A [rev-o-lu-tion] is a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving. This is not only committing yourself to accomplishing a goal, but committing to the idea of changing your entire way of thinking and acting. It is through these drastic changes that you can find what really makes you happy, and through happiness comes success.

Success is not just a dollar figure or a status symbol, but a way of living. If you are living your life doing what it is you truly love and are passionate about, you are living a successful life. To each person, success is different, and through your own life changing [rev-o-lu-tion], you can find what it is that makes you happy. A [rev-o-lu-tion] is the act of examining yourself and what is holding you back from living for you, and to change the way you act and think, so you can let yourself do what it is that makes you happy.

Take this time to visit the forum at my website MyRev.org, and let others know what your [rev-o-lu-tion] is. Whether it is something that can make a difference in your life, or something that could help to make a difference in someone elses life, we all have a [rev-o-lu-tion] that we can start that could make a difference in the world.

What’s your rev?

Chad A. Armel is the author of “Stepping Stones,” a collection of motivational and inspirational poems. Chad is also the founder/editor of myrev.org, a website dedicated to motivating visitors to make a change in their lives.

Okay, I kinda missed the boat on the whole March Madness thing but it’s a BIG deal to a lot of people out there. (What do I really care anyways? USC was knocked out in the first round yesterday to Kansas State!). I know a few guys who are prone to calling in sick during the first few days of the games.

And wouldn’t you know? Newsweek is reporting that the annual NCAA basketball tournament costs American companies $1.7B in lost productivity. Yikes! But I believe that incorporating a healthy, non-distracting dose sports-related fun at work can actually be a great team-building tool.

One of the best ways to create coworker camaraderie is through some healthy competition through sports! From setting up office pools to organizing a company softball league, sports can infuse your drab workplace with a much needed dose of fun and collaboration.

Even if you don’t know the difference between a pitcher and a point guard, you can still participate in office pools or fantasy leagues. Instead of fretting over stats and performance data, pick players based on their first names or teams based on their uniform colors (C’mon ladies, you know what I’m talking about! How many athletes do you like purely based on looks?). If you want a more scientific method, just go to ESPN.com and read what the experts have to say — and then copy their picks!

If you’d like to set up an office softball league, bowling night or other activity, here are a few pointers to guarantee a fun and drama-free team-building exercise:

1. Focus on Fun, not Competition: Instead of having a winner and a loser, add additional incentives for each activity you choose. For example, for a bowling night, don’t just reward the highest score – fuel fun competition by making people bowl left-handed, blindfolded, in pairs, etc.

2. Mix it Up: Don’t put all the marketing people in one team and all the SVPs in another team. Mix it up to make sure people are on a team with others they may not interact with on a daily basis.

3. Keep it Organized: You don’t have to keep track of every single minute in a color-coded spreadsheet, but don’t leave things to chance that can be planned ahead. Make sure everyone knows where they have to be, what they have to bring and what they should expect. Have a schedule (with built-in time buffers if things are running late) and – this is very important – make sure everyone is well fed throughout the day so you don’t have any grumbling stomachs (or coworkers).

4. Have Fun! No matter what happens, remember that this event is supposed to be fun. No matter if you win, lose, hit a homerun or strike out, the purpose of this event is to interact with coworkers in a non-work environment. So relax and go with it!

Jovie Baclayon is the editorial director for YSN.com and an expert in the experiences faced by emerging adults. To learn more, check out Jovie’s YSN portfolio and feel free to e-mail her! She blogs every Wednesday and Friday on Waste Time Wisely.

All work and no play makes the Young & Successful feel unbalanced! To rescue our overworked souls, YSN member and movie aficionado Rama Tampubolon discusses the latest hot topics and movie reviews every Thursday on Waste Time Wisely. He runs the movie review and discussion blog, Rama’s Screen, and was featured in “United 300,” which won for “Best Spoof” at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards.

I can sum this up in one sentence: HORTON HEARS A WHO is this season’s perfect family film.

It’s just great comedy, great heartwarming story, great lessons to learn. Kids will love this and I highly recommend it for all ages. The marketing guys promote this movie by using the line “From The Makers of Ice Age” but in my opinion, this movie is 10 times better than Ice Age!

Don’t judge the book by its cover; people my age don’t want to watch this, thinking it’s only for kids. Grown ups will like this one too. I guaran-who-tee it!
I really enjoyed this movie. I haven’t had this much fun at a movie for quite some time. It’s good to know that they actually got it right this time — the other two Dr. Seuss’ movie adaptations had some flaws.

The Grinch was okay, it was a bit over the top.

Cat in the Hat was a disaster.

HORTON HEARS A WHO has moments that will make you laugh and moments that will make you feel sad in a good way and you can very much connect with the characters.

I admire the lesson the story’s trying to get across: A person is a person, no matter how small.
That and I think there’s a message of the importance of having imaginations somewhere in there.

This movie is loyal to Dr. Seuss’ commitment to lines that rhyme. I have to admit, I wasn’t a big fan of Dr. Seuss when I was a kid but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t aware he was a good man. The storyline has a good message and you know what? I’m a big fan of movies that inspire and this is certainly one of them.

My favorite part of the movie is when Horton tries to cross the old, broken down bridge. That whole scene is hilarious! He’s an unlikely hero in a very likable story.

HORTON HEARS A WHO also pokes fun on today’s pop culture including MySpace. Listen carefully so you won’t miss any of their funny punch lines.

The CGI visuals are great, I’m glad it wasn’t done live action like The Grinch. Much props to all the stars who voice the characters especially the legend Caroll Burnett who brings the character Sour Kangaroo to life with her evil yet charismatic voice.

Steve Carell is awesome as the voice of Whoville Mayor. He’s got on-the-target comedic timing and definitely has the skills to keep up with always vibrant Jim Carrey who does the voice of Horton. Each is a comic genius; together, Steve and Jim are a dynamic duo.

If you haven’t heard the the applause, go check out what HORTON’s been hearing and have a wonderful family quality time!

My Grade for this Film is: 5 out of 5

Volunteering or giving back is something that a lot of us put off until “some day,” like when we retire, have more money or more leisure time — myself included. I’m always inspired by TV shows like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Deserving Design and, most recently, Oprah’s Big Give. I’ve volunteered and mentored here and there but it isn’t something I do regularly.

This morning, I was watching an interview on ABC’s Good Morning America with Malaak Compton-Rock, wife of comedian Chris Rock and a judge on Oprah’s Big Give. Her mother raised her to volunteer and give back and, as such, Malaak has dedicated her life to humanitarian issues. Her website The Angel Rock Project lists at least 7 different causes that she either coordinates or supports, from Hurricane Katrina relief to Breast Cancer awareness. She’s truly an inspiration. Granted, she has the wealth and resources to devote her entire life to philanthropy but it’s not like she has to — she chooses to. How many other celebrity husbands or wives give back for a living?

It’s amazing what you can accomplish in your life and career — and in the world — by finding a cause you can be passionate about. Here are a few examples:

• If you’re like countless others who are unsatisfied with their life or want to do something more meaningful, supporting a cause will quickly make you feel like your life has more substance. Consequently, you’ll feel better about who you are, how you’ve chosen to spend your time and energy, and instantly connect you to a community.
• If you’re confused about your career path, in a transition or have no idea what you’re passionate about, start volunteering and find your niche. It’s a way to “take a taste” of different industries and career paths that interest you. Is politics your calling? Support a candidate or back an issue. Do you think you might want to be an event coordinator or go into marketing? Volunteer with an organization to help plan or promote their next benefit.
• If you want to get ahead in your career, being involved in a cause is a great way to acquire new skills, expand your network and possibly meet potential employers. If you’re still in the process of building your skills, experience and abilities, a charitable cause or volunteer initiative might be willing to give you a shot at projects that no employer would.
• Being involved is also a way too develop expertise on a subject and become the go-to person for answers. The more you participate in events, donate your time, work with people in your field or industry, take on assorted projects that give you exposure to new areas, perspectives, personalities and opportunities, the more real world experience and expertise you build. With all this newfound info and insight, you could create a blog, develop an e-newsletter or even create your own organization in the future. You can build a platform from which you can launch all sorts of initiatives and efforts.

Jovie Baclayon is the editorial director for YSN.com and an expert in the experiences faced by emerging adults. To learn more, check out Jovie’s YSN portfolio and feel free to e-mail her! She blogs every Wednesday and Friday on Waste Time Wisely.

Organization Name: The Ski Channel (click here to view its profile)

Why We Love It: The Ski Channel is the mountain sport, activity and lifestyle network on free VOD Cable television, web, wireless, and other forms of distribution and has a long-term distribution agreement with Time Warner Cable. The Ski Channel will be in 12 million homes and counting.

What you might not know is that… The Ski Channel’s founder Steve Bellamy also founded The Tennis Channel!

Major Milestone: We recently announced a multi-faceted partnership with preeminent ski filmmaker, Rage Films. The deal includes exclusive and non-exclusive windows for all Rage ski films on The Ski Channel, extensive programming partnerships leveraging Rage’s extensive clip library and future production partnerships. The deal also includes an equity investment on behalf of The Ski Channel into Rage Films, an option to purchase the rest of Rage at a future date and a significant sponsorship on the Rage Ski Film Tour.

Common Entry-level Positions: Marketing, Ad Sales, Internship

Click here to find out more!