Life is not a walk in the park. There will always be times when we encounter problems and trials. However, there are times when our problems can seem so large that it feels like we can’t go on anymore. It is during times like this when we need to have an outlet or else we’d just go crazy.

My life isn’t perfect. It never was and it never will be. Like you I have had my share of ups and downs. 5 years ago I discovered something about my family that shook my world. I was still in college then. I was so busy with graduation, school activities and my business of selling indoor fountains and glass vases I thought I had everything going for me. I had good grades, great friends and a bright future. Then over sem-break my mom revealed that my father owed millions to his business partner. This shocking news affected the entire family greatly. I wanted to solve it but I didn’t know how. I wanted to forget it but I knew that wouldn’t help matters. The enormity of it just seemed to consume me. I felt like my world was crashing down on me. I needed to have an outlet. So I turned to the one thing that I did best. I turned to blogging.

Everyday at the crack of dawn while everybody was still asleep I would turn on my laptop, go online and start writing like crazy. I didn’t advertise my blog. I just wanted an outlet for all this emotional turmoil within me. I went on with my life. But I never forgot to blog everyday. read more

It really depends on whom you’re asking… your super supportive aunt?  Well, then it’s a great career choice.  If you’re asking your school guidance counselor or your conservative parents, it probably won’t go over too well.  Blogging certainly has the potential to be a viable career choice, but when will it be accepted by the general public as a career choice?

There are really 3 issues

1. Perceived minimal barriers to entry.

2. Most people don’t truly understand blogs and how they can be monetized.

3. The success rate of making a decent living isn’t very good.

Anyone can be a blogger.  While it’s not easy to earn a living as a blogger, it’s easy to become a blogger.  What do you really need?  A free or very inexpensive website and the application of your time.  Any career that has minimal barriers to entry is not going to be accepted by those that are more conservative.  Their belief is that you should have to go to school, receive training, and at least do something to earn the right or the experience/knowledge needed to become a blogger.  Blogging is a relatively new field. School and colleges are usually ten years behind the real world in terms of determining what training is vital to the workforce.  Many colleges only recently began offering degrees in Web Design.  I work at a high school in New York.  I have yet to see any teacher complete or attempt any lesson plans related to blogging.

The truth is, most successful bloggers are far more sophisticated in their blogging activities than those that fail.  read more

This is a guest post by Kim De, a freelance writer and author of Zen Kitchen, a blog focused on recipes and food issues.

Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For animals to remain strong and healthy under adverse situations. For humans to maintain their well-being. For agriculture to satisfy human needs for generations.

It is a word that has been batted around for awhile and has been prevalent in the media recently as farmers who are using sustainable practices are finally getting the spotlight.

But what if we were to stretch the definition to encompass other areas of our lives? Sustainable relationships. Sustainable employment. Sustainable blogging.

Lets see how easy it is to adopt the techniques used by farmers to bloggers. read more

David Fishman is a blogger and food enthusiast who likes to cook and blog about how to make sushi at his website, How to Make Sushi At Home.

You’ll notice that I’ve found a clever way to work this into the first paragraph of my guest blog post. That wasn’t the purpose of relating it to you right now though, so give me a chance and keep reading.

It’s the juxtaposition of blogging and sushi preparation that I’d like to talk about, because indeed, they are listed together in my author section, and indeed, they have a number of interesting parallels inherent in their existence. Let’s talk for a little bit about why making sushi is actually exactly like making a blog. For those of you with blogs out there, I hope you’ll be convinced to start making sushi (hey I have a great place for you to learn *hint hint*). For those of you who make sushi, maybe you’ll be inspired to start blogging. read more

This is a guest post by Gary Kohler from LifeCover.ca.

To get noticed as a blogger you need to stand out.

You need to pick a niche and be the strongest voice of that online community. To get attention you need to stir the pot every once in a while but most of all you need to keep people wanting more.

There are many ways that this is similar to the world of gangster rap and here are five reasons why.

1) “Final” Goodbyes

Bloggers and rappers both love the “final” goodbye. The brackets are there because usually the final goodbyes are not actually final.

Some rappers will retire every second album but they will inevitably come back for another record or three. Bloggers do this too. They might need a vacation or some time to focus on their family but a lot of times they’ll come crawling back to their little soapbox.

Rappers do it to sell more records and to hype their newest effort. Bloggers likely do it for comment love and to send people to their newest blog or website. Once in a while a blogger or rapper will quit for good but most of the time they’ll be back for more. read more