I read a news-zine that i get as a mailer that sparked some note of relevance to things i often wonder that signal some re-evaluation of just what i'm doing; what purpose; whose purpose; and is the fabric still the same...
I think this eventually will be posted as a 360, LightFog, and to the Main of all of the Ole_Ship's blogs and message boards.
The Title of the emailed - e-zine was simalarlly described by title "A Resolution easier to make than to avoid", probably "New Years Resolution" but whats the difference?
I'm going to add the line from the letter thats several paragraphs just to set up what it is i'm even talking about. Funny though that the letter itself tells a story that the author has to set up, and it is one that is a sort of a "new years resolution"; and funny that "I" already know the constituents of truth which this author poses to his own evaluations as he learned.
Anyway then i will explain more.
"Sincerity and truth are the basis of every virtue."
- Confucius
A Goal That's Easier to Achieve Than Ignore
By John Forde
Quit smoking. Lose weight. Read more. Work harder. Get organized. Spend more time with family and friends.
Every January, we make the same promises. By March, most of them are out the window.
"A resolution," somebody once said, "is a thing that goes in one year and out the other."
What if, this year, one resolution could improve every aspect of your life?
Yet, to make this one promise stick, you need to do no extra work, command no extra discipline, and make no extra sacrifices. In fact, following through on this one pledge is actually easier than NOT doing it.
What is it?
Two words. But before I explain, let me give you the set-up. It starts 15 years ago, just six months into my copywriting career.
I was an understudy to one of the best copywriters in the country, Bill Bonner. Already, I had a handful of very successful sales letters under my belt. And we were just sitting down to talk job review and salary.
Now copywriting is about selling. And, I have to admit, at this point I had some mixed feelings about what that meant.
It was only natural.
Lots of people are under the impression that selling is about fooling people. Says the stereotype, it's all about tricking the customer into wanting something he never wanted before. Or doing something he never really wanted to do.
Was that accurate? I genuinely wasn't experienced enough to be sure. But being young, I also sometimes mistook cynicism for the cloak of the wise. And during this conversation with Bill, that's how I dealt with my doubts.
"Of course," I told him, "you know I don't really believe in all this stuff."
This "stuff," by the way, was what I was supposed to sell. Bill looked taken aback. "Wait a minute," he said, "You've got to believe in it... otherwise how can you write about it? You can't sell what you don't believe in."
He was right. It was simple. Yet it felt like a revelation. With every copywriting project that followed, that was my guideline.
If I couldn't buy the product's proposition, I either wouldn't agree to write for it... or I would work with the product manager to reshape the product until I could.
Sometimes I'd get in deep on a hopeless case and have to extract myself. But for the most part, it's a strategy that's worked out well. And I've heard plenty of other top copywriters say the same.
Sell the products that are so good they sell themselves. Those are the ones you can believe in. And that's the key to a successful career in sales and marketing. Yet, even in something so simple there's something else that's profound.
I read a book a few years ago by Joe Vitale. It was called The Seven Lost Secrets of Success, and shared the life story of advertising legend Bruce Barton.
Maybe you've heard of Barton. He's most famous as the second 'B' in "Batten, Barton, Durstine, and Osborn" or BBDO, one of the most famous ad agencies of the 20th century.
He's also the creator of "Betty Crocker," named General Motors and General Electric, and helped build Ford Motors, Carnegie Steel, plus a few dozen more of America's most famous companies.
Here's the funny thing. Barton never imagined he'd wind up in the ad industry. He originally wanted to be a novelist. Then a journalist. For a while there, he was a magazine editor. But his partners would later say Barton was born for advertising.
Why?
Not because he could successfully bamboozle customers into buying. But for the opposite reason. Here's Barton himself, spilling out his personal philosophy back in 1925:
"Do not venture into the sunlight unless you are willing first to put your house in order... no dyspeptic can write convincingly of the joys of mince meat. No woman-hater can write convincingly of love... unless you have a real respect for people, a real affection for people, a real belief that you are equipped to serve them, and that by your growth and prosperity they will likewise grow and prosper, unless you have this deep-down conviction, gentleman, do not attempt advertising. For somehow it will return to plague you."
And then once more, writing in that same year:
"I believe the public has a sixth sense of detecting insincerity. We run a tremendous risk if we try to make other people believe in something we don't believe in. Somehow our sin will find us out... the advertisements which persuade people to act are written by men who have an abiding respect for the intelligence of their readers, and a deep sincerity regarding the merits of the goods they have to sell."
Translation: "Be genuine."
That was Barton's secret. It's also the secret I suggest you and I carry into the coming year. By the way, that doesn't just apply to your business decisions.
Being genuine means being honest with yourself too. Especially when it comes to focusing on your objectives and setting the goals you'll target over a lifetime.
Ask yourself, did you buy that exercise bike as a tool to finally better your health... or did you really buy it as a towel rack that says "I care about exercise" even if you don't?
Are you saying you'll quit smoking because you know you should? And because it's robbing you of cash, health, and future time with your family? Or just because it's what your friends want to hear?
Is this really the year you're going to get organized, get serious, and get to work building the career you care about, the skill you wanted, and the life you desire... or are these just more superficial ornaments to jot down on your "to-do" list to make yourself feel better?
Be honest. Be sincere. Be genuine.
With yourself and with everybody else, as often and as much as you can. Nothing else you'll resolve to do could make a bigger difference.
[Ed Note: John Forde, a published writer and a direct-mail copywriter since 1992, is the editor of the free weekly e-zine, The Copywriter's Roundtable.
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OKAY,
Now, my best advice i ever got wa"to just get out there and work, and..you'll feel better too!"
I DONT HAVE TO SAY WHO EVER ONCE TOLD ME THAT, But for the most part that is true.
I'M NOT TRYING TO SELL YOU ANYTHING, BY THE WAY!
When your sold on something, it feels better when you buy it.
SO SIMPLY, Rule #1) People like to be sold.
From that rule, i've been trained to always be in "the elite top 5%" of my field.
That was many many years ago though.
Today...
to me, Also is the importance to work on what seams to be as something of responsability, that relates more to "the day", "the times", and some kind of conscience sake- that I used to be able to spell out, but now have drifted so far down this stream that its tuff to be sure at times that what i'm doing is stable in the well grounded foundation; one that reflects an addiquate defence against scoffers; that let alone, shows any clear path to the constituents of a traditional good ol'fashioned God-1st life of living any good'ole American dream- both in the eyes of politicians and their routein technicians; or really-to almost any orthodox a seam as what's-common-every-day to the common folks of society.
Conscience is a word i looked up i the Gideons glossary last year and didn't find.
i did find the word "sincerity" and it was used in Philipians.
The story reminds me of something i saw in a Robert Redford film where he is the part of a General thats senteced to prison and put in a facility with the regular ranks.
In the end he takes over the prison that dares to match wits with him and swells with the arrigant notion that have have a "GENERAL" in custody.
In the midpoint of the film a younger inmate dares a partial salute everytime he has seen the General and Redford finale addresses this insobordinat act(saluting is not permitted-because all ranks have been stripped). Redford explains what he knows to the lad about the origin of the salute.
As the midevil knights would pass they would hold the raeins of the horse in their near hand at left as they pass to the right, and with their right hand they would raise their visor to show that this is who they were; that they were not afraid; and that they were not the enemy.
Jesus holds that appeal to me by God, that even as a man he has not foresaken us; he will never leave us; and thats just who he is.
Anyway,
The Bible's deciple-Paul wrote that in sincerity they preach but that only some were "gifted" if i can descibe it to be said with this meaning for my comparing explaination.
While at first glance the scripture may seem to be just one of "thanksgiving or thankfullness, my suggestion is to read it(Phillipians from the KJV
A Philipians study goes on to say -
The second thing that Paul prays for is Excellence:
Philippians 1:10 (NKJV) that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,
True love desires things that are excellent because true love is controlled by a deep knowledge of the word which enables the believer to be completely discerning and discriminating, and that leads him to a pursuit of things that are excellent.
"That you may 'approve' things that are excellent." The word "approve" is the Greek word dokimazo. It is used in classical Greek to refer to testing something or someone. It is a technical word for testing money to determine whether or not it is counterfeit. It occurs in a political context for the testing of a candidate for office. It is used in Luke 14:19 of testing oxen. And in Luke 21:56 of testing the sky to discern the weather.
Paul is in effect saying, "My prayer for you is that you would have the capability to evaluate and determine the things that are excellent."
To be able to set proper values on things, it is not so much the ability to distinguish good from bad, but good from the best; to focus your time and energy on what really matters. It is the ability to prioritize; to test for the purpose of approval.
tHIS REMINDS ME ALSO Of an old saying:
Those who can, Do; Those who can't, Teach.
Where Paul letter to the Pillipians talks of the assurance that all we do in Christ, even those of us "pretending", is "working" , all as they intend it to be...something like that-
Maybe I aughta read it again myself...?
Those who can,do; Those who can't, teach and to that I add "and the rest of us who must be as pretenders, Are"
...extending my thoughts descriptions by the following:
scales-
A)relative B) irrelevant
(see -Abstract INFLUENCE OF IRRELEVANT CUES AND ALTERNATE FORMS OF GRAPHIC RATING SCALES ON THE HALO EFFECT-WILLIAM A. RIZZO
FREDRIC D. FRANK WHERE 1This paper represents a condensed version of a Masters Thesis completed by the first author under supervision of the second author. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1977.tb00433.x?cookieSet=1&journalCode=peps
I would add of my referencing this article- by the first, under supervision of the second, as repeated by {or i guess, pretending in } by the third. )
A) &.B) Each having an influences of- .01)Measurements; .02)Barriers; .03)fulcrums;
A & B 1, 2, & 3 EACH an a)past b)present c)future (A1a,a1b, a1c, a2a, a2b, b1a, b1b, b2b, etc...i.e A)relevence.01)measurement a) Past (A1a),
2)claustrum; many more..
3) throughput
3) throughput #31 , draws my mind to think of something simpler like "Thusput" to some etymology of spute sput and throughput, if its not already a word, I hereby coin it.
Maybe there are better things I should have to choose from my "time sortition system"
And finale a "C)" for an actuator battery to behavior; where A)relative B) irrelevant placements(i.e. last years) for projections had unseen or no results found, therefore ... (C) You have now found a void and the gravity of this is that the particle may be identified and then to be 01.) transferred into a workable tool & 02.) ready and allowable to use.
I DONT THINK THIS IS A PARAD0X But I hope this year brings change.
I saw a film the otherday, "The Devil Wears Prada", if y
If you see this, at least you'll know what I mean when I say ,
hey, I've been a pretty big dissapointment to alot of folks I guess...
...just that my shoes weren't to tuff to fill AND WHEN THEY WERE, It really didn't look good on those that really helped me at times the most.
NOW ALLOW ME A LITTLE SPACE TO REVIEW THE REST OF MY EMAIL and if I can find contects, then I'll try to relate some of those back to an OLE_SHIP BLOG FOR DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS... or just to percevere if it can be endevored!!
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