My mother used to say, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
I’ve adapted it.
When you express negative opinions, the Universe will give you more negativity.
Instead, express gratitude and it will you give you more to be grateful for.
Thanks Mom
from the dedication page of one of my new books, GOLDEN INSIGHTS: Unlocking Extra Income – A Retiree’s Guide to Surveys & Reviews
Book 6 of the EXTRA RETIREMENT INCOME IS SEXY series now available on AMAZON and others.
Artificial Intelligence is everywhere these days and the forces of good and evil seem to be lining up on either side. I am just completing a 6 book series called, EXTRA RETIREMENT INCOME IS SEXY and one of the sources of extra income for retirees is freelance writing. I decided to include a chapter on Artificial Intelligence and am including it here for your viewing pleasure:
“So, the question is, can artificial intelligence help you as a freelance writer? The short answer is yes. The longer answer is yes, but you need to learn how to use it to help you. This boils down to creating the right “prompts” to enter into the search box and then refining until the information you need is useful.
At the time of writing this book, artificial intelligence is creating a firestorm of controversy. Tried, true and established authors, especially those of the fiction variety, seem to take the stance that AI is the devil incarnate. I’m not so sure. New technology has always been challenging on many levels. I recall as a young lad that using an electronic calculator to do math was a mortal sin. I may yet go to hell, especially if my grade 5 teacher, Sister Mary Joseph, knew that I now have one on the phone that I carry in my pocket!
There are some bad actors out there who are asking an AI app to create stories and then they upload them to various book selling sites and sell them as is. They are creating rubbish and attempting to get rich quick. Here is what I know about using AI as of this time: it has a very useful place to assist in research, outlining and defining concepts, especially difficult to understand things. The key to using it successfully is learning how to ask questions and keep asking them until you get a proper answer. When I was younger, we used to call this part of the world a library and Encyclopedia Britannica. Today, the repository of all information is the internet.
The art of wording inquiries, or prompts and then determining how to proceed from there is rapidly becoming a whole new industry and one you might want to learn about. This author recently viewed a question on an AI app that asked it to explain Quantum Physics in language that a 5 year old would understand. The information it created was amusing and I learned a lot. Potential clients for your freelance writing services may want you to generate documentation for them faster and more accurately – AI is probably the answer.
Some people, thanks to the media, have decided that it is a new and foreboding technology and insist on showing pictures of scary looking robots from horror movies in their presentations. Here are a few examples of artificial intelligence at work that you may already know: smart home devices like Alexa, Google Home and more, self-driving cars, Netflix and Spotify recommendations, auto complete in Google Search and messaging apps, Facebook and Instagram, Spell and Grammar check in Word. We have been using it for years.
A recommendation: if you decide to use apps like Chat/GPT and any of the many others, it is essential that you take into consideration any ethical and moral issues. Amazon is now requiring writers to acknowledge if AI was used and how it was used to create books. This author thinks we will come to accept the value and input of AI soon and look at it as a useful tool to increase productivity.
The internet and social media are swirling with articles on artificial intelligence including “how-to’s” and warnings. Therefore, if you are thinking about accessing its help, it would be a good idea to keep up with current thought.”
Series expected to be published in January 2024.
You know how good it feels to get out and relax in nature, right? It’s time out from the stresses of everyday life and take some time for yourself. Space and clean air, to breathe, opens the pathway to peace and a sense of well-being. But did you also know that science shows that there are health benefits to connecting with the natural world? It’s so beneficial you could even call it nature therapy! Here’s how being in the great outdoors is great for you.
Being out in nature has a measurable effect on your stress levels. They go right down, also lowering your risk of anxiety and depression. Even if you live and work in high rise glass and steel buildings, having a dose of the natural world can help lift your mood, your cognitive function, and your mental health. Whether it’s a walk in the park or even having a plant on your desk or being able to look out of the window, any connection with nature will help.
2. Connection with nature is healing
Studies have shown that even being able to see a natural landscape can help hospital patients recover faster.
It also helps your immune system function better. Scientists have found over twenty pathways or connections between exposure to nature and improved health, protecting you from heart disease, depression, and diabetes
3. Nature changes your perceptions of the world
Researchers have found that walking through a rural area changed the study participants’ attitude toward their to-do list. They saw their tasks as more manageable than participants who walked through city streets.
People who exercise outdoors move faster, have a lowered perception of effort, enjoy their exercise more, and are more likely to stick to their routine than people exercising in a gym.
4. Nature is great for your mental health
Remember how good it feels to be near the ocean, a river, or a waterfall? That’s because the air near moving water is full of negative ions that can act as natural anti-depressants. It’s the same effect as the change in the air after a thunderstorm when the air is no longer oppressive but clear and fresh.
There are now many studies which show that people living in green areas, or who have access to green spaces in cities, have significantly better mental wellbeing than people who live cut off from nature.
Even having an aquarium, houseplants, or a view onto green space can help. Walking a golf course is a perfect and fun way to reconnect with nature, although searching through the bushes and fallen leaves for my damn ball may be a bit too “natural” sometimes.
Want a FREE e-book download to help you engage your life go here.