Written by Steve G Johnson
February 19, 2010
Hello stranger. Since this is your first visit, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. You can also find out more about me. Thank you for visiting!
We live in a world where it’s easier than ever to locate someone. I know because I was able to find my mom and sister after not seeing them since 2003.
I searched through Google, but it was my wife who found my sister on Facebook. Through my wife’s account, I was able to send a message to my sister. Then through my sister I was able to email my mom.
My mom joined Facebook the same day I made contact. Where most people don’t like their parents on Facebook, I am happy that I made a connection.
I have had hesitations about joining Facebook, but may consider it now. After all these years I will finally have the opportunity to build a relationship with my mom, without family drama getting in the way.
Topics: Personal
Comments Off
Written by Steve G Johnson
December 24, 2009
Recently I gave a small review of Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred. At the time of writing the review, I was only on day 3. My wife had purchased this along with three other exercising DVDs in order to lose the excess weight after our son was born.
Find out what other people are saying about Jillian on Twitter. Jillian Michaels
With only 30 minutes a day of exercising, I decided to make a commitment to do this for 30 consecutive days. Ok, well I didn’t plan on being sick for three days. Once my health was restored my exercise routine restarted.
I have moved on to level 2 after 30 days of level one. So what are my results thus far? Let me say that I have never been one to get on the scale to check my weight. It’s been years since I have known what my true weight is. I also do not check body fat or measure myself.
With that said, you are not going to hear me talk about the following:
- weight I’ve lost
- muscle I’ve gained
- calories I’ve burned
- inches I’ve lost
- what size pants I fit into
I am not one to keep track of the above mentioned statistics. Frankly, I don’t give a damn. However, what I do care about is the boost of energy and motivation I receive after exercising. Even if other areas in my life are not doing well, exercising helps me get into a better overall mood.
Jillian Michaels may not be right for you. That’s fine. Heck, you may not even enjoy exercise DVDs or going to the gym. That doesn’t mean exercise is not right for you. Everyone should do some activity everyday that relates to exercise.
If you get off your butt and do some activity, more than likely you will get an energy boost. You should start feeling better. Remember, exercise should not be boring. Otherwise, why do it.
Leo Babauta from Zen Habits has recommended 48 Fun Ways to Exercise. Many of these do not seem like exercise, but that’s the idea. It’s called a “head fake”.
Topics: Health & Fitness
Comments Off
Written by Steve G Johnson
November 20, 2009
When this blog was restarted last month I didn’t remember my reason for allowing three years to pass without a post. The reason hit me today.
In the beginning, I talked about whatever was on my mind. The content was not tailored for an audience. In fact, my writing was for an audience of three: me, myself and I. This resulted in burn out.
Why did I suffer from burn out? I did not take the time to learn the art of blogging. Now flash forward to the present. Several blogs cross my path on a daily basis. What I noticed were bloggers telling people to stop reading about doing and just do.
Penelope Trunk says that blogging is essential for a good career. Wonderful resource if you have not read it. This is one of the big reasons why I decided to restart my blogging habit.
Let’s be honest, many bloggers want to make massive amounts of money. This is a reason not to start blogging. I almost fell into this trap. Several times… Read More
Topics: Blogging
Comments Off
Written by Steve G Johnson
November 13, 2009
How transparent are you with regards to finances?
It seems to be a growing trend, or at least to personal finance (pf) bloggers, to disclose their income and expenses. These pf bloggers are transparent and holding themselves accountable. They know that in order to obtain their financial goals, they have to get help from others.
I am not a pf blogger. You will not get tips on investments or frugality from me. However, because I am learning to be more transparent, I have decided to disclose my finances.
This is a scary thought. For years, my financial situation has been hidden from family and friends. As far as I know, only my wife knows of my financial burdens. Yet this is my first experiment in transparency and accountability.
Companies have been keeping financial records for years. It should be obvious that companies do this to show responsibility. Public businesses announce their financial results on a quarterly basis. This usually garners media buzz. Also allows them to manage their money better and hopefully make smarter decisions… Read More
Topics: Finance
2 comments
Written by Steve G Johnson
November 05, 2009
Are you ready for the best body of your life?
My wife recently purchased a few fitness DVDs to help her lose the extra pounds since having our son. She is exercising to Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred. Let me tell you, she is getting results fast.
Wanting to get back into shape myself has been challenging. There are no excuses. I just didn’t make time to exercise. It was not a priority. So I thought this DVD might be the push I need to get myself back into an exercise routine.
I allowed TVs toughest trainer to kick my butt into shape. The DVD states “Lose up to 20 pounds in 30 days”. However, my reason for doing this is for energy and endurance.
Today is my third day and let me tell you, it is kicking my butt. There are three levels and each level is a 20 minute workout. Not only is this good for busy people, but everyone can benefit from at least 20 minutes of daily exercise… Read More
Topics: Health & Fitness, Reviews
Comments Off
Written by Steve G Johnson
October 30, 2009
Did you know that today is the last day of Vegetarian Awareness Month? Did you also know that this week is World Go Vegan Week? If wasn’t enough, Sunday is World Vegan Day, which is the start of World Vegan Month.
That is a lot of of coverage for vegetarianism and veganism.
However, I’m guessing this news mostly gets in the hands of people who are already vegetarian and vegan. I recently gave some suggestions on how to transition into a vegetarian lifestyle. This is a very simple process if you are considering it.
As part of all the news, PETA asks that you make a pledge to be veg for 30 days… Read More
Topics: Vegetarian Lifestyle
2 comments
Written by Steve G Johnson
October 29, 2009
Who doesn’t like quotes? They are inspiring, thought provoking, funny, sad, and even uplifting.
Drawing inspiration from a list of debt quotes I recently read by ManVsDebt, I thought I would compile a list of vegetarian quotes.
Hopefully, you will find this resource valuable. Even if you are not a vegetarian, you can still be inspired by these quotes. I’ve even highlighted a few of my favorites.
Don’t forget to follow @stevegjohnson! So, without further ado…
Charles Darwin
“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.”
— Charles Darwin
“There is no fundamental difference between man and the higher animals in their mental faculties… The lower animals, like man, manifestly feel pleasure and pain, happiness, and misery.”
— Charles Darwin
“The difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind.”
— Charles Darwin
George Bernard Shaw
“When a man wants to murder a tiger, he calls it sport; when a tiger wants to murder him, he calls it ferocity.”
— George Bernard Shaw
“Think of the fierce energy concentrated in an acorn! You bury it in the ground, and it explodes into an oak! Bury a sheep, and nothing happens but decay.”
— George Bernard Shaw
“My situation is a solemn one. Life is offered to me on condition of eating beefsteaks. But death is better than cannibalism. My will contains directions for my funeral, which will be followed not by mourning coaches, but by oxen, sheep, flocks of poultry, and a small traveling aquarium of live fish, all wearing white scarfs in honor of the man who perished rather than eat his fellow creatures.”
— George Bernard Shaw
“A mind of the calibre of mine cannot derive its nutriment from cows.”
— George Bernard Shaw
“While we ourselves are the living graves of murdered beasts, how can we expect any ideal conditions on this earth?”
— George Bernard Shaw
“Animals are my friends…and I don’t eat my friends.”
— George Bernard Shaw
“A man of my spiritual intensity does not eat corpses.”
— George Bernard Shaw
Read More
Topics: Vegetarian Lifestyle
1 comment
Written by Steve G Johnson
October 26, 2009
Note: If you are not interested in becoming a vegetarian, this post may not be for you. If you are vegetarian or vegan, please tell me how you changed your lifestyle in the comments below.
Have you considered a vegetarian lifestyle? Would you know where to begin? Here are some suggestions to help you without killing yourself.
-
Ask yourself why.
You need to know why being a vegetarian is right for you. Vegetarianism is not the latest diet fad. This is an eating lifestyle that has stood the test of time. Some religious people may even argue that it was the the only way to eat in the beginning. However, religion aside, some people do it for health reasons and others because of environmental concerns. You may even dislike the animal suffering that goes on and have that be your motive. Once you understand your purpose, it will be easier for you to progress.
-
Get informed.
Order a FREE vegetarian starter kit. This will give you valuable information on how to go vegetarian. There are so many sources of information that it can be rather overwhelming. Try not to get too much information too soon. Learn a little, do a little.
-
Go slow.
Sometimes it can be hard to make such a drastic leap in lifestyle change. A slow start can give you the confidence you need to keep going. It is the same idea for starting a new habit or breaking a bad habit. Meatout Mondays is a great website to help you start slow. The idea is that for one day a week you will eat differently than you normally do. Again, if you try to do too much too soon, you may suffer from burn out and lose the desire. Read More
Topics: Vegetarian Lifestyle
4 comments
Written by Steve G Johnson
October 24, 2009
Do you have a blog that is updated regularly? Are your topics focused within a particular niche? What is your elevator pitch?
An effective elevator pitch generally answers questions such as:
- What the product, service, or project is.
- What it does for the buyer, investor, or sponsor (i.e. the benefits).
- Who you are and why you will be successful.
- Wikipedia
When I decided to restart my blog, I did not have an elevator pitch. The topic of creating an elevator pitch is discussed all the time, recently by Keith Ferrazzi. Up until now I never put much thought into creating one. Read More
Topics: Networking
Comments Off
Written by Guest
October 15, 2009
Note: Simon Owens approached me after I wrote this post regarding Blog Action Day. He emailed me about his work with CARE, a non-profit organization fighting global poverty and dedicated to helping people in developing nations adapt to climate change. He suggested I write about the organization and sent me suggested content from Christina Chan. With that said, I decided to make this a guest post. This is not a sponsored post and I am not affiliated with CARE. – Steve
Climate change is not only about melting ice caps and polar bears. Climate change is about people.
Swinging weather patterns are creating disasters on a scale that human civilization has never before witnessed. For the world’s poorest people – the ones least equipped to deal with its effects – climate change is devastating their crops, livelihoods and communities.
Read More
Topics: Environment
Comments Off
