Personal Development;Life Enhancement;Achievement
Posts tagged reading
Charles Dickens and Groundhog Day
Feb 2nd
“Groundhog Day is a lot like a rock concert but the people are better behaved and there’s a groundhog involved…” ~Tom Chapin, editor of the Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper.
… As an aside, it is Groundhog Day in the United States while I am writing this entry. Although I am not sure that “Punxsutawney Phil” is any better at weather forecasting than me, and I am not very good; I do love the concept! The cute little devil did see his shadow today and has forecast 6 more weeks of winter. Not a shocker – this winter does not seem to want to let go. …
Last time I talked about my first book and its upcoming release in November of 2010. I also mentioned that my decision to self-publish this first book was influenced by my research into the life of Charles Dickens. Here is a bit more about that story:
I recently read “The Making of Charles Dickens” by Christopher Hibbert and I really enjoyed the experience! I not only discovered a new author whose style I liked, but a prolific author as well. This means I have lots of great books waiting for me to find and read. I also got some great insights into what might have helped Charles Dickens be the incredible novelist that he was. (Did you know that he is one of the very few authors that has never gone out of print? And this, as I write this entry, some 140 years after his death? Wow!)
I am always looking for the “secrets of success” or the unique beliefs that help exceptional people be exceptional. Here are some of the secrets that I extracted from my recent study of “Boz”:
1) Being extremely focused on the task at hand – fiercely determined to get it right – is a key to success in writing (and any other aspect of living.)
2) It is okay to be afraid about the reception your writing will receive – as long as you are brave enough to get it out to the public to read.
3) Believe in the value of your writing, even if others at first do not share your enthusiasm.
4) Write about what you know intimately well and share the clarity of your vision.
5) Don’t be afraid to ask what you think your writing is worth.
6) You can do more than you think you can.
7) It is fine to use newest technology to publish your books. (Dickens commonly used magazines and serial releases of chapters – then he sold the books as completed documents. This was pretty cutting edge stuff for the day.) This final point is the one that swayed me to the side of self-publishing.
Next time I’ll be talking about the complete set of reasons why I decided to self-publish this first book and what the implications might be for you and me.
Till next time faithful reader…Jack
“I never could have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time”. ~Charles Dickens from his novel “David Copperfield”
Libraries Are Your Friends
Jul 7th
“Nutrimentum spiritus (food for the soul).” ~Inscription at The Berlin Royal Library
When was the last time that you went to a library? If it has been awhile treat yourself and go browsing. I went to the library tonight and I had a wonderful time. I have loved libraries since I was a little boy – they have always seemed magical to me. I can remember every library I have ever been inside and I have been inside a great many over the years. One of the first places I go when I visit a new city is the public library. I get a feel for the city just from looking at the layout of the library and the books in the recently returned bins.
When I was in 3rd or perhaps 4th grade, I believed, for a short time, that I could read every book that had ever been written. My local library at that time was fairly small and I had just discovered that I had the gift of very rapid reading. I could easily read a book in those days, a book years above my age grading, in an evening. I read history, math, science; really anything except girl directed romances were of interest to me. (Romance novels still frighten me today. I believe merely being in the presence of these “Bodice Rippers” can cause a dangerous loss in my life force!) So, I made an estimation of how many shelves were in the library. Then I estimated how many books were on each shelf – multiplied to get the total number of books and divided by the number of days I estimated that I would live. This was going to be easy! I only had to read 4 books a week and I would have in my brain the sum of all human knowledge! I was so excited! I remembered that excitement tonight, that excitement of the much younger Jack, as I walked thru the stacks of books at the main Des Moines public library – and I smiled.
I never will read every book that is written. Turns out that many new books are published each and every year – more new books every year than I could read in a lifetime. It also turns out that my early library did not have all of the books that existed at that time. So, with regret, I had to give up the goal of reading every book ever written – the math just did not work out.
Still, I read and that has made all of the difference for me and it can for you as well. Read 3 books on just one subject and you will know more that virtually anyone that you are likely to meet about that topic. Read a dozen books on a subject and you are a multi-state master. Read 30 or more and there will be just a few people in the world that know more about a subject than you. Now I do not believe that knowledge is power – but combine knowledge with focused action – now things get really exciting. And I want you to experience that excitement!
Till next time…Jack
“Libraries: The medicine chest of the soul.” ~Inscription over the door at The Library at Thebes, Greece
More About Using “Dead Time” to Lead the Pack
Mar 24th
“The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.” ~Pearl Buck
How many books did you read last year in your area of expertise? If you are a male reading this, odds are that you read between zero and one. If you are a woman reading this entry, odds are that you read between one and two books last year directly relating to your field of expertise. So what does this mean? (Other than the fact that women generally know more than men and I don’t think that is any real revelation!)
It means you need to start to read! I don’t remember the exact statistics anymore, but this will be very close: More >