Reviews

Wow, this is all kinds of cool! I’ll just say, right up front, that I have a couple of phobias - heights, deep water, and snakes. If you were to put me on a bridge with a snake, I’d try to choke myself before the other evils got to me.

I’ve always been very annoyed by my unfounded fears. I say unfounded because, frankly, I’ve never drowned, fallen from anything higher than a bicycle, or met a snake that meant me any harm. The few I’ve encountered seemed more interested in escaping the screaming wild woman than anything else.

Fears are like that. Unreasonable, annoying, irritating, and frustrating. They can hold us back from doing the things we want to do. If we let them, they take a lot of our life away from us and defeat us in a way we hadn’t expected.

GoGetter JetSetter is just what we need to put all of the power back on our side. WITHOUT medication, deep breathing, “talk therapy,” or any of the methods you may have heard about and dismissed.

From their Website:

According to Modern Psychology the technique I teach “may be the most powerful vehicle for change in existence”, and as a former sufferer I know it’s the most powerful because it cured me of Aerophobia (fear of flying) and my fear of heights - I now live on the 28th floor right across from the airport!

It is a completely natural approach to eliminating 100% of flying anxiety within 18 minutes. This may seem very hard to believe for someone who may have had this condition for some time, but believe me the new information is now available to free you from fear of flying - especially if it’s severe.

You may be amazed at how such a simple technique known as “The Fast Phobia Cure” could be so powerful in eliminating a fear of flying, and allows you to fly calmly while feeling in-control.

This little known technique was developed by Dr. John Grinder and Richard Bandler, and I refined this technique specifically to cure a fear of flying, so chances are you will not have come across anything like it before.

I just finished reading one of the most fascinating pages I’ve ever read online - it’s their “About Us” page, but it’s sort of like a little course in phobias. I learned a lot before I even got halfway down the page! It’s good to know that our phobias CAN be relatively easily destroyed. I would love to throw mine off of the highest bridge I could find. Er, once I’m able to stand on it, myself.

GoGetter JetSetter just may be the thing we need to fly high. Sounds like fun to me!

Check out their website and read every inch of their About Us page, it’s truly fascinating.

* The above is a sponsored post, which means I am paid to take a look at a website, program, service, or product and tell what I think about it. Whether I like it, love it, hate it, or want to wrap my arms around it and call it mine is entirely up to me.

Self Discovery.  This one phrase has more life-changing power in it than most people realize.  You can’t possibly improve ANYTHING unless you first understand it and know it for what it is, inside and out.  That’s why I love programs, books, websites, lessons, etc. that have enough sense to focus on self discovery. 

It’s only after an individual has a clear understanding of where they’re coming from that they can realistically chart in which direction they hope to move next.  If you or I have no idea who or where we are, we’re prisoners to our own lack of knowledge and we have no more direction than an autumn leaf riding in the wind.

I’m sure you don’t like leaving your fate up in the air anymore than I do!

For as long as I know, I’ve kept journals.  I’m pretty sure I’ve gone into great detail about my notebook obsession - I have thoughts, reflections, quotes, randomness, and journal entries all around me.  Their benefit doesn’t necessarily lie in the future.  Truth be told, I don’t go back and re-read what I’ve written very often, not unless I’m feeling nostalgic or need a little piece of information I can’t “pull up” all by myself.  The benefit of writing things down takes place during the writing - when my thoughts, hopes, feelings, dreams, worries, etc. come spilling from my mind onto the page. 

There’s something amazingly wonderful about writing down your innermost thoughts.  Very often, mid paragraph, something comes out you never fully realized existed.  Talk about self discovery! I’ve always thought of journal writing as “Putting yourself in the best possible hands - your own.”

The Progoff Intensive Journal Program is an ingenius integrated system where you use this sort of self discovery to lead to self development and self improvement.  The direction we all want to head in, to be sure. 

This Intensive Journal Program uses writing exercises to aid in this self discovery - in my opinion, a brilliant idea. 

The Intensive Journal workbook is the basic instrument in which you write about your life. It is a three ring binder containing tabs, each of which covers a specific area of your life. Examples include personal relationships, career and special interests, body and health, events, dreams, and meaning in life. - Intensive Journal.org

Since the founder was a leading authority on C.G. Jung, depth psychology and transpersonal psychology AND journal writing, you can sort of think of this Intensive Journal Program as a journal with a psychology degree!

Take a few minutes, now, and try a sample Intensive Journal Exercise. I did the written exercise, myself, prior to writing this review. I read everything on the website and thought, “After I go through my recipes, get my grocery list together, and go to the store, I’m definitely going to write a post about this program.” However, after doing the sample written exercise and actually benefiting from a few insights it brought forward, I wanted to share it with you right away. The recipes and groceries aren’t going anywhere - but you can.

Self Development is just a step away….

The above is a sponsored review, which merely means that I’ve been paid to give my opinion. Whether I like or dislike a product is my own choosing - as are all of the words and all of the thoughts. Frankly, if I don’t completely approve of something or feel that it can benefit my readers, I don’t accept the offer to write the review. I’ve been keeping count (what can I say - it’s something else I get to write down) -and I turn away three times more offers than I accept. So the rare ones I do, you know I mean them!

If you’ve been a Self Help Daily regular for very long, you may be aware that, with the exception of the very first one (which was before I even knew this designer existed) I’ve always used themes designed by one young man - Chris Pearson.

There’s a reason for this.

I put a lot of work, energy, and passion into Self Help Daily. I want a theme that will compliment and enhance my efforts. The last thing I want is one that will detract from what I’m trying to do.

Unfortunately there are a lot of themes that do just that. They’re so convoluted or amateurish that the content gets lost in the mix. I have to admit that I’ve actually gone to blogs and left before even finishing a post. Offline I’m a ridiculously patient person. I can stand in line for an hour and amuse myself by either talking to or watching everyone around me.  I’ve never even mouthed off at a stop light. But online? Different story. When I’m online, I have zero patience. If a site’s design, font, or navigation annoy me - I peel out of there before they even knew I was lurking.

The theme you see in front of you is Chris Pearson’s latest, and I think greatest, theme - the Thesis Theme. 

The last time I even thought of the word Thesis was probably in college.  When I heard the word, then, it meant I had a great deal of library time ahead of me.  If an instructor wanted a thesis, he/she wanted an original,  well thought-out, thorough, and carefully researched presentation.  Neatness and attention to detail mattered greatly and they would not settle for less than our best effort.  If they detected so much as a hint of sloppiness or plagiarism, the student knew they would be headed back to the library.

A “Thesis” meant we had to create something that would have to live up to a very high standard.

Chris Pearson named his new theme beautifully.

Thesis, how do I love thee?  Let me bullet point the ways:

•  Just about everyone has a blog or a presence of some kind on the web these days, right?  The Thesis theme is so deliciously customizable that you can stand out from a crowd like never before.  Take, for example, the rotating images to the right.  Animal lover that I am, it didn’t take me long to choose the pictures I’d be rotating.  I’m also incredibly obsessed with quotes, so I combined the two loves (hover over each image and you’ll see what I mean).   On my Cat Blog, I personalized it even further by using pictures of my own babies.  No one, anywhere, at any time, will have the same blog as this one - because no one, anywhere, at any time, will have the same 4 adorable characters that star in the show.
• Another great thing about the rotating images is that you can use the pictures to “set the mood” for a particular season or “theme.”  For example, on Hollywood Yesterday, I featured pictures of sitcom and movie fathers for Father’s Day.  After that, I had a “Cowboy” theme with a variety of movie stars from Clint Eastwood to Matt Dillon.  Currently, in honor of Summer, I have a Beach of a theme going on (Sorry for the pun, it’s late.  You’re right, that’s no excuse.).
• You can use ads instead of the rotating images, if you chose to. (Out of Bounds, Simplenomics, Get Cooking, Arm Sweets, and Office Freaks.)  They can conveniently and wisely figure in above the fold.  Quite frankly, if you choose your ads wisely they can both look good and perform well.  I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m certain you could work a Google ad in the space as well.  The theme actually even includes an option for a video instead of the ads or images.
• See the “drop cap” action going on at the first of the post?  Yeah, I pretty much love that.  Chris has incorporated this into the theme - all you have to do is include a little code when writing your post.  Personally, I think it looks amazing.  I also love the “alerts” and “notes’ that you can add to your blog posts - they’re also extremely professional looking and allow you to draw attention those particularly important things.  If you look several posts down (look for the sleeping lion) you’ll find a post where I ran amok with this feature.  I threw out one alert (in yellow) and one note (in gray) in one post.  I must have been even more caffeinated than usual that day.
• The typography on Thesis is absolute perfection.  It is so much easier to read than most other blogs and websites.  The spacing, the font, the size - everything is exactly as it should be.
• The support provided is also more than you could ever hope for.  With most themes, you make your purchase and then, as far as the designer is concerned, you’re history.  With Thesis, you have every conceivable means of support imaginable.  Chris responds to comments, questions, and concerns on the Thesis Site, he has put together a great manual, and there’s a forum that’s overflowing with creativity and wisdom. 

 I’ve been blogging for two forevers and have seen a lot of themes come and go.  I’ve noticed something about theme coders and designers.  They fall into one of two categories:  They’re either the copied or the copier.  Like fashion designers, they either set the trend others want to follow or they try to follow the trend others set.

I honestly don’t know what’s worse, the copy cats or the ones so out of the loop that don’t realize they should at least be taking notes!

When I’ve been fortunate enough to come across something I love, whether it’s green tea, a great movie (Wanted) or a hot song (Fake It by Seether) - I want to tell other people about it.  What can I say, I play well with others.  Use the links in this post and check out the Thesis Theme.  It’ll could be the smartest purchase you’ll make this year. 

And go see Wanted…

The following is a sponsored post. What exactly does that mean?! Simply this: In a sponsored review, a web publisher is paid to “look at” and/or “try” a product, website, or service and tell their readers about it. They don’t have to sugar coat it, they don’t have to say they like it - they simply have to tell what they thought. For me personally, I only accept the ones that I CAN give a glowing review of. My thinking is, Why bother with the rest? Eh, they’re on their own.

One of the best Online Support Groups and Self Help Programs live at the same url: Tools to Life.com.

Tools To Life

One of the phrases I use the most often when talking about self help and self improvement is, “Improve your world by first improving yourself.” That’s the order it has to go in. We get frustrated, overwhelmed, and…. well, downright nasty…. when we wait for our circumstances to improve first. We put the cart in front of the horse and watch in amazement as nothing happens.

We have to set the change(s) in motion or things will always be like they’ve always been.

That’s why I’m especially excited to be able to tell you about one of the best Self Help Programs I’ve ever seen. Tools to Life is a completely free, online self help coaching system and support network. They have been helping people loose weight, improve their relationships, resolve depression, overcome anxiety and get better careers for over 20 years! Now that’s a reputation worth being proud of. They wanted to bring this success “online” so they could reach even more people ith Inspirational motivation and community support. It’s a labor of love and, take it from someone who recognizes the symptoms, is a clear case of people who simply want to save the world.

Oh, I love the way they think!

The article archive is amazing. You’ll find help, advice, and motivation for every aspect of your self improvement journey. Physical fitness, mental fitness, relationships, health, careers… you name it, they’ve covered it beautifully. I’m glad to see people who realize that there isn’t just one magical area of a person’s life that needs attention. We’re made up of so many different threads, not just one!

There are hundreds and hundreds of articles on Tools to Life. I came across so many that I not only enjoyed, but gained insight and helpful advice from. One of the first ones I read was titled “Healthy Eating on a Limited Budget” - that one gets us all where we live, doesn’t it?! We all want to eat healthy, just as the experts advise us to. But we go to the grocery store and are stopped dead in our tracks by the price of blueberries, red peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, seafood (Three times a week? On who’s budget?!) This is a really great article and I highly recommend it.

Another section of the site that you’re going to love are the Inspirational Videos. These are amazing - you won’t want to stop until you’ve seen them all. They’ve inspired me to add an Inspirational Videos section to Self Help Daily. I only hope to find some half as amazing as the ones they’ve gathered together. Honestly, they’ll blow you away.

The Life Coaching Support Groups seem to be a favorite with people in the Tools to Life community. I like that word, don’t you - Community. It makes you feel as though you’re a part of something. That’s exactly how you’ll feel when you join the Tools to Life Community. Sign up is 100 percent free, and the amazing thing is that you’ll have the opportunity to motivate and inspire just as many people as are motivating and inspiring you.

Does it get any better than that?