Whenever
I read good fiction I feel like I learn some real truths. Fiction helps us imagine new, better,
different or ideal worlds and ways to live.
Novels project an ideal life, one we crave – or they depict the
unbelievably bad, ugly and sad in a way we can feel good about our lives. But fiction seems real, seems possible, and
feels desirable.
Often,
fiction is a novelized version of a real-life event, experience, or
person. On the other hand, non-fiction books and publications depicting reality seem to be distortions of truth. They are incomplete pictures of the
world. They may be no less a
representation of life than fiction is.
In the best fiction an insight to life is revealed. In between the pages of action and character development there is good dialogue on an aspect of life that is expressed in such a way that is too strong to resist or ignore.
Novelists are the ones who lead us, who inspire, enlighten and inform us. From their imaginations come the seeds of our
reality.
A Lifetime of Success by Pat Williams
A Lifetime of Success by Pat Williams
The
following is a lengthy list of simple, common sense nuggets of wisdom and
advice as quoted from his book. I helped promote this book about a decade ago but it always stuck with me...
1.
Show
respect to others, regardless of their station in life.
2.
Be
honest, even when it doesn’t seem to be in your best interest to tell the
truth.
3.
Always
try to do what you say you’re going to do, no matter how hard it may be.
4.
Be
open and transparent in your dealings with others.
5.
Be
a good listener. Encourage others to
talk about themselves.
6.
Talk
in terms of the other person’s interests.
7.
Make
the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.
8.
Smile
9.
Become
genuinely interested in other people.
10.
Remember
that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound
in any language.
11.
Use
today to begin to build your tomorrow.
12.
Always
make the most of your time.
13.
They
listen and learn from those they lead.
14.
Be
willing to walk a mile in the other person’s shoes.
15.
Become
a frantic learner and avoid the trap that so many so-called successful leaders
experience in the “arrogance of innocence.”
16.
Find
reasons to praise more often than you find reasons to criticize.
17.
Be
willing to work as hard as everyone else and right alongside them.
18.
Define
a vision. Live it. Communicated.
19.
Cheerlead
and don’t feel afraid to have other people get the credit.
20.
Commit
to continual improvement.
21.
Make
sure your goals are consistent with your values.
22.
Set
goals that are consistent with your abilities.
23.
Set
long-term goals.
24.
Expect
to stumble or fall, but get back up when you do.
25.
Make
sure your goals are clear and specific.
26.
Write
down your goals.
27.
Your
goals should have a specific deadline attached to them.
28.
Cast
off old ways of thinking.
29.
Be
accepting of change. It happens, so
expect it.
30.
Be
comfortable in a world where many things are plainly beyond our control.
31.
People
who refuse to change will stagnate.
32.
Be
open to change but maintain your values.
33.
The
quicker you let go of the “old way” of doing things, the sooner you can move
on.
34.
Every
change causes temporary discomfort, even if the change is something you’ve
always wanted.
35.
Don’t
expect one or two changes to bring you to your ultimate goal. Every change that you make is simply another
step toward that goal. Remember, success
in life is not a destination, but a journey.
36.
Get
ready for the next change. It’s coming!
37.
Sharpen
your focus and pay attention to the little things. Work hard.
38.
Character
consists of: faith, honesty, and integrity; a strong work ethic; maturity;
responsibility’ perseverance; humility; influence; courage.
39.
Refuse
to be shackled by yesterday’s failures.
40.
What
I don’t know will not be in intimidation.
It will be an opportunity.
41.
I
will pursue a mission greater than myself, by making at least one person happy,
he or she saw me.
42.
I
will have no time for self-pity, gossip or negativism…from myself or from
others.
43.
Focus
on the next step.
44.
Focus
on what you want to do – not on what you don’t want to do.
45.
Keep
your eye on the ball – avoid distractions.
46.
The
best time to do anything is today.
47.
When
all else fails, be flexible.
48.
Set
goals to keep you headed in the right direction.
49.
You
can’t control everything that happens to you but you can control your attitude.
Don’t Miss These Recent Posts
25 Ways For Authors To Break Through & Establish A Legacy
Evolving As A book Marketer
& Publicist
Do You Market Your Books Doggy Style?
Will Social Media Save
Your Book? http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/how-big-is-your-social-media-following.html
Writers Read This: You Are
Marketers
Why Authors – and
Publicists & Publishers Need A Therapist
Brian Feinblum’s
views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of
his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter
@theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This
is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.