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how to stop binge eating

Glenn Livingston – Never Binge Again: How to Stop Binge Eating, Stress Eating, and Overeating (AoL 110)

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It wasn’t too long ago that residents of the US grew their own food. Instead of letting the big food companies and government tell us what to eat, we grew most of our food on our local farms.

Ever since we’ve let big agriculture take over, however, obesity has been on the incline. Sweet foods that we like to eat have become more abundant throughout the year and more readily available.

Because of this, phrases like binge eating, stress eating, and overeating have become the norm.

But because it’s normal, doesn’t mean it’s right.

In this conversation, I talk with Dr. Glenn Livingston about how to induce a mental anchor that will help us get out of destructive bad habits when it comes to food.

Having worked with the food industry as well as researching the topics through his own practice, he has found a great way to associate these bad habits with actions that don’t identify us.

In this session, find out more about that method and how you can apply it your own bad eating behaviors.

Enjoy!

 

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • How did Glenn get into the marketing world after being formally trained as a psychologist? 9:59
  • What was the point in his career that he felt was a major breakthrough to where he is today? 15:52
  • How did he decide what his next steps in life were when he was in the midst of his break down? 23:32
  • Why is it that food that’s affordable is typically made from bad stuff? 30:46
  • How did he learn to keep himself from engaging in unhealthy behavior? 34:31
  • Should one address overeating and binge eating the same way they address stress eating? 39:08
  • Why does portion control work and planning out meals for the week work as well as it does? 45:04
  • 3 top books he recommends or gives to others? 49:03
  • Fact from today that would blow the mind of someone from 10 years ago? 49:29
  • One thing under $100 that has changed his life? 50:07
  • Something that isn’t as bad as he thought it would be? 50:39
  • What’s one thing all high school students must know? 51:05
  • What’s the secret to achieving personal freedom? 51:34
  • … and MUCH more!

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

 

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

When Sugar is Poison, Let It Go!

Best Advice for Someone who Alternates Between Binging and Starving

All about Sneak Eating:

What if We Are Meant to Live to 150?

BONUS – Dr. Gundry on How Plants are Poisoning Us with Lewis Howes (Preview)

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

emotional breakdown

Bren Dubé – Thriving after an Emotional Breakdown: 3 Steps to Get You to Your Breakthrough (AoL 109)

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We live in a negative world. Society forces most of us to see things in a certain light and make us believe we have no power to change it. However, as creatives, we have the power to actually do something – because we’re creating!

Sometimes though, as creators we get lost along the path. We’re still doing our own work, but we’re doing it in a way that’s dictated to us in how we should be doing it.

Case in point, you have today’s guest, Bren Dubé. Bren is a successful musician. However, he realized that the lifestyle he was living while he was with his band Letterbomb wasn’t one he really wanted.

Once he realized that, he set out on a quest to find the life he wanted.

His secret was that he had a breakthrough. And what’s great is what he learned through his breakthrough is helping others achieve their own!

If you’re living a numb life and waiting to get to that next level, perhaps this chat will help you find more fulfillment in your life and work.

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • How did Bren’s background influence his start in music? 8:38
  • How did his band Letterbomb actually get off the ground and what lead to it’s failure? 16:44
  • With all their “success” – why did Bren’s brother decide to call him and let him know that he couldn’t be in the band any longer? 20:58
  • Where does he think he would be in life had his brother NOT quit the band? Does he feel he’s fulfilling his role as part of the Hero
  • Generation? 34:24
  • How do you help people that are going through a breakdown in their life? 41:17
  • What are Bren’s 3 Foundations of Change? 48:28
  • What’s next on the horizon for Bren? 56:27
  • Top books he recommends to others? 59:58
  • What’s one thing all high school students must know? 1:02:36
  • What’s it mean to live a life of abundance? 1:03:21
  • … and MUCH more!

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

 

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Bren – Let Go:

Bren – HONEST:

Cover of Razor by Foo Fighters (Acoustic):

Bren on TEDx:

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

what is networking

What is Networking: A Way to Get More Stuff Done!

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With the recent creation of the Junto on Facebook some members have started calling me “networking machine”. I don’t know about that particular title, but one of my joys is getting people and ideas together to do awesome things!

I guess you could call that networking. And if that’s the case, then yeah – I’m a networker. Or as I would rather call it – a Connector.

In this post originally written in August 14, 2012, I wrote about how anyone can be an effective connector. However, to start being a connector – you have to connect first!

So let’s look at how to do that more effectively in our day to day lives:

Identifying Puzzle Pieces:

Yesterday I was on a call where we were talking about the benefits of partnering with nonprofits to expand business. Normally, in the past, this wouldn’t have made sense to me to spend time doing. Why? Because, most of the nonprofits I’ve known about in the past  were the type of people that are for a Nanny State. They want to take care of people (which, in theory, is great!) but do it on the dime of the taxpayer (not so great!). They live mainly on grants.

While many nonprofits can be described as this, there are many others that actually perform their own fundraising initiatives. Those were the nonprofits we were talking about – and it was interesting to learn how one might leverage people who you know to break into those nonprofits.

And it got me thinking, how do I network now compared to when I was in school? Even in recent years?

When I was in school, I just randomly met people with very little purpose. Nowadays, I’m always playing the role of HR director in my head.

(For what it’s worth, the call was with Mark Boersma and Tom Kunz)

Networking in Our Daily Lives

If you’re looking to get anything done, there is a list of generalized steps that you’re probably going to take whether you know you’re doing it or not:

  1. Plan
  2. Take Action on that Plan
  3. Get Results
  4. Re-evaluate the Plan
  5. Adjust that Action
  6. Get Different Results

Nowhere in those 6 steps did I mention that other people had to be a factor. Here’s the thing. There’s only so many hours in a day, and there’s only so many strengths that you have. If you spend your time working on your weaknesses to get things done and not on your strengths, you’re going to get a lot less done with your time.

Part of the key of being Great is being Effective. If you use Appreciative Inquiry in how you see the world, you see a lot more opportunities – including opportunities with other people.

Not part of a Traditional Organization?

So, what to do if you’re a solopreneur who’s not part of an organization like a Chamber of Commerce or a Rotary group?

Not a big deal – Just get out to other events and network. Get to know people. Build relationships. The more relationships you have, the more people that you can add value to, the more things will work out for you.

Zig Ziglar is well known for saying, “You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.”

Start helping others out!

 

Who Are These People?

Generally speaking, I like to network with those that I can work with to get something done together. I feel the more productive people that I have in my life, the more, in return, I can get done. I actively think about and look for those people.

In doing so, I consider personalities, strengths, and weaknesses.

I consider personalities because I want easy people to work with. If you’re a particular type of personality, do you want to have similar people like yourself to work with or someone that might be more of a compliment in skills but you think is a complete ass? While having complementing skills can be useful, in the long run, if the personalities don’t mesh, it’ll have a polarizing effect and potentially kill what you both struggle to build.

As mentioned above, I consider strengths because I need people who fill in for my weaknesses.

But I also consider their weaknesses, because I want to make sure that I can offer them something that they don’t possess. And also, depending on what I’m looking for at the moment, I’ll ask them particular questions which I call key questions.

They can be your Potential Clients too!

These people don’t have to be JUST people you are looking to work with, they can and should include your clients. What kind of clients do you want? Whomever you’re trying to attract, you have to consider what they’re looking for. Do a good job with them, and they’ll recommend you to others!

Also, as a friendly reminder: you’re selling yourself all the time. So make sure you’re making a good first impression of yourself by dressing well everyday.

Just as you would dress up for a job interview, in meeting new friends, or going on a date (which is a form of networking), dress up when you are out and about. You should be prepared to meet that next big client!

At least if you dress well, you have a chance. If you don’t dress your part, you’ll surely miss out!

 

Action Steps:

First of all, join us in The Junto. Networking is the whole point of the group!

Secondly, let me know how you network. What are some of your secrets in making networking sessions effective? Do you have any key things that you’re thinking and/or wanting to know when you’re meeting with people?? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!

 

knowing when to quit

Knowing When to Quit: Sometimes you have to Slow Down to Speed Up

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I’ve been struggling with a question that has been making me think recently. Last week during my 9/12 rememberance, one of the things that I realized was that “things change”.

This has always been the case, obviously, with just about anything – but it’s especially true with online business and marketing.

When I first ran across the online entrepreneurial community, there weren’t nearly as many players as they are today. Facebook and Twitter were still becoming mainstream for businesses to use (I mean, I remember when the Twitter Marketing for Dummies came out. It was the first of its kind!)

Back then, blogs were still popular on the web and the good blogs had their own YouTube channel and podcasts.

In fact, at the time, Pat Flynn said the strategy that worked for him to get noticed was one he dubbed “Be Everywhere”.

And for the longest time, it seems that this strategy has worked for plenty of other folks out there – people who have had success building their popularity on the web.

But, as I said, things change.

 

Using the Web in 2017

When you think about how people use the web in 2017, how is it different than say someone using it in 2013 or even 2011?

For me, I know that more than half of consumers who used to use laptops and desktops have opted for something a little smaller – especially in their time off.

They’re using their phone.

Even more, they’re probably checking Facebook and other social media apps much more regularly than going to someone’s web page or simply checking what’s trending on Google.

Why?

Just like you want to make it easier for people to take as few left turns as possible to get to a drive-thru, Facebook has made it so that everything can be found under one roof. Much easier than navigating on a browser to a webpage… and then another.

Why leave Facebook?

So, it’s pretty easy to see why people are making a killing building sales funnels through Facebook. The eyeballs are on it all the time.

Sure, you can spend a ton of time becoming a thought leader and developing your own external brand, but why?

Things have changed. What worked 5 or even a couple years ago, might not necessarily work today.

 

Knowing when to Quit

So, here’s the plan, guys. As you might have heard on the podcast last week, I’m going to be more available on Facebook throughout the week as well as taking a few courses that I’ve been meaning to take.

After my initial posting of the Facebook Mega Group post, I’ve been thinking – why aren’t I building one of these groups myself?

What occurred to me was that I’m getting lost in the details of the work I’m doing. It seriously takes me like 2 and a half days of working time to produce a podcast episode based on my personal tastes. That’s half the week! Not to mention the time I put into finding and talking with guests, and then marketing the new episode.

By the time all is said and done, I easily have 3 days in each episode. The other two days are shot with meetings and/or researching and writing these posts.

Frankly, I don’t have much time, if any, to actually go through new courses or spend time engaging with you all!

So, last week, as per what Lisa recommended, I have to spend my energy more appropriately. I have to get higher. I can’t stay down in the weeds all the time.

Plus, I have to make sure I follow the recent advise that Brendon said. It went something like “If your current work isn’t going to get you to a place where you’re happy – then why continue the work?”.

Here’s the video of Brendon on when to quit.

 

Coming to a Solution – Slow Down to Speed Up

Here’s the thing, though. I don’t want to quit the podcast outright. It’s been my way of meeting great people on Facebook and at the same time, giving them a way to get their message out there. Personally, since I listen to podcasts as often as I do, I’d just feel weird if I wasn’t producing them all of a sudden.

So, that’s where the two a month solution came from. While it might not be new content each week – I get the chance to actually study other’s content again and apply new findings to my business and help you guys with yours as well.

Plus, I figure this might give some folks a bit of time to hear all the old episodes. Heck, it might even give me some time to remaster some of those old interviews!

 

Action Steps

So there’s my take guys. This why I need to change things up a bit. Hopefully it gives you guys some permission to change things up in your own business as well.

Ask yourself – is what you’re doing right now, the way you’re doing it, going to get you to happiness any quicker? Is there something else you could try to get there?

For Arne and JR – making a Facebook Group was the option they took to achieve the results they have today. Maybe it’s time for you to consider the same thing?

That said, stay tuned for specifics on the new group! I hope to have info out about it at the end of the week!!

 

Bonus: 

Also, since we’re on the topic of slowing down to speed up. Check out this footage of a Bugatti Veron having problems with a speed bump:

reading body language

Lisa Mitchell – Becoming Aware of Your Body Posture: Why Reading Body Language and Giving the Right First Impression are Vital to Success (AoL 105)

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Whether you’re on a phone, in person, or standing on stage – communication is king. In general, when you think about the word communication, your first thought probably is a vision of someone talking.

I know that’s the case for me.

However, during the time when we’re talking or simply standing still, our body is actually speaking for us as well. In fact, non-verbal communication is often what truly conveys our message more so than our actual words!

In today’s chat with Lisa Mitchell, we find out more about non-verbal communication and how it affects our daily lives as well as our businesses. We also get into why authenticity is so important in today’s world, and we even get into why body language needs to be part of the next generation of online dating.

 

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • Why did Lisa leave behind a career as a coffee house owner to pursue her current career? 10:03
  • Why was the underlying reason she struggled with her first business? 14:47
  • What was her “aha moment” when she realized that she wanted to help people communicate better? 18:56
  • What are some ways that a person can manage their first impression a bit more? 26:41
  • What are the three parts of nonverbal communication? 31:31
  • Why does Lisa believe that the market demands authenticity from their experts? 36:32
  • When it comes to body language, how does being aware of your decoding process help? 39:36
  • What are some of the common conflicts and trends Lisa has seen between Millennials and Corporate? 46:41
  • What got her started helping people in romantic relationships as well? 51:17
  • How are some common problems that young professionals have when it comes to dating? 57:08
  • What does Lisa think the next big thing in online dating is? 1:01:13
  • How can someone plan for a good first impression? 1:04:06
  • What does Lisa have coming up to look forward to? 1:06:07
  • Who are three influencers that has helped her get to where she is today? 1:07:53
  • What’s here least favorite social custom? 1:12:12
  • What kind of advice does she hear parents giving kids that she’d call BS on? 1:14:25
  • How can someone be a difference maker in their community? 1:18:01
  • … and MUCH more!

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Be a human lie detector:

Own the Room (pt1):

Own the Room (pt2):

Avoid the Question Inflection (Don’t be a valley girl!):

What does LeBron’s post-shot behavior mean?:

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

getting older

5 Realizations About Getting Older (Which Might Seem Bad at First!)

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As I’m sitting here watching the Great American Eclipse of 2017, it hit me. This isn’t the first one I remember seeing. In fact, there’s been a few others. But you wouldn’t know that based on all the commotion about this one.

I remember in junior high there was one as well. Funny enough, I don’t recall anyone talking about it! It just seemed to have happened.

I specifically remember seeing it as I was going to lunch period. And, what’s funny, is that I ended up pointing it out to my friends in a puddle. (I guess a little eye damage is better than a lot!)

Come to find out, there were several around that time frame – even if they were partial eclipses. Not exactly sure which year it was, unfortunately. 🙁

But, it’s interesting. That was around 20 years ago. 20 YEARS. At that time I thought anyone that was 20 years old was not exactly old… but at least almost consider an adult!

But now I’m 35, quickly approaching 36. That realization (as well as a Adults React video I watched yesterday) had me thinking:

What are some things I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older?

More specifically: What are some things that I’ve learned that at one point might have been considered a bad thing?

Here’s that video if you need some help feeling old:

Stop Feeling Immortal

So, the last day of 2010, my mom suddenly passed. Needless to say, life suddenly changed. I still remember that morning pretty vividly. Just coming to terms with it all.

Up to that point, I had been to many funerals with my mom. I never really thought too much about death. Only the rare instance that she had prepped me for when it happened to her. She mentioned I was to do a list of things. One of which was cremating her because she didn’t want bugs in her body! Kind of odd, right? I guess it just grossed her out too much, apparently!

Anyway, it’s been nearly 7 years since then. And that time, I feel, has totally flown by quicker than all the time before it. Partially because I’ve met and married Maria during that time. But also because I have an exact reference point in my mind.

With that reference point, I’ve realized that knowing that my time is limited is a GREAT motivator. In a odd way, I feel that her passing has given me the freedom to realize that I could pursue a “secure” career and get a regular 9 to 5.  But there’s that creative side of me that would never be ok with that. In fact, I know I’d get bored in a traditional role (I had jobs before that time and each one I was always thinking if I was supposed to fit in that role or not).

So, I think it’s safe to say that I’ve learned how to live better and fuller.

 

Becoming More Realistic

Because I’ve realized that I’m not going to live forever (even though there is a chance for the singularity to come around 2030 to copy us all digitally), I’ve had to get more real.

Some might say that this pessimism setting in, but the world, as much as the self improvement world would rather have you believe, is full of crap that you’re going to have to deal with.
In a recent interview with Lewis Howes, Mark Manson talks about how the book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck came into existence.

They talk about a few key points in that conversation including why you need to learn how to deal with the fact that bad stuff happens to all of us AND that when you accept that it’s there, it’s actually better to see it and deal with it than pretend it’s not.

I’m Not as Smart as I’d Like to Think I Am

Here’s the thing. When I was an 8th grader, I thought I knew it all. Then I became a 9th grader and I realized I didn’t.

When you’re out of school, whether it’s high school or college, that feeling – it never really goes away. Part of adulting is not knowing the answers for everything and just winging it as you go on.

Sure, there are some basic things that we feel that everyone should know – but when they don’t, that shouldn’t give us the permission to be upset with them. We have no idea what the context of their life has been.

When you realize this simple fact, it’s actually quite freeing. The truth is that we’re always learning. Not only will you loosen up on what you expect from others, but you won’t expect as much from yourself. This means, you won’t try to answer questions you don’t know the answers to!

 

Less Need for Social Acceptance

When I was in college, I felt like a complete loser if I didn’t have anything to do on a Friday night. Staying in and playing video games online was pretty average for me – even after I got my license as a bartender.

I just never saw the point of getting drunk for the heck of it and that pretty much seemed to be what was going on around Purdue’s campus each and every weekend.

Well, that was until I realized that were alternative groups that I could belong to and those – well – those were fun!

These days, I find Maria and myself staying in on Friday nights. Why? Because our weeks simply take too much out of us to go have a night life. Our weekends are OURS! When we do go out, it’s not because we feel some social obligation to do so – it’s because we’ve made the choice to do it. Same for staying in. It feels nice to not have those expectations that I used to have.

 

No Idea What’s Going on in Mainstream Culture (for the most part!)

When I was growing up and on through college, I felt that to be popular you had to know what was popular. So I always knew what the popular music was of the time and I watched as much shows on TV as I could. I wanted to be part of the inside and know all the references!

Ever since I became a creative, and even before then, I can pretty much tell you that there’s no way I can keep up with it all anymore. Hell, I don’t even have the time to follow my own favorite shows anymore. But that said, at least I don’t have to try and keep my finger of the pulse of stuff I don’t care for.

The truth is, the more I’ve paid more attention to what I like doing and paying attention to, the happier I’ve become.

There’s only so many hours in a week.

 

Action Steps

I think the main thing that we can learn is this: take time to improve on the important things in your life.

Those things break down into the 5 Pillars of Happiness: physical, mental, spiritual, financial, and the final one I call “little things”. That one is all about the things that make you different than people you know that are on the same walk of life as you.

Focusing on these 5 things so will make you happier and more content in the long run. But you have to do the development equally. (I saw a great post by upcoming AoL podcast guest JR Rivas who shared his dad talking about this in his marketing group.)

If you want to share anything that you’ve learned as you’ve gotten older, I’d love to hear about it below. I’m sure there’s some things I’ve missed!

benefits of video games

Benefits of Video Games: Are they Simply an Escape from Reality?

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I’ve had Cam Adair on the AoL podcast a couple of times since I’ve originally written this post back on September 14th, 2010. If you’re not familiar with Cam, he’s founder of the company Game Quitters.

He created Game Quitters to help people get off the addiction of playing video games.

Just like any other addiction, gaming addiction is serious and needs to be dealt with. But for other folks, such as myself, gaming is a way to take a break from our craft and other work of the day.

Some folks watch sports, UFC, or hang out with friends when they’re taking a break. Being an introvert, that wasn’t necessarily my calling when I was younger. Over time, I’ve just learned to game when I have some down time. And I’m not talking little Facebook or phone games – I mean the real deal on a console!

In this old post, I shared why it’s ok to be a gamer as an entrepreneur. Heck, even Elon Musk is a fan of gaming!

Setting the Stage:

“Oh, c’mon!”, I exclaimed as I got shot in the head for the umpteenth time today. “Man, that dude is camping. Can someone take him out?”, I asked as I spawned yet again. “Fine, I’ll get him.”

Today is September 9.14.10 – release day of Halo: Reach. At any one time, there has been 500,000+ gamers on Bungie.net/Xbox LIVE enjoying they’re brand new toy. Young and old alike, they are definitely enjoying themselves – as I have for the past half day already (I was in a midnight line for it).

Today’s games are so much more than they once were. Obviously, the video game industry is exploding. People of all ages are enjoying them, whether on a computer, game console or the Internet. If asked what people most think about them, there are several one worded responses that a person might use to describe them: Real (Almost). Thrilling. Heart Throbbing. Competitive. Imaginative. Addictive. Yes, all of these words describe the games in the marketplace today, but why is it that it’s becoming more of the social norm?

Studies show different reasons why people play video games. What is it really that makes people so enthralled by these creations, that they don’t mind spending countless hours on them?

Let’s take a look.

Escape from Stress:

This is the reason that most people who aren’t gamers think that those who play actually play. And this might be true for certain game types.

The daily grind can be very daunting and stressful to say the least. A video game, however, can be a place for a player to “lose themselves”. Because, in the games, they feel the bliss and release of being in control. After they hit the power switch, they are in a virtual world that makes sense to them — a place where they can be whoever or whatever they choose without worrying about how they look or act. This and the fact that they don’t have to worry about how any other of their daily lives.

But this isn’t the only reason.

In Search for Social Lives

In days past, people have played various games to interact with people. Be it basketball, golf, or Dungeons & Dragons, games have always given people a way of learning about and getting closer to family, friends or even dates.

To many people who play video games, they are an extension of this. As video games have developed over the years so have their abilities to bring people closer to each other. Xbox LIVE can give a person an opportunity to interact with their team by yelling orders, but it can also give them a medium to just chat and relax with people on the other end – male and female alike.

Basically, gamers today believe that playing video games can be a venue for developing their social lives.

A great example of this is Franz Cavatorta in session 85 who has gotten together with his gamer friends in real life multiple times during vacation and holiday.

Practicing Skills:

In recent years, the U.S. military has taken to using video games to conduct practice campaigns. There are different reasons for this:

1.) To save money
2.) Promote safety
3.) The ability to control all aspects of the campaign.
4.) Keep things simple.

Video games simply provide an advantage over older simulators.

Recently I also saw a video presentation via TED about how gamers could use their skills in solving some of the biggest problems in our world today. Jane McGonigal on how gaming make a better world. This leads into the next section.

Exercising the Brain:

Gamers will also tell you that whatever game they play, they’re brain is being used (alot more than can be said for most TV watchers!).

Be it hand-eye coordination or developing and executing strategy, games offer a way for gamers to practice skills that they might not be able to learn in school or on the job. In a sense they’re building their intuition – their “non-mind” thinking. However, as always, this shouldn’t be confused with being smart. Being smart and having knowledge isn’t the same thing as gaining intuition through experience.

Obviously in the future, with the introduction of Wii Sports, exercising the body might be just as normal as exercising the mind on any given entertainment system.

WARNING: Gaming can be Addictive!

With all of these different points of view of how gaming can be beneficial to your life, it can also be harmful.

Just like anything else in life, if you find yourself playing games too much, you might need to quit cold turkey. For me, I know I can quit when I want to in a given session. True, I don’t stop until I’m at a good stopping point – but I know when to turn it off.

Unfortunately, there are a ton of folks

For whatever reason, if you’re looking to quit your addiction to video games – check out my friend Cam Adair’s first AoL interview or his follow up Silver Edition here.

Wrap Up:

There are multiple reasons why people play video games. While it is still being determined if there are really negative repercussions of playing them to escape reality (and I believe there are), there are other reasons that gamers play them and they will tell you as so if you happen to test them on it. As anyone that normally uses Facebook will tell you, it is perfectly normal for people to develop and maintain relationships online. It is also a place for people to entertain themselves with the added feature of challenges for the mind. In fact, it might help to solve world problems. With the introduction of Wii Sports, video games have also become a way to physically exercise as well.

If you play video games, why do you??