16 Ways to Press Pause & Slow Down

This is a guest post by Loren Pinilis, who stumbled on my blog a few weeks ago and requested a guest post. Loren writes on time management and living a balanced life, all from a Christian perspective.

Go. Go. Go.

That seems to be the pace of modern life. Everything around us is telling us to go faster, do more, and try harder.

Taking extended breaks to rest and rejuvenate is essential. But you don’t have to wait until the weekend or until your next vacation to recharge.

With just a few minutes of intentional action, you can start today – even right now – to press pause, slow down, and relax. Here are 16 easy things you can do when you need to refresh yourself mentally and physically during your day.

1. Write an encouraging Email to someone.  A lot of people only hear complaints. Compliment someone on what they’re doing. It’ll lift your spirits and give you some perspective.

2. Wash your face. Try this one – it works. Cool water can refresh you when you’re hot, and warm water is very soothing when it’s cold.

3. Pray. Briefly give thanks to God or pray for strength and peace.

4. Stretch.  Get out of your chair and move around. There is loads of science out there that confirms the effectiveness of stretching, both physically and mentally.

5. Get a breath of fresh air. Step outside. Get out in the sunshine.

6. Have a snack. A light healthy snack does wonders to help you slow down, and gives you the energy needed for the next push.

7. Laugh. Watch a funny YouTube clip, or have a conversation with someone who makes you smile.

8. Think of a few things for which you’re grateful. Take a moment to count your blessings.

9. Breathe. It’s cliché for a reason – it works. Take a little while to breathe deeply and slowly.

10. Take off your shoes. Scrunch up your toes and rub your heels. This really does wonders if you’ve been on your feet all day.

11. Pay attention to your posture. Sit or stand up straight. Make sure your desk and chair are correctly positioned.

12. Drink some water. Don’t gulp. Sip on a cool, clean glassful.

13. Listen to a worship song. These do well to help you take a step back and regain an eternal perspective.

14. Get physical. A few jumping jacks or a brief walk around the office can refresh you immensely.

15. Unplug. Turn off your digital devices for an hour and do your most important work.

16. Get perspective on work. Remind yourself that your work is an opportunity and not a burden. Be grateful for the blessing of an income.

A few minutes later, you’re hopefully refreshed and ready to tackle life again.

What are some “tricks” you use to press pause and slow down?

3 Ways to Get On Top of Social Media Before it Gets on Top of You

700 billion minutes.

That’s how much time Facebook’s 500 million active users spend on the site every month! 700 000 000 000 minutes. That’s the equivalent of 1,3 million years – nearly 18 000 lifetimes!

And 7 years ago Facebook didn’t even exist! What did we use to do with all that time??

A recent study of media habits found that 33% of people surveyed admitted to checking Facebook before they even went to the bathroom in the morning; 21% admitted to checking it in the middle of the night; and half of them considered themselves Facebook addicts. Clearly something about Facebook has captivated us and drawn us in.

Me personally? I love social media – Facebook, Twitter, blogs etc. (just not LinkedIn – please stop sending me invites!) They have all helped me build a platform, learn from influential leaders, and stay in touch with friends around the world in remarkable ways.

But even as I type this on my iPad I have a sinking feeling of being overwhelmed.

And I’m beginning to feel like maybe, just maybe, all of my devices, my gadgets, my apps, my social media, own me as much as I own them. As they constantly beep, buzz and vibrate around me, screaming for my attention, I’m starting to wonder whether all this was a good idea in first place.

Now please don’t get me wrong – social media and technology are good things. But, like most good things, they can become bad things.

Social media is both a blessing and a curse.

How we use it will determine which one it will be in our lives. Here are a few tips that can guide us along the way:

1) Own Up

No one likes to admit they’re addicted to something, but if you want to get on top of your habits, you’ve got to own up.

Ask your friends/spouse/children/parents, “Am I using my iPhone/Blackberry too much? Am I on Facebook too much?” Even if their answer is subjective, it is still helpful. Chances are if your wife says you are using your iPad too much, you probably are. (Thanks darling!)

Of course there is no right answer to “How much is too much?”, but a really good exercise is to record how much time you spend on Facebook in a given week. We generally tend to underestimate, and a good look at the raw data may be shocking and revealing.

2) Set Boundaries

I am convinced that in our information overloaded culture, discipline is becoming more and more key. Establishing clear boundaries, while tough to do at first, creates freedom and space in our lives. If we are always just reacting to our devices, compulsively checking email or scrolling through News Feeds, then it’s too easy for technology to get a grip on us and suffocate us.

Some ideas may be to have designated times in your family for going online, or perhaps a “tech-free hour” where you gather for a meal and everyone has to put their phones in a basket or switch them off.

The point is find ways of putting boundaries on your social media that work for you/your family – and force yourself to live within those boundaries.

3) Enjoy It

Having owned up, and established clear boundaries, you are then free to just enjoy the wonders of the Interweb! As I said, social media can be a wonderful thing. But we enjoy it most, when we enjoy it best.

Thanks to Tim Challies for the helpful info and statistics.

Must Have iPhone Apps

Free Apps

Evernote turns your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad into an extension of your brain, helping you remember anything and everything that happens in your life. From notes to ideas to snapshots to recordings, put it all into Evernote and watch as it instantly synchronizes from your iPhone to your iPad to your desktop. The key to using Evernote is learning how to get your notes in (there are so many ways!)

 

Kindle app is optimized for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, giving users the ability to read Kindle books on a beautiful, easy-to-use interface. You’ll have access to over 900,000 books in the Kindle Store, including best sellers and new releases. Find I am reading so much more these days!

 

 

IMDB is the world’s largest collection of movie, TV and celebrity information. IMDb is the leading app on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad to find watch trailers, get movie ratings, browse photo galleries, find latest DVD releases, explore popular charts and share movie info. Great app for deciding what to rent from the DVD store!

 

News24 is South Africa’s leading digital news brand. Stay informed wherever you are and get breaking news, sport and business news from South Africa and around the world.

 

 

WordPress for iOS is a must for any WordPress blogger and makes it super easy to moderate comments, create or edit post or pages, add images or video, and check your stats.

 

 

Facebook for iPad and iPhone. Simple, straightforward, easy to use.

 

 

 

 

 

Hootsuite is my preferred Twitter client for a number of reasons. Firstly I love the way you can schedule tweets/Facebook status updates/Wordpress blogs all from one place. Secondly, the stats are great. And thirdly, the iPhone version is great.

 

Bible is a fantastic free app from Lifechurch.tv. Join over 30 million people who read, listen and share God’s Word using the Bible App. Huge selection of 150+ Bible versions and 200+ plans to help you track your progress. Now also with free audio Bibles!

 

SimpleNote is a very clean and simple note-taking app that I use every single day. It syncs via a cloud across all devices, much like Apple’s built-in notes, but the reason I prefer it is because it has a great online desktop version, and you are able to “scroll back in time” on each note.

 

Skype allows you to call, video call and instant message anyone else on Skype for free on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

 

 

 

SuperSport may be one of the best iPhone sports apps around! Get all the latest news, live scores and information on your favourite sports including football, rugby, cricket, golf and more. All in a well-designed and easy to use app.

 

 

 

Instagram is the iPhone’s best love photo app. With amazing photo filters that transform regular ol’ photos into works of art. Fun & simple to use, snap photos wherever you go to show the world what’s going on in your life, and follow your friends’ photo updates as they move through the world.

 

Windguru is a paddler’s/kiter’s/surfer’s best friend. Probably the best weather site is now available on your iPhone. Accurate wind, wave and weather data can be accessed for almost 3000 spots around the world, from wherever you are in the world

 

 

 

Shazam. Hear a song you don’t know? Shazam identifies it instantly – the 4th most downloaded App of all time.

 

 

 

 

Audible Audible.com, the Internet’s premier provider of digital audiobooks and more, is now available on your iPhone and iPod Touch! This free app features the most comprehensive audiobook experience ever, including Wi-Fi delivery of your Audible.com library, an optimized audiobook player, detailed listening stats, and much more

 

Discovery app is great for anyone on Discovery Health Insurance. It’s simple to use and provides a convenient way to access your information on Discovery Health, Vitality, Discovery Life, Discovery Insure, Discovery Invest and DiscoveryCard – anywhere, anytime. Was really surprised by how good this is

 

RunKeeper uses the GPS technology found in the iPhone to track your fitness activity, giving you comparable results to an expensive GPS watch. The intuitive and easy-to-use interface of the app makes it easy to track how far you went, how long it took, what your pace/speed was, how many calories you burned, and the path you traveled on a map. One of my personal favourites – without it I wouldn’t have made the Comrades Marathon!

Daily Tracker is a very basic but easy-to-use app, which lets you take notes, organize lists or track other important things in your life, such as time, workouts, expenses, calories, food, weight, sleep and actually… pretty much anything else you can think of.

 

MyFitnessPal is without a doubt the best calorie and exercise tracker around (and I’ve tried a bunch!) With the largest food database of any calorie counter (over 1,000,000 foods including many South African brands), and amazingly fast food and exercise entry.

 

Paid Apps:

 

Photosync ($1.99) will transform your photo handling forever. It‘s the first app that makes wireless transfer of your photos/videos from/to your Computer, other devices, Dropbox, and Flickr a breeze. You will never want to use a cable again! Although iCloud now provides this in some form, I still prefer PhoytoSync just in terms of syncing between multiple devices.

GoodReader ($4.99). With GoodReader on your iPad, you can read virtually anything, anywhere: books, movies, maps, pictures. It is hands down the best PDF reader and lets you annotate notes, highlights, freehand right onto the PDFs.

 

 

 iBank ($4.99) Mobile lets you track your day-to-day spending and monitor account balances on the go. It’s easy to enter and categorize transactions, track expenses, or view running balances — all from your iPhone or iPod touch. This comes with a great Desktop app ($59.99). If you are serious about getting your finances and budget in order, this is well worth the price.

 

GoodPlayer ($2.99) Do you enjoy watching videos on your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch? Do you hate not being able to because your device cannot support the video format? Or do you hate the inconvenient and time-consuming hassle of trying to convert video formats to fit into one that your iPhone/iPad can support? This is why GoodPlayer was created.

 

 

Jamie Oliver’s Recipes (Free, but with in-app purchases) is honestly phenomenal! I have been using it for a while now and it has truly opened up a whole new world of cooking! My wife is a useless cook (by her own admission), but even she makes the most delicious meals using the app. It is elegantly and beautifully designed with all the details well thought out! Try it – you won’t regret it!

 

TomTom South Africa ($59.99) offers world-class TomTom navigation on your iPhone or iPad. COmplete with South African accent and constantly updated SA maps. Has got me out of some sticky situations..

 

 

MyPhone+ ($0.99) is a nifty little app that keeps your contacts up-to-date with their latest pictures and information from Facebook. MyPhone+ automatically finds the matching Facebook friends for your contacts and download their data (picture, birthday, status, address, website, company & job title)

 

 

 

AppBox Pro ($1.99) is like the Swiss Army Knife of the iPhone! It is a multipurpose app that combines 21 single purpose applications into one, including unit converter, currency exchange, clineometer (level), date calc, loan calc, ruler, tip calc, translator etc etc.

 

 

WhatsApp ($0.99) Messenger is a cross-platform smartphone messenger currently available for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Nokia phones. The application utilizes push notifications to instantly get messages from friends, colleagues and family. Switch from SMS to exchange messages, pictures, audio notes and video messages with WhatsApp users at no cost.

Of course there are so many other great apps out there. That is the beauty of Apple devices – they are all personal depending on what apps you use.

So what are your favourite apps? I’d love to hear from you.

Must Have iPad Apps

Free Apps

Zite is a personalized magazine for your iPad that automatically learns what you like and gets smarter as you use it. It gives you personalized news, articles, blogs, videos and other content from a variety of both mainstream and niche publications and sites, and have found it to be my number one news reader app.

 

Flipboard is a fast, beautiful way to flip through the news, photos and updates your friends are sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, Flickr and Instagram.

 

 

 

Evernote turns your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad into an extension of your brain, helping you remember anything and everything that happens in your life. From notes to ideas to snapshots to recordings, put it all into Evernote and watch as it instantly synchronizes from your iPhone to your iPad to your desktop. The key to using Evernote is learning how to get your notes in (there are so many ways!)

 

Kindle app is optimized for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, giving users the ability to read Kindle books on a beautiful, easy-to-use interface. You’ll have access to over 900,000 books in the Kindle Store, including best sellers and new releases. Find I am reading so much more these days!

 

IMDB is the world’s largest collection of movie, TV and celebrity information. IMDb is the leading app on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad to find watch trailers, get movie ratings, browse photo galleries, find latest DVD releases, explore popular charts and share movie info. Great app for deciding what to rent from the DVD store!

 

News24 is South Africa’s leading digital news brand. Stay informed wherever you are and get breaking news, sport and business news from South Africa and around the world.

 

 

WordPress for iOS is a must for any WordPress blogger and makes it super easy to moderate comments, create or edit post or pages, add images or video, and check your stats.

 

 

Facebook for iPad and iPhone. Simple, straightforward, easy to use.

 

 

 

 

Hootsuite is my preferred Twitter client for a number of reasons. Firstly I love the way you can schedule tweets/Facebook status updates/Wordpress blogs all from one place. Secondly, the stats are great. And thirdly, the iPhone version is great.

 

 

eBay is now open for business anytime, anywhere on the Apple iPad! If you’re not an eBay user, I encourage you to give it a try. I have ordered many things now from all over the world at a fraction of the cost in South Africa. This app makes it really easy to track your orders, browse and shop, leave feedback, check shipping etc.

 

Bible is a fantastic free app from Lifechurch.tv. Join over 30 million people who read, listen and share God’s Word using the Bible App. Huge selection of 150+ Bible versions and 200+ plans to help you track your progress. Now also with free audio Bibles!

 

SimpleNote is a very clean and simple note-taking app that I use every single day. It syncs via a cloud across all devices, much like Apple’s built-in notes, but the reason I prefer it is because it has a great online desktop version, and you are able to “scroll back in time” on each note.

 

Skype allows you to call, video call and instant message anyone else on Skype for free on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

 

 

 

SuperSport may be one of the best iPad sports apps around! Get all the latest news, scores and information on your favourite sports including football, rugby, cricket, golf and more. All in a well-designed and easy to use app.

 

 

 

Paid Apps:

Photosync ($1.99)will transform your photo handling forever. It‘s the first app that makes wireless transfer of your photos/videos from/to your Computer, other devices, Dropbox, and Flickr a breeze. You will never want to use a cable again! Although iCloud now provides this in some form, I still prefer PhoytoSync just in terms of syncing between multiple devices.

 

GoodReader ($4.99). With GoodReader on your iPad, you can read virtually anything, anywhere: books, movies, maps, pictures. It is hands down the best PDF reader and lets you annotate notes, highlights, freehand right onto the PDFs.

 

 

iDesk ($6.99) is a lesser known app that I think is wonderful. A diagram is worth a thousand words. iDesk allows you to make flow charts, org charts, mind maps, take notes, sketches and do other diagrams with no constraints. If you are a student, or need to draw diagrams for presentations or lectures, this is a must app!

 

Pages ($9.99) is Apple’s default word processor. This powerful app has been exclusively designed for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Create, edit, and view documents wherever you are. Pages works with iCloud, so your documents stay up to date across all your iOS devices — automatically.

 

AirDisplay ($9.99). Ever wish you had an extra display for your Mac or Windows computer? There’s an app for that! With Air Display, you can use your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch as a wireless display, to extend your computer desktop.

 

 

GoodPlayer ($2.99) Do you enjoy watching videos on your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch? Do you hate not being able to because your device cannot support the video format? Or do you hate the inconvenient and time-consuming hassle of trying to convert video formats to fit into one that your iPhone/iPad can support? This is why GoodPlayer was created.

 

Jamie Oliver’s Recipes (Free, but with in-app purchases) is honestly phenomenal! I have been using it for a while now and it has truly opened up a whole new world of cooking! My wife is a useless cook (by her own admission), but even she makes the most delicious meals using the app. It is elegantly and beautifully designed with all the details well thought out! Try it – you won’t regret it!

 

Of course there are so many other great apps out there. That is the beauty of Apple devices – they are all personal depending on what apps you use.

So what are your favourite apps? I’d love to hear from you.

Which iPad Should You Buy?

So you’re in the market for an iPad? Good on you. You deserve it.

Well, I’ve had a few of people asking me recently which model they should buy… iPad 1 or 2? What size? 3G of Wifi? So here’s the deal…

When choosing an iPad there are basically three variables you want to consider: Storage capacity (16GB or 32GB), model no (iPad 1 or 2), and connectivity (3G & Wifi or Wifi only).

Lets address these one at a time.

1) Storage capacity (16GB or 32GB?)

Personally for me the size of the hard drive is not a critical factor. The things that take up the most space are videos, photos and music. I like to store a lot of video and photos on my iPad, but find that I rarely if ever use it for music (I use my iPhone for that).  And so, even with loads of photos and movies, I find 16GB is more than enough space if your’e trying to save some bucks.

2) Model (iPad 1 or 2?)

To be honest there is not a massive difference between the original iPad and the iPad 2. Mainly processor speed (only really critical if you play games), two cameras (again, I prefer to use my iPhone as my camera), and the iPad 2 is significantly slimmer.

Having said that, I would still suggest forking out a bit more for the Pad 2.

For me, it is always worth getting the latest model if it is available because at the rate things are moving these days very soon the iPad 3 will be out, making the iPad 1 look like an Ark, and I’ve noticed more and more apps in the App Store are only compatible with the iPad 2+ (It’s also Apple’s sneaky way of making you buy new hardware every few years!)

If you do decide to go for the iPad 2, I would highly recommend getting a Smart Cover (see picture). It is an ingenious little accessory to the iPad 2 that is well worth it.

3) Connectivity (3G & Wifi or Wifi only?)

This is the most important and determining factor in choosing an iPad model. In my mind, if you live in South Africa, you must get a Wifi and 3G model!

The iPad is at it’s best when you are connected to the internet, and in South Africa, Wifi is still not that common everywhere, and if it is, it’s expensive. 3G will allow you to connect anywhere and everywhere and the 3G data packages are reasonably priced and getting cheaper. Sure Wifi is getting more and more common, but the last thing you want is to rock up at a coffee shop ready to do some work on your iPad and you can’t check your email!

Spend the extra and go 3G!

Well, I hope that helps you make the right decision. I’m sure you’re gonna love your new toy!

How To Give A Great Presentation With Your iPad

For the past few months now I have been using my iPad 2 for just about everything. Reading, writing, social media, photos, web browsing, even video editing… it does it all in one neat little package. Read my previous post on why I love it so much here.

But today I’d like to share specifically on what I’ve learnt about the iPad has a communicator’s tool – in my case for teaching and preaching…

Firstly, can I just say what a pleasure this device has made the entire process – eliminating so many previous steps, taking paper and printing completely out the picture, and enabling me to prepare and present better, faster, and more remotely. Here’s how I do it…

Step 1: Mind-mapping

I always start off by brainstorming general thoughts or impressions. Things on the topic I have to present that immediately jump to mind, stand out, or have been on my heart. For this I find mind-mapping to be extremely effective. I don’t necessarily have to worry at this stage about structure or outline, and mind-mapping allows me to simply splurge everything in my mind onto paper, including articles I have come across, tweets, links, Bible verses, even pictures or photos.

For this I use two programs – on my desktop: MindJet Manager (Free), on my iPad: iThoughts HD ($9.99), and on my iPhone: iThoughts (Free). These programs sync seamlessly so whether I am at home on the couch and something jumps to mind, or at the office at my laptop, I simply add to the map and all 3 devices stay perfectly synced.

At this stage I just have to mention Evernote (Free). This is undoubtably the app I use the most on my phone, laptop and iPad, and is incredibly powerful and useful! It allows me to capture ideas, thoughts, photos, websites, quotes etc etc instantly; organise my thoughts effectively; and access that information fast from anywhere. It is basically my brain on the web.

Step 2: Word Processing

After brainstorming, I begin the process of getting it down into a logical structure. With my mind-map open and at hand I start with a basic outline or a scripture as a skeleton, and then fill in the “meat” with stories, anecdotes, illustrations etc. This process usually takes the longest and requires some refining. I’ve found it helps to have a “cobb” – a single “main point” upon which everything else hangs. You may expand that idea into more sub points or applications, but ask yourself, “If my listeners get one thing and one thing only, what do I want that to be?” At this stage you have to be ruthless to stay true to the “main thing” and eliminate everything else that does not point towards or illuminate your main idea.

For this stage I use Microsoft Word for Mac on my laptop, or Pages ($9.99) on my iPad. I find these two programs are the most powerful, allow me to use the formatting I like, and using Dropbox (free) I can keep them in sync.

Step 3: Exporting

Once I am happy with the content, the next step is to get it on to my iPad ready for presenting. Of course you could always just present straight from Pages or from your Word doc, but I find that to be limiting. You can’t easily alter the text and the scrolling down feels unnatural. I prefer using GoodReader ($4.99), which in my opinion is one of the best apps for the iPad and certainly worth every penny!

Because I like my words to be big on the iPad screen, I format my text to 22 Arial and then save the doc as a PDF file, before copying the file to Dropbox. GoodReader works hand in hand with Dropbox and so I can simply open any Dropbox file from within GoodReader and I’m good to go.

Step 4: Presenting

GoodReader has many features but what I like about it most is the intuitive scrolling and zooming, the ability to highlight, scratch out, or add text on the fly. You can even add diagrams and free-hand drawings to your notes in case you get some last minute inspiration. It also has a very handy “auto-lock” function that prevents the screen from auto-rotating as you move around. Just make sure you adjust your “sleep mode” under settings on your iPad so it doesn’t go to sleep in the middle of your talk!

I also know that the iPad can be used in conjunction with a VGA out and Keynote ($9.99) to present powerpoint presentations effortlessly and stylishly, but I have not yet explored this myself…

Well, if you’ve read this far, well done! I hope that this helps those of you who communicate and/or teach regularly and that it will help you present with greater confidence and clarity! Good luck!

3 Reasons Why I Love My iPad 2

Now I know Apple fans (or should I say Apple disciples) can come across as arrogant and superior. All PCs are seen as inferior and Steve Jobs is referred to as the 4th person in the Trinity!

This post is not intended to be like that.

I simply have experienced the iPad as a revolutionary device that is changing the way I work and would like to share why I think it is so fantastic. I could give many more, but here are 3 reasons that stand out…

1) It just works.
Firstly, Apple products come fully charged out the box. So all I had to do was plug it in and within 30 minutes it had already synced with my MacBook and iPhone and everything was set up. All my contacts, my calendars, my email accounts, browser bookmarks, password settings, photos, music, apps – literally everything! – even my high scores on the games I play. Voila!

2) It just feels right.
The iPad 2 is small and thin. Very thin. It easily fits into a handbag (I’m obviously referring to my wife’s handbag) or can be carried in your hand. I was a bit apprehensive about the typing experience on the tablet, but I have been so surprised by how natural it feels. I can type equally as fast as on my laptop, and the hand gestures and motion controls feel so intuitive a child could pick it up. The screen is bright and beautiful, and the entire form of the device is elegant and simple – an absolute pleasure to use.

3) It’s very convenient.
Last week I attended lectures and needed to do some heavy word processing, intense web browsing, draw diagrams, modify office docs, check mail, and even edit a film. Previously I would have needed my laptop, books, bible, a power chord, my laptop bag etc etc, but this week I have simply taken my iPad in hand and it’s easily handled the whole lot! And even better, even with all this heavy use, the battery life is incredible – over 10 hours and still going strong! And no need to lug cables and chargers around with you!

Of course I could talk about many more advantages of the iPad – like the gift it is for those of us who regularly communicate, preach or present. I could talk about the thousands of applications that enhance the device and personalize it for every user. I could talk about the dream it is to read books on. But let me instead pay homage to the wise and all-powerful creator of it all.

Thank you Steve Jobs, we love you. Amen.

Do Power Balance Bracelets Really Work?

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, let me enlighten you. Power Balance bracelets are plastic bracelets embedded with a hologram that supposedly “works with your body’s natural energy field to increase strength, flexibility and overall performance.”

And they are everywhere!  In fact, it seems nowadays that every second person you meet is wearing one.

A while ago as a joke I tweeted -

“To all you Power Balance bracelet wearers – I have a ring that repels dragons, and I am willing to send it to you for free!”

- and it caused quite a stir! It seems to me that there are people on both sides. Those who swear by them, and those who say they are a complete scam!

As a physiotherapist trained in clinical reasoning, my initial reaction was “C’mon – you’ve got to be kidding me! Where are the random-double-blind studies? The hard facts proving it works?” And the truth is – there are none. In fact in Australia recently Power Balance posted a retraction and had to apologize to consumers for misleading advertising.

But, despite all this, I am also an owner of the infamous Power Balance bracelet (someone gave it to me I promise!) and, I have to be honest, I’ve worn it a few times surfing and paddling. You see, even though my brain is telling me this thing is just a brilliant and well-marketed money-making scheme – a modern version of “snake-oil” – there is also a small part of me that wants to believe it works.

Because the truth is we all want a magic formula.

Whether it’s to sort out our marriage, increase our business, build our ministry, or get a six-pack, we are all susceptible to taking the quick and easy option. Unfortunately, as I’m figuring out, for the most part there are no magic formulas or quick fixes in life. Relationships, love and financial freedom, like “power, balance, and flexibility” take work. A lot of hard work.

The bible says it like this: “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” (Prov 21:5)

So… what do you think about Power Balance? Real-deal, placebo or hoax?

And more importantly, what challenge or problem in your life are you avoiding or looking for the magic formula to fix?

PS: I still have those dragon rings if any of you are interested. I’ll give you a special price

My Mom is on Facebook

So you finally caved. You’ve accepted a friend request from your mom.

Don’t worry, everyone’s doing it.

In fact, according to surveys by InsideFacebook.com the fastest growing age category on Facebook is 55-65! And in a more recent study, it was also shown that a large percentage of iPad users fell into the “senior” category. So, what does this all mean? Is it because the older generation are simply the late adopters, and up till now they’ve still been trying to figure out how the mouse works, or are they truly becoming more and more tech savvy?

I think it’s a bit of both.

But one things for sure – for the most part our parents are not afraid to learn and try new things. And as the next generation we must be careful not to dismiss or undermine their wisdom and experience (simply cause they don’t know how to use their Blackberry).

The bible says “honour your parents”. It encourages us to learn and share across the generations – that both sides have things to gain from each other.

And so maybe, if we let them, the ballies could still teach us a thing or two…