Ø  Travel to see my mom turn 80
Ø  Manage my finances tighter
Ø  Good health…for myself and all those I love
Ø  Keep doing all the things I enjoy…
Ø  And discover a whole lot more

That’s enough of a list for now.

Until next time…

Peace,

Mike
Livelife365

Friday, July 20, 2012

What Makes You Happy?


Happiness, as defined by dictionary.com:

adj  , -pier , -piest
1.
feeling, showing, or expressing joy; pleased
2.
willing: I'd be happy to show you around
3.
causing joy or gladness
4.
fortunate; lucky: the happy position of not having to work
5.
aptly expressed; appropriate: a happy turn of phrase
6.
informal  ( postpositive ) slightly intoxicated

interj
7.
( in combination ): happy birthday ; happy Christmas


There are so many things that make us happy; I am often amazed at how unhappy some people appear.  Hey, I’m not thrilled with life all the time, but I do strive daily to attain as much of all those nice descriptions above this paragraph.

So, what makes YOU happy?



For some, happiness is a dog licking your face and snuggling beside you in your bed.  While that same dog on someone else’s bed, lapping away at your face, may evoke the exact opposite of happiness.

To each his own.

For me, happiness begins with self.  If I am not happy with myself as a person, I have difficulty enjoying my existence.

That’s why I work hard on improving all of my flaws.  Through this effort, even when I am not always successful, I attain my happiness…and maybe lose a few pounds, gain some introspection, and improve as a human being along the way.

But it’s not all work and no play for me, either.  I love spending time with my wife and family, strumming my guitar, creating videos, or dining on some of my favorite foods.  Like these:














There are many things that bring us happiness inside this sometimes challenging world in which we live.  The key, as with life, is to know where to look and embrace it is often as possible.

Think about it…

Until next time.


peace,

Mike
Livelife365

Saturday, June 30, 2012

discover livelife365

my newest video explains all that my websites are about...

please enjoy and...

Discover livelife365 

peace,

 mike

 

livelife365

 

Sunday, February 12, 2012

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:
…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!!!



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



Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Looking Forward


Last week I wrote a post about looking back at 2011, reviewing many wonderful accomplishments, as well as taking a moment to do some self-back-slapping.  For me, it was a memorable year that had many achievements.  But not all of 2011 was stellar—I start this year with plenty of opportunities for improvement.
My 2012 to-do list shares many of the same daily expectations I hold myself accountable to while ensuring I maintain my triad of balance—the interconnected coexistence between the MIND, BODY, and SPIRT.



Let’s start with the MIND:
  •      Read more, if possible (especially more diverse, undiscovered areas that I normally do not venture into).
  •         Finish writing two books and self-publish them (both are almost done, just need some tweaking, polish, and editing. “God’s Will,” and “We Can Change the World…If We Wanted To.”).
  •        Continue to create and produce more entertaining and relevant videos, start another website, with a goal of doubling my current success I have had with livelife365.
  •         Continue to grow in my “day job,” strive to reach more people in whatever endeavor suits me best (in other words: keep plugging away, be thankful to be employed with a job that challenges my creative side while affording me the ability to earn a decent wage…).
  •          Learn to organize better—I have lots of strengths as a human being, but being organized is not one of them.  I vow to continue to work on being better with all of the above.
  •        Produce two more music videos and another original song (both already in the works, with the hope of publication by mid-year).
  •         Be a better social networker—while I am not as fond of this practice as one would think, given the success and necessity of my websites and this genre, if you will, I need to be better to ensure said success.  And to grow even more!  I am working on it daily.
  •          Get back to doing daily crosswords (my new desk calendar, by the way, is a daily ten-minute crossword puzzle…that should help).
  •          Write more…again, if possible, given all of the above.  But one of my passions in life has always been writing.  And while I do write daily and have produced a plethora of wide-ranging results of that practice, I would still love to write even more.  It can be done, I just need to find the time and balance (see SPIRIT goals).
Next, the BODY:
  •        Drop these excess travel pounds!  This is a major bone of contention for me, as I have always been in great shape and advocate the need for limited dietary intake.  I also know that a dozen (or more!) excess pounds can lead to so many detrimental physical ailments: heart disease; diabetes; cancer; gastrointestinal problems; and bone and muscle issues.
  •          Maintain a better routine of exercise.  By that I mean, walking EVERYDAY!  And upping my thrice-weekly weight program with more reps and pounds.  Also keeping it going on weekends—these are the times that I tend to kick back.
  •          Cut back on the carbs and add more protein.  As a vegetarian, I tend to consume more carbs than I’d like.  While I always strive to eat complex, high in fiber, carbs, I sometimes do not.  I vow to cut back on the empty carbohydrates, while concentrating on more complex, high fiber carbs.  And will add more fish into my once only vegetarian diet.  A good thing, in the healthy long run.
  •          Sleep more!  I used to get by on six hours of sleep a night…not anymore.  I need to kick back in bed and close my eyes sooner rather than later.  Sleep deprivation will shorten one’s life as fast as poor diet and lack of exercise.  Don’t under estimate the necessity of adequate sleep.  I’m not going to.
  •          Balance.  I need to spend more time with my wife, family, and friends versus staring at this computer screen.  While I love the work I do, I need to also find the balance in my days to spend less time working and more time enjoying.  I often advocate the need to find the time and balance in one’s life to do all that you need to do to be all that you need to be…but also you need to find the time to be just you.  Think about it.
  •         Incorporate more diverse exercise programs, et al. into my weekly routine.  Like yoga, tai chi, and even Pilates…whatever works.  As we grow older, our bodies change and what once worked as an exercise regimen may no longer.  I am cool with discovering new ways to stay in shape.  Even Wei…whatever floats your boat and keeps that boat afloat.

Last, but not least, the SPIRIT:
  •          Spend more time with my wife.  We have already started an every quarter day out of work to spend together.  Last month we spent a Friday away from the office, went out to breakfast, and then just hung out.  We also investigated local volunteer opportunities that we could work on.
  •         Volunteer more.  While I pride myself in spending time helping others, I still can do lots more.  2012 I want to do even more than ever.  My wife and I have applied to several local charitable places that need support, like Meals on Wheels and Hospice Care.  We are in the process of setting up a regular volunteer schedule that will assist these places over the coming years.
  •         Find more balance.  I have mentioned this earlier in this post, but repeat it here to underscore its importance.  While I love working at my full-time job and all of my blogs and websites, I understand the importance of balancing those vocations with the rest of my life.  Family and friends, working around the house, relaxation, or just kicking back and doing little other than watching some goofy television show are equally as important as earning a living and spreading the good word of livelife365.  One of my biggest opportunities of this year is to better balance my life.  All work and no play really did make Jack a dull boy.
  •          Stretch my mind to understand others more.  While I consider myself a compassionate person, I sometimes overlook what motivates and makes other people do the things they do, and in turn, be so utterly different than what I feel they should be.  My desire to help them change, or just be better in many aspects of their lives, at times flusters me.  One of my spiritual goals this year it to be more open minded, forgive more, and stretch my mind to openly embrace more diverse attitudes and personas…while still vowing to share the programs and successes of livelife365 as best I can.
  •         Practice more random acts of kindness.  It sounds simple and very obvious, but holding open the door for someone or reaching for an item from a tall self for a wheelchair-bond person used be the norm, the decent thing to do.  No matter how we arrived at this place in society, I still have no problem waving someone before me into traffic or holding the elevator door rather than frantically pressing the close button.  Kindness is a virtue, a compassionate necessity that makes us human beings what we are.
  •         Meditate even more.  I take great spiritual joy from my daily zazen, every morning.  Yet my desire and my ability to add more time to my sittings often conflict.  This year I would love nothing more than to double my meditation times, daily.  I have no doubt that this will lead to nothing but good things: a more relaxed, complete, fulfilled and happy Mike Foster.


This is a pretty big list, but one that I am thrilled to have at.  What’s on your list of things to do in 2012?  
Resolutions and goals are a vital necessity for anyone who wants to change their lives for the better.  But as I always encourage, don’t only set goals at the start of a new year.  Set goals to better yourself and your life throughout the year.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

Friday, December 30, 2011

Reflecting Back…

As 2011 winds its way down to the last few hours, I take this time to reflect back on what, for me, was a very fulfilling year in many ways.  A perfect year?  Not by a long shot, but one loaded with enough action and accomplishments to fill a…well, a blog post.

This is a necessary, and important, exercise to do, by the way.  Most of us, if you are like me, don’t take the time to look back and bask in our accomplishments.  As a constantly driven person, someone who is always looking for the next big opportunity (I get bored easily) and challenge, I tend to push myself to the point, at times, of exhaustion.  Taking a few moments (hopefully a few days) to go back and put a few asterisks next to your completed “to-do” list is an excellent way to end the year.

Before I twist my arm out of socket from so much back-patting, I must add that this post on reflection will be followed by a post on looking ahead: embracing another arduous list of things I’d like to accomplish in 2012.

2011 was a year of travel—personal and business. I was fortunate enough to have visited several new cities this year (Dublin), as well as returning to some of my favorites (Maui).  All in all, I logged over 30,000 air miles—wow, that’s a lot of recycled air, stale pretzels, and cramped leg space!

I traversed across this great country six times!  Over two Oceans!  With stops along the way at:

·         Las Vegas
·         Tampa
·         Phoenix
·         Boston
·         Newport, Rhode Island
·         Narragansett, Rhode Island
·         NYC!
·         Maui
·         Dublin
·         Letterkenny
·         Atlanta
·         Sacramento
·         Reno

I began the year not knowing my future with my current “day job,” and am ending this year with the hope of soon getting my second promotion.  It has been a very rewarding year career-wise—a good thing!
I am blessed to work at a job where I get to interact with and lead and mentor dozens of people each day.  I have creative freedom to use my triad of balance-mind, body, and spirit.

I was able to get my website back up and running (and looking better than ever) after over a year of idleness!  Besides this blog, I also started another called “Mike’sDaily…”

The hits from my YouTube Page, Facebook, Twitter, my blogs and website have resulted in millions of visitors this year.  Thanks to all for the continued and tremendous support!

I published my second book (my first is a young adult novel) this year and while the sales have not gone through the roof, they have been steady.



I produced another round of interesting and entertaining videos, along with another music video:



Along the way I’ve continued to cultivate a wonderful and solid relationship with my wife of almost twenty years, a son that just turned thirty (man, I’m/he’s OLD!), and my family and friends near by and Back East.

But mostly, I was able to help countless people change their lives for the better, lose weight and eat healthier, become motivated and inspired, and, hopefully, gave a few a good laughs along the way.

Reflecting back on 2011, it has been a pretty good year.  And while it has not all been roses and sunshine, it has been worth looking back on and taking a few moments to enjoy…and give myself a few pats on the back.

You should do the same.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike
 

Sunday, December 18, 2011

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

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Drink Green Tea Every Day!

Aloha and Drink!

Green tea, that is!

I have been a green tea advocate for years, ever since I gave up my once addicting and overwhelming Diet coke habit. Searching for a healthier alternative, I discovered green tea and have enjoyed its wonderful taste and amazing health benefits ever since.

Why should you drink green tea every day?


It is loaded with antioxidants, can help reduce the threat of cancer, lowers cholesterol, assists in weight loss, and even fights tooth decay.  Cool, huh?

But do you know what's really cool?  Turning a successful green tea video (search YouTube for "green tea" and my vid comes up tops out of 45,000) into a cool music video.  Please watch and enjoy my newest music video:


DRINK GREEN TEA EVERY DAY (MUSIC VIDEO)


Livelife365 is all about eating healthy, losing weight, and motivating yourself to do all that it takes to change your life for the better.  All done in a fun and entertaining way.  I hope the above videos continue that message and help you become the person you strive to be.

More cool stuff:

Please visit my new daily blog called: Mike's Daily...Thoughts, Pics, Vids...and more...

And recently livelife365 was voted one of the top fifty health blogs in the world by healthyhideout.  Cool!

Lastly, I have a new self-help book for sale.  Please check it out and tell anyone you know that is looking to change their lives for the better.  I'll even toss in 30 of my top videos and 5 original songs.  All for only $24.99. Oops, guess again.  Special Sale Price now only $19.00.  Or you can get just the book for only $14.99!  Sweet deal, huh?  Check it out and let me know your thoughts...






Until next time...

peace,

Mike

livelife365


Saturday, October 1, 2011

Without Hope, We Have Nothing


While researching this post, I encountered so many excellent, usable quotes that I had to stop for a second and further ponder why I desired to write a post about a topic that has already been written about extensively. I mean, the current president of these United States of America, Barrack Obama, practically based his entire candidacy on hope, or better put: on the premise, and promise, of believing in and rediscovering a lost hope. He even penned a best-selling book called “The Audacity of Hope.” One of his heroes, Martin Luther King, Jr., constantly orated about hope:

“If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.”

Men and women throughout history talk of hope, the opposite of despair, which is also a highly quoted subject matter. Hope and despair are forever linked; you can’t think about one without thinking about the other. The great writer, George Bernard Shaw, may have put it best:

“He who has never hoped can never despair.”

And for those who like their hope quotes a bit darker, there’s always that cheery, optimistic philosopher Freidrich Nietzsche:

“Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man.”

Although I prefer a softer, kinder hope, as I mentioned earlier, “Ya can’t talk hope without talking about the bad stuff too.” (One of my quotes. Don’t think it will be enshrined into the quote hall of fame anytime soon). To hear me talk more about hope, and why I feel this is a worthwhile topic, I produced this video:

WITHOUT HOPE, WE HAVE NOTHING



One of the things that continually amazes me is the hope I witness in others who have no business believing in anything, much less hope. It makes little difference what specific hardship or malady, act of violence or bad luck I am referring to, only that these brave, resilient souls somehow find it within themselves to persevere, to go on and rise above whatever tragedy that has befallen them and do something with their lives. Which, as always, brings me to what I’m all about—what livelife365.com is all about: living life every day in every way and not letting anyone or anything stand in your way.

Which also brings me to this amazing email I received from a loyal follower of livelife365. His name is Pierre and he is a lot like you, me, and millions of other people in this world. He is a human being and he’s made mistakes, embraced vices like smoking (cigarettes and marijuana), overeating, and practicing bad nutritional habits, which means he is not perfect, just like you and me. But like those aforementioned folks who refuse to give up even while facing great odds, Pierre wanted to change his life for the better. He began by researching green tea, because he had heard that drinking green tea was a good way to lose weight. He found my green tea video on YouTube, and then, like many others, stumbled upon my site, and began watching my videos on weight lossdiet and nutrition, and motivation. And, according the Pierre, livelife365 helped him lose 18 pounds in three months and changed his life. I was so thrilled by Pierre’s story that I produced a video about it:

FEEDBACK: LIVELIFE365 IS WORKING!



Like I said on the above video, and as I say countless times, there are hundreds of thousands of Pierre’s out there that need to change their lives for the better. All they need is a push in the right direction and some common sense advice on how to do it. I strongly feel livelife365, both this blog and my video site, can offer that push and advice.

At the end of my video about hope, I play a short version of my theme song, called “livelife365.”

Gee, Mike, how did you come up with that name?

Ahem, no one likes a wise guy…

Anyway, that song, along with letters like Pierre’s, epitomizes what livelife365 is all about. The lyrics say it all.

 Click the below widget to listen to the complete version of the song, “livelife365.”








In closing, I leave you with a quote from one of the most quoted political figures of the last century, Winston Churchill:

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Until next time…

peace (and hope),

Mike

livelife365

Saturday, August 20, 2011

2008 All Over Again?

It's happening again: Wall Street is slumping, people are panicked, and the economic health of the world is in jeopardy.  Sound familiar?  This pattern of turbulence is very similar to what occurred only a few years ago.  At that time, I wrote an article on how to survive such a drastic and life-changing financial challenge.   Those words of wisdom helped me, and many others, through that crisis back in 2008; I feel the tips below are still apropos today.  And one more thing:

PRACTICE PATIENCE!




How To Survive an Election-Year Financial Meltdown

I know what some of you are saying, "Why should I listen to what you have to say about the economy? You're a self-help guy, who specializes in healthy lifestyle and personal development, as well as makes funny (goofy) videos and goofy (funny) parody songs."


Why? Because in dire times like these (seen the Business headlines recently?), during the most important presidential election of our lifetime, it takes a commonsense and practical approach to combat all the craziness going on out there.

Q: But, Mike, you write and make videos about diet and nutrition, motivation and how-to, what do you know about finances?

A: As much as the next guy, and more than enough to help you.

TEN THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SURVIVE THE ELECTION YEAR FINANCIAL MELTDOWN

1. DON'T PANIC

Wall Street seems to feed on panic--panic buying and panic selling. While others overreact and sell off their stocks and put their cash in safer investments, you don't need to follow suit. Unless you need the money from those investments right now, standing pat is still the best option. Why? Because stocks eventually ALWAYS come back up--this is a historical fact. And if they don't, then we're all in trouble. This too shall pass.

2. SIT ON IT

Rarely, as a self-help, fitness guru, do I suggest sitting back and doing nothing. But, in this case, go right ahead! Pass the popcorn and park it on the couch. Okay, you still need your daily exercise, but with regards to your money--LEAVE IT ALONE. Sit on it. In fact, the best advice that I hear the most from those that get paid to know this sort of thing is: DO NOT stop contributing to your 401k or IRA. Why? Right now stocks are cheap. When the market goes down, prices go down. The more stock you purchase NOW, at lower prices, the more you will have LATER, when the market stabilizes and goes back up. Think about it.

3. KISS (KEEP IT SIMPLE, SHERLOCK!)

Simplify your life. Cut back, spend less. Analyze what you NEED versus what you WANT. If you dine out 3-4 times a week, cut that in half. Do you really need satellite TV and radio? The recent trend now is stay-at-home vacations--you spend less on gas and airfare, while discovering local attractions you may have been missing, or avoiding, for years.

Bottom line: Simplify your life and save money.

4. TAKE A WALK

How much do you spend a year on that health club membership? Figure out a way to stay in shape at home, and cancel that costly membership. Walking is one of the least expensive, but most effective, ways to stay in shape. Plus, it gets you outside, and is good for the mind and spirit. In times like these, that's a good thing.

If you desire a more strenuous workout, look into purchasing dumbbells, a stationary bike or other equipment; whatever fits your specific needs. The initial investment may smart a little at first, but will more than pay for itself for years and years.

5. INVEST IN YOURSELF

While exercise and keeping fit are vital aspects of personal growth, don't stop there. Continue working on self-improvement and personal development all the time. livelife365.com offers hundreds of self-help videos that can change your life for the better, all free of charge and just a mouse-click away.

6. LISTEN TO YOUR BOSS


There is no place continued growth is more important right now than in the job market. Now is not the time to take your job for granted. Nor is it the time to mess up the job you have. Yes, keep that resume handy and continue networking and sharpening your skills so that you are more marketable. But you also need to keep your boss happy with your work. Work harder. Do the best job you can to make yourself indispensable. Most companies will have cutbacks and layoffs--YOU cannot control this. But you CAN control your effort, productivity, and attitude.

ALWAYS be in the TOP ranked twenty percent of good performers, not the bottom twenty.

Why? GOOD companies seldom layoff GOOD employees.

Be good, listen to your boss!

7. STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS

Enjoy yourself. Enjoy each day. Live life 365. This simply means to live your life every day in every way. Yes, times are tough, the economy is a mess, the world is a bigger mess, but you can still find a way to enjoy the little things in life that have nothing to do with the bigger things that are out of your control.

Every Day Every Way

8. GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY

Now is the time to roll up those sleeves and get to work. But you're already working on self and your job; what next? Go outside, dig up the garden. If you don't have a garden, start one. Landscape. Mow the lawn. Do house repairs, spring or fall cleaning. Learn a new (inexpensive) hobby. Do it yourself. Besides saving you a ton of money, DIY is good for the mind, body, and spirit. A sense of self-accomplishment goes a long way. And if you're picking ripe tomatoes off the vine, you're not worrying about Wall Street. Besides, growing your own will save you more money in the long run (and they taste so much better, too!). Can, bottle, preserve, or freeze whatever you can't consume now, and have a winter of homegrown, inexpensive veggies.

9. BALANCE YOURSELF

And your portfolio. The only movement you should be doing with your portfolio is rebalancing it. This simply means you need to take a look at your asset allocations. When there are sharp fluctuations in the stock market, your assets will also shift. But do me a favor, check with your financial consultant before you do anything.

As for you and YOUR balance: you should always be working on managing your Triad of Balance, the harmonic balance between Mind, Body, and Spirit.

10. VOTE FOR CHANGE


Now, more than ever, we need some major changes in Washington. If YOU do not like what is happening in YOUR life due to decisions made by our political leaders, YOU have the power to CHANGE it.

The current financial meltdown we are witnessing needs to be fixed. Fixed fast! We have the choice to keep on making the same mistakes that have led us here.

Or opt for CHANGE.

For the better.

I hope these tips help make dealing with these turbulent times a bit easier. And always remember that YOU have more power than you think to CHANGE your LIFE.

peace,

Mike