Friday, August 22, 2008
Daily Bible Devotionals with Janice Prescott
I Want To Be Inspired:
But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. Job 32: 8
What inspires you? Is it the laughter of your children, a beautiful song, a verse of scripture or a great work of art?
Often, we confuse inspiration with motivation, when they are in fact very different things. Inspiration occurs on a higher, internal level, while motivation is the rationale for our behavior. Inspiration affects your emotions and your intellect. It is often a divinely spiritual influence that causes wonderful things to happen and life-changing situations to occur.
Well, I have decided that I want to be inspired. It's ok to be motivated by principle or my own inner drive to succeed, but I'd like to combine it with an inspired life. Inspiration stimulates and touches you deep within. It involves an encounter with someone or something that causes your spirit to soar and makes everything seem possible.
Inspiration feeds our soul and directs us to take steps that can change the world, change our lives or someone else's life. When you are divinely inspired, doors open and obstacles crumble. As we obey the call of inspiration, we act according to supernatural forces that enable us to accomplish things that benefit others and ultimately ourselves.
It is my prayer that today you will allow yourself to be inspired. Stand back and watch what happens.
Your Blessed Like That
Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. Deuteronomy 28: 3 - 6
It's a fact. Life is often hard and difficult. When things get rough, and before we start to complain, lets remember how blessed we really are.
There's a popular gospel song that says that the devil may try to get us down, but he can't faze us, because we're blessed like that. That's right. You are too blessed to claim defeat, no matter how hard the devil tries or how many times you fall.
Just look around you. Do you see how blessed you are? Isn't it a wonder how good God is? His provision for you is everywhere you look -- in small miracles and large ones. Even before we ask, He answers, and the cattle on a thousand hills are His.
So, when you get knocked down and trouble comes your way, get right back up because you're blessed like that. When the rest of the world is scrambling around to keep up with the Joneses, your prosperity is assured as a child of God, because you're blessed like that.
When the pain attacks your very soul, you know that joy will come in the morning no matter how dark it may seem now, because you're blessed like that. When you lay your dreams and goals before the Lord, you realize your success is assured, because you're blessed like that!
Let us pray that our lives will be a blessing to others.
Get inspired and lift your spirits with these positive quotations that will surely stimulate your soul and perhaps motivate your mind...
1. "No bird soars too high if he soars on his own wings."
-- William Blake
2. "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."
-- Les Brown
3. "Genius is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration."
-- Thomas Edison
4. "Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labour in freedom."
-- Albert Einstein
5. "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
6. "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
7. "Act as though what you do makes a difference. It does."
-- William James
8. "The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing that you will make one."
-- Ellen Hubbard
9. "One can make a day of any size, and regulate the rising and the setting of his own sun and the brightness of its shining."
-- John Muir
10. "It is impossible to win the great prizes of life without running risks."
-- Theodore Roosevelt
11. "Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn."
-- Harriet Beecher Stowe
12. "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, Live the life you've imagined."
-- Henry David Thoreau
13. "If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it!"
-- Jonathan Winters
14. "What does not kill me makes me stronger. "
-- JohannWolfgang von Goethe
15. "We all have ability. The difference is how we use it."--
Stevie Wonder
-- William Blake
2. "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."
-- Les Brown
3. "Genius is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration."
-- Thomas Edison
4. "Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labour in freedom."
-- Albert Einstein
5. "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
6. "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
7. "Act as though what you do makes a difference. It does."
-- William James
8. "The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing that you will make one."
-- Ellen Hubbard
9. "One can make a day of any size, and regulate the rising and the setting of his own sun and the brightness of its shining."
-- John Muir
10. "It is impossible to win the great prizes of life without running risks."
-- Theodore Roosevelt
11. "Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn."
-- Harriet Beecher Stowe
12. "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, Live the life you've imagined."
-- Henry David Thoreau
13. "If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it!"
-- Jonathan Winters
14. "What does not kill me makes me stronger. "
-- JohannWolfgang von Goethe
15. "We all have ability. The difference is how we use it."--
Stevie Wonder
Inspirational Quotes and Sayings
Sometimes the world that we live in can be discouraging. In fact, if you let it beat you down it can be a little depressing. Without constantly renewing your mind, it can get the best of you. How does one stay upbeat and positive in the midst of a negative world? Using inspirational quotes can help uplift even the most negative situation.
A good inspirational quote can spur your mind on toward greater achievement. In fact it can inspire you to do wonderful things with your life. Without something to guide us, we will often-times feel lost.
Inspirational quotes are usually by wise people who have accomplished a lot in their life. These quotes give us the inspiration to try and accomplish as much with our life.
Here is a great quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson. "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
What does this mean exactly? In my opinion it means that we should not follow the crowd. The easy way is to float through life meaninglessly. Most of us just kind of go with the flow and end up wherever the masses do. However, a select flew go in the opposite direction of the masses and achieve greatness.
This brings to mind another quote by Emerson, "The mass of men worry themselves into nameless graves while here and there a great unselfish soul forgets himself into immortality." This quote inspires me to move forward into greatness. We should always put the other person first. Never worry about what other people think or about the outside world. Focus only on the goal and you will be remembered in a great way.
Sometimes we get caught up in the rat race and forget to stop and smell the roses. We have to take time to enjoy the world that we're in before it's too late. This inspirational quote by Ursula Le Guin sums it up beautifully. "It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end." We can't take life to seriously...we'll never get out alive.
Many of us go through life timidly. We're afraid to bother someone or what others might think. Our mental boundaries keep us shackled into a limited existence. Through the use of inspirational quotes, we can break free from the bonds of the masses.
If we surround ourselves with beautiful inspirational quotes like the ones above,
we can't help but have a better attitude. Equipped with a better attitude, you'll feel like you're ready to take on the world. If you have this attitude for a prolonged period of time, things will start to happen for you in a big way.
A good inspirational quote can spur your mind on toward greater achievement. In fact it can inspire you to do wonderful things with your life. Without something to guide us, we will often-times feel lost.
Inspirational quotes are usually by wise people who have accomplished a lot in their life. These quotes give us the inspiration to try and accomplish as much with our life.
Here is a great quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson. "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
What does this mean exactly? In my opinion it means that we should not follow the crowd. The easy way is to float through life meaninglessly. Most of us just kind of go with the flow and end up wherever the masses do. However, a select flew go in the opposite direction of the masses and achieve greatness.
This brings to mind another quote by Emerson, "The mass of men worry themselves into nameless graves while here and there a great unselfish soul forgets himself into immortality." This quote inspires me to move forward into greatness. We should always put the other person first. Never worry about what other people think or about the outside world. Focus only on the goal and you will be remembered in a great way.
Sometimes we get caught up in the rat race and forget to stop and smell the roses. We have to take time to enjoy the world that we're in before it's too late. This inspirational quote by Ursula Le Guin sums it up beautifully. "It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end." We can't take life to seriously...we'll never get out alive.
Many of us go through life timidly. We're afraid to bother someone or what others might think. Our mental boundaries keep us shackled into a limited existence. Through the use of inspirational quotes, we can break free from the bonds of the masses.
If we surround ourselves with beautiful inspirational quotes like the ones above,
we can't help but have a better attitude. Equipped with a better attitude, you'll feel like you're ready to take on the world. If you have this attitude for a prolonged period of time, things will start to happen for you in a big way.
What is Fiction?
Fiction is the work of imagination in any form like prose, novel or short story. Fiction can be broadly classified into art and entertainment. Fiction in layman terms can be defined as something that is purely imaginary and not real. However, it is a common observation that anything fictional is derived from real life incidences etc.
Fiction stories arouse the sleeping dreams and hidden desires of people and portray them in the form of prose or poetry, novel or a short story.
It can be based on a real life incident, with characters and situations
modified to depict the message that the writer wants to convey.
Fictional write-ups are usually written for a purpose, with some hidden message in it.
Writing fiction is an art which comprises of formulating and wrapping up larger than life messages into simple real life incidents.
Fiction and fantasy are different. In a single line it can be expressed as "all fantasy is friction, but all friction is not fantasy." Fantasy involves something that is purely imaginary and has little or no relevance in real world. On the other hand, fiction is something that is based on something real or can be easily related to our daily life experiences.
Fiction is very important for our society because fictional stories contain social messages which help people learn from others' life incidents. It can also imbibe spiritual and religious messages in people of the newer generations who are iconoclasts and agnostics. They can help people become aware of what is happening in other parts of the world.
Fiction, though a piece of art or entertainment is a great media for enlightening people, especially the younger generation of the facts, the traditions, the fads, the disputes etc., that we have been carrying since years and years altogether.
It is a medium that helps revolutionize the perspective. It helps retaining what the society needs and discarding what needs to be changed because of the needs of the ever changing culture.
Fiction stories arouse the sleeping dreams and hidden desires of people and portray them in the form of prose or poetry, novel or a short story.
It can be based on a real life incident, with characters and situations
modified to depict the message that the writer wants to convey.
Fictional write-ups are usually written for a purpose, with some hidden message in it.
Writing fiction is an art which comprises of formulating and wrapping up larger than life messages into simple real life incidents.
Fiction and fantasy are different. In a single line it can be expressed as "all fantasy is friction, but all friction is not fantasy." Fantasy involves something that is purely imaginary and has little or no relevance in real world. On the other hand, fiction is something that is based on something real or can be easily related to our daily life experiences.
Fiction is very important for our society because fictional stories contain social messages which help people learn from others' life incidents. It can also imbibe spiritual and religious messages in people of the newer generations who are iconoclasts and agnostics. They can help people become aware of what is happening in other parts of the world.
Fiction, though a piece of art or entertainment is a great media for enlightening people, especially the younger generation of the facts, the traditions, the fads, the disputes etc., that we have been carrying since years and years altogether.
It is a medium that helps revolutionize the perspective. It helps retaining what the society needs and discarding what needs to be changed because of the needs of the ever changing culture.
Wisdom
Because I love to share my knowledge with the world, I have packed into one paragraph, a condensed version of all the wisdom I’ve gleaned from common cliches. Here is my (not necessarily good) advice:
If you can’t say something nice, quit while you’re ahead because an ounce of prevention is good for the gander and gathers no moss. When in doubt, eat lots of chocolate and let sleeping dogs take time to smell all your eggs in one basket. Crime doesn’t pay for your bridges behind you. Practice makes a rolling stone look a gift horse in the mouth and spoil the soup. Too many cooks spare the rod and go to bed with the early bird. Look before you leap because money is the root of death and taxes.
Someone, somewhere, revised some other familiar phrases from the fifties and sixties to modernize them for the zeros. I don’t know who gets credit for writing these, but they’re words to live by:
Children should be seen and not costing me money. When push comes
to shove, their mom is on the phone. People who live in glass houses can’t watch TV in their underwear. If you can’t say something nice, you must be with your in-laws. Where there’s smoke, my husband’s been cooking. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t make a man change a toilet paper roll. A pound of chocolate is worth its weight in gold. Time flies when you’re checking your email. Nothing is certain except that your computer will crash when you haven’t saved any files.
And, here’s my favorite bit of wisdom: Better to have loved and lost than to never have tasted chocolate.
If you can’t say something nice, quit while you’re ahead because an ounce of prevention is good for the gander and gathers no moss. When in doubt, eat lots of chocolate and let sleeping dogs take time to smell all your eggs in one basket. Crime doesn’t pay for your bridges behind you. Practice makes a rolling stone look a gift horse in the mouth and spoil the soup. Too many cooks spare the rod and go to bed with the early bird. Look before you leap because money is the root of death and taxes.
Someone, somewhere, revised some other familiar phrases from the fifties and sixties to modernize them for the zeros. I don’t know who gets credit for writing these, but they’re words to live by:
Children should be seen and not costing me money. When push comes
to shove, their mom is on the phone. People who live in glass houses can’t watch TV in their underwear. If you can’t say something nice, you must be with your in-laws. Where there’s smoke, my husband’s been cooking. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t make a man change a toilet paper roll. A pound of chocolate is worth its weight in gold. Time flies when you’re checking your email. Nothing is certain except that your computer will crash when you haven’t saved any files.
And, here’s my favorite bit of wisdom: Better to have loved and lost than to never have tasted chocolate.
Thoughts about Thoughts
About 20 years ago, I became a student of my thoughts. I was the mother of two young children, my own mother was suffering through a terminal illness and my husband had been laid off from his job. But, somehow, deep inside, I knew that there was more to life than this stress and struggle. Intuitively, I began to watch my thoughts.
At first, watching my thoughts felt like being caught in a fierce current in a river.
Every once in a while, I would struggle to bring my head above the water only to be dragged under moments later. I also remember that, at this time, my river was consumed with fear.
One day, preparing dinner in the kitchen, my head struggled above the water and I screamed this thought to the universe. "Why do we have to feel so much fear?" To my amazement, the universe immediately returned the answer, "To learn not to be afraid." This thought had just barged into my mind and, in shock I thanked the source and its confirmation that I was indeed not alone. Even though it wasn't the answer I wanted to hear – maybe a little sympathy would be nice . . . and my head was under water again.
Slowly, I was learning that the trick to keeping my head above water was not to be consumed by my thoughts. Easier said than done. Another thing I learned was that I did not like what I saw. My thoughts were negative and judgmental or escaped completely into fantasy. Things really began to feel ugly when I realized that all of my judgmental thoughts about others were really based on what I disliked about myself. I had reached the point of no return. There was no way I could jump back into the river again and be unconscious about what I was thinking. Now what?
I noticed that there was a light appearing in the midst of the darkness. I was becoming aware that there were two parts of my mind at work when I was watching my thoughts – the part that was stuck in the river and the part that was watching everything. As I began to identify more with the watching part, I felt better. I felt more detached from the river-thoughts and could just watch them for a while, sometimes even without judgment. I also noticed that I could keep my head above the water for longer stretches now.
As I identified more with the watching part of my mind, I felt clearer and more in touch with my intuition. So I began to test, play with, doubt and gradually trust my intuition. One of my favorite games was to enter a bookstore or library with the intention "What do I need to learn today?" I would wander around and as long as I could stay in this part of my mind, invariably, a colour or word on a book would jump out at me. Every single time, what I needed to learn that day was in that book. Once, a book even fell off the shelf behind me as I passed. Must have had my head under water at that moment. There is an old saying that is something like, "when the student is ready, the teacher appears." I realized that my teachers have always been around me; I just wasn't paying attention. When I did pay attention, I learned that everyone in my life was really a reflection of what was wonderful about me (these are nice) or what I needed to learn. When I discovered that within me was the most important teacher of all, I learned to be more gentle and forgiving of myself. Besides, pretty well everyone I knew had their heads stuck under water too. How can I be hard on anybody else when we are all gasping for air?
Gradually, I discovered that the most fascinating thing about my watching mind was that, while I was there, I found out that I could choose what I thought. If I didn't like a thought, I would stop it or cancel it and replace it with something better. I found this challenging to remember at first, when I came up sputtering for air, but it was certainly doable. The more I remembered it the better I got at choosing my thoughts.
Life seems to be sending us all some challenging reflections and lessons lately. Those of us who manage to get our heads above the water or even leave the river to sit on its banks, hold an essential example for those still struggling under water. Imagine a bunch of electric eels in the water. The more eels who turn on their lights, the easier it is for everyone in the river to see.
Sharon Carne’s passion for healing sound has its foundation in a successful thirty-year career performing and teaching the classical guitar. She has studied with healing sound pioneers, Jonathan Goldman and Tom Kenyon and is a reiki master. Sharon teaches workshops on healing sound and her CDs are distributed throughout North America.
At first, watching my thoughts felt like being caught in a fierce current in a river.
Every once in a while, I would struggle to bring my head above the water only to be dragged under moments later. I also remember that, at this time, my river was consumed with fear.
One day, preparing dinner in the kitchen, my head struggled above the water and I screamed this thought to the universe. "Why do we have to feel so much fear?" To my amazement, the universe immediately returned the answer, "To learn not to be afraid." This thought had just barged into my mind and, in shock I thanked the source and its confirmation that I was indeed not alone. Even though it wasn't the answer I wanted to hear – maybe a little sympathy would be nice . . . and my head was under water again.
Slowly, I was learning that the trick to keeping my head above water was not to be consumed by my thoughts. Easier said than done. Another thing I learned was that I did not like what I saw. My thoughts were negative and judgmental or escaped completely into fantasy. Things really began to feel ugly when I realized that all of my judgmental thoughts about others were really based on what I disliked about myself. I had reached the point of no return. There was no way I could jump back into the river again and be unconscious about what I was thinking. Now what?
I noticed that there was a light appearing in the midst of the darkness. I was becoming aware that there were two parts of my mind at work when I was watching my thoughts – the part that was stuck in the river and the part that was watching everything. As I began to identify more with the watching part, I felt better. I felt more detached from the river-thoughts and could just watch them for a while, sometimes even without judgment. I also noticed that I could keep my head above the water for longer stretches now.
As I identified more with the watching part of my mind, I felt clearer and more in touch with my intuition. So I began to test, play with, doubt and gradually trust my intuition. One of my favorite games was to enter a bookstore or library with the intention "What do I need to learn today?" I would wander around and as long as I could stay in this part of my mind, invariably, a colour or word on a book would jump out at me. Every single time, what I needed to learn that day was in that book. Once, a book even fell off the shelf behind me as I passed. Must have had my head under water at that moment. There is an old saying that is something like, "when the student is ready, the teacher appears." I realized that my teachers have always been around me; I just wasn't paying attention. When I did pay attention, I learned that everyone in my life was really a reflection of what was wonderful about me (these are nice) or what I needed to learn. When I discovered that within me was the most important teacher of all, I learned to be more gentle and forgiving of myself. Besides, pretty well everyone I knew had their heads stuck under water too. How can I be hard on anybody else when we are all gasping for air?
Gradually, I discovered that the most fascinating thing about my watching mind was that, while I was there, I found out that I could choose what I thought. If I didn't like a thought, I would stop it or cancel it and replace it with something better. I found this challenging to remember at first, when I came up sputtering for air, but it was certainly doable. The more I remembered it the better I got at choosing my thoughts.
Life seems to be sending us all some challenging reflections and lessons lately. Those of us who manage to get our heads above the water or even leave the river to sit on its banks, hold an essential example for those still struggling under water. Imagine a bunch of electric eels in the water. The more eels who turn on their lights, the easier it is for everyone in the river to see.
Sharon Carne’s passion for healing sound has its foundation in a successful thirty-year career performing and teaching the classical guitar. She has studied with healing sound pioneers, Jonathan Goldman and Tom Kenyon and is a reiki master. Sharon teaches workshops on healing sound and her CDs are distributed throughout North America.
Inspirational Leadership Skills
The evident quality of a leader is to be self motivated. In the plan of an organization chart there could be ineffectiveness created by a single format that could lead to the dysfunction of the entire unit. Delayed promotions, extremely long work hours and no direct reciprocation of interest seem to be the main cause of high attrition rate. A leader is there to lead, to motivate and encourage creativity. To feel inspired by someone in office means that the individual has to be credited with a very ambitious nature and also one who believes in sharing his ideas.
Work culture is also about being able to set personal agendas and separate ones for the team. Recognizing a team leader is the biggest challenge for any management. Assertive styles of managers can be demoralizing through it is essential to have control so that there are no lacunas in the every day functioning. Recognizing talent is another factor and encouraging management improvements is imperative for meeting deadlines.
Communication is just not about a good vocabulary and oratory skills. Effective communication is about listening and understanding the fragments of the management culture and is a personality trait.
All efforts of a leader should be focused on team building and this will directly lead to the prime focus. There are agendas for the group and personal performance targets. Thinking laterally and having a clear focus is the quality of a leader. There are born leaders and some learn on the job with interaction and peer styles. What actually comes to the fore may be a high confidence level but believing in a mission statement is necessary. One needs to have a strategy and a back up plan. Plan A and the alternative Plan B should not be diverse but need to seem as a strong alternative without altering the business plan.
Feel good factors include recreation activities and a paymaster is not the only criteria aspired by people searching for greener pastures. Peer pressure should be not encouraged or this leads to selfish a ambition which is not conducive for an effective business target achievement. Inspirational leadership is also about being social and organizing fun objectives. A game of pool or a yoga centre is a sure stress buster and annual family picnics makes workplace fun. Deadlines should be met by each employee and there surely needs to be a better manpower planning so as to gauge probable absenteeism. Appreciation works wonders and this is the primary virtue of a true leader.
Work culture is also about being able to set personal agendas and separate ones for the team. Recognizing a team leader is the biggest challenge for any management. Assertive styles of managers can be demoralizing through it is essential to have control so that there are no lacunas in the every day functioning. Recognizing talent is another factor and encouraging management improvements is imperative for meeting deadlines.
Communication is just not about a good vocabulary and oratory skills. Effective communication is about listening and understanding the fragments of the management culture and is a personality trait.
All efforts of a leader should be focused on team building and this will directly lead to the prime focus. There are agendas for the group and personal performance targets. Thinking laterally and having a clear focus is the quality of a leader. There are born leaders and some learn on the job with interaction and peer styles. What actually comes to the fore may be a high confidence level but believing in a mission statement is necessary. One needs to have a strategy and a back up plan. Plan A and the alternative Plan B should not be diverse but need to seem as a strong alternative without altering the business plan.
Feel good factors include recreation activities and a paymaster is not the only criteria aspired by people searching for greener pastures. Peer pressure should be not encouraged or this leads to selfish a ambition which is not conducive for an effective business target achievement. Inspirational leadership is also about being social and organizing fun objectives. A game of pool or a yoga centre is a sure stress buster and annual family picnics makes workplace fun. Deadlines should be met by each employee and there surely needs to be a better manpower planning so as to gauge probable absenteeism. Appreciation works wonders and this is the primary virtue of a true leader.
Inspirational Leadership Skills
The evident quality of a leader is to be self motivated. In the plan of an organization chart there could be ineffectiveness created by a single format that could lead to the dysfunction of the entire unit. Delayed promotions, extremely long work hours and no direct reciprocation of interest seem to be the main cause of high attrition rate. A leader is there to lead, to motivate and encourage creativity. To feel inspired by someone in office means that the individual has to be credited with a very ambitious nature and also one who believes in sharing his ideas.
Work culture is also about being able to set personal agendas and separate ones for the team. Recognizing a team leader is the biggest challenge for any management. Assertive styles of managers can be demoralizing through it is essential to have control so that there are no lacunas in the every day functioning. Recognizing talent is another factor and encouraging management improvements is imperative for meeting deadlines.
Communication is just not about a good vocabulary and oratory skills. Effective communication is about listening and understanding the fragments of the management culture and is a personality trait.
All efforts of a leader should be focused on team building and this will directly lead to the prime focus. There are agendas for the group and personal performance targets. Thinking laterally and having a clear focus is the quality of a leader. There are born leaders and some learn on the job with interaction and peer styles. What actually comes to the fore may be a high confidence level but believing in a mission statement is necessary. One needs to have a strategy and a back up plan. Plan A and the alternative Plan B should not be diverse but need to seem as a strong alternative without altering the business plan.
Feel good factors include recreation activities and a paymaster is not the only criteria aspired by people searching for greener pastures. Peer pressure should be not encouraged or this leads to selfish a ambition which is not conducive for an effective business target achievement. Inspirational leadership is also about being social and organizing fun objectives. A game of pool or a yoga centre is a sure stress buster and annual family picnics makes workplace fun. Deadlines should be met by each employee and there surely needs to be a better manpower planning so as to gauge probable absenteeism. Appreciation works wonders and this is the primary virtue of a true leader.
Work culture is also about being able to set personal agendas and separate ones for the team. Recognizing a team leader is the biggest challenge for any management. Assertive styles of managers can be demoralizing through it is essential to have control so that there are no lacunas in the every day functioning. Recognizing talent is another factor and encouraging management improvements is imperative for meeting deadlines.
Communication is just not about a good vocabulary and oratory skills. Effective communication is about listening and understanding the fragments of the management culture and is a personality trait.
All efforts of a leader should be focused on team building and this will directly lead to the prime focus. There are agendas for the group and personal performance targets. Thinking laterally and having a clear focus is the quality of a leader. There are born leaders and some learn on the job with interaction and peer styles. What actually comes to the fore may be a high confidence level but believing in a mission statement is necessary. One needs to have a strategy and a back up plan. Plan A and the alternative Plan B should not be diverse but need to seem as a strong alternative without altering the business plan.
Feel good factors include recreation activities and a paymaster is not the only criteria aspired by people searching for greener pastures. Peer pressure should be not encouraged or this leads to selfish a ambition which is not conducive for an effective business target achievement. Inspirational leadership is also about being social and organizing fun objectives. A game of pool or a yoga centre is a sure stress buster and annual family picnics makes workplace fun. Deadlines should be met by each employee and there surely needs to be a better manpower planning so as to gauge probable absenteeism. Appreciation works wonders and this is the primary virtue of a true leader.
Searchlights & Spiritual Shark Attacks - Part 1
In case you haven't noticed - we're not in Kansas anymore Toto! The Garden of Eden is long gone, and there's something deep inside us that really resents that.
All of us, without fail, have experienced the pain of failure, rejection, abandonment, and betrayal. We've been "missed", unappreciated, misjudged, and abused in one form or another. Our hearts have been stomped on in countless creative ways, and if we let it, those wounds can and WILL color our perspective and absolutely BLOCK US from becoming the person we were meant to be, living the life we were meant to live, fulfilling our dreams, and walking out our full potential. And something in us at a subconscious level is really ticked off about that because that's NOT the way life was supposed to be! We were made for a life of eternity in the Garden.
The REALITY we have to accept right now is that hurts and struggles are a normal part of life on this earth. AND as if that isn't bad enough, the Villain of our story (Satan) smells human brokenness like a shark smells blood in the water and goes after it! He is pure wickedness, incapable of mercy, and targets additional attacks right in the wounded, broken, bleeding portions of our heart.
Right now you're thinking - "Gee thanks Annette for that really peachy news. I feel so much better!", but don't shoot the messenger just yet. At least if we can diagnose what's going on we can do something about it, right?
Listen to the words of Jesus as He gives us the bottom line on the good news and the bad news...
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. John 16:33 (NLT)
The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. John 10:10 (NLT)
So, this means we're not crazy to feel like everything is against us sometimes (it is!), but it's possible to overcome it and walk out an incredible life. On top of that, we're able to find peace in the MIDST of the crud of life, peace no matter what
circumstances we're facing right now! Trust me, I'm not just blowing smoke about this. I've had plenty of exposure to the "bad news" portion, and am now standing in the "good news" zone, even though many of my current circumstances have NOT yet changed to what I'd like them to be!
So, how do we start overcoming the world and the evil one and start living the life of fullness and abundance we were meant to have? Oh, if only the answer were simple enough to say in one paragraph. Actually, I'd much prefer to have some magic foo-foo dust to sprinkle over me and you and we'd be all better instantly! But, since we're here in the real world, the very best I can give you for the moment is this
• Decide now that you will NEVER AGAIN SETTLE FOR LESS THAN GOD's BEST for you and you will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get there!
Purpose in your heart that you are hereby commiting to pursue, ON A DAILY BASIS - a
new way of thinking, a new way of relating, a new way of being, with a heart that is healed, whole, and vibrantly alive - led by the Spirit of God, so that the desires of your heart will align with the desires of His heart.
If there's any doubt in your mind that God WANTS to give you the very best of life - an exciting, full, rich, abundant, blessed, adventurous life where the crud that's thrown at you gets turned around for good and you overcome the odds to be surprised by incredible gifts from God - in both tangible and intangible ways, then take a look at this...
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes. Romans 8:28 (NLT) (emphasis mine)
"I say this because I know what I am planning for you," says the Lord, "I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future." Jeremiah 29:11 (NCV)
Not only does God want to give you His very best, more importantly, He wants you to BECOME the person He meant you to be when He dreamed about you before you were born. He's crazy in love with you and wants you to feel the same way about Him. That, by the way, is the door-opener for all the rest. Oh, but now I'm giving away too much of the story for one day!
For now, GET READY FOR THE ADVENTURE OF YOUR LIFE!
So Whatcha Gonna Do With That? It's not enough to just read about a principle - we need to put it into practice in practical ways and let it work its way into the very fabric of our being so we can actually live it out on a daily basis!
To read more about this and get some FREE hands-on ideas and down-to-earth s
trategies about how to apply this particular concept to your life, including a model of how to pray about it, click on the link below:
At the website you can read more on additional topics and sign up to receive a FREE every-other-day devotional and monthly newsletter where you'll get lots of insightful, challenging, and practical content as well as FREE tools that will inspire and support you to reach for the life you were meant to live!
Annette Baker is the author and creator of the uniquely challenging, refreshing, and empowering She writes from the heart as one who has walked the talk and draws from her unique perspective from her own life experience and solid background of teaching, public speaking, pastoring and developing leaders and teams and specializes in the areas of personal growth, Christian growth, and helping people and organizations develop their potential.
Since she has a heart to truly make a difference in peoples lives and empower them to reach for the life they were meant to live, she offers many great FREE resources you won't want to miss out on.
All of us, without fail, have experienced the pain of failure, rejection, abandonment, and betrayal. We've been "missed", unappreciated, misjudged, and abused in one form or another. Our hearts have been stomped on in countless creative ways, and if we let it, those wounds can and WILL color our perspective and absolutely BLOCK US from becoming the person we were meant to be, living the life we were meant to live, fulfilling our dreams, and walking out our full potential. And something in us at a subconscious level is really ticked off about that because that's NOT the way life was supposed to be! We were made for a life of eternity in the Garden.
The REALITY we have to accept right now is that hurts and struggles are a normal part of life on this earth. AND as if that isn't bad enough, the Villain of our story (Satan) smells human brokenness like a shark smells blood in the water and goes after it! He is pure wickedness, incapable of mercy, and targets additional attacks right in the wounded, broken, bleeding portions of our heart.
Right now you're thinking - "Gee thanks Annette for that really peachy news. I feel so much better!", but don't shoot the messenger just yet. At least if we can diagnose what's going on we can do something about it, right?
Listen to the words of Jesus as He gives us the bottom line on the good news and the bad news...
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. John 16:33 (NLT)
The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. John 10:10 (NLT)
So, this means we're not crazy to feel like everything is against us sometimes (it is!), but it's possible to overcome it and walk out an incredible life. On top of that, we're able to find peace in the MIDST of the crud of life, peace no matter what
circumstances we're facing right now! Trust me, I'm not just blowing smoke about this. I've had plenty of exposure to the "bad news" portion, and am now standing in the "good news" zone, even though many of my current circumstances have NOT yet changed to what I'd like them to be!
So, how do we start overcoming the world and the evil one and start living the life of fullness and abundance we were meant to have? Oh, if only the answer were simple enough to say in one paragraph. Actually, I'd much prefer to have some magic foo-foo dust to sprinkle over me and you and we'd be all better instantly! But, since we're here in the real world, the very best I can give you for the moment is this
• Decide now that you will NEVER AGAIN SETTLE FOR LESS THAN GOD's BEST for you and you will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get there!
Purpose in your heart that you are hereby commiting to pursue, ON A DAILY BASIS - a
new way of thinking, a new way of relating, a new way of being, with a heart that is healed, whole, and vibrantly alive - led by the Spirit of God, so that the desires of your heart will align with the desires of His heart.
If there's any doubt in your mind that God WANTS to give you the very best of life - an exciting, full, rich, abundant, blessed, adventurous life where the crud that's thrown at you gets turned around for good and you overcome the odds to be surprised by incredible gifts from God - in both tangible and intangible ways, then take a look at this...
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes. Romans 8:28 (NLT) (emphasis mine)
"I say this because I know what I am planning for you," says the Lord, "I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future." Jeremiah 29:11 (NCV)
Not only does God want to give you His very best, more importantly, He wants you to BECOME the person He meant you to be when He dreamed about you before you were born. He's crazy in love with you and wants you to feel the same way about Him. That, by the way, is the door-opener for all the rest. Oh, but now I'm giving away too much of the story for one day!
For now, GET READY FOR THE ADVENTURE OF YOUR LIFE!
So Whatcha Gonna Do With That? It's not enough to just read about a principle - we need to put it into practice in practical ways and let it work its way into the very fabric of our being so we can actually live it out on a daily basis!
To read more about this and get some FREE hands-on ideas and down-to-earth s
trategies about how to apply this particular concept to your life, including a model of how to pray about it, click on the link below:
At the website you can read more on additional topics and sign up to receive a FREE every-other-day devotional and monthly newsletter where you'll get lots of insightful, challenging, and practical content as well as FREE tools that will inspire and support you to reach for the life you were meant to live!
Annette Baker is the author and creator of the uniquely challenging, refreshing, and empowering She writes from the heart as one who has walked the talk and draws from her unique perspective from her own life experience and solid background of teaching, public speaking, pastoring and developing leaders and teams and specializes in the areas of personal growth, Christian growth, and helping people and organizations develop their potential.
Since she has a heart to truly make a difference in peoples lives and empower them to reach for the life they were meant to live, she offers many great FREE resources you won't want to miss out on.
Short Story – Protesters
A sharp closing of the door left the two men together yet alone, strangers, introduced merely seconds before. The older, taller of the two seemed to scrutinise the stockier new arrival for a few moments, his penetrating gaze noting the military dress that remained less than a uniform alongside the almost apologetic manner he projected. They had fallen silent after their mutual acknowledgement, the elderly man's gripped handshake accompanied by a stentorian, lengthened "Hello", the younger man's hesitant nod, plus a hand quickly withdrawn. During that same silence, shared at the room's edge by its only window, they surveyed the protesters below. Quiet filled the room, a quiet left after the noisy departure of the usher who had just led the younger man up from the street, soon began to fade. Sounds of chanting, angry sloganising, hardly rhythmic from this admixture of universally blue-suited, tone-deaf Englishmen, filtered through the draught cracks around the quartered frame. There were no discernible words, the shouted slogans becoming a mere murmur of unrest from their distance.
Almost in unison, their joint gaze lifted from the street below the high window, a side street that they had both needed to lean into the recess to view, so that now they looked across the great square, great not in size, but perhaps in claimed significance. Ahead was the mother of parliaments, a mock-Gothic imitation of the grandiose, a pretender to an assumed aesthetic, re-invented as fashion demanded. Before it, almost insignificant, set down below pavement level, they could both visualize from memory the statue of the great protector, stolid in defiance, solid in his defence of the right to speak within those walls, a right too often challenged by those who lay as corpses in the opulence opposite. For there, to the right of the two observers lay the confessor's church, the abbey of royalty that a true perpetrator of terror adorned with a fan vault to decorate his own death, a chapel that seemed to thrust threateningly towards the palace of speech it faced, an older palace of speech, long destroyed, long superseded.
"In its present, history is always a lie," said the older, taller of the two men.
The other maintained his silence for a while. He turned to face his companion, to look him up and down, to note the establishment feel of his blue three-piece suit with its pronounced watch-chain presenting almost a seal of office across the midriff. He was tall, this writer, stately, even dignified, his eighty years now generating a slight stoop when he moved, just a hint of roundness in the spine, whose imagined rigidity suggested the stance of a once proud young man. The smaller man seemed uncomfortable in the writer's presence, as if he knew what to say, but not where to start. There was a sense of both deference and discomfort, a respect tinged with something less trusting. The older man's reputation and achievement preceded him and, in later years, he had learned how to inhabit the respected space this inevitably generated.
"I would guess that you have brought no written speech," said the younger man, the non-sequitur not itself worthy of remark. "But then I would have expected that. After all, you are a writer."
The old man smiled a little, without averting his gaze, which still apparently concentrated on the beauty of the abbey's spires, the grandeur of its tower, the power of its glory. "No," he said, pausing again, as if wishing to perpetuate an ambiguity as to whether he had no speech or whether he was denying that he was ever a writer. For several seconds the older man rocked gently from side to side, transferred his weight from one foot to the other in the manner that a recently consulted nurse had suggested as a means of keeping his aging legs supple. She realised, an hour later, that she had no cause to worry about the state of the old man's plumbing, which she had experienced in full working order. But still the writer took her advice and hopped, just a little.
He then turned to face the younger man, the slight downward attitude of the head inevitably suggesting condescension.
"I have to work to my notes," said the smaller man, averting his eyes just enough to attain an independent angle. "In my position I cannot ad lib, even if I feel I'm capable of doing it. I always have to make doubly sure that every word plays a calculated part in the whole message. One cannot be too careful. I cannot risk a single word being misinterpreted." He patted the left breast of his military-style camouflage jacket and then flicked the lapel aside with his right hand so that he could retrieve a folded sheaf of hand-written sheets from the inside pocket. He began to read. "Muchas gracias por su solidaridad..."
"You will speak in Spanish?"
"Yes. And with an interpreter. As I said, we have to ensure that our words are clear, unambiguous, saying precisely what we mean and only what we mean. There is no room for error. There are those waiting to gather ammunition against us."
"No pasaran!" said the old man as he gave the other's upper arm a firm squeeze with his out-turned left hand. It was a strange gesture, a reverse, backhand expression of support, firm in its conviction, ambiguous in its sincerity. The younger man smiled, suddenly and obviously more at ease, less in awe of this great name's perceived distance. "But your English is perfect, fluent", continued the writer. "Why not speak to us directly in our own tongue?"
The younger man only shrugged, as if to imply that a question with an obvious answer need not be asked. "As a writer," he said at last, "you know that language must be precise..."
"...and so a problem, should it arise, can always be put down to poor translation?" A silence from the other signified agreement. "And so the politician can retain deniability, even if that was in fact what you meant to say? A side exit from the trap of duplicity?"
"It would never be my intention to deceive..."
"But if the charge arose, you could sidestep it without confronting it? Shall we say that you could find an avenue of convenience?"
The younger man kept his silence for a minute or more, during which time he stared again at the thin but noisy line of blue-suited protesters in the road below. He noted for the first time that they all seemed to be in their early or mid-twenties. They were so similar in appearance they might all have been selected for the role. Wanted:
official agitators, he mused. Blue suit, aged twenty to thirty, head shaven to at least a number two.
He then turned back into the room to face the writer. "But then words are your tools, your stock in trade - I think that is the correct English idiom - so you know perfectly well how important it is to have exactly the right word in the right place. You would never make a mistake."
The writer laughed. "My dear man," he began, now turning to pace towards the room's centrally placed, heavy walnut but dull-topped table, "You invest in me credibility, talent and invention beyond my worth. I am but a story teller, a literary fraud whose imaginings occasionally, and for just an hour or two, might light up the dull lives of blighters like those down below. I churn out the literary equivalent of b-movies for residents of suburban semis. Words? I've spawned millions of them, drivelled them out like torrents of wanked sperm, onanised only on the stony ground of the popular imagination - an oxymoron for sure." His pause was pure theatre, calculated to maintain his hold of the flow and, at the same time, to add emphasis to his words and retain control, measured to keep the other silent. With apparent impatience, he retrieved the cigarettes and lighter he had previously tossed carelessly onto the table-top from a hand that had been summoned to shake its greeting with the newly arrived president of the republic. The old writer's right hand had fiddled a cigarette from the pack, his left hand had lit it and he had already taken a long, deep, settling drag before the instant elapsed. When he spoke again, it was as if there had never been a break in his flow, his words now animated by loose clouds of smoke, particles that clipped the edge off his voice. "These people just do as they are told. They see us as we are sold to them. Today a performing monkey that writes books and an ogre who threatens their freedom. Tomorrow performing monkeys are cast as illiterate and the ogre is a partner in trade. Joe Soap does what Joe Soap is told to do. A whim is less fickle than popular consciousness."
"So is your support for our cause such a whim? Will you oppose tomorrow what you support today?" The younger man's voice was harder, more forthright in its continued deference.
"It rather depends on you and your people - your phrase, by the way," replied the writer. Here the word 'people' clearly did not refer to an agglomerated populace, but a clique whose existence the writer was keen to suggest. "We all know whom we oppose. We know what we are against. It's what we are for that perennially confuses us, especially when we are confronted with the complications of interpreting a reality that we only imagine."
The younger man now moved away from the window. Stepping slowly, thoughtfully, his face downcast, he began to amble a wide arc around the table, the old writer at its centre, a stalking of sorts. He pressed his fingertips together, forming a cat's cradle across a stomach that the other judged would fill out in a few years, thus transforming the current stocky athleticism into a portly middle age that would no longer be f
lattered by the military fatigues he currently wore.
When the younger man stopped and turned, he looked up to see that the old man still faced the window, stood erect, taking staccato drags from his cigarette, each accompanied by an audible suck of the lips. It's ironic that I should address his back, he thought. "And exactly whom do you oppose? Or should I more precisely ask whom do you currently oppose, since in the past your allegiance to any cause has been - let's say - variable...?"
"My dear man, Mr President," said the writer, smiling, as he turned to face his inquisitor, "every man has his price. Take Joe Soap in the street down there, for instance" he said, nodding towards the window, now behind him, "You don't think that any of those snotty nosed Johns of city clerks actually believe the rhetoric about your regime? Do you think that a twenty-two year old moron who spends all day wheeling trays of punched cards around the bowels of a bank's computer centre for subsistence pay goes home of an evening to read and analyse Heritage Foundation reports on the communist take-over of Central America? He doesn't do that any more than he comparatively tests all available brands of soap powder before buying his Omo - except on reflection he probably wouldn't buy that one on the grounds of being embarrassed by associations with its name. No, he gets led by the nose to the Daz and he buys it. He goes along with the tide, we might say. The trick of manipulating the popular imagination, oxymoronically, of course, is to cover all the options, to back all sides. The trick is to convince Joe Soap that he needs washing powder and then to cartelise the shelves with an agreed and shared presence. Whatever brand decisions he makes are utterly irrelevant because the big guys who run his brain have the market carved up between them. Politically, his brain space, albeit quite small, is fully occupied with propagandistic threats to his lifestyle, threats that might restrict his right to detergent choice, a human right worth fighting for."
"And it is your view that your books are just more soap powder?"
"Precisely, dear fellow. Precisely." The writer turned away again, puffing to pursue the production of ash.
The younger man ambled forward again as the writer turned his back. Legally trained, the young president of the republic found himself thrust back into the profession to which he had aspired, but had never practised, his studies having been interrupted by what a respectful obituary might describe as brushes with the authorities. He was stalking his witness, here a writer confined within a dock of his own invention, perhaps imagination. It was to become a cross-examination. "But I've read your work - almost all of it, though I admit that most was in Spanish translation. Maybe something was gained in translation, but I always felt that your so-called, self-professed mere stories, entertainments, always had their deeper side, another level no less, where the characters and the situations in which you placed them epitomised moral conflict, ideological questions which they always at least tried to address. Indeed you, the writer, the creator, always seemed to want a moralistic resolution to your characters' dilemmas." The president paused to look the writer in the eye, but the taller man's gaze was fixed ahead, above his level, blankly concentrated on the mechanics of drawing smoke. "So you would deny," he continued, "that what I read into your work was ever intended? It was a mere figment of my furtive, youthful imagination?"
"Leading question. Counsel should not put words into the mouths of the witness," said the old man, choosing his words with intricate care whilst fixing a stare at his inquisitor in time with the very end of the phrase.
"Ah", interrupted the other, uncharacteristically immediate in his interjection. "So not only do you know detail of my education, you want to play judge as well! Is that it? Is that the key? You want to claim the status of inconsequence, the mere story teller, whilst, somewhere in your unwritten estimation, you believe you hold the ultimate truth, the end point, the last word, the judgment?" A smile began to lift the curves of the black moustache that dominated his face, his rimless spectacles lifting a little on flexed cheek muscles.
"Judge?" replied the old writer. "Judgment? You sound like a Christian."
"I am."
"Well I'm not."
"You are a Roman Catholic. You converted. Everyone knows that".
"Pragmatism, my dear boy. Pure pragmatism. The old girl demanded it. It was the only way I could get my end away with her... a state I yearned for so much I would have topped myself if I hadn't succeeded. Not that it did me a whole lot of good in the end. She turned out to be stretched frigid with guilt, a guilt I could not penetrate, a need to appease the wrath of a loving God she knew hated her, her alone."
"And so you looked elsewhere?"
"Well documented. Well known, as you might say." The old man fumbled for another cigarette, lit it and tossed the pack and lighter carelessly back onto the table. "You don't smoke, of course."
It was an intended diversion, a plea for the re-establishment of shallow politeness. The ploy was ignored. "I approach the problem in entirely the opposite sense", said the other. "I was a Catholic, a devout believer, and I'm happily married to a woman I hope will live for ever. But we are shunned by our church, shunned because of my politics, shunned because of the ideology I have espoused, a philosophy the bishops call godless."
"In the words of a famous economist," began the writer, his manner beginning to approach the patronizing as he paused for a moment to signify the unearthing of an aphorism, "in the long term we are all dead. Gods, godlessness, ideology, alienation, they all become as significant as a flake of this". He tapped his cigarette, causing a tip of ash to fall and disintegrate on the carpet.
"So what motivates you?" asked the former trainee lawyer, pursuing again his original point.
"A quick fuck. A good bottle. Dope. And then another fuck. The here and now is all we have..."
"Even though sometimes you try to bring even that to an end?" The lawyer's
question was fast, calculated and completely disarming, delivered with a politician's panache for locating a weakness and exploiting it.
"You have done your research well. I suppose one of your 'people' read all the sordid biographies just to prepare you for this evening?"
"No. I knew already. As I said, I've read much of your work. I have the ultimate respect..."
"Ultimate? A good word for a head of state to use."
"I have no intention to pull rank, sir," replied the younger man. "What I say will always be true, always honest."
"Yes, It's common knowledge, if any form of knowledge can be described as common." The old writer took a long noisy drag on his cigarette and ambled back towards the window. "It's a conundrum the hoi polloi never face. The worker ant stays in line. The experience, therefore, is always one of perceived unimpeded progress, of unblocked pathways to repeat the humdrum of existence and its duties. The fact that the way is cleared in the first place and kept free by the work of the soldiers, those with the duty to explore, to remove the danger, to clear the way, this is never known, let alone understood by the Joe Soap workers. They assume the mundaneness of their lives is a norm, not an achievement created by the efforts of others."
"Or a conspiracy ....."
"A process of management, let's call it, to use the vocabulary of the market age. Our protestors chant their slogans; their leaders feed them with more; they learn to regurgitate."
"And what about our supporters? Those hundreds filling the hall below?"
The old writer turned a little and cocked his head, as if feeling the air for sound. He realised that the chants of "No pasaran! No pasaran!" that filtered along the maze of corridors to their waiting room must be deafening inside the auditorium. "I apologise for the crudity of my sweeping logic. But even you, Mr President, even you would acknowledge that the supporters are a minority, dwarfed by the opposition, a piss in the ocean compared to the torrents that oppose you?"
"Today, maybe. Tomorrow, who knows? That's why we are both here. We both know what we oppose. And I, at least, know what I support."
"Today...."
"No. Much longer than that. Just as I know a little about you, then I'm sure that you know something of me. My politics are not the clothes I put on yesterday. I've been committed to the work for justice and human rights for over twenty years. I am also a patriot - not a nationalist, a patriot. I want to achieve progress for my people, my country, but not at the expense of suffering for others. You know my history."
Both men knew they had reached a critical juncture. There was a sense of threat on the edge of these last words, a malice that the professedly libertarian old writer sensed the more keenly. Ill at ease, he tried to divert. "When we're on the podium, old boy, then we will know the shape of things. I don't doubt that there are many out there who passionately support your cause. But there are others who are with you only to oppose a shared enemy. And there are others, perhaps many of them, who aren't members of your audience at all."
"I don't understand," said the other, though he did.
"I'm sorry. I forget that It's your first time in our green and pleasant land. You will see. Watch them when you speak. There will be many who stand and cheer. But for every three or four doing that, there will be a man - always a man - still in his seat, apparently a spectator, apparently indifferent. Except, of course, he won't be looking at you. He knows who you are. It's the identity of those in the audience that interests him. Ostensibly, he is in the audience to protect you. Like the gazelle he probably isn't, it's his job to leap onto anyone who looks like they are about to shoot you. After all, you are a head of state."
"Policeman. Secret Service men."
"Precisely. The place will be packed with them."
"It's a pity," said the young president, "that there weren't more of them down there when I arrived. There's sixty or seventy of those thugs...."
"In Britain they are called Young Conservatives by the way," said the old writer with a punctuating guffaw.
".....and there was only a handful of policeman. They were throwing things, tomatoes, bags of flour..... is that the way visiting heads of state are greeted?"
"It depends on who invited you, old bean."
"Also on what I represent?"
"No, only who invited you."
"So what do you recommend? That I start my speech by inviting all the spooks to stand up and take a bow? So that I can invite all of our supporters to applaud them in a show of magnanimity and humility? To thank them for protecting my safety and with it the integrity of our revolution?"
"Waste of time. Nice gesture, but it would be taken as a sign of weakness."
The old writer paused, his tone indicating that he remained in mid-flow, that second thoughts about what was to follow had stayed his tongue.
"And you, of course," said the younger man, his voice expressing an assumed continuation of the other's perceived meaning, "ought to know, because you used to be one of them. That was when, presumably, you also knew what you opposed."
"They paid my bills. It was a job. I was a worker ant."
"And throughout you were a conscientious and loyal employee. You did what was asked, opposed those who opposed. And, I suppose, you did what you did because of your own patriotism, a noble cause and supreme motivation for an Englishman, I understand."
"Wherever did you hear that? I merely did what I was told. Patriotism is something the English, in particular, despise amongst themselves. Abroad, or in the company of foreigners - a term that includes everyone who does not think like oneself - the English become fiercely patriotic, but it is always motivated by profit. If the returns aren't there, the retreat can be swift, indeed." The tall old man looked his partner in the eye, pausing as if to assess the merit of continuing, as if to assess the impact of the words that might follow before he dare speak them. The young leader thought that this might be the pose that the nation would choose to immortalise the man in bronze after his death. "Your revolution is a privileged state..."
"We are threatened from every side..."
The old man turned away, held up the palm of his right hand to stay the other's words. "It's privileged because you know where you stand. And that's a luxury. You will be defeated, of course, but only temporarily. Your cause will triumph in the long term..."
"...when we are all dead..."
"Indeed. But your cause has integrity. It will be resurrected, maybe many times, and each time it will forge progress towards its goal. In Britain, we still continue to stuff ourselves with the illusion that our total defeat in the war was, in fact, a victory. The fact that we were not invaded convinces people that we won. We were on the winning side, but we lost the war. Ask them why the true victor demanded the complete dismantling of the British Empire, the ceding of our oil-rich territories in the Middle East, the adoption of an independent nuclear deterrent that we never had the right to use, and the requirement that we always send troops, always under the empire command, to any conflict that the empire chooses to pursue, and they will look at you blank-faced in ignorance. Our cause, our patriotism you might say, is corrupt. It's a false consciousness, as false as people's conviction that their consumer choices really exist. So when I worked for the services, we did the empire's job. We had no choice. We knew who our real master was, and we knew we worked to further that interest, which had subsumed anything that we might call our own. Patriotism was not even on the agenda, because we could no longer identify what it was. So we did what we were told."
"Plus a little more, on occasions." It was a lawyer's insistence, coupled with the politician's opportunism that rendered this statement a question that demanded immediate response.
"I was not born rich," said the old man, now leaning forward a tad more, his stoop an assertion. "Like any other human being I took a job. It paid the rent. A steelworker doesn't necessarily believe in the ingot he is forging. A miner does not dig ideologically to supply the furnaces of capitalism."
"But a man does not join an intelligence service devoted to fighting communism in order to dig coal."
"It paid the rent. And I did other things on the side - for reasons of ...."
"Integrity? Truth? Conscience?"
"Lord, no! Pragmatism, as ever."
The younger man held fire for a while. It was the right time to introduce the point, but the language was difficult to find. "So this would explain your current status. Patriotism, that which an outsider might presume you pursued when you worked for your government, was always a purely business arrangement. They paid you and you served them. And now they no longer pay you, so the patriotism evaporates and you become a tax exile. So you have no country apart from the self."
"e e cummings, I believe?"
The younger man was silent, taken aback. A look of gentle confusion spread across his face. The tack he had planned had been undermined by this unexpected turn.
The older man sensed the other's vulnerability and laughed. Intellect had once again granted an upper hand that was his to exploit, but he chose not to use his knowledge to control. "An American poet," he said, calmly, "who broke all the rules, broke them so completely he recast what he did as a new system, a new set of rules. The artist's only inevitable country is himself. You, Mr President, will never be an artist. You do not have the qualifications. For one, you have integrity, and lack the selfishness required."
"So for you selfishness is publicly excused as pragmatism?"
"Each of us has a relationship to capitalism and pragmatism pays the rent. In your situation, where you are pushed outside of the ring, you don't even have the choice to cooperate. For you, for your regime and for your people, pragmatism is not an option."
"And was it pragmatism that led you to organize the infiltration of the student movements I later joined or the labour movement my friends organized? Was it your pragmatism that successfully placed spies in all the organizations that opposed the cynical old son of a bitch we called a dictator in our country but whom you and your imperial allies befriended because he was your son of a bitch? And is it not true that some of those people you placed, especially the less important ones in the student movement, did not they report to your office? And through that to our enemies? And was it pragmatism that led eventually to the arrest of activists, arrests that led to the imprisonment and exile of many truly honest and committed people? And was it also pragmatism that created the trumped up charges and rigged hearings that convicted them? And was it this pragmatism that led, in my own case, to years in jail and then exile - and eventually to my excommunication from a Church I love, that was my very life? Did you do that? Was all this the consequence of your pragmatism? Did you perpetrate such things to pay your rent?"
"I did what was required of me..."
"The defence of an officer in a death camp. I was acting under orders ... ... and doing a little on the side, making a small fortune from the market in gold teeth." The young man's scorn quickened the words to a tirade, the silence they demanded deep and uncomfortable. A politician who ought to have employed circumspection had lost control. A writer with a command of words had been cornered, rendered speechless and left without defence.
The president stood again at the window. He again retrieved the papers from his inside pocket and began to read. The old man, now looking every one of his eighty years, took the four steps needed to be at the other's side. Over ignored papers and smouldering cigarette, their joint gaze again fell on the smartly dressed right wing thugs in the street below. "We know what we oppose," said the president.
"At least today," said the old writer.
There was a knock on the door, a sharp single perfunctory tap that signalled immediate entry. It was the old writer's turn to speak to the assembled rally. Again, as he turned, he offered a back-turned left hand, a slight grasp of the other's upper arm a gesture of solidarity. But this time the words were without passion, without animation and perhaps more sincere for their whisper. "No pasaran. I'm with you."
"Today," repeated the other quickly, the slight pause obviously inserted as a prelude to continuation, "and every day I have found your work inspirational."
The old man smiled a little and gripped again.
Almost in unison, their joint gaze lifted from the street below the high window, a side street that they had both needed to lean into the recess to view, so that now they looked across the great square, great not in size, but perhaps in claimed significance. Ahead was the mother of parliaments, a mock-Gothic imitation of the grandiose, a pretender to an assumed aesthetic, re-invented as fashion demanded. Before it, almost insignificant, set down below pavement level, they could both visualize from memory the statue of the great protector, stolid in defiance, solid in his defence of the right to speak within those walls, a right too often challenged by those who lay as corpses in the opulence opposite. For there, to the right of the two observers lay the confessor's church, the abbey of royalty that a true perpetrator of terror adorned with a fan vault to decorate his own death, a chapel that seemed to thrust threateningly towards the palace of speech it faced, an older palace of speech, long destroyed, long superseded.
"In its present, history is always a lie," said the older, taller of the two men.
The other maintained his silence for a while. He turned to face his companion, to look him up and down, to note the establishment feel of his blue three-piece suit with its pronounced watch-chain presenting almost a seal of office across the midriff. He was tall, this writer, stately, even dignified, his eighty years now generating a slight stoop when he moved, just a hint of roundness in the spine, whose imagined rigidity suggested the stance of a once proud young man. The smaller man seemed uncomfortable in the writer's presence, as if he knew what to say, but not where to start. There was a sense of both deference and discomfort, a respect tinged with something less trusting. The older man's reputation and achievement preceded him and, in later years, he had learned how to inhabit the respected space this inevitably generated.
"I would guess that you have brought no written speech," said the younger man, the non-sequitur not itself worthy of remark. "But then I would have expected that. After all, you are a writer."
The old man smiled a little, without averting his gaze, which still apparently concentrated on the beauty of the abbey's spires, the grandeur of its tower, the power of its glory. "No," he said, pausing again, as if wishing to perpetuate an ambiguity as to whether he had no speech or whether he was denying that he was ever a writer. For several seconds the older man rocked gently from side to side, transferred his weight from one foot to the other in the manner that a recently consulted nurse had suggested as a means of keeping his aging legs supple. She realised, an hour later, that she had no cause to worry about the state of the old man's plumbing, which she had experienced in full working order. But still the writer took her advice and hopped, just a little.
He then turned to face the younger man, the slight downward attitude of the head inevitably suggesting condescension.
"I have to work to my notes," said the smaller man, averting his eyes just enough to attain an independent angle. "In my position I cannot ad lib, even if I feel I'm capable of doing it. I always have to make doubly sure that every word plays a calculated part in the whole message. One cannot be too careful. I cannot risk a single word being misinterpreted." He patted the left breast of his military-style camouflage jacket and then flicked the lapel aside with his right hand so that he could retrieve a folded sheaf of hand-written sheets from the inside pocket. He began to read. "Muchas gracias por su solidaridad..."
"You will speak in Spanish?"
"Yes. And with an interpreter. As I said, we have to ensure that our words are clear, unambiguous, saying precisely what we mean and only what we mean. There is no room for error. There are those waiting to gather ammunition against us."
"No pasaran!" said the old man as he gave the other's upper arm a firm squeeze with his out-turned left hand. It was a strange gesture, a reverse, backhand expression of support, firm in its conviction, ambiguous in its sincerity. The younger man smiled, suddenly and obviously more at ease, less in awe of this great name's perceived distance. "But your English is perfect, fluent", continued the writer. "Why not speak to us directly in our own tongue?"
The younger man only shrugged, as if to imply that a question with an obvious answer need not be asked. "As a writer," he said at last, "you know that language must be precise..."
"...and so a problem, should it arise, can always be put down to poor translation?" A silence from the other signified agreement. "And so the politician can retain deniability, even if that was in fact what you meant to say? A side exit from the trap of duplicity?"
"It would never be my intention to deceive..."
"But if the charge arose, you could sidestep it without confronting it? Shall we say that you could find an avenue of convenience?"
The younger man kept his silence for a minute or more, during which time he stared again at the thin but noisy line of blue-suited protesters in the road below. He noted for the first time that they all seemed to be in their early or mid-twenties. They were so similar in appearance they might all have been selected for the role. Wanted:
official agitators, he mused. Blue suit, aged twenty to thirty, head shaven to at least a number two.
He then turned back into the room to face the writer. "But then words are your tools, your stock in trade - I think that is the correct English idiom - so you know perfectly well how important it is to have exactly the right word in the right place. You would never make a mistake."
The writer laughed. "My dear man," he began, now turning to pace towards the room's centrally placed, heavy walnut but dull-topped table, "You invest in me credibility, talent and invention beyond my worth. I am but a story teller, a literary fraud whose imaginings occasionally, and for just an hour or two, might light up the dull lives of blighters like those down below. I churn out the literary equivalent of b-movies for residents of suburban semis. Words? I've spawned millions of them, drivelled them out like torrents of wanked sperm, onanised only on the stony ground of the popular imagination - an oxymoron for sure." His pause was pure theatre, calculated to maintain his hold of the flow and, at the same time, to add emphasis to his words and retain control, measured to keep the other silent. With apparent impatience, he retrieved the cigarettes and lighter he had previously tossed carelessly onto the table-top from a hand that had been summoned to shake its greeting with the newly arrived president of the republic. The old writer's right hand had fiddled a cigarette from the pack, his left hand had lit it and he had already taken a long, deep, settling drag before the instant elapsed. When he spoke again, it was as if there had never been a break in his flow, his words now animated by loose clouds of smoke, particles that clipped the edge off his voice. "These people just do as they are told. They see us as we are sold to them. Today a performing monkey that writes books and an ogre who threatens their freedom. Tomorrow performing monkeys are cast as illiterate and the ogre is a partner in trade. Joe Soap does what Joe Soap is told to do. A whim is less fickle than popular consciousness."
"So is your support for our cause such a whim? Will you oppose tomorrow what you support today?" The younger man's voice was harder, more forthright in its continued deference.
"It rather depends on you and your people - your phrase, by the way," replied the writer. Here the word 'people' clearly did not refer to an agglomerated populace, but a clique whose existence the writer was keen to suggest. "We all know whom we oppose. We know what we are against. It's what we are for that perennially confuses us, especially when we are confronted with the complications of interpreting a reality that we only imagine."
The younger man now moved away from the window. Stepping slowly, thoughtfully, his face downcast, he began to amble a wide arc around the table, the old writer at its centre, a stalking of sorts. He pressed his fingertips together, forming a cat's cradle across a stomach that the other judged would fill out in a few years, thus transforming the current stocky athleticism into a portly middle age that would no longer be f
lattered by the military fatigues he currently wore.
When the younger man stopped and turned, he looked up to see that the old man still faced the window, stood erect, taking staccato drags from his cigarette, each accompanied by an audible suck of the lips. It's ironic that I should address his back, he thought. "And exactly whom do you oppose? Or should I more precisely ask whom do you currently oppose, since in the past your allegiance to any cause has been - let's say - variable...?"
"My dear man, Mr President," said the writer, smiling, as he turned to face his inquisitor, "every man has his price. Take Joe Soap in the street down there, for instance" he said, nodding towards the window, now behind him, "You don't think that any of those snotty nosed Johns of city clerks actually believe the rhetoric about your regime? Do you think that a twenty-two year old moron who spends all day wheeling trays of punched cards around the bowels of a bank's computer centre for subsistence pay goes home of an evening to read and analyse Heritage Foundation reports on the communist take-over of Central America? He doesn't do that any more than he comparatively tests all available brands of soap powder before buying his Omo - except on reflection he probably wouldn't buy that one on the grounds of being embarrassed by associations with its name. No, he gets led by the nose to the Daz and he buys it. He goes along with the tide, we might say. The trick of manipulating the popular imagination, oxymoronically, of course, is to cover all the options, to back all sides. The trick is to convince Joe Soap that he needs washing powder and then to cartelise the shelves with an agreed and shared presence. Whatever brand decisions he makes are utterly irrelevant because the big guys who run his brain have the market carved up between them. Politically, his brain space, albeit quite small, is fully occupied with propagandistic threats to his lifestyle, threats that might restrict his right to detergent choice, a human right worth fighting for."
"And it is your view that your books are just more soap powder?"
"Precisely, dear fellow. Precisely." The writer turned away again, puffing to pursue the production of ash.
The younger man ambled forward again as the writer turned his back. Legally trained, the young president of the republic found himself thrust back into the profession to which he had aspired, but had never practised, his studies having been interrupted by what a respectful obituary might describe as brushes with the authorities. He was stalking his witness, here a writer confined within a dock of his own invention, perhaps imagination. It was to become a cross-examination. "But I've read your work - almost all of it, though I admit that most was in Spanish translation. Maybe something was gained in translation, but I always felt that your so-called, self-professed mere stories, entertainments, always had their deeper side, another level no less, where the characters and the situations in which you placed them epitomised moral conflict, ideological questions which they always at least tried to address. Indeed you, the writer, the creator, always seemed to want a moralistic resolution to your characters' dilemmas." The president paused to look the writer in the eye, but the taller man's gaze was fixed ahead, above his level, blankly concentrated on the mechanics of drawing smoke. "So you would deny," he continued, "that what I read into your work was ever intended? It was a mere figment of my furtive, youthful imagination?"
"Leading question. Counsel should not put words into the mouths of the witness," said the old man, choosing his words with intricate care whilst fixing a stare at his inquisitor in time with the very end of the phrase.
"Ah", interrupted the other, uncharacteristically immediate in his interjection. "So not only do you know detail of my education, you want to play judge as well! Is that it? Is that the key? You want to claim the status of inconsequence, the mere story teller, whilst, somewhere in your unwritten estimation, you believe you hold the ultimate truth, the end point, the last word, the judgment?" A smile began to lift the curves of the black moustache that dominated his face, his rimless spectacles lifting a little on flexed cheek muscles.
"Judge?" replied the old writer. "Judgment? You sound like a Christian."
"I am."
"Well I'm not."
"You are a Roman Catholic. You converted. Everyone knows that".
"Pragmatism, my dear boy. Pure pragmatism. The old girl demanded it. It was the only way I could get my end away with her... a state I yearned for so much I would have topped myself if I hadn't succeeded. Not that it did me a whole lot of good in the end. She turned out to be stretched frigid with guilt, a guilt I could not penetrate, a need to appease the wrath of a loving God she knew hated her, her alone."
"And so you looked elsewhere?"
"Well documented. Well known, as you might say." The old man fumbled for another cigarette, lit it and tossed the pack and lighter carelessly back onto the table. "You don't smoke, of course."
It was an intended diversion, a plea for the re-establishment of shallow politeness. The ploy was ignored. "I approach the problem in entirely the opposite sense", said the other. "I was a Catholic, a devout believer, and I'm happily married to a woman I hope will live for ever. But we are shunned by our church, shunned because of my politics, shunned because of the ideology I have espoused, a philosophy the bishops call godless."
"In the words of a famous economist," began the writer, his manner beginning to approach the patronizing as he paused for a moment to signify the unearthing of an aphorism, "in the long term we are all dead. Gods, godlessness, ideology, alienation, they all become as significant as a flake of this". He tapped his cigarette, causing a tip of ash to fall and disintegrate on the carpet.
"So what motivates you?" asked the former trainee lawyer, pursuing again his original point.
"A quick fuck. A good bottle. Dope. And then another fuck. The here and now is all we have..."
"Even though sometimes you try to bring even that to an end?" The lawyer's
question was fast, calculated and completely disarming, delivered with a politician's panache for locating a weakness and exploiting it.
"You have done your research well. I suppose one of your 'people' read all the sordid biographies just to prepare you for this evening?"
"No. I knew already. As I said, I've read much of your work. I have the ultimate respect..."
"Ultimate? A good word for a head of state to use."
"I have no intention to pull rank, sir," replied the younger man. "What I say will always be true, always honest."
"Yes, It's common knowledge, if any form of knowledge can be described as common." The old writer took a long noisy drag on his cigarette and ambled back towards the window. "It's a conundrum the hoi polloi never face. The worker ant stays in line. The experience, therefore, is always one of perceived unimpeded progress, of unblocked pathways to repeat the humdrum of existence and its duties. The fact that the way is cleared in the first place and kept free by the work of the soldiers, those with the duty to explore, to remove the danger, to clear the way, this is never known, let alone understood by the Joe Soap workers. They assume the mundaneness of their lives is a norm, not an achievement created by the efforts of others."
"Or a conspiracy ....."
"A process of management, let's call it, to use the vocabulary of the market age. Our protestors chant their slogans; their leaders feed them with more; they learn to regurgitate."
"And what about our supporters? Those hundreds filling the hall below?"
The old writer turned a little and cocked his head, as if feeling the air for sound. He realised that the chants of "No pasaran! No pasaran!" that filtered along the maze of corridors to their waiting room must be deafening inside the auditorium. "I apologise for the crudity of my sweeping logic. But even you, Mr President, even you would acknowledge that the supporters are a minority, dwarfed by the opposition, a piss in the ocean compared to the torrents that oppose you?"
"Today, maybe. Tomorrow, who knows? That's why we are both here. We both know what we oppose. And I, at least, know what I support."
"Today...."
"No. Much longer than that. Just as I know a little about you, then I'm sure that you know something of me. My politics are not the clothes I put on yesterday. I've been committed to the work for justice and human rights for over twenty years. I am also a patriot - not a nationalist, a patriot. I want to achieve progress for my people, my country, but not at the expense of suffering for others. You know my history."
Both men knew they had reached a critical juncture. There was a sense of threat on the edge of these last words, a malice that the professedly libertarian old writer sensed the more keenly. Ill at ease, he tried to divert. "When we're on the podium, old boy, then we will know the shape of things. I don't doubt that there are many out there who passionately support your cause. But there are others who are with you only to oppose a shared enemy. And there are others, perhaps many of them, who aren't members of your audience at all."
"I don't understand," said the other, though he did.
"I'm sorry. I forget that It's your first time in our green and pleasant land. You will see. Watch them when you speak. There will be many who stand and cheer. But for every three or four doing that, there will be a man - always a man - still in his seat, apparently a spectator, apparently indifferent. Except, of course, he won't be looking at you. He knows who you are. It's the identity of those in the audience that interests him. Ostensibly, he is in the audience to protect you. Like the gazelle he probably isn't, it's his job to leap onto anyone who looks like they are about to shoot you. After all, you are a head of state."
"Policeman. Secret Service men."
"Precisely. The place will be packed with them."
"It's a pity," said the young president, "that there weren't more of them down there when I arrived. There's sixty or seventy of those thugs...."
"In Britain they are called Young Conservatives by the way," said the old writer with a punctuating guffaw.
".....and there was only a handful of policeman. They were throwing things, tomatoes, bags of flour..... is that the way visiting heads of state are greeted?"
"It depends on who invited you, old bean."
"Also on what I represent?"
"No, only who invited you."
"So what do you recommend? That I start my speech by inviting all the spooks to stand up and take a bow? So that I can invite all of our supporters to applaud them in a show of magnanimity and humility? To thank them for protecting my safety and with it the integrity of our revolution?"
"Waste of time. Nice gesture, but it would be taken as a sign of weakness."
The old writer paused, his tone indicating that he remained in mid-flow, that second thoughts about what was to follow had stayed his tongue.
"And you, of course," said the younger man, his voice expressing an assumed continuation of the other's perceived meaning, "ought to know, because you used to be one of them. That was when, presumably, you also knew what you opposed."
"They paid my bills. It was a job. I was a worker ant."
"And throughout you were a conscientious and loyal employee. You did what was asked, opposed those who opposed. And, I suppose, you did what you did because of your own patriotism, a noble cause and supreme motivation for an Englishman, I understand."
"Wherever did you hear that? I merely did what I was told. Patriotism is something the English, in particular, despise amongst themselves. Abroad, or in the company of foreigners - a term that includes everyone who does not think like oneself - the English become fiercely patriotic, but it is always motivated by profit. If the returns aren't there, the retreat can be swift, indeed." The tall old man looked his partner in the eye, pausing as if to assess the merit of continuing, as if to assess the impact of the words that might follow before he dare speak them. The young leader thought that this might be the pose that the nation would choose to immortalise the man in bronze after his death. "Your revolution is a privileged state..."
"We are threatened from every side..."
The old man turned away, held up the palm of his right hand to stay the other's words. "It's privileged because you know where you stand. And that's a luxury. You will be defeated, of course, but only temporarily. Your cause will triumph in the long term..."
"...when we are all dead..."
"Indeed. But your cause has integrity. It will be resurrected, maybe many times, and each time it will forge progress towards its goal. In Britain, we still continue to stuff ourselves with the illusion that our total defeat in the war was, in fact, a victory. The fact that we were not invaded convinces people that we won. We were on the winning side, but we lost the war. Ask them why the true victor demanded the complete dismantling of the British Empire, the ceding of our oil-rich territories in the Middle East, the adoption of an independent nuclear deterrent that we never had the right to use, and the requirement that we always send troops, always under the empire command, to any conflict that the empire chooses to pursue, and they will look at you blank-faced in ignorance. Our cause, our patriotism you might say, is corrupt. It's a false consciousness, as false as people's conviction that their consumer choices really exist. So when I worked for the services, we did the empire's job. We had no choice. We knew who our real master was, and we knew we worked to further that interest, which had subsumed anything that we might call our own. Patriotism was not even on the agenda, because we could no longer identify what it was. So we did what we were told."
"Plus a little more, on occasions." It was a lawyer's insistence, coupled with the politician's opportunism that rendered this statement a question that demanded immediate response.
"I was not born rich," said the old man, now leaning forward a tad more, his stoop an assertion. "Like any other human being I took a job. It paid the rent. A steelworker doesn't necessarily believe in the ingot he is forging. A miner does not dig ideologically to supply the furnaces of capitalism."
"But a man does not join an intelligence service devoted to fighting communism in order to dig coal."
"It paid the rent. And I did other things on the side - for reasons of ...."
"Integrity? Truth? Conscience?"
"Lord, no! Pragmatism, as ever."
The younger man held fire for a while. It was the right time to introduce the point, but the language was difficult to find. "So this would explain your current status. Patriotism, that which an outsider might presume you pursued when you worked for your government, was always a purely business arrangement. They paid you and you served them. And now they no longer pay you, so the patriotism evaporates and you become a tax exile. So you have no country apart from the self."
"e e cummings, I believe?"
The younger man was silent, taken aback. A look of gentle confusion spread across his face. The tack he had planned had been undermined by this unexpected turn.
The older man sensed the other's vulnerability and laughed. Intellect had once again granted an upper hand that was his to exploit, but he chose not to use his knowledge to control. "An American poet," he said, calmly, "who broke all the rules, broke them so completely he recast what he did as a new system, a new set of rules. The artist's only inevitable country is himself. You, Mr President, will never be an artist. You do not have the qualifications. For one, you have integrity, and lack the selfishness required."
"So for you selfishness is publicly excused as pragmatism?"
"Each of us has a relationship to capitalism and pragmatism pays the rent. In your situation, where you are pushed outside of the ring, you don't even have the choice to cooperate. For you, for your regime and for your people, pragmatism is not an option."
"And was it pragmatism that led you to organize the infiltration of the student movements I later joined or the labour movement my friends organized? Was it your pragmatism that successfully placed spies in all the organizations that opposed the cynical old son of a bitch we called a dictator in our country but whom you and your imperial allies befriended because he was your son of a bitch? And is it not true that some of those people you placed, especially the less important ones in the student movement, did not they report to your office? And through that to our enemies? And was it pragmatism that led eventually to the arrest of activists, arrests that led to the imprisonment and exile of many truly honest and committed people? And was it also pragmatism that created the trumped up charges and rigged hearings that convicted them? And was it this pragmatism that led, in my own case, to years in jail and then exile - and eventually to my excommunication from a Church I love, that was my very life? Did you do that? Was all this the consequence of your pragmatism? Did you perpetrate such things to pay your rent?"
"I did what was required of me..."
"The defence of an officer in a death camp. I was acting under orders ... ... and doing a little on the side, making a small fortune from the market in gold teeth." The young man's scorn quickened the words to a tirade, the silence they demanded deep and uncomfortable. A politician who ought to have employed circumspection had lost control. A writer with a command of words had been cornered, rendered speechless and left without defence.
The president stood again at the window. He again retrieved the papers from his inside pocket and began to read. The old man, now looking every one of his eighty years, took the four steps needed to be at the other's side. Over ignored papers and smouldering cigarette, their joint gaze again fell on the smartly dressed right wing thugs in the street below. "We know what we oppose," said the president.
"At least today," said the old writer.
There was a knock on the door, a sharp single perfunctory tap that signalled immediate entry. It was the old writer's turn to speak to the assembled rally. Again, as he turned, he offered a back-turned left hand, a slight grasp of the other's upper arm a gesture of solidarity. But this time the words were without passion, without animation and perhaps more sincere for their whisper. "No pasaran. I'm with you."
"Today," repeated the other quickly, the slight pause obviously inserted as a prelude to continuation, "and every day I have found your work inspirational."
The old man smiled a little and gripped again.
Stories - Writing Story Books - How Can I Write When I Really Don't Feel Like Writing Great Stories?
Stories - Can I write consistently, even when I really don't want to?
If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to email me. If I don't know the answer, I'll tell you and try to find someone who does.
You can still write despite wanting to be somewhere else!
OK, the answer to this question is really connected to you. You need to get in touch with why you really want to write stories in the first place. While you're deciding, let's have a look at why some others write. Maybe some of this will strike a chord in your heart.
Katherine Anne Porter once said: 'I did not choose this vocation...yet for this vocation I was and am willing to live and die, and I consider very few other things of the slightest importance'.
Norman Mailer spoke about how his friend, the French writer Jean Malaquais, 'suffered when writing like no-one I know'. When Jean was asked why he went through all this pain the answer was 'But this is the only way one can ever find the truth. The only time I know when something is true is when I discover it in the act of writing'.
Another example comes from the Australian Poet Kenneth Slessor. He talks about the 'pleasure' he gains from writing. However he goes on to say this: 'By which I mean the pleasure of pain, horror, anguish and awe...' Another Australian Poet and Novelist, Bruce Beaver said 'Writing has always been as necessary to me as eating'.
Roger McDonald sees the healing value of writing: 'stepping into a territory wher
e words clarify and heal the obscure and broken edges of experience'. Dorothy Hewett was a writer because her mother wanted her to be one. She commented on the ABC 'not only a writer, but a good writer'. She also cheekily added 'not that my mother really knew the difference'.
Communication can be a driving factor like for Somerset Maugham: 'I was small; I had endurance but little physical strength. I stammered; I was shy; I had poor health'.
However the answer for some points to within. Georges Simenon was very firm in his belief that 'every writer tries to find himself through his characters, through all his writing'. The Welsh Poet and Story Writer, Dylan Thomas, said the in-your-face statement: 'I hold a beast, an angel, and a madman in me...and my effort
Kurt Vonnegut says writers are like 'canaries in the coalmines': 'Writers are expressions of the entire society...all artists should be treasured as alarm systems'. While accepting his Nobel Prize, William Faulkner said a Writer must 'help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honour and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice...' of what it means to be truly human.
George Orwell took a very different approach as to why he writes stories: All writers are vain, selfish and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives lies a mystery. Writing is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand'. Now that's what I call hopefulness, despite loving his works and enjoying especially 'Nineteen Eighty Four'!
OK, I've covered quite a few views on why 'Writers write stories', all except for the most important one to you: YOURS. I can't do that. Only you know why you want to write your stories. Only you know what empowers you. Only you know what you care about the most.
Carmel Bird reiterates in her book 'Dear Writer' the universal truth 'the source for the material of fiction is in the life, the experience, the memory, the self of the writer'. Knowing yourself is the cornerstone of all good stories.
Let me end by giving you something to do. Jot down a few points about why you truly want to write stories. Write down things that really touch your spirit. Write them down for only you to see. File them for future reference, but somewhere handy where you can gain motivation by adding to and re-reading your answers. Use this to write a little everyday, even if it's only to add one more point to your list. Gain power from it!
If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to email me. If I don't know the answer, I'll tell you and try to find someone who does.
You can still write despite wanting to be somewhere else!
OK, the answer to this question is really connected to you. You need to get in touch with why you really want to write stories in the first place. While you're deciding, let's have a look at why some others write. Maybe some of this will strike a chord in your heart.
Katherine Anne Porter once said: 'I did not choose this vocation...yet for this vocation I was and am willing to live and die, and I consider very few other things of the slightest importance'.
Norman Mailer spoke about how his friend, the French writer Jean Malaquais, 'suffered when writing like no-one I know'. When Jean was asked why he went through all this pain the answer was 'But this is the only way one can ever find the truth. The only time I know when something is true is when I discover it in the act of writing'.
Another example comes from the Australian Poet Kenneth Slessor. He talks about the 'pleasure' he gains from writing. However he goes on to say this: 'By which I mean the pleasure of pain, horror, anguish and awe...' Another Australian Poet and Novelist, Bruce Beaver said 'Writing has always been as necessary to me as eating'.
Roger McDonald sees the healing value of writing: 'stepping into a territory wher
e words clarify and heal the obscure and broken edges of experience'. Dorothy Hewett was a writer because her mother wanted her to be one. She commented on the ABC 'not only a writer, but a good writer'. She also cheekily added 'not that my mother really knew the difference'.
Communication can be a driving factor like for Somerset Maugham: 'I was small; I had endurance but little physical strength. I stammered; I was shy; I had poor health'.
However the answer for some points to within. Georges Simenon was very firm in his belief that 'every writer tries to find himself through his characters, through all his writing'. The Welsh Poet and Story Writer, Dylan Thomas, said the in-your-face statement: 'I hold a beast, an angel, and a madman in me...and my effort
Kurt Vonnegut says writers are like 'canaries in the coalmines': 'Writers are expressions of the entire society...all artists should be treasured as alarm systems'. While accepting his Nobel Prize, William Faulkner said a Writer must 'help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honour and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice...' of what it means to be truly human.
George Orwell took a very different approach as to why he writes stories: All writers are vain, selfish and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives lies a mystery. Writing is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand'. Now that's what I call hopefulness, despite loving his works and enjoying especially 'Nineteen Eighty Four'!
OK, I've covered quite a few views on why 'Writers write stories', all except for the most important one to you: YOURS. I can't do that. Only you know why you want to write your stories. Only you know what empowers you. Only you know what you care about the most.
Carmel Bird reiterates in her book 'Dear Writer' the universal truth 'the source for the material of fiction is in the life, the experience, the memory, the self of the writer'. Knowing yourself is the cornerstone of all good stories.
Let me end by giving you something to do. Jot down a few points about why you truly want to write stories. Write down things that really touch your spirit. Write them down for only you to see. File them for future reference, but somewhere handy where you can gain motivation by adding to and re-reading your answers. Use this to write a little everyday, even if it's only to add one more point to your list. Gain power from it!
Well Known Religious Apparitions
Religious Apparitions have occurred throughout history. Two very good examples or Religious Apparitions that were world-changing were the appearance of Jesus Christ to the Christian-persecuting, Saul of Tarsus, who later began known as the Apostle Paul and the appearance of the Angel Gabriel to Mohammed, who dictated the Koran forming the basis for the Islamic world as we know it today.
In the 19th century, Joseph Smith experienced the Religious Apparitions of the Father and the Son, various holy apostles and an Angel named Moroni, who gave him allegedly the location of golden plates. These alleged Religious Apparitions formed the basis of a Church which claims to be the resurrection of the one and only true Church of
Jesus Christ.
Religious Apparitions continue to occur in the modern world, particularly in a replica or image of a crying or weeping Madonna statue or painting, but sometimes they occur in what appears to be the very person of the Religious Apparitions themselves. Marian appearances of this nature are particularly powerful and publicly known with such situations as in Fatima and with the appearance of the Virgin at Medjugorje or the famous appearance by the Virgin at Guadalupe in the 19th Century in Mexico. To show the power and specificity of such Religious Apparitions, we shall examine two of the more modern Marian Religious Apparitions.
Certainly, one of the more staggering Religious Apparitions in the Catholic religion was the appearance of the Virgin Mary to three children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. According to one of the children, Lucia, Mary, who began to regularly appear to the children on the same hour on the 13th of each month, was “more brilliant than the sun.” The children were enjoined to do penance, tying cords around their waists and refraining from drinking water at time, in addition to doing a daily Rosary.
On October 13th, 1917, an event occurred that was witness by thousands of people and remains inexplicable to this day. After a violent rain storm, the clouds parted, revealing the sun as a disk, spinning in the sky and radiating a rainbow of colors, then falling to the earth in an irregular way. The sun never reached the Earth but returned to its trajectory. People in the crowds now noticed their clothing, drenched from the rainstorm, had suddenly become quite dry. The meaning of this event in light of the Religious Apparitions of Mary have been interpreted variously by orthodox Catholics, psychic and UFO commentators.
On June 24th, 1981, six children claimed to have seen the first of many Religious Apparitions of the Blessed Mother, carrying the Infant Jesus, in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Hercegovina. This was the beginning of a series of Religious Apparitions and Divine Messages, calling the world to repentance. The next day, she appeared as a Religious Apparition after a flash of light, this time without the Baby Jesus. Numerous additional Religious Apparitions of Mary appeared to the children. Eventually, they attracted large crowds during these Religious Apparitions, eager to see the Marian Religious Apparitions, which continued for over twenty years.
So Religious Apparitions, whether ancient or modern, whether real, fraudulent or illusionary, can have huge social consequences, forming the basis of new civilizations and cementing the foundations all-encompassing institutions like the Catholic Church, as illustrated by these Marian Religious Apparitions.
In the 19th century, Joseph Smith experienced the Religious Apparitions of the Father and the Son, various holy apostles and an Angel named Moroni, who gave him allegedly the location of golden plates. These alleged Religious Apparitions formed the basis of a Church which claims to be the resurrection of the one and only true Church of
Jesus Christ.
Religious Apparitions continue to occur in the modern world, particularly in a replica or image of a crying or weeping Madonna statue or painting, but sometimes they occur in what appears to be the very person of the Religious Apparitions themselves. Marian appearances of this nature are particularly powerful and publicly known with such situations as in Fatima and with the appearance of the Virgin at Medjugorje or the famous appearance by the Virgin at Guadalupe in the 19th Century in Mexico. To show the power and specificity of such Religious Apparitions, we shall examine two of the more modern Marian Religious Apparitions.
Certainly, one of the more staggering Religious Apparitions in the Catholic religion was the appearance of the Virgin Mary to three children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. According to one of the children, Lucia, Mary, who began to regularly appear to the children on the same hour on the 13th of each month, was “more brilliant than the sun.” The children were enjoined to do penance, tying cords around their waists and refraining from drinking water at time, in addition to doing a daily Rosary.
On October 13th, 1917, an event occurred that was witness by thousands of people and remains inexplicable to this day. After a violent rain storm, the clouds parted, revealing the sun as a disk, spinning in the sky and radiating a rainbow of colors, then falling to the earth in an irregular way. The sun never reached the Earth but returned to its trajectory. People in the crowds now noticed their clothing, drenched from the rainstorm, had suddenly become quite dry. The meaning of this event in light of the Religious Apparitions of Mary have been interpreted variously by orthodox Catholics, psychic and UFO commentators.
On June 24th, 1981, six children claimed to have seen the first of many Religious Apparitions of the Blessed Mother, carrying the Infant Jesus, in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Hercegovina. This was the beginning of a series of Religious Apparitions and Divine Messages, calling the world to repentance. The next day, she appeared as a Religious Apparition after a flash of light, this time without the Baby Jesus. Numerous additional Religious Apparitions of Mary appeared to the children. Eventually, they attracted large crowds during these Religious Apparitions, eager to see the Marian Religious Apparitions, which continued for over twenty years.
So Religious Apparitions, whether ancient or modern, whether real, fraudulent or illusionary, can have huge social consequences, forming the basis of new civilizations and cementing the foundations all-encompassing institutions like the Catholic Church, as illustrated by these Marian Religious Apparitions.
Ethnic Tips on Inspiring Yourself
Inspiration is divine guidance and motivation imparted directly. It’s a stimulation of mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity. Without inspiration, we human cannot complete this protracted, mind-numbing voyage of life. Inspiration can be from anyone for everything. In this long life, a stage is experienced by every individual when he or she feels bogged down, disheartened and forlorn. It’s inspiration at that point of time which works as a tonic and grows a sprout of hope in his heart. This hope that originates from inspiration eventually leads one to the crest of success and elation. Inspiration can come from anyone; it can also be god that a person gets inspired from. An unfathomable, intense devotion to god helps one to alleviate his worries and exhibit luminosity in the putrid lane that he is going through. Similarly, there are parents, friends, siblings, teachers and any kinship ties that might inspire you in any point of life.
Human who are slightly aligned towards books and music and prefers dwelling in the realm of his own thereby appreciating solitude gets inspiration from various inspirational poems, inspirational quotes and inspirational songs. There is a varied range of inspirational poems reading which one will feel the value of his existence.
Inspirational poems are a powerful encouragement tool and such kinds of people often get inspired from them.
These inspirational poems actually keeps you motivated, for example, a success poem always motivates you to keep on moving in life despite all the hurdles hauled on you by life. They inspire you to continue the quest for success without sloping elsewhere. It helps you realize that all things are a choice. A success poem inspires one to move out of his comfort zone and face the challenges flogged by life. Inspirational poems work as a word of wisdom for people who appreciate poetry. An inspirational poem can be of many kinds. It includes all types of inspirations. Some inspirational poems motivate you when you feel abandoned at the separation with your closed ones. It inspires you to count the sweet memories you have shared and not the years you have endured separation. Inspirational poems persuade you to overcome different struggles that life offers.
Inspirational poems can be about action, challenge, God, justice, love, ethics, honesty, kindness, mistakes, effort, courage, humanity, independence, friends, strength, wisdom and quarrels. To characterize their function, an inspirational poem on action symbolizes that one should do his job instead of thinking about the desired outcome. It actually boosts you up to perform rather than sitting idle and wait for the upshot. An inspirational poem on challenges of life inspires you to accept all the palatable challenges of life so that you can feel the delight of victory. Challenges make life exciting and triumphing over them makes life meaningful and valuable.
Inspirational poems on God builds that faith in you for God and inspires you to set front your prayers with true heart and they are bound to come true. God is ubiquitous and is present in every heart and he is always there to uphold us with righteousness. Inspirational poems on justice inspire you to rebel for justice and thwart injustice.
Fighting for justice doesn’t imply plotting revenge but tackling things without hurting anyone yet mounting the glory. Inspirational poems on wisdom teach you to learn from past but not live in it. It strongly believes that wisdom is supreme and inspires you to achieve wisdom to accomplish the ultimate goal of your life without any halt. Inspirational poems on quarrels inspires you not to lose your temper neither low down yourself at those little quarrels you have with your partner and always take it optimistically that little quarrels make any relationship a complete one. These are some of the well known examples as to how an inspirational poem inspires an individual in various spheres of life.
Inspirational Quotes are also found to be very inspirational in various situations. It is recommended that if an inspirational quote can be read everyday it will definitely help you to rise to your full potential. These inspirational quotes help you to turn an ordinary phrase to a great one. There are some viable and evocative messages hidden behind these metaphorical phases. One line of an inspirational quote can speak volumes that will actually alleviate your every plan of action and thereby vitalizing your brain as well as soul. Inspirational quotes predictably inspire you to learn your lessons genuinely, try to listen to the astuteness of a child, accept the benevolence of a friend, provide a helping hand to those in need and act according to your intuition. These inspirational quotes reach deep inside your heart and keeps you motivated and fresh all through the day.
Inspirational Songs work as a medicine for those who consider music as a source of recreation from this vulnerable monotony of life. It inspires you strongly right inside your heart as well as mind when you are down in the blues and feel that everything is slipping by hopelessly. Music is known to be the universal healer and inspirational songs acquire a significant place in the world of music. An inspirational song is therapeutic for all kinds of mental as well as physical ailments. It inspires you from within. Inspirational songs can be of two types. The fast tempo ones wipe away boredom and bring in life and the soft tantalizing songs soothes all kinds of worldly tensions and relaxes your sense organs. Both the types have a miraculously inspirational effect on one’s spirit. In the earlier days, there were some lyricists and musicians who composed a range of fabulous inspirational songs to cheer up people when they underwent a dismal phase and inspire them to overcome hurdles. These inspirational songs are better termed as a staple diet of soldiers guarding the border. Besides, all other army men who have joined hands to safeguard the integrity of their beloved nation get inspired acutely from these sweeping inspirational songs. These are called patriotic songs as well.
Apart from the lyrics and backdrop, the rhythm also plays a major role in inspiring the emotion of the listener. Many people have admitted to have reached to a crossroads in life after getting inspired from these inspirational songs. Every single word penned down in these inspirational songs has large scale inner meaning and when an individual reaches to the route of such songs, he understands one thing that all through the mind taxing journey he has covered till date, it’s the almighty who have guided him all the way long. Children also get highly inspired by the inspirational songs. These inspirational songs empower the youth to excel in every sphere of life. Such inspirational songs apart from being terrifically inspirational also grant insurmountable vibes to a struggling soul. When you listen to these inspirational songs, it will echo within you and will tell you to run every race and not fear failure. Failure is the stepping stone to success and the inspirational songs actually plants this proverb in your thoughts and inspires you that if you meet with a breakdown in life you will never get deflated and despondent rather learn from it and take it as another challenge. Inspirational songs build positive attitudes and self esteem and inspire children to deal with adversity.
It’s heard that inspiration doesn’t last for long. Well, neither does bathing, that’s why we recommend it daily. Nothing in this world is eternal. And therefore, to make something last long we need to practice it daily. Inspiration is one such thing that fades away if not renewed. That means, precisely we have to be in touch with our sources of inspiration regularly. Inspirational poems, inspirational quotes and inspirational songs are the three inert sources of inspirations that encourage and revitalize every individual to reach out to success. Besides, human beings often take a wise inspiration from all those noble personas who have contributed immeasurably to the nation and also to the entire world, through these inspirational poems, inspirational quotes and inspirational songs.
Human who are slightly aligned towards books and music and prefers dwelling in the realm of his own thereby appreciating solitude gets inspiration from various inspirational poems, inspirational quotes and inspirational songs. There is a varied range of inspirational poems reading which one will feel the value of his existence.
Inspirational poems are a powerful encouragement tool and such kinds of people often get inspired from them.
These inspirational poems actually keeps you motivated, for example, a success poem always motivates you to keep on moving in life despite all the hurdles hauled on you by life. They inspire you to continue the quest for success without sloping elsewhere. It helps you realize that all things are a choice. A success poem inspires one to move out of his comfort zone and face the challenges flogged by life. Inspirational poems work as a word of wisdom for people who appreciate poetry. An inspirational poem can be of many kinds. It includes all types of inspirations. Some inspirational poems motivate you when you feel abandoned at the separation with your closed ones. It inspires you to count the sweet memories you have shared and not the years you have endured separation. Inspirational poems persuade you to overcome different struggles that life offers.
Inspirational poems can be about action, challenge, God, justice, love, ethics, honesty, kindness, mistakes, effort, courage, humanity, independence, friends, strength, wisdom and quarrels. To characterize their function, an inspirational poem on action symbolizes that one should do his job instead of thinking about the desired outcome. It actually boosts you up to perform rather than sitting idle and wait for the upshot. An inspirational poem on challenges of life inspires you to accept all the palatable challenges of life so that you can feel the delight of victory. Challenges make life exciting and triumphing over them makes life meaningful and valuable.
Inspirational poems on God builds that faith in you for God and inspires you to set front your prayers with true heart and they are bound to come true. God is ubiquitous and is present in every heart and he is always there to uphold us with righteousness. Inspirational poems on justice inspire you to rebel for justice and thwart injustice.
Fighting for justice doesn’t imply plotting revenge but tackling things without hurting anyone yet mounting the glory. Inspirational poems on wisdom teach you to learn from past but not live in it. It strongly believes that wisdom is supreme and inspires you to achieve wisdom to accomplish the ultimate goal of your life without any halt. Inspirational poems on quarrels inspires you not to lose your temper neither low down yourself at those little quarrels you have with your partner and always take it optimistically that little quarrels make any relationship a complete one. These are some of the well known examples as to how an inspirational poem inspires an individual in various spheres of life.
Inspirational Quotes are also found to be very inspirational in various situations. It is recommended that if an inspirational quote can be read everyday it will definitely help you to rise to your full potential. These inspirational quotes help you to turn an ordinary phrase to a great one. There are some viable and evocative messages hidden behind these metaphorical phases. One line of an inspirational quote can speak volumes that will actually alleviate your every plan of action and thereby vitalizing your brain as well as soul. Inspirational quotes predictably inspire you to learn your lessons genuinely, try to listen to the astuteness of a child, accept the benevolence of a friend, provide a helping hand to those in need and act according to your intuition. These inspirational quotes reach deep inside your heart and keeps you motivated and fresh all through the day.
Inspirational Songs work as a medicine for those who consider music as a source of recreation from this vulnerable monotony of life. It inspires you strongly right inside your heart as well as mind when you are down in the blues and feel that everything is slipping by hopelessly. Music is known to be the universal healer and inspirational songs acquire a significant place in the world of music. An inspirational song is therapeutic for all kinds of mental as well as physical ailments. It inspires you from within. Inspirational songs can be of two types. The fast tempo ones wipe away boredom and bring in life and the soft tantalizing songs soothes all kinds of worldly tensions and relaxes your sense organs. Both the types have a miraculously inspirational effect on one’s spirit. In the earlier days, there were some lyricists and musicians who composed a range of fabulous inspirational songs to cheer up people when they underwent a dismal phase and inspire them to overcome hurdles. These inspirational songs are better termed as a staple diet of soldiers guarding the border. Besides, all other army men who have joined hands to safeguard the integrity of their beloved nation get inspired acutely from these sweeping inspirational songs. These are called patriotic songs as well.
Apart from the lyrics and backdrop, the rhythm also plays a major role in inspiring the emotion of the listener. Many people have admitted to have reached to a crossroads in life after getting inspired from these inspirational songs. Every single word penned down in these inspirational songs has large scale inner meaning and when an individual reaches to the route of such songs, he understands one thing that all through the mind taxing journey he has covered till date, it’s the almighty who have guided him all the way long. Children also get highly inspired by the inspirational songs. These inspirational songs empower the youth to excel in every sphere of life. Such inspirational songs apart from being terrifically inspirational also grant insurmountable vibes to a struggling soul. When you listen to these inspirational songs, it will echo within you and will tell you to run every race and not fear failure. Failure is the stepping stone to success and the inspirational songs actually plants this proverb in your thoughts and inspires you that if you meet with a breakdown in life you will never get deflated and despondent rather learn from it and take it as another challenge. Inspirational songs build positive attitudes and self esteem and inspire children to deal with adversity.
It’s heard that inspiration doesn’t last for long. Well, neither does bathing, that’s why we recommend it daily. Nothing in this world is eternal. And therefore, to make something last long we need to practice it daily. Inspiration is one such thing that fades away if not renewed. That means, precisely we have to be in touch with our sources of inspiration regularly. Inspirational poems, inspirational quotes and inspirational songs are the three inert sources of inspirations that encourage and revitalize every individual to reach out to success. Besides, human beings often take a wise inspiration from all those noble personas who have contributed immeasurably to the nation and also to the entire world, through these inspirational poems, inspirational quotes and inspirational songs.
Print Ready Business Card Files with Microsoft Publisher
Designing your small business identity when working to a budget that doesn't stretch to hiring a professional can be very frustrating. Print ready digital artwork files need to be created to a correct size, resolution and color mode. Providing poor artwork files to printers will result in an unprofessional looking final product which wont make a positive impression on your customers and could loose you business.
This tutorial goes over the basics of creating digital artwork files for creating business cards; it can also be used to create other business stationery items including letterheads, compliments slips and label artwork files by simply adjusting the sizes.
Dimensions mentioned are for landscape business cards and should be transposed for portrait business cards.
To create a new artwork file in Microsoft Publisher select the document type Blank Publication > Business Card.
Adjust the size of the document by selecting File > Page Setup. For business cards set the size to 9.5cm x 5.7cm. The dimensions include the bleed of 3mm (8.5pt) business cards.
Make sure that you set the printing options to 1 copy per sheet using the Change Copies Per Sheet Option.
To set print options select File > Print. From the drop down menu choose "Microsoft Office Document Image Writer". In the print window click on Advanced Print Settings. Under Separations select Composite CMYK as Output and set the Resolution to 300x300. Close the Advanced Print Settings window by clicking OK and finally just cancel the print window.
Safety Margins
To create guides for the safe area in which you can add your design and text, switch on rulers by selecting View > Rulers. Now you can just drag the guidelines out of the rulers to the required position. You can remove them in the same way by just dragging them back into the ruler.
Any time an image or color is printed to the edge of a page, it must extend beyond the final dimensions of your job to allow for cutting. The size for the bleed of a business card must be exactly 3mm (8.5pt).
Text or artwork you wish to preserve must be at least 3mm (8.5pt) inside of the final dimension of your design (Safety Margins).
It is recommended that you set guides for Safety Marg
ins and Bleed. For business cards set the guides to 3mm, 6mm, 51mm and 54mm vertically and 3mm, 6mm, 89mm and 92mm horizontally.
To save the document in Publisher select File > Saf
e As and save your artwork as a Publisher file. Email your .pub file to technical@goodprint.co.uk, we will convert it into an acceptable format, upload it into a basket for you and email you a link to view the proof and place your order.
This tutorial goes over the basics of creating digital artwork files for creating business cards; it can also be used to create other business stationery items including letterheads, compliments slips and label artwork files by simply adjusting the sizes.
Dimensions mentioned are for landscape business cards and should be transposed for portrait business cards.
To create a new artwork file in Microsoft Publisher select the document type Blank Publication > Business Card.
Adjust the size of the document by selecting File > Page Setup. For business cards set the size to 9.5cm x 5.7cm. The dimensions include the bleed of 3mm (8.5pt) business cards.
Make sure that you set the printing options to 1 copy per sheet using the Change Copies Per Sheet Option.
To set print options select File > Print. From the drop down menu choose "Microsoft Office Document Image Writer". In the print window click on Advanced Print Settings. Under Separations select Composite CMYK as Output and set the Resolution to 300x300. Close the Advanced Print Settings window by clicking OK and finally just cancel the print window.
Safety Margins
To create guides for the safe area in which you can add your design and text, switch on rulers by selecting View > Rulers. Now you can just drag the guidelines out of the rulers to the required position. You can remove them in the same way by just dragging them back into the ruler.
Any time an image or color is printed to the edge of a page, it must extend beyond the final dimensions of your job to allow for cutting. The size for the bleed of a business card must be exactly 3mm (8.5pt).
Text or artwork you wish to preserve must be at least 3mm (8.5pt) inside of the final dimension of your design (Safety Margins).
It is recommended that you set guides for Safety Marg
ins and Bleed. For business cards set the guides to 3mm, 6mm, 51mm and 54mm vertically and 3mm, 6mm, 89mm and 92mm horizontally.
To save the document in Publisher select File > Saf
e As and save your artwork as a Publisher file. Email your .pub file to technical@goodprint.co.uk, we will convert it into an acceptable format, upload it into a basket for you and email you a link to view the proof and place your order.
Poetry and Popular Culture
Is poetry too complicated for the average reader? Is it too cryptic, scholarly? If you ask a large group of average people what they like or don't like about poetry, you'll get a few different answers, but there is an overwhelmingly common category of responses.
One of the main reasons that people say they aren't addicted to contemporary poetry is that they feel it is too cryptic. The language, they say, isn't tangible. Despite the fact that there are a great many contemporary poets out there writing and performing poetry that appeals to the non-cryptic taste of many would-be enthusiasts, this poetry isn't highly visible in the popular media.
The second reason that some people say they aren't interested in poetry is that their idea of poetry is based on the old classical stuff they were forced to read in high school. Who can relate to 'thee' and 'thou?' People feel that poetry is an abstract language that has very little relevancy to the modern world.
So, what is out there, and why don't people bother with it? The answer is that, for a very long time, poetry has been seen as a literary playground directed toward other players. Publishers recognize that poetry doesn't sell very well, and so, they are apprehensive about publishing a great many books of poetry. The problem, though, is that while there may or may not be a market for poetry, no one really knows for sure. In short, no one is making an effort to shove it into mainstream media.
Perhaps if people knew the kinds of poems being talked about in the literary circle by poets such as Ted Kooser, Louise Gluck, or many of the other poets (yes, there are poets who are still living, thank you), then maybe the people would be a little more apt to purchase a book or two of poetry.
What Can You Do to Help Popularize Poetry?
• You can offer to subscribe to contemporary poetry journals for a local high school. Remember, one of the reasons people don't drool over poetry is that they haven't been exposed to what's available.
• You can start an open mic poetry reading at your local bookstore or library.
• Volunteer at a local school to help students write and publish their own literary journal.
• Donate poetry books by contemporary poets to your library or school.
• BUY SOME POETRY!! If you love to write poetry, one of the best ways to develop your skills (and even find markets for your poetry), is to buy and read poetry by other conemporary poets. When you buy a book of poetry, you are contributing to the market. The more people go out and buy books of poetry, the more popular the market will become.
• Start a local writer's group, and make a point to discuss some of the works by conemporary poets.
• Start a literary journal, and emphasize works by poets that would appeal to a general audience, rather than only to other poets.
One of the main reasons that people say they aren't addicted to contemporary poetry is that they feel it is too cryptic. The language, they say, isn't tangible. Despite the fact that there are a great many contemporary poets out there writing and performing poetry that appeals to the non-cryptic taste of many would-be enthusiasts, this poetry isn't highly visible in the popular media.
The second reason that some people say they aren't interested in poetry is that their idea of poetry is based on the old classical stuff they were forced to read in high school. Who can relate to 'thee' and 'thou?' People feel that poetry is an abstract language that has very little relevancy to the modern world.
So, what is out there, and why don't people bother with it? The answer is that, for a very long time, poetry has been seen as a literary playground directed toward other players. Publishers recognize that poetry doesn't sell very well, and so, they are apprehensive about publishing a great many books of poetry. The problem, though, is that while there may or may not be a market for poetry, no one really knows for sure. In short, no one is making an effort to shove it into mainstream media.
Perhaps if people knew the kinds of poems being talked about in the literary circle by poets such as Ted Kooser, Louise Gluck, or many of the other poets (yes, there are poets who are still living, thank you), then maybe the people would be a little more apt to purchase a book or two of poetry.
What Can You Do to Help Popularize Poetry?
• You can offer to subscribe to contemporary poetry journals for a local high school. Remember, one of the reasons people don't drool over poetry is that they haven't been exposed to what's available.
• You can start an open mic poetry reading at your local bookstore or library.
• Volunteer at a local school to help students write and publish their own literary journal.
• Donate poetry books by contemporary poets to your library or school.
• BUY SOME POETRY!! If you love to write poetry, one of the best ways to develop your skills (and even find markets for your poetry), is to buy and read poetry by other conemporary poets. When you buy a book of poetry, you are contributing to the market. The more people go out and buy books of poetry, the more popular the market will become.
• Start a local writer's group, and make a point to discuss some of the works by conemporary poets.
• Start a literary journal, and emphasize works by poets that would appeal to a general audience, rather than only to other poets.
Inspirational Words - 3 Life Lessons We Can Learn From Cars
I have a 6-year-old boy so the movie "Cars" has been a big hit in our house. He saw the movie in the theater and we have all watched it several times since it came out on DVD.
I have come full circle in my appreciation of the movie. The first time I wanted to see it because he had enjoyed it so much. Then repeated viewings got on my nerves. However now I have come to appreciate the important life lessons my son -- and I -- can learn from this family-friendly movie. Even if you do not have a child who wants to see the movie, I suggest you check it soon to see what you can take away from the experience.
The single most important lesson that we can take away from "Cars" is the importance of teamwork. The main character learns an important lesson that is easily understood by children that no one can succeed alone. Lightning McQueen learns that not only do we need friends in our times of need but that we gain from helping others as well. By the end of the movie, he fully appreciates the value of friendship in living a happier and more fulfilled life. We can all benefit from learning how to be a good friend.
When the movie opens, Lightning McQueen is a winner and he considers winning the most important (if not the only important) focus of his life. Obviously, this holds true for much of what our society and culture teaches children (directly and indirectly) when we know as mature adults that winning is not everything. Lightning learns that there are many things more wonderful in life than winning. By the end of the movie, while he still wants to be a winner he is a much happier person because he has other ways to measure himself a success.
Finally, "Cars" teaches us that doing the right thing can be rewarding. This encompasses lessons that Lightning learning including completing a job well done and helping others. In the end, his decisions to do the right thing rather than focusing on winning at all costs turns out to be far more rewarding.
While I am the first to admit that most of us need to mitigate the impact of media and popular culture on our children, I think it is important to celebrate the movies and television shows that have a positive effect. The movie "Cars" is a positive influence on children because it teaches three important life lessons including working together, winning is not everything, and being a good person can be rewarding.
I have come full circle in my appreciation of the movie. The first time I wanted to see it because he had enjoyed it so much. Then repeated viewings got on my nerves. However now I have come to appreciate the important life lessons my son -- and I -- can learn from this family-friendly movie. Even if you do not have a child who wants to see the movie, I suggest you check it soon to see what you can take away from the experience.
The single most important lesson that we can take away from "Cars" is the importance of teamwork. The main character learns an important lesson that is easily understood by children that no one can succeed alone. Lightning McQueen learns that not only do we need friends in our times of need but that we gain from helping others as well. By the end of the movie, he fully appreciates the value of friendship in living a happier and more fulfilled life. We can all benefit from learning how to be a good friend.
When the movie opens, Lightning McQueen is a winner and he considers winning the most important (if not the only important) focus of his life. Obviously, this holds true for much of what our society and culture teaches children (directly and indirectly) when we know as mature adults that winning is not everything. Lightning learns that there are many things more wonderful in life than winning. By the end of the movie, while he still wants to be a winner he is a much happier person because he has other ways to measure himself a success.
Finally, "Cars" teaches us that doing the right thing can be rewarding. This encompasses lessons that Lightning learning including completing a job well done and helping others. In the end, his decisions to do the right thing rather than focusing on winning at all costs turns out to be far more rewarding.
While I am the first to admit that most of us need to mitigate the impact of media and popular culture on our children, I think it is important to celebrate the movies and television shows that have a positive effect. The movie "Cars" is a positive influence on children because it teaches three important life lessons including working together, winning is not everything, and being a good person can be rewarding.
An Inspirational Message
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said; "The sun shines and warms and lights us and we have no curiosity to know why this is so; but we ask the reason of all evil, pain, hunger, mosquitoes and silly people." Have you ever taken the time to wake up early in the morning and go to the best spot where you can watch the sun rise over the horizon? It is truly an amazing moment to experience all by yourself.
When the morning is just about to break, the sky is always very dark. You can look all over the sky and see nothing but moonlight and stars, wondering to yourself, where the sun will actually come up when it rises over the horizon. You might take a guess but, as long as it is still very early in the morning, you will really have no idea of the exact spot. As you sit quietly and wait, you will notice one part of the sky begin to slowly brighten. You would not be sure if this is the sun or not at first. Then it will become apparent that this is the sun slowly lighting up the horizon at the place where it is eventually going to rise. This is a great discovery in itself but only the beginning of the amazing things you are about to see.
It actually takes quite a long time for the sun to come up over the horizon. From the moment when you first see the sky begin to light up, until the time when you first see the initial rays of the burning sun, can seem like over an hour. Patience, however, is well rewarded and you can even take notice as the time passes that the sky will slowly change colors before your eyes. Sometimes the changes that take place in the morning sky are so slow that you can not really notice them unless you are watching very carefully. If you had a camera, you could take a snapshot every two or three minutes and you would see the difference registered on the film. The color of the sky is changing at each moment and it is all due to the rolling of the Earth as your early morning spot turns closer toward the sun.
As you are waiting for the sun to appear, you can think about all the people all over the planet. Some of them are still sleeping but others have awoken hours ago in other parts of the world. The sun is already beaming down on them in all its glory and they are hustling and bustling about trying to get their workday completed. For you, it is still just a quiet early morning and there is nothing to see or hear but the birds and the plants waiting for the sun to arise over the horizon. Then the sky becomes even brighter and you will begin to wonder if the big moment is about to approach. You can watch the horizon very closely and it will become more and more obvious where the sun is actually going to appear.
As the final moment of sunrise approaches, it is as though all the scenery around you is awaiting this one glorious event. Everything that is alive on the planet depends upon the warmth of the sun and this giant ball of intense fire is about to make its magnificent presence known. The horizon will bubble with anticipation as the heat of the rays will actually show itself to be approaching and then, suddenly, as if from something unimaginable, the fire of the sun will be seen directly flaming in front of your eyes and piercing the entire morning sky. It is appears like a ferociously alive burst of energy that is above and beyond anything you can truly understand.
It appears like the king of the world, lighting the way with a miraculous power that is purposefully alive at every moment yet stands completely outside of time because of its seemingly eternal existence. This same sun has been appearing over the horizon for hundreds of thousands of years and the morning that you watch it seems like a dwarf in comparison to the number of mornings that it must have already made its presence known. The sun seems to stand outside of time itself as if it rules over both time and space and simply cannot be comprehended by our small and seemingly insignificant existence. All of this, you can see on one morning when you wake up early and watch the sun come up over the horizon. Indeed, hunger, mosquitoes and silly people are a small price to pay for such an amazing opportunity.
When the morning is just about to break, the sky is always very dark. You can look all over the sky and see nothing but moonlight and stars, wondering to yourself, where the sun will actually come up when it rises over the horizon. You might take a guess but, as long as it is still very early in the morning, you will really have no idea of the exact spot. As you sit quietly and wait, you will notice one part of the sky begin to slowly brighten. You would not be sure if this is the sun or not at first. Then it will become apparent that this is the sun slowly lighting up the horizon at the place where it is eventually going to rise. This is a great discovery in itself but only the beginning of the amazing things you are about to see.
It actually takes quite a long time for the sun to come up over the horizon. From the moment when you first see the sky begin to light up, until the time when you first see the initial rays of the burning sun, can seem like over an hour. Patience, however, is well rewarded and you can even take notice as the time passes that the sky will slowly change colors before your eyes. Sometimes the changes that take place in the morning sky are so slow that you can not really notice them unless you are watching very carefully. If you had a camera, you could take a snapshot every two or three minutes and you would see the difference registered on the film. The color of the sky is changing at each moment and it is all due to the rolling of the Earth as your early morning spot turns closer toward the sun.
As you are waiting for the sun to appear, you can think about all the people all over the planet. Some of them are still sleeping but others have awoken hours ago in other parts of the world. The sun is already beaming down on them in all its glory and they are hustling and bustling about trying to get their workday completed. For you, it is still just a quiet early morning and there is nothing to see or hear but the birds and the plants waiting for the sun to arise over the horizon. Then the sky becomes even brighter and you will begin to wonder if the big moment is about to approach. You can watch the horizon very closely and it will become more and more obvious where the sun is actually going to appear.
As the final moment of sunrise approaches, it is as though all the scenery around you is awaiting this one glorious event. Everything that is alive on the planet depends upon the warmth of the sun and this giant ball of intense fire is about to make its magnificent presence known. The horizon will bubble with anticipation as the heat of the rays will actually show itself to be approaching and then, suddenly, as if from something unimaginable, the fire of the sun will be seen directly flaming in front of your eyes and piercing the entire morning sky. It is appears like a ferociously alive burst of energy that is above and beyond anything you can truly understand.
It appears like the king of the world, lighting the way with a miraculous power that is purposefully alive at every moment yet stands completely outside of time because of its seemingly eternal existence. This same sun has been appearing over the horizon for hundreds of thousands of years and the morning that you watch it seems like a dwarf in comparison to the number of mornings that it must have already made its presence known. The sun seems to stand outside of time itself as if it rules over both time and space and simply cannot be comprehended by our small and seemingly insignificant existence. All of this, you can see on one morning when you wake up early and watch the sun come up over the horizon. Indeed, hunger, mosquitoes and silly people are a small price to pay for such an amazing opportunity.
Books Are The Treasures Of The Written Word
In this high tech advanced world that we live in now, it
appears many may have forgotten books, or at least lost
touch with them for entertainment. We have television with
multitudes of channels and devices that allow you to record
programs and view them whenever you want so you can
basically have an unlimited supply of entertainment to view.
In a generation where virtually every household has a
computer with an internet connection, we can email, visit
chat rooms and more. There are chat rooms and websites
on
every topic you can think of. So where does that leave books
in our lives?
What role do books play in your everyday life? Are they
dust-collectors on a library shelf? Do you pull them down
when you need to look for something or to find the
definition of unfamiliar text?
Unfortunately, books may have become less popular over
the
years. We now have magazines and newspapers to read so
some
people still get their daily reading. But many people don~t
read much more than that or the TV Guide.
Books come in many different forms. We have paperback
and
hardcover and we have fiction and nonfiction. Some books
are
meant to be reference materials. Some books are meant to
tell a story. When a person writes the story of their own
life it is called an autobiography. A book written about
someone else's life is a biography.
Books are written about famous places in the world- and not
so famous places in the world. There are books about
presidents and governors and everyday people. There are
books about diseases and conditions and even self help
books
teaching you how to lose weight, build self-esteem, recover
from loss and many more topics. Virtually anything you can
think of can be found in a book.
Then we have the world of fiction. Fiction books are made
up, make-believe, tales, stories from the mind of the
writer. Some fiction books are pretty far-fetched. Some
books are based on some fact. Some are so close to the
truth with just a few details enhanced or exaggerated to
make it more interesting.
With the rise of technology, book expenses have risen also.
Unfortunately, this only damages reading more. There are
several options for those wanting to have their enjoyment
of books. One format is electronic, or e-books. E-books can
be purchased online and downloaded instantly like a
computer
program. They can then be read right on the computer
screen.
Another option is book trade-outs and used book stores.
Even
national airports are becoming involved in book trade-outs.
You can buy a book, read it on your flight, then return
it at your destination airport and get part of your cash
back. Someone else can then obtain that "used" book for a
lower price and the book cycle goes on.
In this technological world, we still need to remember that
none of it would be possible without the printed word.
The author has been a life long reader. She is involved with many reading programs, and enjoys sharing her knowledge of books and reading with other people.
She currently "reads" books that are translated into audio books for people who are visually challeged.
appears many may have forgotten books, or at least lost
touch with them for entertainment. We have television with
multitudes of channels and devices that allow you to record
programs and view them whenever you want so you can
basically have an unlimited supply of entertainment to view.
In a generation where virtually every household has a
computer with an internet connection, we can email, visit
chat rooms and more. There are chat rooms and websites
on
every topic you can think of. So where does that leave books
in our lives?
What role do books play in your everyday life? Are they
dust-collectors on a library shelf? Do you pull them down
when you need to look for something or to find the
definition of unfamiliar text?
Unfortunately, books may have become less popular over
the
years. We now have magazines and newspapers to read so
some
people still get their daily reading. But many people don~t
read much more than that or the TV Guide.
Books come in many different forms. We have paperback
and
hardcover and we have fiction and nonfiction. Some books
are
meant to be reference materials. Some books are meant to
tell a story. When a person writes the story of their own
life it is called an autobiography. A book written about
someone else's life is a biography.
Books are written about famous places in the world- and not
so famous places in the world. There are books about
presidents and governors and everyday people. There are
books about diseases and conditions and even self help
books
teaching you how to lose weight, build self-esteem, recover
from loss and many more topics. Virtually anything you can
think of can be found in a book.
Then we have the world of fiction. Fiction books are made
up, make-believe, tales, stories from the mind of the
writer. Some fiction books are pretty far-fetched. Some
books are based on some fact. Some are so close to the
truth with just a few details enhanced or exaggerated to
make it more interesting.
With the rise of technology, book expenses have risen also.
Unfortunately, this only damages reading more. There are
several options for those wanting to have their enjoyment
of books. One format is electronic, or e-books. E-books can
be purchased online and downloaded instantly like a
computer
program. They can then be read right on the computer
screen.
Another option is book trade-outs and used book stores.
Even
national airports are becoming involved in book trade-outs.
You can buy a book, read it on your flight, then return
it at your destination airport and get part of your cash
back. Someone else can then obtain that "used" book for a
lower price and the book cycle goes on.
In this technological world, we still need to remember that
none of it would be possible without the printed word.
The author has been a life long reader. She is involved with many reading programs, and enjoys sharing her knowledge of books and reading with other people.
She currently "reads" books that are translated into audio books for people who are visually challeged.
Making Money With Articles - Easy to Read Articles and Optimal Article Length
Writing articles and making money with articles can be easy for anyone. Without having had any previous training, one can quickly learn all that they need to know right from the internet.
Your best bet is to ease into it, especially if you are new to the business. If you are unsure of what you are doing before you take the big leap, you may end up losing money instead of making money with articles.
Easy to Read Articles
Always remember to keep your readers in mind when you are writing your articles. Some studies have shown that the majority of readers on the net just scan a page and get only the information that they are looking for, instead of reading the whole thing, word for word. So in order to help your readers scan your page more easily, you will want to include some good titles, some subtitles and bullet points.
When you choose not to write your articles in this way, or of course have others write them in this way, you could be turning your visitors away even before they have a chance to get a look at what you have to say or offer in your affiliate links.
Optimal Article Length
Your article can be as short as 200 words or even as long as 500 words to fit nicely into the category of optimal article length. People are more than likely not to finish your page if it is too much longer. This could well leave them with only some of the information you wanted them to have or just plain leave them with the impression that your site is much too wordy.
Many readers on the internet do not read a website like they do a book, so the shorter the better. This can sometimes mean dividing one long idea into a few pages. You will want to label each one, so that the reader can simply choose whatever part they want to read or determine even if they want to continue reading.
If you want readers that are more willing to return to your site time and again, you will want to make your website as easy for them to use as possible. The more often that your visitors return, the more chances that you will have to get them to click on one of your affiliate links.
Your visitors will continue to return and your site will make money with articles, if you keep them organized as recommended.
Your best bet is to ease into it, especially if you are new to the business. If you are unsure of what you are doing before you take the big leap, you may end up losing money instead of making money with articles.
Easy to Read Articles
Always remember to keep your readers in mind when you are writing your articles. Some studies have shown that the majority of readers on the net just scan a page and get only the information that they are looking for, instead of reading the whole thing, word for word. So in order to help your readers scan your page more easily, you will want to include some good titles, some subtitles and bullet points.
When you choose not to write your articles in this way, or of course have others write them in this way, you could be turning your visitors away even before they have a chance to get a look at what you have to say or offer in your affiliate links.
Optimal Article Length
Your article can be as short as 200 words or even as long as 500 words to fit nicely into the category of optimal article length. People are more than likely not to finish your page if it is too much longer. This could well leave them with only some of the information you wanted them to have or just plain leave them with the impression that your site is much too wordy.
Many readers on the internet do not read a website like they do a book, so the shorter the better. This can sometimes mean dividing one long idea into a few pages. You will want to label each one, so that the reader can simply choose whatever part they want to read or determine even if they want to continue reading.
If you want readers that are more willing to return to your site time and again, you will want to make your website as easy for them to use as possible. The more often that your visitors return, the more chances that you will have to get them to click on one of your affiliate links.
Your visitors will continue to return and your site will make money with articles, if you keep them organized as recommended.
Writing Christian and Inspirational Literature
As Christians we are inspired by the stories in the bible. We are inspired by various life events and experiences. Jesus inspired followers of him through parables and stories. As followers of Christ we should inspire other Christians and non-Christians through our writing. Our stories can provide support, encouragement and faith to those who do not believe or are struggling with staying on the right path to being saved.
Christian and inspirational literature is increasing in demand due to the devastation that has occurred in the past few years in this country and across the world. People have forgotten their spiritual values and lost their way. As a result, people are looking to reconnect spiritually with God to give them hope to face today and look forward to tomorrow. Many people are looking for guidance on their purpose in life as evidenced by the millions of books sold by Rick Warren's book the Purpose Driven Life.
Christians have allowed society to change our views and influence our thoughts about money. We have become greedy and materialistic. Somehow we manage to find money to pay our car note for our trucks, Mercedes Benz, or BMW's and yet complain about having to give tithes each Sunday. The following scriptures provide a perspective regarding the value of money.
Proverbs 13:22
A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children, and the wealth of the sinner is paid up for the just.
Deuteronomy 15:1
[ The Year for Canceling Debts ] At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.
Proverbs 22:7
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
In the past, people looked to their pastors, bishops, spiritual leaders for guidance. Due to various scandals and hypocrisy in the church and Christian religion many people are turning to others for spiritual guidance, support and encouragement. As a result, the interest in Christian authors to write and publishing houses to publish Christian works has dramatically increased.
In 2005, according to the Book Industry Study Group there are currently 266 different BISAC which are category books based on content that inspirational books. In 2005 11.4% or $2.4 billion of sales were for religious books, Christian books accounted for 85.6% of those sales vs. 86.4% for secular book sales. Here is a more detailed breakdown of book sales:
#of Christian publishers selling books in 2005 – 1380
# of Christian unique titles – 61,614
# of Christian authors – 23,243
Writing Christian or inspirational literature means writing that tells a story but also writing that can affect or change one's life. This type of writing shares experiences, provide step-by-step guides on how to deal with various issues that we experience in our lives. Pointing out your mistakes and what you've learned from them can be used as examples to help readers overcome or prevent those same mistakes.
Write as much as you can, read your bible and pray. Prayer does change things, prayer keeps you humble and helps you stay focused on the things that God wants you to do.
Harrine Freeman is a speaker, personal finance expert and the author of, "How to Get Out of Debt: Get an "A" Credit Rating for Free Using the System I’ve Used Successfully with Thousands of Clients.
She is the CEO of H.E. Freeman Enterprises, a credit repair and personal finance services company. She is a member of the American Association of Daily Money Managers, SPAWN, Toastmasters, AAUW, National Association of Women Writers, IEEE and the Women Network.
Christian and inspirational literature is increasing in demand due to the devastation that has occurred in the past few years in this country and across the world. People have forgotten their spiritual values and lost their way. As a result, people are looking to reconnect spiritually with God to give them hope to face today and look forward to tomorrow. Many people are looking for guidance on their purpose in life as evidenced by the millions of books sold by Rick Warren's book the Purpose Driven Life.
Christians have allowed society to change our views and influence our thoughts about money. We have become greedy and materialistic. Somehow we manage to find money to pay our car note for our trucks, Mercedes Benz, or BMW's and yet complain about having to give tithes each Sunday. The following scriptures provide a perspective regarding the value of money.
Proverbs 13:22
A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children, and the wealth of the sinner is paid up for the just.
Deuteronomy 15:1
[ The Year for Canceling Debts ] At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.
Proverbs 22:7
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
In the past, people looked to their pastors, bishops, spiritual leaders for guidance. Due to various scandals and hypocrisy in the church and Christian religion many people are turning to others for spiritual guidance, support and encouragement. As a result, the interest in Christian authors to write and publishing houses to publish Christian works has dramatically increased.
In 2005, according to the Book Industry Study Group there are currently 266 different BISAC which are category books based on content that inspirational books. In 2005 11.4% or $2.4 billion of sales were for religious books, Christian books accounted for 85.6% of those sales vs. 86.4% for secular book sales. Here is a more detailed breakdown of book sales:
#of Christian publishers selling books in 2005 – 1380
# of Christian unique titles – 61,614
# of Christian authors – 23,243
Writing Christian or inspirational literature means writing that tells a story but also writing that can affect or change one's life. This type of writing shares experiences, provide step-by-step guides on how to deal with various issues that we experience in our lives. Pointing out your mistakes and what you've learned from them can be used as examples to help readers overcome or prevent those same mistakes.
Write as much as you can, read your bible and pray. Prayer does change things, prayer keeps you humble and helps you stay focused on the things that God wants you to do.
Harrine Freeman is a speaker, personal finance expert and the author of, "How to Get Out of Debt: Get an "A" Credit Rating for Free Using the System I’ve Used Successfully with Thousands of Clients.
She is the CEO of H.E. Freeman Enterprises, a credit repair and personal finance services company. She is a member of the American Association of Daily Money Managers, SPAWN, Toastmasters, AAUW, National Association of Women Writers, IEEE and the Women Network.
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