Google released a new privacy policy this week, reminding us that the services and apps we use aren’t free—we pay for them with our privacy. This weekend, take a look at your digital life and audit your privacy settings to keep your personal information as locked down as possible. More »

Original post by Whitson Gordon

If you live in Canada, the northern USA or any other region in the world where there are cold winters, I’m sure that you hear it all the time. Many people in these areas will constantly complain about how bitter cold it is outside during the winter months. These folks hate winter, hate the snow and get wait until the spring arrives.

If financial budgets are there, these people will book the next flights to sunny tropical destinations for a vacation just to get away from the cold. The travel industry of course takes advantage of this as they have their newspaper, radio and TV ads with promotions to the beaches in full force.

I hear complaints about winter from those who were born and raised in winter regions as well as immigrants who came here from tropical countries where there was never ever any snow. These people absolutely hate where they live for three to four months each year as they still freeze while bundled up in winter clothing.

Not An Ideal Way To Live

In my humble opinion, hating where you live for three to four months every single year is not an ideal way to live. Why would anybody want to do that? If one hates winter, one would be stuck just dreading one-quarter to one-third (depending on where you live) of each year for as long as one lives in a winter region like Canada or the northern USA states.

Personally, I love winter and this often puts the winter-haters in complete disbelief. What really boggles their minds is that instead of taking off to the Caribbean or to Florida during the winter months, I actually take trips to places where there is more snow!

Of course to really understand this is to realize that I’m an avid snow skier, which is the reason why I love winter. I along with many others, found the key to getting through the cold months without complaining. I believe that the secret is to embrace rather than hate winter.

Find Winter Activities That You Would Enjoy

I always tell winter-haters, especially immigrants who are still shivering, that the only way to embrace the winter is to find activities that would be enjoyable. One criteria is that these activities should be those that can only be done during the winter rather than some activity that one can done indoors all year round (like playing cards).

The activities should be specifically winter only as this will make you look forward to the snow rather than to hate it. Here are some examples of winter specific activities that are worth trying out.

• Downhill (alpine) snow skiing
• Cross-country skiing
• Snowboarding
• Ice skating
• Ice hockey
• Tobogganing
• Snowshoeing
• Dog sledding
• Ice fishing
• Snowmobiling

If you are active in such winter activities, you will likely spend the last part of each autumn eagerly preparing for the snow to finally fall! That’s how I feel during my pre-season ski training. It is a very natural way to adapt to the changes of each upcoming season.

Try A Winter Vacation

Even if you live in a warm, tropical region where you don’t experience cold winters, you should consider coming to a winter destination like the Rocky Mountains in Canada or the USA and the eastern winter areas like Quebec or Vermont. I have met vacationers from warm places such as Mexico and Israel at ski resorts.

Experiencing winter in a fun way through some of the activities I mentioned would really broaden your own horizons to what the world really has to offer. And for those who already live in winter regions, embracing these months will give you much more peace of mind throughout your entire year.

(Photo credit: Skiers Playing in the Snow via Shutterstock)

Clint Cora is a motivational speaker, author & Karate World Champion based near Toronto, Canada. Get his FREE 3-part Personal Development Video Series on how to expand your comfort zone and finally conquer even your most daunting goals in life.

Original post by Clint Cora

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Original post by Dusty Wright

A lot of cities and states are starting to ban cellphone usage while driving, though many have exceptions for those with hands-free systems. If you’d rather not keep a bluetooth headset plugged into your ear, here’s how to cobble together a hands-free system on your dashboard. More »

Original post by Whitson Gordon

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Original post by Whitson Gordon

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Original post by Whitson Gordon

This week we squeezed a little more functionality out of our older computers, stopped Google from transitioning our search data into their new free-for-all privacy policy, dissected your “greatest weakness”, and more. Here’s a look back.

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Original post by Whitson Gordon

RFIDs are showing up in everything from your cards to your passports, offering easy identification but also a greater chance of identity theft. Although plenty of RFID-blocking wallets exist, none are quite as thin and pocketable as the HuMn. More »

Original post by Adam Dachis

Can’t find a metal object? Your iPhone can actually work as a Metal Detector and help you out. The aptly named app Metal Detector utilizes the compass by reading its interference with metal objects to detect where they are. Although imperfect, it helped a friend of mine find a fork he dropped in the grass at night so if you lose something, the app can be pretty useful. More »

Original post by Adam Dachis