This coming Friday, we will witness the incredibly hyped launch of the Apple I-Phone. This product launch inspired this week's lesson about A Trifecta of Benefits MP3 players can provide: Exercise, Education and Entertainment. While the Apple I-Phone is brand new and promises to be the next cool gadget, it is extremely high priced at $499 for the functions it performs. If you don't have a spare $500 laying around to purchase one, there are many alternatives in MP3 players and incredible "smart" cell phones that can give you all you need in a gadget for as low as one tenth the price of an I-Phone.
Recently I upgraded my Nokia to a Sony Ericsson W810i cell phone and couldn't be happier with the incredible functionality of this inexpensive yet powerful little device. It ships with a 256mb SanDisk Memory Stick PRO Duo that's kind of skimpy. However for under $40 you can upgrade to a 2GB memory card at Costco. The 2-gig card will hold enough content to please even the most discriminating Boomer until the 4-gig cards drop in price. The W810i comes loaded with an FM tuner that works great; a clear voice recorder; a 2mp camera that takes great pictures and video clips; the ability to connect to the Internet; and a great software bundle for transferring and manipulating files. This slick baby will take the place of several old style gadgets that would fill both pockets in one quick swoop.
If you have been avoiding switching your audio files to MP3, there's never been a better time to do so. The innovations in software and hardware just keep getting better and the costs of flash memory as well as the devices in general just keep dropping in price. In this lesson I will try to provide you with the will and the reasons to upgrade.
I've lost count of the number of times I've discussed walking as a great way to stay healthy and fit in my articles, lessons and podcasts. By now I'm sure everyone realizes that walking is a wonderful, healthy discipline to practice daily. However one needs the will and desire to walk as well as the feeling that it's not a punishment but rather a pleasure to do so.
If you invest the time to prepare your MP3 device or cell phone like the W810i I described above with the proper content, you will be ready to hit the sidewalks this summer and begin to reap the benefits and pleasures of Exercise, Education, and Entertainment. If you have a dog to walk or a child or grandchild to stroll with in a carriage, you can even extend the pleasure to others.
The first content I loaded on my phone was the 8 hours of podcasts I produced over the last few years. I wanted to hear for myself what thousands of listeners have been enjoying monthly at eHappyLife.com. And I must say that listening and learning while I walk and stay healthy has never been better. Beside my own material, I plan on converting my favorite educational CD's and Tapes in my library to the MP3 format for educational listening as well. Also, magazines like BusinessWeek now offer their paper magazine subscribers an audio version of their magazine for $9.99 a year. You can pick and choose what articles you like and easily download them for your walks, to help you learn as you enjoy every step you take.
If that's not enough to motivate you to walk, whenever you get tired of educational material, you can easily switch to FM radio or your favorite music that you transfer from your CD collection. There's nothing more motivating than to "enjoy" walking, which you already know is great for your health; while you entertain yourself with the music of your favorite artists. If you get tired of educational audio or music files, you can get even more creative by finding and downloading some comedy routines of your favorite comedians like Robin Williams. The key here is to avoid viewing your walking routine as a boring chore. Instead it should be viewed as investing free time that you will look forward to enjoying.
Like any worthy cause, you will probably need the equivalent of a tug boat to get you started. The first reaction of most individuals will be to create a multitude of excuses. Some will say I don't know anything about MP3. Or I don't have any content to transfer even if I purchased a W810i or equivalent gadget. Don't join the excuse crowd. Where there's a will, there's a way. Remember...no gain without pain. The benefits of EXERCISE, EDUCATION and ENTERTAINMENT will improve your lifestyle and far outweigh the frustrating learning curve of using new gadgets. Take advantage of the technology available today and don't bet against this Trifecta of Benefits. We all need to put more effort into improving our health and lifestyle and this is an easy way to do so. Today is the best day ever to get your electronic gear; load it up with great stuff; get a comfortable pair of walking shoes and then get moving. Be a Trifecta Winner that will pay you dividends for a lifetime!