You Have to Love Yourself in Order to Heal

Love myself? When I was trying to heal all my aches and pains of chronic illness this was mentioned in every book I read. Love myself, feel worthy, have self-confidence. This was a tough one because I thought of myself as an okay person -- I have 2 young children I love and take care of, a husband of ten years that I love deeply, friends that I am very open with-- but did I LOVE myself? I have always been hard on myself and a perfectionist so this was a difficult place for me to go.

I was ill, I had aches and pains and was not living up to what I wanted to be. I felt very sad about my health and all the extra work it was costing my husband, mom and children. I was very focused on what I was NOT instead of what I was. I started with listing things I was proud of myself for. I am a good listener, I love to write, I LOVE to dance, I help and reach out to my friends, my kids tell me what a good mom I am and shower me with hugs, I have a LOVING relationship with my husband that just grows stronger every year, I went to a prestigious high school and consider myself smart and love to read, I am good with the computer and games, I am a good cook... wow maybe I'm not so bad after all!

If you don't celebrate and appreciate the things you are good at you are telling your subconscious you are not worthy of healing or of love. By concentrating on the bad and what you don't have you are inviting it to get even worse. It is not easy to change negative thoughts over night but it is a lot easier than it would seem to be. Once you start concentrating on the good in you -- you will feel your self confidence rise. Once you feel your confidence rise you will feel like nothing can stand in your way.

Let go of the past. Forgive yourself for things that happened before. Haven't you spent enough time worrying and focusing on them? It's time to move forward and to appreciate who you are today and what you will make of yourself and your future.

Do more of what you are confident that you can do well. Do you make your friends laugh? Call one and make their day. Can you cook? Make a nice meal and savor it. Do you enjoy reading? Read an article or book on something you have always wanted to learn about. Can you dance or sing? Turn up the music loud and dance and/or sing! Do your kids love when you read to them? Take extra time reading the them and watch their smiles. Are you good at a certain game/crosswords/sudoku? Play it and celebrate that you do it so well. Nurture what you love about yourself. Take pride and joy in what you love about yourself. Your love and confidence will shine through and you will be attracting other people to love you as well.

What Dance has Meant to me -- Can Dance Heal?

MY DANCE EXPERIENCE

I grew up in NYC where there were so many opportunities for me to pick what I loved as recreation. My parents were of the mindset to expose me to everything that way I would find what I loved and stick with it. There were many lessons taken throughout the years; guitar, saxophone, gymnastics, acting but the one that stuck from age 7 was dance.

I started off taking ballet and tap and while I loved tap dancing -- ballet was never a favorite. When I took my first jazz/modern dance class I knew I had found my niche. I was lucky enough to be taught by a former Radio City Rockette, Helen Butleroff. I took lessons 3-4 times a week and loved it. Because of my prestigious teacher I got to have my dance recitals at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in NYC -- not the typical recital halls! : ) While dancing modern or jazz I felt like I didn't have to think about anything -- just follow the steps given to me and enjoy the movement. When I got to high school and felt there were "too many social outings" that needed to be attended for me to tie up my afternoons with dance lessons and I quit (of course for years I regretted THAT one!). Then clubbing took over my needing to dance.

Things were a bit different back then. They had just raised the drinking age in NY to 21 from 18 and if you were a girl and were dressed up there weren't too many clubs that would refuse you entry. Dance had always been a release for me. When I danced the world around me disappeared and I was in my own world moving to the beats. I think it was as close to a meditative state as I came back then. Going out dancing was never about meeting guys or drinking but rather me and friends finding great music that we could dance to. There were a lot of wonderful clubs in NYC back then with several floors to find just the right music to move you.

During college I wound up at the bars or parties that had dancing and took a few ballroom/oldies dance classes for physical education. After college I moved back to NYC and continued clubbing with a bunch of friends and also took belly dancing lessons (SO fun!). Each week one of the people in my group of friends would pick a club and the other 7 or 8 of us would follow. It was great to discover new places, new music and new dance scenes. When I met my husband we found we really enjoyed dancing together. It was something we could enjoy each other's company, the music, and the way we could dance so well together.

Moving to the suburbs and having kids did not lend itself to dance. My husband and I started to look forward to the weddings and social events we were invited to as an opportunity to dance together. After my son was born I took "trance dance" in NJ and really enjoyed it. It allowed for a lot of creative movement and integrated yoga and dance and I felt more myself then I had in years when I was in that class. Dance was always something I could come back to and feel like I never left it. Even when I wasn't actively dancing I would hear a song and choreograph things in my head. It is definitely a passion that I have always had and feel I always will.

When we moved to the country I was ill but knew I wanted to take some kind of exercise class to feel somewhat fit. I was fortunate enough to find a yoga dance class. For the first half hour we did yoga and then after that we would dance free form for a half hour and then had 15 minutes of stretching and a cool down. Being in that class put me in a complete meditative state during and afterwards. Even if I went there in pain I would come out and feel better and whole. The next 2 days I was usually pretty sore but it didn't stop me going back the following week. I took this class on and off for 3 years. It followed the CD Shiva Rea Trance Dance and I highly recommend it for home use.

When I was diagnosed as being hyper-mobile they discouraged yoga since it is very difficult not to hyper-extend during it. I tried yoga dance a few times but it didn't feel right for me to try and control my stretches and sadly I ended it. I knew I had to keep dance in my life somehow and while I had always tried to dance with my children anyway this gave me a push to show them just how good music and dance can make you feel.

HEALING

When I was told by my rheumatologist that my illnesses would likely end with me in a wheelchair one of my first thoughts was of dance. I could not bear the thought of never dancing again and I think this is one of the things that left me so open to the belief "I could heal myself" after seeing the movie "The Secret".

During the weeks when I was integrating all my learnings into my life on the law of attraction and the mind/body connection I found it very important to listen to uplifting music. When I listen to upbeat music my body naturally wants to move and it became a daily occurrence in my house for my (then 3 year old) daughter to say "time for our dance party mommy". We would put on dance music from her computer courtesy of noggin.com "Jack's Big Music Show" where the children's musician Laurie Berkner often performs. You can play short music videos and every day we would and dance around the living room. When my son came home from school we would go to the playroom and have music on and whether it was Kidz Bop songs or other children's music we were always moving. Dancing with my kids is one of the greatest joys I can imagine -- to have 2 of my greatest loves combined is something to be grateful and amazed by each time it happens -- no matter how often.

I also take advantage of our Exercise Channel on Demand that comes with all free programming with our digital cable subscription. I can take from 10 minutes to an hour of hip hop, modern, belly dancing, African dance, aerobic dance and just about any other dance I could imagine. It is nice to switch it up and try different routines and experience different types of dance.

Physical Benefits

According to the PAHA (Physical Activity Health Alliance) dance has the following benefits:

Dancing is one of the most enjoyable and fun ways for everyone to get moving and do more physical activity. You can dance your way to happiness and well-being.

There are many health benefits of dance:

• Be Happy - dancing gives you a natural high and can make you feel good about yourself.
• Get Slim - dancing is a brilliant way to burn off calories and use your body - twisting, for example, slims the waistline.
• Dance Your Worries Away - expressing yourself through dance can help you take your mind off everyday worries.
• Get Strong - dancing helps build bone strength that will last into old age.
  

I think one of the BEST benefits of dance is you can do it WHENEVER you want in the comfort of your own home to whatever music suits you or you are in the mood for. Whether it's putting on a song you USED to dance to that brings back some memories and gets you moving or a new dance track... whether it is a hard rock or a trance dance song .... there's no right or wrong music and there's no right or wrong way to dance.

Recently while at a "Sweet 16 party" for a friend's daughter my son was a bit shy because everyone "could dance". When he did get on the dance floor he moved great but was still self-conscious and unfortunately didn't last long. I am trying to teach him it doesn't matter how you move -- just that you get out there -- the rhythm will find you and you will find it. The most important thing is you are having fun.

Dancing to music you like can help you physically feel better, happier and can make whatever is on your mind disappear. It is still very meditative to me and writing this article made me realize it has been a week since I have danced with my kids and when my son comes in the door after school -- I know what we're doing!

Next time you are sad or feeling a little worried about something try putting on a song you love with an up beat tempo and let the music move you and heal any pain you happen to be feeling emotionally and physically.

Above is my favorite picture from my wedding 10 years ago of my husband Ray and I dancing.

Is the Media you are surrounding yourself with helpful or harmful to you?

What do you do before bed and in the morning? If the answer is listen or read the news to either I feel you can improve your health dramatically just by altering this one simple habit.

What we read, watch either on TV or at the movies and listen to whether it be podcasts, audio books, radio programs or music ALL affect the way we see the world. When I was ill I read only fictional novels (mostly mystery ones with violence) or books on my diseases and I watched the news frequently, read newspapers as well as checked my yahoo news periodically throughout the day. The media is not in the business of bringing happy news -- in fact it seems they unfortunately thrive on the bad.

When I was trying to heal myself I made sure I was surrounding myself with positive messages. I read only positive books or articles. I listened to positive podcasts and audio books. I watched positive movies. I listened to music that was upbeat. How many of you after a break up felt compelled to play sad music? I know I did and somehow it never made me feel any better -- I wonder why? : )

Now that I am healthy I can take a little news or an article on something less than uplifting once in a while but I still try and surround myself mostly with positive. It effects my mood, it effects how I relate to other people and it effects my well being.

Just as in another post I said I had to limit my time around negative people -- I also have to limit my time around negative images and words if I want to feel good. If you think about it -- it just makes sense. If you watch the news all day and worry about this person or that situation or comment on how horrible it is -- how will that make you feel? Whereas if you NOTICE the bad but surround yourself with good it is much more uplifting. When you feel good -- positive thoughts come to you which can produce positive actions. When you feel bad you don't feel motivated to do anything except talk about how bad things are. By concentrating on the good I am able to focus on how I can help the bad situations much better than if I was surrounded by all the negativity.

I have a few links for positive movies, cds, audios, etc. that have helped me. There are also people like Steve Pavlina who I was lucky enough to meet in NYC this past weekend who I consider THE personal development GURU. Steve offers tons of FREE personal development materials on his site; podcasts, articles, etc. that will lead you in the right direction and have you feeling good. There are also positive social networking sites that I did an earlier post on. These allow you to meet positive people and also to BE the change instead of commenting on how bad everything is.

Want to stay informed? There are options. if you feel you can't turn on the news for only 2 minutes a day or just scan headlines -- why not either watch The Daily Show (where at least he is poking fun at the news and you will get some laughs) or check out http://www.happynews.com -- a link that was given to me by C4Chaos.

There are options on what to surround yourself with. There is not shortage of ANY kind of media. Branch out -- try and surround yourself with positive media instead of the negative stuff for a few days in a row. Let me know if you see a difference in your attitude, your peace of mind and your sleep..... for me it effects all of these things and I am grateful this was one of the easiest habits of mine to change and I know it was helpful in healing my chronic pain! ; )

Holistic Doctor Link via the American Holistic Medical Association

I've talked a few times about the importance of finding a doctor that treats the "whole person" and not just the symptoms. Whether it be an illness you want treatment options for or some kind of pain you feel needs to be healed -- I was just made aware of a resource I wanted to share on my blog. The American Holistic Medical Association now has a link where you can search for a holistic doctor. You can break down your search by type of holistic treatment you are interested in or by city or state. I have a feeling this list is in its beginning stages but will continue to grow as time goes on. If you feel you need a different look at your health options, a more complete look at your health or just alternate methods to explore I recommend checking if there are any doctors in your area. Holistic Doctor Search.

Meme -- Imaginary University Courses

Imaginary University Courses 101

Isabella Mori of Moritherapy tagged me for a meme to develop some classes. Rules according to blue tea, the originator of this highly educational endeavor: to come up with 5 courses that will “fix” something in your life, find a course you’d like to attend with the person who has tagged you, and pass this on to a few other people.

Isabella's class I would love to take with her is:
confucius on confusion 121

you’ve taken a philosophy course back in … when was it again … but your addled brain has forgotten most of it? you keep foncusing your light brain with your reft? let master kung straighten you out. only one analect per lesson! hard to forget!

prerequisite: the ability to remember to show up for the course.

materials: bring whatever parts of your brain you can find.

with a guest appearance by professor yu dan

My classes are:
Saying "No" 101
Do you say "yes" to everyone and everything that needs your assistance? Are you overbooked, overwhelmed, overtired? If so this class is for you. We role play and help you learn to say "NO" to ANY situation, parents, kids, friends, spouse, strangers... WITHOUT guilt! You'll be amazed at how much more time and peace of mind you'll receive.
Prerequisite: being totally over obligated.
Cost: Your valuable time

Directions?
Do you get lost on every new drive? Can you find your way out of the woods? This course will show you how to use a compass, notice landmarks, and refold maps.
Prerequisite: You can find your way to class without a GPS
Cost: Less than a GPS

What Me Worry?
Whether you're a full out "Worry Wart" or a bit of a "Nervous Nelly" -- this class will give you tools to "let go". Learn meditation, visualization with a special section on EFT and The Sedona Method.
Prerequisite: Night sweats, nervous stomach or panic attacks.

Overcoming Perfectionism
Are your daily lists 100 items long? Do you think you need to have a clean house, clean car, clean pet, clean kids, clean yard and look and feel great 100% of the time? Do you make other people nervous with all your "I gotta" energy? Learn how to relax, set moderate goals, use time management and meditate.
Prerequisite: You think you can learn all this WITHOUT being taught.
Cost: AT least 10 of your daily "to do" items scratched out to fit this in.

Finding an Exercise Program you'll NEVER Tire of
Have you gone from gym membership to yoga classes to weight training to belly dancing to every video workout imaginable? Take this class and take our specialized "exercise meant for you" questionnaire that will narrow down your best suited exercise programs for your personality to the top 2!
Prerequisite: Have taken 5 different exercise classes/programs in the last year
Cost: Less than all the money you've spent on gym memberships and exercise videos and classes in the past year!


I tag Priscilla Palmer, Alex Shalman, Adam Kayce -- Monk at Work, Adebola & Deb. Hope you guys have time to do this one -- it's fun and I'd LOVE to see what classes you'd take! : )

A smile can go a Long Way to Heal and Change your mood

I grew up in New York City where I was told "don't make eye contact". You busily ran down the street either with your eyes kind of blanked out or looking down (definitely served the dual purpose of making sure you avoided stepping in something gross). I reserved my smiles for my friends and family and places I went where I did know the people (The laundromat, the local store, the block I grew up on on the Upper East Side, etc.).

Now I live in upstate NY and everyone makes eye contact and smiles at each other. I never realized how contagious a smile could be. It can change my mood if I am out and busily running errands and the woman in front of me smiles and hold the door and asks how I am. It took a little getting used to but I quickly got into the swing and know now that running errands can change my mood for the better. One smile (if in a bad mood) is all I need and I pass it on and I feel pretty confident the people I passed it on to will continue the progression. Most of the time I am in a good mood and start the progression. It's a nice way to look at being out and about town instead of concentrating on my lists and being in a hurry. How long does it take to pass on a smile? Less than a few seconds!

I had always heard that it took many more muscles to frown than to smile. I did some research on this and it seems the numbers have been told different through time (how many muscles each takes). But the truth of it is -- it DOES you MUCH better to smile -- so the next time you are frowning TRY and turn it into a smile and see what happens. I have gone through some trying days (as everyone has) and I can truthfully say if I stop and make myself think of something funny or happy and smile -- I start to feel the pain of my mood relieved and I felt healed. It's such an easy thing to do - the only thing you've got to do is remember and to stop and think long enough to execute a smile and a good memory, joke or picture - how long does that take?

I became aware of the new movie put out by some of the same people featured in the movie The Secret. It's name -- Pass it On -- what it's about -- passing a smile as well and good energy and knowledge on. A smile is a good way to start. Writing this blog entry changed my kinda blah mood I woke up in and made me smile. Now out to pick up my daughter and take her out for a walk so we can spread some of that joy! With the dimples she's got she always has people returning her smile! My beautiful kids Alex & Christina are pictured above.

Can Taekwon-do really improve your Health?

Today I am lucky enough to have a guest author. My wonderful husband, Ray Mannion who is a 2nd degree black belt in Taekwon-do. His love, enthusiasm and skill in TaeKwon-do shines through in almost everything he does. I am very proud of him and his MANY accomplishments in so many different areas of his life -- but gotta say there's something about him breaking boards! : )

Can Taekwon-do really Improve Your Health?

Taekwon-do as well as most martial arts proclaims to benefit the practitioner in many different ways. Can it really improve your health? I believe it can because I’ve been practicing for over 10 years and have witnessed an improved ability to perceive, prevent, and overcome illnesses.

When I ask my master instructor “what is taekwon-do?” he will always begin his answer the same: “It is a way”. It might be “a way of kicking and punching”. It might be “a way of learning” or “a way of practicing”. Nevertheless, it is always “a way”.

Taekwon-do teaches us how to take one part of our body situated at a point in space and take it to another point in space with maximum speed, maximum accuracy, and maximum power. When we are in a self-defense situation, this is what we need in order to have the most effective strike or block. Practicing techniques over and over helps us learn to recognize the millions of synapses firing and the millions of impulses and muscle fibers contracting in order to bring about a correct movement.

What does this have to do with health?

Perception

In order to be healthy, we need to be able to PERCEIVE our current state as quickly and accurately as possible. Taekwon-do develops this ability. In every class, we repeatedly train our bodies to execute a technique and we experiment with our balance, muscle contraction, eye focus, and breathing. This process (or WAY) gives us the ability to perceive how our body feels. In my experience, this has helped me to PERCEIVE when my body is coming down with a cold and it has helped me become more aware of the source of pain or illness.

Most recently, I was experiencing pain in my groin. My first inclination was the need to see a urologist or have my prostate checked by my doctor. This could have easily led to expensive tests and prescription pain medicine. However, I sat and focused on my pain and its source and asked myself “Where is this pain emanating from?” As I moved ever so slightly, I felt the pinching of my lower back a fraction of a second before experiencing the pain in my groin. That night, I made adjustments in my sleeping to alleviate the pressure on my lower back and did some strengthening exercises to benefit my lower back. I noticed I experienced the same pain in my back while I was slumped on the couch. Sure enough, days later, my groin pain was gone. I was able to heal pain through the same techniques I use in Taekwon-do class to fine tune my kicks and punches. By giving my attention to the source and the WAY of my pain, I was able to locate the causes of the pain. From there, I could make adjustments to strengthen and counteract the weakness and heal the pain.

When I feel a cold coming on, my body begins to speak to me. It says “bring on the antioxidants”. I’ve learned to listen to my body and know when it is feeling weak. It asks me for orange juice and vegetables. Practicing Taekwon-do is demanding on the body and every day I take a quick inventory while I’m changing into my uniform. “Is today going to be a good class? Am I going to perform well today? Or, am I feeling sluggish and achy?” Because Taekwon-do practice requires daily attention to the small signals sent by our body to our brain, we learn to fine tune our attention and focus on every part of our body. It can be the ball of the foot, the knee, or the simple act of tucking in our thumb to make an effective punch which helps us attune to the sensations in our extremities. When illness tries to set in, we are well trained to notice weakness or unresponsive muscles.

Prevention

Putting all this psychological, meditative, mind-body connection stuff aside, there is no denying the simple evidence that exercise is good for you. By exercising and stretching, we force our heart to pump blood and increase the rate at which oxygen is carried to our extremities. Sweat allows toxins in our body to exit the body. After exercising, we crave WATER which serves to cleanse the body.

Our bodies are more limber and flexible. A Taekwon-do practitioner can recover more quickly from an accidental slip on the sidewalk that might cause an average person to end up with a sprained ankle because the taekwon-do practitioner has trained his ankle to extend further and contract back with greater resilience.

Some of my students have shared the same experience with me in that they find they have better reaction times than they had previously. “I find myself catching things before they hit the floor.” “Sometimes, I catch things that are falling and I’m not even looking at them, I just “know” where they are and my hand is in the right place at the right time and I don’t even know how it got there.” These are things that taekwon-do practitioners experience after years of training.

Recovery

The last reason I believe Taekwon-do can make people healthier is our ability to recover from injuries. Besides our muscles, we learn to control our “chi” energy inside the body. Where is it? How is it moving? How can I direct the movement to permit the most powerful strike possible? I have witnessed a 90 pound woman less than 5 feet tall break through 4 or 5 boards with a kick. She is able to do this not only because her muscles are strong but because she takes the energy and spirit inside her body and builds momentum until it finally manifests itself at the moment of impact.

When we start to feel illness building in the body, we can do the same thing by closing our eyes, breathing in and focusing our attention on the part of our body which is hurting or sore or unhealthy. We can psychologically move our healing cells to the part of the body which is in need of assistance and heal the pain. This type of body control allows us to recover from illness much faster than someone who does not train in taekwon-do.

In the years that I have been practicing Taekwon-do, I have observed many different ways that the daily practice has made me healthier. Sometimes it is as simple as going to class with friends and being around teachers who inspire me by their excellent example. A positive influence and a role model of a teacher bring a bright outlook to a day that might be full of gloom.

Can Taekwon-do make you healthy? I think if you dedicated 6 months to joining a school with a good reputation, you would find it makes you healthier too. Please email me if you do. I’d be thrilled to hear how taekwon-do helps you or your loved one.

Ray Mannion is a 2^nd degree black belt registered with Taekwon-do International (www.tkd-international.com) He currently teaches a small group of students in Oneonta , New York (www.OneontaTKD.com)

Why Do I Blog? What it Means to me!

I found blogging by accident. I had written an e-book on how I healed myself, put a website up and wanted to drive traffic to my site. I took an internet marketing course and they recommended a blog to post articles, make relationships and for advertising for my site. I fell in love with it and haven't worked on my site since. I have always loved writing but it was limited to journaling and poems for friends and family members. I would also try to make and write thoughtful cards. Now I am writing on two topics that mean a lot to me; healing naturally and kids computer game recommendations. I am meeting people with similar interests and am loving writing more frequently. I feel this is what I am meant to do and the medium I am meant to use to spread my thoughts. It is therapeutic for me to remind myself of the good habits necessary to maintain in order to be in optimal emotional and physical health. Continue this list if you also like to blog.....


We have a voice;
We must be heard;
Therefore we blog;
Now spread the word!

This directory is based on a recent post that was conducted asking the question “Why do you Blog?” and the rewrite “Why do you Blog? - Reworked.” The purpose of this directory is to tell our tales by spreading the reasons that we blog to as many sites as possible. We get to explain ourselves, direct traffic to our site and highlight our most important, most representative or most relevant post in an SEO favorable format. This will be a positive experience for everyone who wants to get involved. This will enable you to create a short advertisement for your site that will be spread across the blogesphere; a growing directory of blogs.

This is an open directory. You do not have to be tagged to join in. All you have to do is follow the rules.

Please let me know when you have added your site by leaving a comment on “Master List” with a link to your post. This will insure an up-to-date list, giving you even greater distribution. You then need to copy the growing list back to your site on a regular bases.

Rules:

1. Copy this post from the very beginning through **End List Directory** and place it in your archives (back date it so that it does not appear on your front page. This list is too long for your front page.) Title this post "Spread The Word" Directory
   
2. Copy from "**Start Copy Here**" through "**End Copy Here**"
3. Paste into a new post
   
4. Create an inventive post title
   
5. Write a brief introduction to the post.
   
6. Before “**End copy here**”, please add your name, site name (with link), a very brief description (2-3 sentences) of why you blog, and your most important, most representative, or most relevant post (with link.)
7. Create a link from the end of your new post to your archived Directory (Ex. "Click here for complete directory")
   
8. Tag others to participate. This is a request, not a requirement.
   
9. Leave a comment and a link to your post on “Master List.” That way I can grab your addition and add it to this growing list.
10. Schedule regular visits to the "Master List" so you can copy/paste into your archive, keeping your list current.
    

**End Copy Here**


*Begin Directory*
My name is Mel and I am the author of Attitude, the Ultimate Power, aka Monday Morning Power. I blog because I am passionate about happiness and living in the moment. I want to spread the concept that we are in control of our own lives and can choose how we act and react. My site is focused on the Pursuit, Capture, Care and Feeding of a Positive Mental Attitude. One of my most representative posts is “Happiness Vs. Human Nature.” I am also the author of a new site called "So You Want To Complain." This site allows anybody to complain on any subject, anywhere in the world. The complaint is posted and anyone can comment on it. It is like an open forum to vent.

I am Max and I offer weekly articles on MAX. Why do I blog? I do it because I want to share my thoughts with you guys. I present a new and interesting way of transmitting philosophical thoughts: funny, engaging and intriguing! My funniest, yet intriguing, post is "Don't you just love People?"

I am the Great and Powerful Baba Doodlius. My 100% factual blog The Thoughts and Sayings Of Baba Doodlius is intended to educate all of you curious readers about the Truth behind the Great Secrets of the Universe. I have the Truth! Can you handle the Truth? For a sample of my powers of enlightenment, read my Revelation of the terrible secret of Bigfoot, aka Don't get stepped on.

My name is Amelia and I am the Author of Amel's Realm. I blog because I need to voice everything in my world so that I won't explode. My site is all about thoughts, experiences, fears, problems, misadventures, hopes, and dreams of an introverted tropical girl in a foreign land (Finland). One of my most representative posts is On Trust and Relationship.

Hi, I am The Queen of Sugar in The Blogosphere but, My name is Judy in life, I am the one and only Author of Sugar Queens Dream, I am also a Co-Author at Santa's community Blog. I blog because I enjoy the aspect of friendship's gained and talking about my funky but "normal" family, the lessons of Life, Its ups and downs, the sad but real things I've had to endure and in doing so, I am able to work through the extreme aspects of life with my dignity in tact and my mood still happy, I feel that I work some of my frustrations out during the posts I compile, I then, can look back and see that I remained true to myself and the thinking I have of facing things head on and admitting I am human and with faults.
In the beginning, I blogged solely about the way I love to bake sugary sweet treats for the ones I love, and also my small business. Doing that had given me hours of happiness and a sense of control over my "need" to give to others and to feel love returned in the form of happy faces..... I then, realized, I could let some of my inner feelings out and that others didn't judge me for doing so. When I realized that other people felt the same feelings as me, it released a feeling of ultimate power over my life and my thoughts...... The post that really shows how I open myself up for others to understand me and my Blog is: The myths of smoking.

I am Geoff of Geoffandcarley.com and I blog for reasons as diverse and as fickle as my moods. Mostly I blog because I'm firmly convinced I've figured a few things out and that the world will benefit from my experience the same way I've benefited from others' experiences. One post that I feel captures my emotional involvement and my ire (but not my humor as much) is Decision time.

My name is Sindi and I have written a blog entitled Life is a roller coaster!. My blog is based on the ups and downs of everyday life. I started blogging because I was going through some hard times and I wanted to meet new people to talk to. I like to write and was hoping people might enjoy reading what I have to say. I think the most inspiring post I have written to date is We Effect So Many.

People call me the Midgetmanofsteel (although I’m neither a midget, nor made of steel). I am the sole author the blog Mental Poo: a mostly true and humorous account of things that have happened to me, are happening to me, or are just filling my head and taking up valuable space where images of women should be. You can get a sneak peek into my mess of a brain by reading “Raisins are People” – a true account of my son’s first field trip.

My name is Sandee and I have a blog called Comedy Plus. My blog is just for fun, and I started it to poke fun about everyday life. My reason for blogging is to have fun and meet new friends. I have done both beyond my wildest dreams. I have posted lots of jokes, but when ask what my favorite joke is, I always pick Anger Management

My name is Lynda. I blog to as a way to expose my writings and to spread my knowledge on the subject of love. My primary blog (I have 15) is lynda's loft. My favorite piece would be I LOVE..... I have over 300 original poems and posts dealing with the wonderful and painful world of love. I love love!

My name Adrian, although most of you probably know me as the Mighty Genie King. I am the author First Time Dad. I started blogging as a way to document my growing up pains as my wife and I raise our daughter. I hope that one day my daughter will be able to look at this and get an idea what life was like "back then". Now I blog about everything but the main focus is still the same! One of my favorite posts is Goodnight Sweetheart! Hello Basil! Eh...Who's Basil...

Hello, my name is Ann and I'm the author of A Nice Place in the Sun. I blog because I care about people and want to make them happy. My site is focused on humorous, inspiring, and nostalgic posts about life, children, and memories. My most representative post, or the post where I'm most myself is "The Craziest Experience Of My Life."

We are a team of writers, and everyone calls us NAFA, so that would be our name. We are the proud authors of NAFASG©™ - United And Dedicated Behind You™. Blogging, to us, is a form of spreading useful information and sharing our knowledge to every part of the world in order to contribute to the betterment of our global community. The post that we feel would be representative of our blog and the global community at large is The Sociological Interaction.

Hola! This is Mariuca and I blog because writing is what makes me whole. I write about anything under the sun from life, love, friends to cats and work. I tend to write best when under pressure and my personal favourite post from Mariuca is Love in Disarray.

My name is Susan and I am the Owner of ~~Wake up America ~~, which is a political, right leaning blog. I blog because I believe we need more voices out there to separate fact from fiction, to support our troops and to high light the lack of ethics from journalists today. I feel my most powerful post is called "Are You Proud to be an American......"

"Here I am :-) My name is Mauro and I'm the author of 1 Million Love Messages ... maybe the biggest love challenge in the blogosphere. Why I blog ??? Because I believe that bloggers can make a difference in the world. That's my challenge! My favourite post it's (for sure) Adam Donkus & Lizzie's Love History."

Hi there World I am Aussie, the author of Little Aussie Cynic and I want to Breathe among others. I was recently asked:"Why Do you Blog?" this takes me back to the beginning... I started blogging in an attempt to get people thinking, using my cynical humour as a tool to make people laugh, think and at times get the blood pumping.... Each of my Blogs takes in a little peice of my varied personality but the one which discribes me best would have to be There is Always a Natural Way the latest edition to the Aussie Cynic Family...

I am Zubli Zainordin, in Total Happiness, I organize the Book Project blog and co-author Santa's Community Blog and Hall Of Fame Blog. I blog with the purpose of documenting about my self for my own reference, my future generations and friends who prefer to know me. I also share vital and valuable information entirely on total happiness. I believe in Santa Claus and I share the Spirit of Christmas within this Blog World. In addition I promote bloggers, their blogs, and invite them to share their blogging experiences, and together with Shinade, I review their blogs and award them with the Zubli and Shinade Recommended Read awards. Those who continuously show continuous blogging improvements shall be residence of the Hall Of Fame blog.

I'm Holly from Mama Pajama. I am a stay-at-home mom to my two year old son, Cameron. He is such a joy in our lives. I just stumbled across blogging after watching a television show. I wish I had found it sooner, as it has been so much fun meeting people all across the globe. It's my own place to share about my family, interests, likes, dislikes, etc. I love that I've found my own little circle of blog buddies that will read the stuff I have to say....as mundane or silly as it might be! LOL It's fun leaving others comments, and knowing that something I post or comment just might make someone smile that day. I'm already having a hard time turning off my computer at night, so I'm hoping to keep this blogging addiction under control. My favorite post so far is Lucky Girl.

I'm Kathleen of Invisible Keepsakes. Well, I blog because if I don't, I'll go mad and get very hard to live with. I need a tableau for my creative endeavors. I write poetry. That is to say, I am a poet. I'm not a great poet; nor am I a deep poet, but I love wordplay and creating images and entertaining people with my ideas and interpretations of events and news and random topics. I've written quite a lot of poems, some have even been published, but I think the one I would have you read is Bad Dawg #7 because I feel so strongly about it.

I am Beth or Skipper - whoever you are most comfortable with, and I author My Life Starts at Forty Two. I am really trying to turn my life and myself around - and become the best me that I can. It is not always easy with family, illness, etc, but I refuse to give up. This is my journal of journey. One of the best posts that I can use to describe me is The Decision.

I am Delirious the creator of Lifeonalimb. I always wished I could have my own little newspaper and write all of the columns myself. But since I probably wouldn't make enough money to pay for the paper to publish it, I decided to go the "free route" instead. I don't think this is my best post, but probably one that most people would enjoy; death-defying Stop in, check it out, leave a comment, then go get therapy.

I am Bridget from "And Miles To Go Before We Sleep" I am a stay at home mom of five young children, ages 1-12, three of which have special needs. Two of my boys are afflicted with Autism so it is a very busy household. I started bogging because our family moves around a lot and we ar very far away from our families and this was a great was to stay in touch with them. I met so many great people through blogging and I enjoyed it so much that I now feel like it's another job (one that I enjoy). My favorite post so far has to be The Old Tree In The Middle Of The Dry Desert

My name is Winsome Gunning and I am an artist who started blogging about `The Creative Process’ and `The Power of Listening to Silence’ on Winsome Gunning Art Walk. From my own listening to silence came A New Green Earthmy personal voice for green change. About DioxinAbout Simple Ways and A Green Earth are also my voices for green change. On these two blogs I publish contemporary green news from around the world.

I am the wily Blogolope, and I blog for fun and to get things off my chest and hopefully be funny. I created Blogolope because I thought it would be fun, simple as that. Blogolope to Assist Santa, Elves if a funny post. is an example of the issues about which I have felt compelled to write.

Hi, My name is Janice Ng & I'm the miracle mum from "This is a miracle". I started to blog to document the foot steps of my 2 boys : Amos & Zachary. With this blog, they are able to look back what they have been through: their joy, excitement, laughter, fighting, crying, screaming... etc when they grow up. One of my favourite post is "The loving brothers" on how the 2 brothers showed they tenderly care through a piece of strawberry cake!!

Hi! My name is Crystal, my middle name actually. I am the author of Choc Mint Girl. I started to blog because I need my own space to 'just write', but what I find here is quite inspiring and I am amazed at how many different bloggers with different approach ended up as great friends and inspire each other. It doesn’t matter what I blog about as long as the two parties find the connection in one another, that will be the best reason of why do I actually blog. I guess my most relevant post is my very first innocent post, Getting Started.

My name is Michelle of Crow's Feet . I started writing because I love words and wanted to make people feel... and think, but I soon realised that writing is about connecting. Because the more we connect to others - the more we learn about ourselves. I'm picking my post Small Miracles as representing who I am, why I blog... and why I love the internet.

My name is Claire and I created the blog Bebo Author. I write because I'd go crazy otherwise and I blog to help others (especially young, unpublished writers) share their work. I want to promote writers and give people a place to share their advice and tips for others. My favourite post is a hard one to pick so I'll say Writing Tips.

My name is Stine, a Norwegian mother of 6, and I blog at Mother's Home!. I have recently created another blog/site, Mother's Got A Dot Com. Why? First, for my own enjoyment. I've gotten to "know" so many lovely people since I started, and blogging has become an addiction (Sound familiar?) Second, I'm continually amazed that I can actually earn a little extra doing what I enjoy so much... I also get to let out some steam sometimes, as in Stage Mums.

My name is c.a. Marks and I blog for many reasons. At first I started a blog for my knitting, then I moved over into the political arena, and now I'm doing a personal blog, Sex and the South, that was inspired by my all time favorite HBO original series, "Sex and the City". Yes, I want to be Carrie Bradshaw, with a twist. What kind of twist, I have no idea. I am in the blogging business for the fame and fortune....KIDDING! No, for real, I like to blog because like everyone else it gives me an outlet. There, that's it, nothing amazing and profound about it. Thanks!

My name is Misty Dawn, and I blog from the middle of nowhere, at My Dogs Keep Me Sane. I began this blog at the advice of one of my best friends. It's purpose was to give me a place to talk about the frustrations of moving to another state and moving away from my family and friends. Now, it has become so much more than that. Blogging has become an addiction for me. I now use my blog to earn income; I have met so many fabulous friends; I share my writing and my photography; I share my stories, whether they be funny, serious, or sad; I can share my frustrations and my emotions without worrying about being judged for what I say... There are no words to encompass what blogging and the people of the blogosphere mean to me... and that is why I blog. My favorite post would have to be Rough Tough Farm Gang because it is a fun post that will make people smile. I'm not saying it is my best or most thought-out post, but it is my favorite.

The Internet World knows me by LadyJava. My first blog, "how to make money online" was actually the reason why I started blogging. I wanted to share to the world that I was making online share my experience about it. However I enjoyed blogging so much that the habit quickly caught on and I began writing a few other blogs as well. This blog, however, is by far my favorite blog as I've made many friends from all over the world and I continue blogging as an avenue for me to share my life with friends and would-be friends. My favorite post is "Coffee and Me" as I am officially a coffee addict..

Hi, Genny is here. I am the happymomiam in the world of blogging. I am the author of My Life's Adventure, Wonderful Things In Life, and The Beauty of Life. I blog because i like to share some of my experiences in life about my family and friends. I like to give some encouragement knowing that everybody needs people who can comfort them. My most relevant posts are all the quotes & encouraging food for thoughts.

Hello my name is Deborah author of Climate of Our Future, I also co-author She Walks in Beauty. I blog with passion for our environment. I started this blog because I believe that we as bloggers have a very loud voice in this blogosphere. that By sharing what knowledge I find about our environment would not only benefit the blogger but also our environment. I also blog about Beauty, because no matter how harmed and polluted our world has become I can still see the beauty within. My favorite post would have to be the one about plastic in the Pacific twice the size of Texas.

I am Snooper, owner and the main author of Take Our Country Back. There are several authors that post to my blog and I deeply respect their writings even when at times, I have slight disagreements with their posts. Then again, who wants automatons? I blog because those of us which think along the same lines as I do, are not offered a voice in The Main Stream Media. I blog to support The Troops and nothing but The Troops seeing that I myself and our oldest son ARE Troops. The most hated post from the far left which equates to the most powerful post is We Had A Patriotic Nation Once.

My name is Angie and a stay at home mom to handful soon-to-be 10 month-old son Casey James. A wife to a wonderful guy who loves golf all his life before we met. I blog because it's a comfort zone to someone like me who's living in place miles away from my real home. I have several blogs that I give much of my attention to namely, The Simple Times In Life, The Daily Matters, Shop Online, Daily Digest and Glittery Report among others. The most recent relevant post that I can share would be For those who love the Philosophy of Ambiguity.

Hello my name is Deborah author of Climate of Our Future, I also co-author She Walks in Beauty. I blog with passion for our environment. I started this blog because I believe that we as bloggers have a very loud voice in this blogosphere. that By sharing what knowledge I find about our environment would not only benefit the blogger but also our environment. I also blog about Beauty, because no matter how harmed and polluted our world has become I can still see the beauty within. My favorite post would have to be the one about plastic in the Pacific twice the size of Texas.

My name is Tammy and I'm Mom Knows Everything. I don't pretend to know everything, but I tell my kids I do. I started blogging when a friend suggested it. I have found that not only is it a great way to relieve stress, but also a great way to feel better about myself. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. I think my favorite post would have to be My Dad And John Wayne. It may not be the best post or the one that got the most comments, but writing this post really helped me deal with the death of my father.

Hi, I’m Puteri. I’m a stay-at-home mom to two pre-schoolers, and run a long arm machine quilting business from home. I blog because it is a form of documenting my life. I have never really kept a diary and blogging is as good as keeping a diary. I have six blogs - Puteri’s Musings, Puteri’s Musings 2, Puteri’s Musings 3, and Health and Beauty Notes, are four of them. My favorite post is D-I-V-O-R-C-E, because that was my second post when I first started blogging and one of the main reasons for me to start blogging. I needed to put into words the way I felt when my dear friends went through a divorce.

Hello! My name is Emila and I run my own blog, Emila’s Illustrated Blog. I started blogging in Friendster, later moved to Blogspot and later later moved to my own domain for good. The main reason I blog is to update my friends about my daily life/my son’s development and to showcase my artworks. My favourite post is My Bundle of Joy.

I am Malach the Merciless the brains behind Dropping My Daily Stool Sample. I blog for three reasons. 1. I am a skilled artist but not a skilled writer, and this helps me practice my writing. 2. To plug my stuff, and maintain my D Level Internet Celebrity Status. 3. Cause it’s fuggin’ fun. A post most representing me is way back on my old blogger blog back in June of 2005, my Hit List.

My name is Carrie and i am keeping busy raisig my four children and trying to keep two blogs on the go. Rantings of a Woman and Jabber Jaws. I first got started with blogging when I was seeing how much fun my friend was having and to be honest the money was really starting to sound nice. Now it has become so much more than money with all the new friends I have been making. A couple post that I find myself thinking back to is first Baking Cookies with my 3 year old son, sometime it's the little things that matter the most and Helping a Friend, she is so dear to me and I would do anything to help her out. Kim you've got my vote!

I am Noah, from the blog Patrick on Animals. I blog to express myself and pass along some thought on animals. The post Noah's Ark is pretty cool.

Hey to everyone, my name is Kokopelli and of course I maintain the blog Patrick on Music. I am a musician myself and I love music and that is why I blog about it. This is a post about the second concert that I ever saw, a Jethro Tull concert.

Hi, my name is Genie and I'm a blogoholic. My blogs include, but are not limited to, Photographer in Training, Tarot Reader, and Tarot 101. I don't know that there is any one particular blog post that is especially revealing about me, but this one contains photographs that I am particularly fond of, especially since my husband is in one of them and because I shot them in my own town: Fire. I blog because I live in a small community with few kindred souls. I blog so that I can connect.

My name is Jeni and the name of my blog is Down River Drivel, which basically means "hogwash" or b.s. in a politer way. I blog as a means to remember - things about my family, my kids and especially my grandchildren or events from my youth, back in the dark ages and also, as a way to practice just playing with words. My favorite post would be this one, titled "Deep Roots" which explains a bit more about me.

I started blogging around end March 2007. My earlier intention was to store my recipesAward For You, My Great Friend. One of my favourite post is my first post which was about my niece : First "Ah Yi". Now, blogging seems to me as a way to express myself freely. It has been a joyful experience and I'll blog for as long as I can. permanently online while it is accesible anywhere in this world. As I blog, I met many new interesting peoples around the world. It was truly a great pleasure to know them and I am honored to award them in

My name is Anna, and I blog at Beth & Cory's Mom and A Mind Forever Voyaging. I originally started blogging because our library was planning to start a blog, and I wanted to see which blogging site would work best - so I signed up for a few. First I just played around with the design. I'd post my thoughts on what was going on around the house or in the news occasionally, but I wasn't very consistent. Then I started reading other people's blogs and making friends, and it was so much fun that I started posting more! One of my more memorable posts is Oh, I am Good, because I stepped outside my comfort zone and personality type and actually let people know I messed up.

I am known as Sometimes Saintly Nick. I blog because I enjoy blogging, have met quite a few very neat bloggers through the years, and have hopefully provided a few laughs for folks and some thought provoking posts on issues of justice and peace, The blogs that I write are: Nick’s Bytes/, UCC Online, and I assist my cat, Alex, in writing his blog, Alexicon: A Feline’s Life with his Human

HI! I'm Pat.I am a young mother of two.Being a homemaker sometimes can really makes me feel bored.I never knew about blogging until August this year.Honestly,I used to think that blogs are for kids and those who have too much spare time and have nothing else to do.But since I started blogging, I got to know a lot of wonderful people around the world.I have 3 blogs - Asiana , Nutrimetics , and Iban School.I dont have any favourite post because theyre all my favourites! :) Hehehe.

Helo, Nightwing here. Always wonder about the world of blogging and what it was all about. So i gave it a go and thus Carpe Diem was born. After only a few months of blogging, have made many new friends around the world. I like to read books and have also use my blog to post book reviews. Here is one example of it. Happy blogging.

My name is Suzanne and my blogs are Miss Kitty Fantastico and The Synergizer's Journal. (I'm working on coming up with better names!) I started blogging back when it was called journaling. I was a newly wed and needed an outlet for my thoughts and feelings. Later, I became hooked on comments and started meeting a lot of new people. One of my favorite things about meeting friends online is that you get to talk to people who you probably wouldn't meet in real life. Now, I'm a working mom and have started blogging for money to help make ends meet. My favortite post (at least in recent memory) was a Mama Talk column I wrote about my husband for Father's Day. It's called Priorities change when husbands become fathers.

Hello there, I’m AK, basically it stands for Ahmad Kamal. My blogsite is Yang Terdalam (slightly meaning The Deepest). I’ve created this blog to spread what I feel inside to the world, as I myself found that there so much things that I have to let it unsaid in this reality world. So, I’ve created Yang Terdalam to fulfill my needs to give people my perspectives and poits of views on certain aspect. I usually just ramble myself out in my blog, and only some people can stand my ‘tone’ in the blog, as I usually express my depress tone. Well, can’t blame me, I have an idea to write things when I’m in depress mood. The most memorable entries that I’ve been made are Am I Not Good Enough?/ The Promo – Am I Not Good Enough Part 2 / Am I Not Good Enough – Part 2 / Gunung Ledang Mind-Field Journey / Saya Anak Malaysia!!! / Nescafe Bodoh! Just Take your time, visit my blog, and get to know me!

Hello world! My name is Lucel Juliana, you can call me Juliana. I author the blog, My World. I'm a newbie blogger and I'm so loving it. I blog because, I love to write and I want to document my life as a stay at home wife in my newfound home: New York. And if anyone out there tries to tell the story of my life, I prefer that it's going to be me. The one post I'm really passionate about is Cell Phone Hazard . I want to spread awareness about lurking dangers on cell phone use.

I don't know why I ever started blogging. I think it was an experiment. My business blog was created as a response to customer questions. All my other blogs, and I have too many to list them here, came into existence because it was too difficult to create just one blog to cover so many dreams and ideas. So now you know: I blog to share dreams. I do it with Pamil Visions Tutorials and I do it with Romania Simply Surprising. And sharing dreams will never stop... This list shares dreams too. And I am happy to be part of a collective dream. We can change the world when we dream together.

Hello World! I’m Momma Bean. This little blog started out as a way for my out-of-state sisters and sister-in-law to feel more involved with the Beans as they grew up. I didn’t know that it would be around this long, that I’d enjoy it this much or that I would find such insight and camaraderie from complete strangers who, where ever they are, are going through the same things as me, being a mother. So, now I blog to share my special Beans with family and friends, to rave and whine about the life of a (still) new mom and to learn from such amazing women around the world. One of my favorite posts is this one about me and self-image and passing this onto the Beans. Too many women do this to themselves and I admittedly still criticize myself in front of the Beans.

My name is Jamilla a.k.a Jamy. What I Feel, I Just Blog is really my inner voice to tell anything that I am aware of in my life. I started blogging since June 2007, not long ago. I am happy that I can share and give love, happiness, caring and support through blogging together with a group of my bloggermates. My quote is "Make difference in your life by giving love, happiness, hope, joy, support and encouragement to the world!" The post that I really appreciate and respect myself is Turn Blogging Into A Real World . My first step towards the difference and miracle to the people who is around me.

My name is Kristine and my blog is Fitzsimmons Family Adventures. I started blogging as a way to keep family in the loop. We have family all over that we don't see on a regular basis and it's a great way to let them know what's been going on with us. I've met a lot of great people and I love reading about their lives as well. I'm a stay at home mom and when I was introduced to blogging for money, I was pretty excited about the opportunity to supplement our income. I post LOTS of pictures and videos of my son Jackson. It's an addiction. One of my favorite posts is from March of this year because it captures so many of his great expressions.

I'm Deb, and I blog at Mom of 3 Girls because, well I have three little girls here at home! :) I originally started my blog because I began to read other blogs that I found online and was inspired to share my own thoughts. I keep doing it because I've found it to be a creative outlet for my thoughts and emotions, a wonderful way to keep in touch with people and because of the amazing community of other bloggers that I have found. It's also a great way to help keep my sanity as I juggle work, home, kids and the rest of my life! I think my favorite post has to be My Two Jobs because it sums up everything that I feel about my life right now.

Hello everyone, Watashi wa Kenneth des. Genki des ka?I started blogging with own hosting and domain is on . My earlier purpose to blogging is to learning + relaxing + sharing + making friend.KennethZone is formed for Learning : learning english writing ( in my blog, you can know my english is very terrible)Relaxing : Using my free time for blogging Sharing : sharing my daily life, personal thought and etc to you Making friend : make more friends.

My name is Darren, Freedom Rider is my blog! I blog because I love to meet new friends around the world-wide! I blog because I would like to make some pocket money, so that I can buy you something next time! I blog because I want you to know my little story! I blog because I love to share cool stuff with you! I blog because I want you to know I am not silly or dump, I am not self fish, I am not ugly, I am not supercilious!!! I am a Blogger!!! That's it

My name is Joy or thejoybird my blog is A Day In the Life... I started blogging to help me get through the day. I am a first time mom and although I have the most beautiful, wonderful 13 month old daughter I still feel like pulling my hair out on a daily basis. I wanted some place where I could vent and connect with other moms and also make new friends (who aren't moms). Now I'm also trying to get into blogging for money, but first and foremost, I'm doing this for me. I think that my favorite post is My Response: , I like to talk about things that may be taboo.

I am Hilman, author of creating a world. I blog because I want to create a world. While selfishly deciding the course of that world, I remain open to suggestion from readers, visitors and lurkers alike. the memorable one? the first blog entry, of course! --Introduction ?

Helo, me is Green. I am an ordinary blogger who love to write a blog according to what i am doing everyday. I am still new in blog site. The idea on why i start to blog is that i want to gain friends plus i want to hear from others about their opinion upon my problem sometimes. I am writing my blog in Malay and Iban lingua franca. Blogging is the best away for me to break my tense and killing my time sometimes. I have two blogs and they are Kehijauan hidup Mr Green and Dunya Gadung. The best post that i really love is Kisah sang gajah dan anak ikan emas because it is really tickle me a lot and it is the post that make me meet so much people in this blog world. hehe..

“Why do maike blog?” The very first slide crossing my mind consists of these three points - Learned, Shared, and Gained. They form a cycle which I wanted to go through while I blog about my life here. I shared whatever I learned, experienced and gained, by the power of a little space. Besides, I have the opportunity to meet friends from every corner around, we colored each others life, and together we make the world flatter and flatter. Blogging enriched and made my life extraordinary.

Ohaiyo! My name is Jean Chia from A Great Pleasure. I started blogging around end March 2007. My earlier intention was to store my recipes permanently online while it is accesible anywhere in this world. As I blog, I met many new interesting peoples around the world. It was truly a great pleasure to know them and I am honored to award them in Award For You, My Great Friend. One of my favourite post is my first post which was about my niece : First “Ah Yi”. Now, blogging seems to me as a way to express myself freely. It has been a joyful experience and I’ll blog for as long as I can.

I am Karen, writer of the blog, Journey with WaterLearner. My blog documents my humble journey of Awareness and Practical Spirituality. I am glad to have found many like-minded buddies in the blogosphere. I was the humble servant of the Spiritual Boot Camp for Say No Evil which was attended by 21 campers. Some of my favourite posts that might guide you to reflection are: The Pearl Within, Learn to Sink, Spiritual Facial & Uneasy Goodness.

Hey there, this is SaeWei from As Bratty As Me. I blogged for a few reasons too. One is of course to share my views and opinions to all the readers out there. Second, to earn extra bucks. And of course to know more people. And since Blogging is like the "IN" thing now, I have no choice but to step my foot into this wonderful world of blogsophere. :)

Hi...I'm Twilight, my blog is called Learning Curve on the Ecliptic I write about astrology. I know that some people look on astrology as silly supersition, I have reason to believe otherwise. Two main reasons for blogging: I enjoy writing, and while continuing to learn, I like sharing my discoveries on how astrology relates to art, music, politics, movies, TV, current affairs, and my own experiences. I often compile a related video with music to include in my blog. My representative blog entry: the American political scene is at the front of my mind just now, so a link to this recent post Holding on for a Hero, my video compilation included.

My name is Rebecca and I am the author of Rebecca’s Green Blog. I blog because I care about the environment. My site is focused on the earth, green ideas, and ways that we all can easily be involved in the fate of our world. I am not a great writer but I like to share useful information. My most representative post is Welcome to Rebecca's Green Blog.

Hello World! My name is Bobby Revell. I blog to spread love and friendship. I love all people! My goal is to destroy prejudice and help people realize that it is love, not money that determines success. I hope to work with all of you so that EVERYONE ON EARTH WILL BE FRIENDS! This will make war a distant memory. I believe in my purpose. I blog for my readers, not for myself. I will never again ask anyone for a link because a link should be a gift. You shouldn’t have to ask for a gift! I am like a zen artist who works on a piece but doesn’t sign his name on it. It is unimportant what I do. It is important for what I do to have an impact on bringing love to all of you. My blog is about blogging ethics. I see it as the spiritual blogging ethics of love! One post that defines who I am is Promoting Racial Unity. I love you all!

Haaa my turn ;) Well i'm Entayang..yes tats my middle name..i was named after my great-grandma :) No reason for blogging..my blog Entayang is pretty much 'All about me' kinda webpage..it's all about what i like, fancy, hate etc..Ermm favourite post? few fav. posts tho..posts on my 'Big Day'..remarkable and unforgettable :) Till then adios!~

My name is Eric, better known as Speedcat Hollydale I started blogging because I had no computer experience, and wanted to find out what all the hype was about. That was a little over a year ago. My post is World Record Breaking Award Ceremony Held at the S... . This post brought the most visitors, comments, and was the most fun. I am an overlinker :-)

My name is Rebecca and I am the author of Rebecca’s Healthy Food Blog. I blog because I care about eating healthy and spreading the word about some of the issues involving food today. My most representative post is The Wonders of Nature.

Hiya! I'm Shannon and I blog at Chicken's Life, I started because I am too lazy to write in a diary and most of the time I cannot read my own writing...so it seems a bit pointless. I'm not sure I have a specific post that I like the most, I blog about my life what ails and what makes me laugh. Here is a post that makes me happy, we went to Pismo Beach, Ca.

Christy aka Angelstar blogs for a very simple reason; I LOVE writing and blogging is just one creative way of not just writing but also putting my ideas into colors and illustrations to tell others what I think or find funny. I LOVE reading and writing so much that it's just part of me and I have so many blogs..my primary blog, Food blog, Travel, Movies, Mysteries, Women's Zine and I just love them all! I just LOVE doing this :D (it just opens a window to the soul)

I am LeeChien, writer of It's All About LIFE & SHARING. Clear enough with my blog's title, it's all about my LIFE and the stuffs i would like to SHARE.

Her name's Bobo, the little Bimbo from a small sunny island called Singapore. She thinks that the world may not know enough about her little happy homeland... and some may have the wrong impression of Singapore. With all the "fines" and rules in the country, she hopes to have a chance to show people that Singapore is a really FINE country with posts like Attractions in Singapore and Singlish. Her "Bimbo with a Twist" is also a complaint dumping ground when her days really suck and she just doesn't want to terrorise any individual with her endless ranting... she needs to terrorise a nice corner of this blogosphere.

My name is Darlene.I am a stay home wife & mommy to our two year old adorable son.I’ve got three sites that’s called My Life,My World,Mommy’s Gibble Gabbles & Author’s Sweet Life.I blog because i want to share to my friends my experiences of what kind of life i have in here since i got here in United States Of America being with my family & how grateful i am having them in my life.

hye! my name is sobrie aKa heartbreaker..i like blogging..i love blogging..but i dont know y i have to make blog?? yaa..maybe i want to meet more people in this world..ya..maybe blogging is just the thing that i can do..yaa..maybe blogging can relaxing my mind..hurmm..so..it's up to me..and all you have to do is just read my what-the-%^&* entries..and try to enjoy it.. ~..Just Like Heaven..~ ...ok?? i don't know which one is my best entry coz it's you who read it..not me..hehehe...very funny..waKakakaka

Hello, world! My name is Jodi, also known as sm00bs in the virtual world. I am a thirtysomething mother to a darling little girl and wife to a wonderful man. The little corner of the innerwebs that I call home is A Room with a sm00. I use it mostly for a way to keep my family and friends updated on the goings on of my mostly boring life since I live so far away from everyone. Now that my daughter is on the scene, I post a fair number of pictures and videos along with lots of stories about her. Other than that, I write about what I love, which includes (but not limited to) cooking, baking, knitting, gardening, travel, computers, movies, and music. Of course, Sophie will always be my favorite topic, and my favorite (and possibly most informative) post is about her signing, complete with a video of her signing with flashcards (her idea, I promise). Stop by and say a quick hi. I'd love to meet new people!

Lyle Burwell
Viewer Participation TeleVision
I blog to solve the too-much-information problem for people using the internet to get a definitive answer to the question, "How do I get on that; game show, reality show, relationship show, interior design show, video clip show, talent competition, lifestyle program, talk show, judge show, real estate program, cooking show, fashion show, make-over show, how-to show..."
My definitive post is the one that greets you at the link above.

Mabuhay! Lira here, author of Tasteful voyage : narrations of an expressive mind . Why I'm into blogging? Simple, I wanna share a part of my life to my fellows which I know would somehow contribute to their lives as well. I feel great writing what I'm into and at the same time meeting new friends and learning from their inputs ---vast of inputs. They said "the best teacher is your experience" and this is it. I gain knowledge from them and vice versa. Remembering Papa for me is my most relevant post.

I’m Cat, and I also go by Ami-chan a lot on line hence running the domain ami-chan.net. I have my own company doing tarot readings and hypnotherapy that site is Look Beyond Mirrors, and I just recently started a blog which is primarily for doing “picture a day” and that is eryssa.net. When I started out blogging it was on The Wolf’s Kiss on livejournal, and I mostly started up to vent about work and keep in touch with friends, and then realized I could use a blog on my website as a way to update our family overseas about things that were going on and they could read it when they liked instead of me constantly spamming their inboxes with emails. One of my favorite recent posts is when I talked about where I grew up.

I’m Nina Munteanu, ecologist, SF author, wife and mother and lover on a journey on this beloved planet Earth…your Alien Next Door. I blog for the same reason that I write my short stories and novels…because I have to. I blog to share my passion for the beauty and wonder of this planet Earth through science and art and to share the little wisdom and insight I’ve gained in my few years on the Earth...and certainly to gain some from you (I love your comments! Thank you!). My favorite post is about one of my heroes, Doctor Lynn Margulis, courageous scientist who would not be dissuaded from speaking the truth even when at the time it seemed like a lie: imagine saying we evolve through cooperation; not competition! What anti-Darwinian cheek!

I’m Sassy from The Sassy Southerner. I am a 31 year old stay at home mother and wife. I started blogging as a way to vent some things that I have kept buried inside my soul for a long time. I write in hopes to reach someone out there and maybe let them know they are not alone in the world. I write whatever comes to mind. I guess one of my favorite post (too many to chose from) is when I heard some noises and got scared.

My name is Shinade and I originally starting blogging in protest of America's current political administration and policies. However, I came under attack and outside pressure and I was also becoming eaten up with anger and hatred so I decided to start this blog The Painted Veil in the hopes of sharing love and beauty with the world. My most memorable and also my favorite post ever is: "An Opal Is An Opal by Any Other Name." It is a tale and a parable concerning how we can learn to respect and honor each other's differences and strive for love and peace world wide.

My name's Nasyrah, or also known as ai-Chan. I have two blogs.I'm the author of randomness XD. (I love to talk about random things) and ai's-Kitchen. Why I blog? I blog because I want to tell people that my life is interesting. Nah! I;m just kidding! I blog because writing is fun, and I'd like to know what others think of my randomness post. Hurm.. my memorable entry? Since Randomness XD and ai's - kitchen is still new, I think, it's First Dreams.

Hi! My name is Thira. I author the blog As The World Turns. I blog because I love and enjoy it. I used to write on journals before but blogging online is more fun. With blogging there are so many things one can do. You can write down your thoughts, experiences and interests. You can express how you feel, learn many things, share information and knowledge, meet new friends and a lot of interesting people. Like they said, there is a world of endless resources out there.

Hello. I'm Delmer, an IT person and the guy who writes What's a Delmer Look Like? I started writing a blog to keep my family current with what was going on with my kids. Day after day of "We had soccer practice tonight" got old fast and I sort of went in scattered directions. WADLL falls into the personal-diary category and I (still) blog about my children, growing up, cycling, pituitary tumors, and things I think are sort of interesting. A fairly safe entry to read is: Stonehenge. (You'll laugh, you'll cry, it'll become part of you.)

My name is April and my blog is called Finding my own happily ever after. I began blogging several years ago, and even though it was public, I had no one on my friends list and didn't really figure many people would randomly find my page. Last year I learned how much fun blogging could be when you were interacting with other people, and I have become totally addicted to it. My blog consists of daily recaps and a rant here or there. I am 28 years old and attending school full time, oh and I live with my bf, my brother, and my 6 year old nephew so it's pretty chaotic at times and gives me plenty to write about. I enjoy getting to know new friends and interacting with people. I am a girl of few words in person, kinda shy, and maybe even anti-social, but in my blog I express myself pretty easily and love getting to know others. I enjoy getting comments, but I don't flip out if someone doesn't and I try to comment as much as I can, but I hate repeating something that someone else has said. I am always happy to make new friends, friends of all kinds, I am not easily offended and I try to be very open minded.

My name is WalksFarWoman and I blog because…Kissing the Dogwood is my spiritual home. The idea evolved from an inspired moment as did the name and took me completely by surprise. It was like being given a map and a destination which I was compelled to follow - and in doing so have had the journey of a lifetime! Just like the elements of a successful life, blogging is all about good communication, learning through experience and also gathering hope, joy and a liberal dressing of laughter wherever we can. My favourite post is always my most recent so here it is - ‘Mermaids Cove’.

Yo, wazzup. My name is Melanie and I enjoy talking in bizarre manners. I host two little blog-ditties: A Quiet Symphony & Amberwood Ambrosia. I'm a wannabe author, editor, dreamer, student, wife, mother--I say "wannabe" because I am still functioning under some strange esoteric idealism that one day I will "arrive" at perfection--or at least a successful shadow of it. Yes, I know; the only thing that I am completely is a dreamer. So, with all that randomness out of the way, the truth is I never even knew what a blog was before my gal-pal Rebecca over at A Not-So-Desperate Housewife. I don't remember how she tricked and ensnared me into this world of blogosphere--whether through candy or compliments, here I am. I don't think I really have some great life-altering thesis on why I blog, other than it convinces me that I exist. By plastering my thoughts and emotions on canvas (be it virtual), I am allowed a new outlet in which to breathe. I guess that's pretty existential in itself--and that's just fine by me. Most favored post? Hmmm... I guess I'd have to say The Importance of Promptness because it's all about my hubby.

Hi yah, I am Ana, a Filipina young woman, married with two beautiful children, residing in the motor city-up in the suburb, and I blog because I love meeting and interacting with other people that shares my interests as well as making friends in the process. More reasons for me to consider are that, every once in a while I get to express my feelings and share just about anything that I find interesting and informative. Blogging is a way for me to have a space I call my very own where I can take my time thinking out loud and be goofy if I want to. Yes, we get to rule in our little cyber world. I enjoy ruling my humble abodes on the net and they are the following; Ana's Daily Reflections, Filipina Isle, Moments to Ponder, My Musing Pad, and Memoirs of a Filipina-as my personal non-sponsored blog. Now, the post I consider to be important, well, maybe helpful if you are someone interested in purchasing a 1and1 domain because it will help you if you need a hand with setting up your custom domain name: My 1and1 Domain Tutorial. I enjoy giving people a hand whenever possible as long as I know how. I am always willing to help others when I can. Yep, that's me!

My name is Mrs. Nesbitt and I blog because Mrs Nesbitt's Place, I would like to think is a place where I share the humble unassuming thoughts I have about everyday things such as the place where we live, the life I lead with my hubby, together with our German shepherds Wilma and Elsie, our puss Ella and our gander Jo. I hope I take the time to share the appreciation I have for the great Yorkshire moors, the food I love to cook and the fun we have when out on our motorbike. I love photographing what makes me smile and allows me to feel blessed.

"Counting my blessings, recounts , O. K". .My name is i beati the blessed one for I have thus far survived cancer and lots of problems with it. Because of the many stresses in my life, I blog and try to spread cheer and thoughts to everyone. Some nights I can't sleep so I blog and read others ponderings..I am educating myself and expanding my world immensely. I love something about each post so come and join the Happy Spirits at i beati and leave a comment for Sandy .

Hi blogosphere, My name is Maggie and my little spot on the globe is Ramblings of Maggie. I enjoy blogging and I really enjoy reading the blogs of the friends I’ve made since I’ve started over a year ago. I talk about my family and my children. I might post more pictures of my kids than you might want to see. I go through cycles. For weeks you might not know I have any off spring then boom you will know. Why do I blog? Well, some might say “to fill that need that every women has to spread the word”. What post is my favorite. That is so hard to answer. Today I am picking the letter I wrote to my son.

My name is David, and I write An American In.... I am in my late twenties and currently living with my wife and two cats in Seoul, Korea. We travel the globe for work and pleasure and my expat experiences make up a large portion of my writing. I am also a fan of sport (American football and baseball, mostly) as well as into current events and politics. My blog is not usually political, but I indulge myself once in a while. I enjoy meeting new people and truly cherish a diversity of viewpoints. I hope to see each and every one of you visiting soon and often!

Hallo world, I am Trinity from Rooms of My Heart. I blog to be a salt and light of the world, to make friends and hopefully can be a blessing to others. I share my life on 8 things that make me who I am now.

My name’s Bob Kingsley, author of ‘Somerset’ Bob’s Place. I blog because I want to be a writer. I’ve wanted to be known as a writer all my life, and as I’ve now reached my early 50s I figured I ought to get started before it’s too late! I thought science fiction would be my forté (I wrote a number of short stories some years ago, available at my site’s Writing Archive), but since starting my blog in March 2007 I’ve discovered I have a passion for writing non-fiction pieces — principally about the environment and climate change, but also taking in the places I’ve visited, my online/computer experiences, the random thoughts I have, the music I love and the people I met during my time as a radio presenter. It’s a pretty eclectic collection of posts. I don’t think I’ve written my favourite post yet, but one that’s right up there is Tagged With Music, which was the subject of another meme that came my way — it really made me think, which is what I love about being tagged with memes.

Hi! My name is Theresa I am the author of My Emancipation. I blog because I love and enjoy it. I used to write on journals before but blogging online is more fun. With blogging there's no limit, you can freely write you thoughts, you opinions without anyone going against you. Its a fun way to make friends too & a great way in getting to know them. Learn through trials and error every end of the day as you develop your blog. Basically my blog is all about me, so if you wanna know me more just be patient enough to read my blog, thanks for your time. GOD BLESS

Hello everyone! I'm Liza the author of moms.....check nyo. I am actually new to the blogging world... it was my husband and my daughter who introduced me to blog, and now I'm hooked. I love to write about my family, my hobbies, my interests and would love to share some tips and how to's on things I love doing. Blogging is such a good idea because you get to express your feelings and your thoughts and a good shock absorber, too. My most relevant post is about 'My brave little boy'.... common everyone.... you're invited :)

My name is Jo Beaufoix, and I blog because I need a creative outlet. Hmmm, that makes me sound a bit like a drain doesn’t it? But I’m not, I’m a 32 year old mum with a penchant for wine and chocolate, a dream of publishing my first book, and a talent for wiping up all kinds of mess… (Who’d have small children?) My blog began as an idea from a friend and has grown into a place to be the me not everybody sees, and to make new friends. There’s no dress code, I don’t mind if you bring your own food, and well, if you need to fart just let it go, I mean, we’re all human right? It’s also a place for me to write, every day, which is a good habit for me to get into, and a place to store memories and work things out. Picking a favourite post is hard, but I like this one and it’s recent, Big sighhhhhhh. I hope you enjoy it.

Greetings, all. I’m Emily from Mama’s Bloggin and this blog was born out of my need to get it all out. I was reeling from the breakup, the move back in with my folks, PPD, and I sat in front of the computer for hours. Writing, gaming, reading, chatting, ANYTHING to keep my (fat) ass in that chair and away from any interaction with another human being face to face. I planned my grocery trips for the times when the only people in the store were me and the employees. (As you can see, the “TIME CAVE” acronym applies as a phrase for me, not necessarily as the separately defined letters.) With the passing of time, a lot of these things have faded from screaming issues to a gentle throbbing ache every now and then. I found other bloggers who felt the way I did at the time, as well as message boards. I got better. THINGS got better.

I'm Lynn and I blog at Everything and then Some. I blog because I like to share ideas and experiences with bloggers around the world. It's like virtual traveling. I am interested in other countries' culture. Blogs about food, books, movies, day to day experiences and everything about being a mom get my attention. I would like to share this link to one of my posts, Avocado which tells of the story behind my blog name.

Howdy folks, my name is Nick and I own Anything Goes! I started blogging just for the fun of it and it turned out to be an interesting adventure. Initially the main reason I blog was to rant and rave about things that happen in my life such as my crazy neighbors, my wonderful wife and my best buddies. I have another blog that I'm author of as well which is called Spiff, The Spaceman. You'll find more zany stuff in that blog, which I created for the sole purpose of making money through blogging.

Hello! My name is Florence. I’m the author of At Home With Popski. I’m a greenhorn in blogging. I started my blog because of blog envy! I’ve been lurking in other people’s blogs for the longest time and I liked how they were able to express their random thoughts. I decided to blog so I can have my own creative outlet and to have a venue for venting out my angst! I’ve been a Stay-At-Home mom for 16 years so naturally and logically, I blog about my thoughts on family life here in my country, the Philippines. With the few posts that I have, my choice post, though not necessarily the most representative of me is the one that describes me as The OC.

i blog under the cyber-nom-de-plume "fortuitous faery" in writings on the wall, a personal blog i created in 2001. my early posts have been mainly inspired by "bridget jones' diary" and were usually concise and no more than 3 sentences. i originally blogged in the philippines, but have now transplanted my blogging wand in new jersey (land of bon jovi and campbell's soup). i blog because it allows me to exercise my thinking skills while i stare at the computer screen, putting my thoughts to keyboard, and then eventually sharing it with the entire cyber universe. i blog because i enjoy reading other people's blogs and have found that one can make new friends through it, while sharing one's take on life's everyday surprises, adventures and simple pleasures. i blog mostly about my travels, books and movies that have delighted me, and my life in new jersey. read about my adopted home state in my posts "a sunday in sussex" and "the beach of sand and fog".

Hi, I'm Jenny Mannion. I blog because I think my story is important to me told. I was ill for many years and had doctors telling me I would only get worse. It wasn't until I became aware of the law of attraction and the mind/body connection that I KNEW I could heal myself. I am now pain free and pain pill free and want to share my story with many to empower them to look at their health and how to make it optimum without pills. I am not against all medications but believe doctors need to take a more integrative approach. Please visit me at heal pain naturally for natural ways to heal physically and emotionally. Of if you have kids and want non-violent computer game recommendations for them -- visit my other blog on kids computer games here.