Welcome everyone! Today's post will be a bit different than the usual fare in that I am the host of the first 'Make Your Life Easier' Blog Carnival. If you don't know what a carnival is, let me explain: (excerpted from BlogCarnival.com)
A Blog Carnival is a particular kind of blog community. There are many kinds of blogs, and they contain articles on many kinds of topics. Blog Carnivals typically collect together links pointing to blog articles on a particular topic. A Blog Carnival is like a magazine. It has a title, a topic, editors, contributors, and an audience. Editions of the carnival typically come out on a regular basis (e.g. every monday, or on the first of the month). Each edition is a special blog article that consists of links to all the contributions that have been submitted, often with the editors opinions or remarks.
There is so much stuff in the blog-o-sphere, just finding interesting stuff is hard. If there is a carnival for a topic you are interested in, following that carnival is a great way to learn what bloggers are saying about that topic. If you are blogging on that topic, the carnival is the place to share your work with like-minded bloggers.
Blog Carnival is the place to come to find carnivals you are interested in, to submit your blog articles to carnivals where they belong, and to organize and maintain carnivals.
I have participated happily in several blog carnivals in the past and I decided I would create one of my own! (any blogger is welcome to submit to the next carnival: MYLE Blog Carnival)
I want to thank all the folks who contributed and I apologize that I was not able to include everyone. Your energy is appreciate with the post!
Make Your Life Easier Blog Carnival #1
1. The Unstoppable Power of Focus
The first blog that caught my eye is Brian Kim's posting from his blog, BrianKim.net. As someone who struggles daily with ADD and staying in 'unitask', rather than 'multitask' mode, his words really hit home. Thank you, Brian!
My favorite quote:
Above my computer on my desk, I have a quote printed out in big bold letters that reads “STAY FOCUSED ON THE SUBJECT AT HAND”. I then have another quote printed under it that I think sums up the gist of this article.
“Do not scatter your powers. Engage in one kind of business only, and stick to it faithfully until you succeed, or until your experience shows that you should abandon it. A constant hammering on one nail will generally drive it home at last, so that it can be clinched. When a man’s undivided attention is centered on one object, his mind will constantly be suggesting improvements of value, which would escape him if his brain was occupied by a dozen different subjects at once.” – Barnum & Bailey.
Truer words never spoken...
2. The Millionaire Savings Club:
the next blog is another Bryan (spelled differently!): Bryan Fleming's blog is theoretically a personal blog, but he mainly blogs about personal finances and investments. I love the posting on his Millionaire Savings Club, and how to save money by stashing away $3 a day. Even I can do that! And I am going to start tomorrow (didn't get to the bank this weekend). Thanks, Bryan! I'll keep you posted.
photo courtesy of the U.S. Dept. of State
3. Finding Resources to get things done
We hear a lot about the value of delegating, but many of us just don't know where to turn to find the services or experts we need. Over at Productivity Cafe, Susan Sabo gives several helpful suggestions on where to start.
Maricar Macalincag at Keeping the Castle displays an amazing Japanese video on how to fold a shirt. I don't think I'm even going to try! (have you seen the one with the guy shaking his shoelace tied?)
Life Coach and blogger Auralia Williams offers this lovely report on some soothing ways to take a break from the hectic pace of our lives. Ahhhhhhh. I especially like her suggestion to take a bath with lavendar and rosemary essential oils, now that's the break for me!
artwork courtesy of Bathtub Art Museum
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