Van Wilder said it best: “Write that down.”

Have you ever read someone else’s writing and thought one of the following things:

Where did he get such great stories?

Why can’t I think of examples like that?

How does she always develop amazing illustrations?

The answer is: content.

In writing, content is KING. (Duh, right?) But every book, article, report, manual, sermon, speech, poem, even bathroom stall graffiti, has this one thing in common. Content is the stuff good writing is made of. But the one vital step too many writers fail to address is the compulsive collection of content.

Everything you write has the potential to be spicier, funnier, smarter, more interesting and more relevant. And the steps you must take to make this happen are as follows:

1)Open Your Eyes and Ears
2)Write It Down
3)Write It Out
4)Develop Your Own System

In this article, I am going to take you through this process by using one of my favorite pieces of content as an example.

STEP 1: Open Your Eyes and Ears
April 4th, 2004: the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s death, the day my friend Drew ran the St. Louis Marathon, and the day I came to the conclusion that Americans are the most impatient people in the WORLD.

After the race I took Drew out for lunch to celebrate his admirable accomplishment. We finished our meal at Galleria’s The Pasta House and headed out to the parking lot. In the empty spot a few spaces down from my car I saw a tattered, ripped up box. God I detest litter.

‘One sec Drew; I’ll be right back…’

I walked over to take a closer look. A plastic bag that read Kay-Bee Toys slowly brushed up against my jeans like a suburban tumbleweed. On the pavement lay a credit card receipt and discarded instructions for a toy truck.

I picked up the receipt and noted the date and time of purchase: April 4th, 2004. 11:56 AM.

My watch read 1:41 PM.

Unbelievable. The only thing I detest more than litter is impatience.

Okay, that was one of my favorite illustrations that I’ve used in various writings/speeches before. Now, that wasn’t the whole story. And I’m sure based on that incident, I could have used other metaphors or taken a different angle on the trash. But I chose impatience. Because impatience just KILLS me! However, the only reason I’m still able to share that experience is because I followed the first step, which was to Open My Eyes and Ears.

I could have easily hopped into my car and taken Drew home. But I noticed that big, colorful pile of trash, and just HAD to go over there.

Do you ever notice, hear, smell, see or experience things like these? Have people walked by and said phrases that stuck in your head? Good. That means you have a writer’s ear. And next time it happens, don’t walk away. Be curious. Don’t be nosey, but take an interest to the point where you might discover some valuable content.

STEP 2: Write it Down
Then, you MUST capture it. This is part where many writers fail, most likely because they’re not prepared with content capturing tools. If you’re a writer and you don’t keep a pen, paper, notebook, journal, camera, tape recorder or charcoal rubbing sheets with you at all time, you’re missing out on some great content. In fact, I can’t think of a single possession that’s been more valuable to the successful collection of my content than my pen and notepad. It’s leather, about the size of a business card holder, and I don’t go anywhere without it. Ever. And I can whip it out and be ready to write in less than three seconds, not unlike a cowboy’s gun or a guitar player’s pick.

A notepad like this is easy to find at any luggage store. They cost about 15 bucks. Or, if you’re more of a journal person, awesome! But whatever content capturing tool you use, be certain it’s easily accessible in your car, bag, office or on your person at all times – because you never know when inspiration might strike. The whole point is; you don’t want to find yourself saying, ‘If only I would have written that down!’

Now, you don’t need to write down very much. All you need to do is record a few sentences that explain what happened. You’re free to write some details as well, but concentrate more on capturing as opposed to creating. This will come in handy when you look at your notes later. And do it fast. If possible, write it down as soon as something happens. This is why you should always have your capturing tools ready to go. Because not unlike forgetting names, jokes and phone numbers, content is something the mind easily displaces.

STEP 3: Write it Out
Next is the fun part: transferring a valuable story, anecdote, moment, experience, smell, sound or conversation into a useful piece of content. At the end of the day (or week), re-read your notes. If you’re like me and your penmanship looks like a monkey who was trying to write the Hebrew alphabet, this process may take a few minutes. Still, looking back at what you’ve written will bring the experience back to life. And then it’s time to write it down.

Start a new document on computer, or if you prefer ‘the old way,’ grab a blank sheet of paper. Write out that particular piece of content. Look for themes, lessons, bigger pictures, connections and symbols in your experience so it will be a good fit for a book, article or speech.

For example, the story you just read about the discarded toy box was written in one of my seven journals about a year ago. In fact, the exact phrase I just read on the page was:

‘4/4/04 – Toy truck…impatience…lunch at Galleria with Drew.’

To give you an idea of how this process comes full circle:

1)Just now, I browsed through my journal…
2)Saw that story about the trash…
3)And decided to include it in this article.

Wah-lah!

STEP 4: Develop Your Own System
The cool thing about compulsively collecting content is when you start searching for it, and when you start recording it, it will show up EVERYWHERE. Unusual, unexpected, interesting and different writing ideas will magnetize to you!

I started taking this whole ‘content thing’ seriously in 2004. I was working on a new book and I wanted to use a plethora of great stories, illustrations and examples to back up my ideas. So I developed a system. And that’s the last step in this process.

Here’s what I do. It might not work for everyone, but perhaps the structure of such a system will stimulate some ideas for your own. It has several components:

CAPTURING TOOLS

Notepad: I never go anywhere without it. I always keep the pen full and the paper stocked. And I write stuff down in it every day. Many of my friends think I’m a detective.

Laughter Log: Lou Heckler, world famous humorist, speaker and writer, taught me a great deal about collecting content. He suggested a Laughter Log. Here’s how it works: every day you ask yourself, ‘What was funny that happened to me today?’ Then, you write those things down. Easy, huh? You’d be amazed how much funny stuff happens on a daily basis. And that log sure does accumulate over a year!

Camera: I never thought I’d be the guy with the camera phone, but MAN is it handy! I’ve taken some great pictures of things that remind me of fantastic content about which I later wrote. I also keep a disposable camera in my bag at all times, just in case. Actually, I remember THE DAY I decided to start doing this: I was flying out of Cincinnati several years ago when I spotted Vernon Troyer, aka ‘Mini Mi’ from the Austin Powers films. I introduced myself to him and even chatted for a few minutes! If only I’d been carrying a camera at the time! Damn!

WRITING TOOLS

Blogs: I have two blogs, one for my business and one that’s completely anonymous. For the former, I post various stories, examples and websites related to my business. For the latter, I sit down every morning at 8 AM, pick out a random story title from one of my journals, and write the entire thing out. I’ve been doing this for 4 months. That’s about 80 stories! Talk about compulsively collecting content! (For more information on blogging go to www.blogger.com)

Dailies: I have a folder on my desktop called ‘Dailies,’ in which I take some time several times a week to brainstorm and write out ideas for future articles. It might be a page, a list of 10, 25, 50, or 100 things, etc.

Journal: Before I do anything in the morning, I write in my journal – whatever comes to my mind first. These rambling entries aren’t exactly well written in the grammatical sense, but they ARE well written inasmuch as they are captured, and often times that’s the most important part of creating great content.

ORGANIZING TOOLS

Mind Maps: Mind Maps brainstorm all of the sub-topics and related content into a one-page, visual representation of a single idea. For more information on how to mind map, search online for tips and tricks – there’s about a zillion ways to do it.

Content Cards: I take every single piece of content and write a one sentence description of it on a note card. Then I spread these cards all over the floor like a Memory game. I then look for patters among these cards and organize them into piles of related pieces of content. The amazing thing is, because the mind is a self-organizing mechanism, the content cards usually organize themselves. That’s how I wrote my entire second book!

All technical designations aside, I think there are two major differences between ‘People who write’ and ‘People who are writers’:

PEOPLE WHO WRITE…Have natural writing skills, creative ideas, excellent grammar, unique style and tone and a passion for the pen.

PEOPLE WHO ARE WRITERS…Have everything from the last paragraph PLUS the awareness to keep their eyes and ears open for great content, the preparation to capture that content, the discipline to transfer that content into writings and the organization to create their own system that turns thoughts into things.

Which one are you?

(Read the first article in this series here.)

Personal Self-Expertise is an invaluable tool that transforms the way you communicate in your business and personal lives. It functions as a front porch for two reasons: 1) It equips you with the confidence of knowing exactly who you are; and 2) It magnetizes others to you because they admire and respect those who know exactly who they are.

But it takes time and study to get to this point. In this article we are going to explore 12 exercises that will help you enhance your self-expertise.

101 Goals
Make a list of 101 Goals for the next year. Any kind of goals can apply: business, personal, financial, athletic or romantic. Make some big and some small. And be sure to write them down on one sheet of paper so you can keep it with you. Take as much time as you need, too. This is not an easy exercise and it may take a few weeks.

Now, not only is this an effective goal setting technique, but when you’ve completed your list, ask yourself this: what patterns do I see among my goals? Are they all related to business? Are they all related to material things? Are they concrete goals or abstract goals? It’ll blow your mind! And this exercise will provide tremendous insight into what you value and therefore contribute to your self-expertise.

101 Things That Make Me Happy
Lists allow us to easily put information which belongs together in one place. They don’t prioritize, segment, or bias any one item; but rather allow us to simply get it all down on paper – and sometimes that’s the most important part of learning. In this exercise, you will start to see commonalities of certain things that make you happy. Yet again, further insight into the person you really are.

25 Of Your Greatest Accomplishments
Not only will this exercise put you in a great mood, but it will demonstrate your talents and passions. For example, if all of your accomplishments are related to helping others, that says something about your character. If all of your accomplishments are financial, it says another. List and learn!

Philosophies/Theories
Most people have certain philosophies and theories about life, business and relationships; but few people write them down. So take some time one Saturday or Sunday, go to the park, and organize your thoughts. Think of yourself as a famous philosopher who is writing his manifesto about life. Now, you don’t actually have to write the whole thing out, but list several key areas of life along with which rules, theories or philosophies you adhere to in order to become successful. You never know, you may be the next great thinker! And you’ll also be surprised at how easy it is to organize your ideas once you do so visually.

Favorite Quotations
Write down as many of your favorite quotations, movie lines, song lyrics and words of wisdom you’ve accumulated over the years. Then look back and see what they have in common. Many of your ideas will form patters and groups. And this will open a window into your mind, heart and soul that you never would have seen otherwise. Once again, this exercise will amaze you when you discover how much wisdom you actually possess. That’s the great thing about self-expertise – once you bring it to the surface, it starts to make a LOT of sense.

The Roof Is On Fire
Ask yourself this question: if your house was on fire and you were only allowed to go back and grab one thing, what would you choose?

Let’s say your answer was pictures. Good. Now, dig deeper and think about what that means: are you family oriented? Do you place great value on memories? Are you a materialistic person?

Dinner For Three
Next, ask yourself this question: If you could have dinner with any three people – dead or alive – whom would you choose?

Me? I would choose 1) Robin Williams, the most entertaining man alive; 2) Adam Duritz, my favorite singer and musical inspiration; and 3) Samantha Walters, one of my close friends and the warmest person I’ve ever known. These answers show that my self-expertise has components of humor, music and friendship. What about yours?

Everything You Want To Be
I once heard Larry Winget, world famous author and speaker tell an audience, ‘Go home and make a list of everything you want to become.’

Wow.

It was an incredible exercise that motivated, inspired and moved everyone to learn more about who they were. I suggest you make the same list.

Personal Mission Statement
In Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he takes you through an exercise called ‘Writing Your Personal Mission Statement.’ Everyone should do this. It’s quite possibly the greatest tool to realizing your self-expertise. Now, you can create your PMS in any way you like, but here are some suggestions for what areas to include:

Roles – Who are you and what is your purpose? Are you a dad? A daughter? A businessman? A friend?

Beliefs – What do you believe? What ideas are important to you? What values do you stand by?

Choices – What things do you choose (and don’t choose) to do? What people do you choose (and don’t choose) to be around?

Advice – What are the most important phrases, verses, quotations or pieces of advice you always tell yourself?

The best part about your Personal Missions Statement is that you can carry it with you wherever you go. Try to read it to yourself every morning. After all, there’s nothing better than starting your day by reading a statement of exactly who you are.

Talking makes you think.
Thinking makes you create.
Creating makes you write stuff down.
And writing stuff down makes you money.

For that reason, conversations are laboratories.

All types of conversations, too.

With friends.
With yourself.
With mentors.
With strangers.
With employees.

And if you’re looking for a creative boost to attract more ideas into that big juicy brain of yours, start using conversations as tools.

Here are five Lab Rules to remember when cooking up something new in your conversational laboratory:

1. Increase your frequency. Are you having weekly lunches, coffees and brainstorming meetings with colleagues? If not, start increasing your frequency. And don’t think of it as ‘networking’ or ‘eating,’ think of it as taking a trip to the creative laboratory. NOTE: choose wisely. Be sure to select cool, creative, open-minded, positive people.

2. Take more notes. That which goes unrecorded goes unmemorable. And if you don’t write it down, it never happened. So, don’t be shy! When you’re talking to a friend who says something inspiring, catchy or brilliant, get it down. Simply say, ‘Hey, that was great! Could you repeat what you just said? I want to write that down…’ (Be sure to give them credit too.)

3. Ask better questions. More questions. Trickier questions. Stupid questions. Obvious questions. Repetitive questions. FACT: whether it’s with yourself or with someone else, questioning is absolute essential to uncovering new ideas.

4. Become a plucker. The word ‘pluck’ means ‘to take something away swiftly, often by means of skill or strength.’ That’s exactly what you need to do. To slow down, listen carefully and pluck out those little ideas, one-liners, phrases and light bulbs that go off during your conversation. Become a constant scanner of your environment.

5. Affirm to attract. More ideas into your head, that is. See, creativity isn’t solely a function of luck or inspiration. It’s about prepping yourself mentally to attract and accept what’s available from the universe.

TRY THIS: before your next conversation, affirm to yourself, ‘During lunch today, I believe we’re going to make breakthroughs! New ideas will be pouring into our heads!’

ALSO TRY THIS: after your next conversation, give thanks. Gratitude shows the universe that you appreciate the gifts it has given to you. Which makes it want to give you more.

With these five Lab Rules, you’ll be sure to maximize the output of your next conversation. So, just remember:

Talking makes you think.
Thinking makes you create.
Creating makes you write stuff down.
And writing stuff down makes you money.

Conversations are laboratories.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you getting the most out of your conversations?

I don’t claim to be the greatest writer in the world.

But I’m definitely better than I used to be. And ultimately, that’s all that really matters.

Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years…

1. Don’t plan; just write.

2. Write something every single day.

3. Share your writing with others. Blog it. Do it anonymously if you have to. Let the world be your editor.

4. Study writing basics in books like On Writing by Stephen King.

5. Writers are readers. How many books did you read in February?

6. Vary sentence length.

7. Don’t be afraid to use ALL CAPS, bold, underline and the like. It catches people’s attention, breaks up the page and evokes emotion. Read a Tom Peters book, you’ll see what I mean.

8. Typing is a little easier than writing by hand because the speed of thought is nearly matched by the speed of typing. Plus writing by hand is a big pain in the, um…hand.

9. Whatever you’re writing, go back and make it shorter. People just don’t have time anymore. They won’t read it.

10. It takes time to discover your voice. But when you do, it’s the greatest accomplishment any writer could achieve.

11. Lists are your friends. They’re easy to write. They’re even easier to read. And they organize information that has no apparent pattern. Kinda like this blog post!

12. Write everything down. Everything.

13. Make sticky notes for your office with the following statements written on them:

a. Writing is the basis of all wealth.

b. Is everything you know written down somewhere?

c. What did you write today?

14. If you make lists, don’t be afraid to occasionally throw in a point that has absolutely no relevance whatsoever. It’s fun.

15. Become a better writer by studying creativity. How many creativity exercises did you do this week?

16. Get over all that, ‘But I’m not a writer’ stuff. Thoughts like that block positive thought and hinder creativity. Everyone is a writer. Everyone.

17. Every morning when you wake up, dump everything that’s on your mind into about three pages. It doesn’t have to be good. It doesn’t have to make sense. It’s about freeing your mind of all the crap so you can clear the way for the good stuff. Think of it like going to the driving range before a round of 18 holes to get all those shanks out of your system. If you want to write better quality stuff, the REAL stuff that’s deep inside of you just dying to get out, you’ve got to pave the way. Thank you, Artist’s Way.

18. Break the rules of writing. Every day. Nothing too horrendous. But don’t be afraid to start sentences with words like ‘and’ and ‘because.’ Don’t be afraid to throw in a fragment here and there. Nobody’s going to be mad. If it proves your point and looks and sounds good, leave it in there. Be a rebel on paper.

19. Read your stuff out loud. Make sure it flows.

20. You can read books, take classes and study the greats. But the BEST way to become a better writer is to write. Every. Single. Day.

21. Hey, remember #9? That thing I said about keeping it short? I was serious. Odd are, half the people who started reading this very article are no longer with us. (Dang it!)

22. Read The War of Art. Best book on art/creativity/writing ever. EVER.

23. When you write something really brilliant, or at least pretty good, take a break. Or stop. Don’t be a greedy writer.

Talking makes you think.
Thinking makes you create.
Creating makes you write stuff down.
And writing stuff down makes you money.

For that reason, conversations are laboratories.

All types of conversations, too.

With friends.
With yourself.
With mentors.
With strangers.
With employees.

And if you’re looking for a creative boost to attract more ideas into that big juicy brain of yours, start using conversations as tools.

Here are five Lab Rules to remember when cooking up something new in your conversational laboratory:

1. Increase your frequency. Are you having weekly lunches, coffees and brainstorming meetings with colleagues? If not, start increasing your frequency. And don’t think of it as ‘networking’ or ‘eating,’ think of it as taking a trip to the creative laboratory. NOTE: choose wisely. Be sure to select cool, creative, open-minded, positive people.

2. Take more notes. That which goes unrecorded goes unmemorable. And if you don’t write it down, it never happened. So, don’t be shy! When you’re talking to a friend who says something inspiring, catchy or brilliant, get it down. Simply say, ‘Hey, that was great! Could you repeat what you just said? I want to write that down…’ (Be sure to give them credit too.)

3. Ask better questions. More questions. Trickier questions. Stupid questions. Obvious questions. Repetitive questions. FACT: whether it’s with yourself or with someone else, questioning is absolute essential to uncovering new ideas.

4. Become a plucker. The word ‘pluck’ means ‘to take something away swiftly, often by means of skill or strength.’ That’s exactly what you need to do. To slow down, listen carefully and pluck out those little ideas, one-liners, phrases and light bulbs that go off during your conversation. Become a constant scanner of your environment.

5. Affirm to attract. More ideas into your head, that is. See, creativity isn’t solely a function of luck or inspiration. It’s about prepping yourself mentally to attract and accept what’s available from the universe.

TRY THIS: before your next conversation, affirm to yourself, ‘During lunch today, I believe we’re going to make breakthroughs! New ideas will be pouring into our heads!’

ALSO TRY THIS: after your next conversation, give thanks. Gratitude shows the universe that you appreciate the gifts it has given to you. Which makes it want to give you more.

With these five Lab Rules, you’ll be sure to maximize the output of your next conversation. So, just remember:

Talking makes you think.
Thinking makes you create.
Creating makes you write stuff down.
And writing stuff down makes you money.

Conversations are laboratories.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you getting the most out of your conversations?

Nope, it isn’t ‘marketing.’

Wrong, it ain’t ‘credibility.’

And no, it’s not ‘Oprah.’

The most important word in any author’s vocabulary is: PLATFORM.

Here’s what that means:

• A platform is what helps sell books
• A platform is the way you reach readers
• A platform is your expertise on your book’s topic(s)
• A platform is a network of notoriety and exposure
• A platform is how you communicate with your audience
• A platform is that which gives you access to sales
• A platform is what you stand for in the marketplace
• A platform is where you speak your mind beyond what’s already been said in your books
• A platform is where you inform your fans of future books, appearances, projects, news and the like
• A platform is your place in the world
•A platform is your accomplishments

With that in mind, here are the three reasons every author needs a platform.

1. To sell books. It’s tough to move 10,000 copies from the back of a cave. Too many authors – especially self-published ones – work their butts off writing and producing their books, and then do nothing with them! Sadly, writing and producing the book is the EASY part. The key is, building your platform so you can move those darn boxes out of your garage!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your 12-month platform plan?

2. More media interviews. If media outlets see that you’ve got a platform, they will gladly book you for their shows. Why? Because they know you’ve got fans, customers and loyalists who will tune in. They know that viewers, readers and listeners will say, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve heard of this guy before!’ And that’s what makes their producers (and advertisers) super happy.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How many interviews did you do this year?

3. Credibility is king. Every time you try to make a deal that books you for a speaking engagement, sells copies, secures a TV movie about your life, etc., the potential client is going to ask the question, ‘Have people heard about you?’ It’s EXACTLY like the scene in the recent movie Little Miss Sunshine, in which Greg Kinnear’s book deal goes kaput because the publisher exclaims, ‘But nobody’s heard of you!’

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Have people heard of you?

OK. Now that you understand the value of author platforms, let’s explore two well-known examples.

First, think about the most obvious example in the world: Oprah.

Personally, I’m not a diehard fan of The Big O, but you gotta admit, when she writes a book (or promotes someone else’s book, for that matter), BAM!! Millions of sales at the drop of a hat.

Now, does that happen because these particular books are ‘good’?

Maybe. But it probably has more to do with the power of her platform: TV show, magazine, radio show, reputation and Harpo Productions.

Another great example is Rachel Ray. How many cookbooks, DVD’s, appliances and other ancillary items do you think she sells each year?

According to a 2006 article in Business Week, about 40 gazillion bajillion.

OK, I might have exaggerated that number a bit. (I think it’s actually higher)

But why does she move so much product? Because her platform is strong. Really strong. Like, Schwarzenegger strong. Sure, she might be an annoying little troll, but you’ve to got to admit: she’s everywhere. TV shows, product endorsements, even her own magazine!

BUT, HERE’S THE CATCH-22…
In order to build a platform so you can get well known, you sort of have to BE well known already.

So, that’s your challenge. How will you get better known and known better?

Here’s a quick list of ways to start building your platform 2-day, 4-free:

• Blog every single day for six months
• Publish an ezine twice a month
• Give one free speech every week
• Publish articles regularly on www.ezinearticles.com
• Walk around conferences and events (filled with attendees who are your target readers) and hand out hundreds of free copies of your book to EVERYONE (This one works. I’ve done it many times!)

Look. I know you’re not Oprah. And I know you’re not Rachel Ray.

But nobody is! Those two women reside in the 0.01 percentile of authors whose platforms are so impossibly strong that they can sell millions and millions of books in short periods of time.

You and me, however, reside in that 99.9% of people who need work our butts creating, expanding and maintaining our platforms on a daily basis.

After all, that’s the single most important word in any author’s vocabulary.

BE brilliant at the basics. Be the change you want to see in the world. Be the first one. Be the only one. Be unforgettable. Be interesting. Be a sleeper. Be that guy. Be the world’s expert on yourself. Be better than yesterday, but not as good as tomorrow. Be confident enough to be humble. But be somebody who reminds everybody of nobody else in the world.

AND DON’T wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don’t sell, enable people to buy. Don’t let the bastards get you down. Don’t be weary in well doing, for in due season you will reap a great harvest if you faint not. And don’t wait for the mainstream to validate your voice. Don’t despise the day of small beginnings. Don’t be selfish with your knowledge. Don’t complain if you haven’t earned the right. And don’t be different, be unique.

BECAUSE YOU are what you charge. You are what you believe. You are the books you’ve read and the people you’ve met. And you are an empty sheet of paper in the minds of every person you encounter.

AFTER ALL, the world cannot resist a man on a mission. The best swimmers are always in the pool. The sculpture is inside the stone. And the two greatest days in your life are the day you’re born, and the day you realize why you were born.

AND if you are successful you will always have too much to do and too little time. If you aren’t being criticized, you aren’t doing much. And if everyone says you’re out of your mind, you just might be onto something.

EVEN THOUGH, IT’S not easy being yourself. It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you. And it’s not the years, it’s the mileage.

SO, WORK hard, work long and work smart. Work like you don’t need the money. And work from technique, because you never know how you will feel.

AND DON’T FORGET THAT success leaves clues. That confidence is king. That credibility comes from specificity. That listening is not waiting to talk. And that a nice person who is mean to a waiter is not a nice person.

OR, TO tell the truth, to tell it all and to tell it now. To give value first. To paint yourself into a good corner. To allow customers to participate in your brand. To do the work once and benefit many times. To give yourself away. To respect people’s no’s. To take massive action. And to act as if you already were the person you’re trying to become.

THEREFORE, ALWAYS stand up, stand out or be counted out. Discover your Personal Differential Advantage. Learn to love your zone of discomfort. Greet each day with love in your heart. Show, don’t tell. Make daily appointments with yourself. Never apologize for your art. Remember your Victory Dance. Work harder on yourself than your job. Find your one big idea. And always validate your existence, be yourself and do something cool – every single day.

BECAUSE life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself.

‘Instead of a handshake, I gave Toby a high-five to break the ice; and when we sat down on the front porch and started talking off the cuff, it was as if serendipity brought us together.’

That sentence contains several words and actions you see and hear every day. But have you ever wondered where some of our most common communication-related terms come from?

Handshake
We do it every day – sometimes 20 times a day. But how many of us actually know where the handshake originated? According to author/speaker Melvin Murphy, ‘The handshake has origins more anthropological than historical. Men used to carry knives, spears and rocks. And when land was scarce, males would extend their hand to show that they were not attempting to kill their neighbor.’

‘Furthermore, the classical Greeks were under the impression that the right hands were mysteriously connected to the heart. And they may not have been very far off point. The handshake is a symbol equivalent of a promise. It becomes a virtue of the word and value of the person extending it. It is an agreement sealed with honor before the lawyers get involved. The handshake is a very valuable tool and, since in business often the communication is one-to-one, it’s flexible and indicates that an agreement has been reached on current dealings. It says that all information and intentions have been disclosed so that the value of the handshake is not diminished. The lesson here is that the handshake historically has carried symbolic importance. It is good to know what your handshake is worth. It’s your word and it says you can deliver on your promises.’

High Five
It was late in the 1977 season. Dusty Baker of the Dodgers was rounding third, heading for home, having just hit his 30th home run. The Dodgers were heading for a National League pennant! The on-deck hitter was Glenn Burke, enjoying his second season in the big leagues. As Baker crossed the plate Burke raised his hand. Baker responded by raising his. The two hands slapped together and a bit of history was made: the very first high-five.

Popularized in the 80’s, the high-five not only served as a cultural symbol, but was added to the dictionary as well! According to Merriam Webster, a high-five (noun or verb) is ‘a slapping of upraised right hands by two people, as in celebration.’

Break the Ice
The origination of the term break the ice dates back to old trade practices that involve, well, breaking the ice. When cargo ships became icebound for weeks at a time due to bitter, frozen winters, smaller ships were sent out to break the ice in order to make a path that would enable future trade. In other words, if you (as a boatman) wanted to get down to business – you had to break the ice.

Front Porch
In the book Preserving Porches, Rene Kahn explains that front porches were first made popular by the Greeks. They used them as gathering spots for public discussions, originally called porticos. As history unfolded and the Middle Ages arrived, the porch came to represent a cathedral’s vestibule where worshippers could gather to socialize before and after the service. Then, by Victorian times, the word “porch” became interchangeably used with the words “veranda,” “piazza,” “loggia,” and “portico,” each of which could connote individual meanings. From this period until the second half of the nineteenth century, the word “porch” itself most often described a small, enclosed vestibule or covered rear entrance.

At this time, at the end of the nineteenth century, the word “porch” began to represent its present meaning. This meaning, in its American sense, generally refers to a “roofed, but incompletely walled living area.’ Honestly, I like what Bill Cosby says about front porches, ‘The front porch was an invention of the housewife who wanted to keep her husband far enough away to be quiet; but close enough in case she couldn’t lift something heavy.’

Off the Cuff
According to www.idiomsite.com, although this phrase was traditionally thought to be a spontaneous statement or response (isn’t amazing how he comes up with those ideas off the cuff like that…?), it actually has origins in one of two places, depending on who you listen to. One example comes from the English Pub keepers’ accounting system. Bartenders of the era kept track of patron’s tabs by markings made on the starched cuffs of their shirts, so that with a mere glance at their shirt cuffs the bartender could quote a price seemingly ‘off the cuff.’ It may also come from the alleged practice, in the 1930’s, of public speakers making last-minute notes on their shirt cuffs, for use during their speeches.

Serendipity
According to www.word-detective.com, the connection you’ve heard of between ‘serendipity’ and Sri Lanka is true, and it’s a very interesting story. Back in 1754, Horace Walpole, fourth Earl of Orford, wrote a letter to his friend, Horace Mann. In this letter, Horace W. undertook to explain to Horace M. the derivation of a new word he had invented, ‘serendipity’:

I once read a silly fairy tale, called ‘The Three Princes of Serendip’; as their highnesses traveled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of.

By ‘serendipity,’ Walpole meant ‘the gift of making lucky discoveries, of finding valuable things one is not looking for,’ and the word entered English in that sense. Curiously, however, ‘serendipity’ was rarely used in literature until the 20th century, and today is more often employed to mean the lucky find or happenstance itself, as in ‘A parking meter with time left on it when one is broke is serendipity.’’

So, next time someone mentions one of these words; shakes your hand or gives you a high five; tell him the history behind it! It’s a great conversation starter and surefire way to spice up the encounter.

When I was seven years old I wanted to be an author. Not a writer, but an author. As in, ‘guy who writes books.’ Why I chose that career, I’m not sure. Maybe I liked writing. Maybe I thought books were cool. Or maybe it was just the first answer I could come up with.

The truth is, I never really gave it much thought.

That is, not until one random day about 6 months ago when I was giving a speech to a group of 7th graders. I started telling these kids about the two books I’d written when it hit me like a ton of books. Yes, books – not bricks.

Oh my God! I thought. I really AM an author!

At that moment I realized that there truly is something to be said about the career aspirations of kids. You see, the younger a person is the less likely his hopes and dreams are to be influenced by his parents, peers, money, fame or even college major. After all, when you’re seven years old – you don’t know anything, you just talk from your heart.

Unfortunately, somewhere down the line kids stop using their hearts and begin using their heads. And the result is: they think too much.

Don’t get me wrong. Thinking is good. But sometimes, you just have to listen to your heart.

Now I know that’s a bit cliché. To be honest with you, I don’t even know how the whole ‘listen to your heart’ process works. It’s probably different for everybody.

But I DO believe that success leaves clues.
And I DO believe that certain experiences in our lives are indicators of our true nature.

A few years ago I read an interview in Spin magazine with Bono, one of my heroes and also one of the great rock stars of my time. When asked about the musical development of U2’s songs, Bono quoted Michelangelo and said, ‘The sculpture is already in the stone.’

The sculpture is already in the stone. I never forgot that.

That means every time Michelangelo sat down to sculpt one of his many masterpieces, the piece was already finished. All he had to do was chip away.

That means every time Bono and his band mates sat around the studio to record a track for their next classic album, the song was already complete. All they had to do was chip away.

I think people are the same way. When each of us is born, we’re nothing but a big block of stone. Blank, untouched and unformed. But every single day of our lives is like a piece of that stone is being chipped away by our experiences. And eventually, there will come a time – probably some random Tuesday at 2:30 PM – when we will look in the mirror at what used to be a plain old block of stone, and see a great masterpiece: the sculpture of the person we were born to be.

And when that moment comes, my GOD…it’s beautiful. It reminds me of a great quotation I recently heard from best selling author and NSA past president Mark Sanborne, “There are two great moments in a person’s life: the moment he was born and the moment he realizes WHY he was born.”

Wait a minute. Does that headline even make sense? Can readers listen to you?

Sure they can. If you write right.

Me, I never took any writing classes. I didn’t major in English. And I’m sure my writing isn’t as polished as other authors.

So I write like I talk. Like I’m having a conversation with you, right now. And while this isn’t the only way to engage readers and help them ‘listen’ to your writing, it’s certainly an effective technique.

Kurt Vonnegut once said, ‘Great writers need to be great dates for their readers.’

Which means you and I are on a date, right now. (By the way, that shirt really brings out your eyes.)

Anyway, back to writing right. I think the key to capturing your reader’s ears (in a non-Van Gough kind of way) is with your voice. And by ‘voice’ I mean the distinctive quality, feel, sound and tone of your writing.

Take Dave Barry. He is, in my opinion, is the funniest writer in the world. Here’s an excerpt from one of his 1996 columns from the Miami Herald:

Recently, when I was having a hamburger at an outdoor restaurant, two guys started up their Harley-Davidson motorcycles, parked maybe 25 feet from me. Naturally, being Harley guys, these were rebels — lone wolves, guys who do it Their Way, guys who do not follow the crowd. You could tell because they were wearing the same jeans, jackets, boots, bandannas, sunglasses, belt buckles, tattoos and (presumably) underwear worn by roughly 28 million other lone-wolf Harley guys.

Readers get the feeling that a face-to-face conversation with Dave Barry would be exactly like his writing: hilarious and exaggerated.

So they listen to him. That’s probably why he’s sold millions and millions of books around the world.

I use Dave as an example because he has a unique voice. And coming from someone who reads two books a week, I’m sorry to say that too few writers understand the value of developing and using their voice.

Because they’re afraid. They’re afraid of breaking the rules of grammar and structure. They’re afraid of throwing themselves into their art. And they’re afraid they’ll have to apologize because their writing might offend somebody.

So, they hide their true selves behind the same boring, unrevealing and this-is-what-my-English-professor-or-boss-told-me-to-do kind of writing.

Look. I can’t tell you how to put more of yourself into your writing – only you can decide that. Besides, how should I know? After all, this is only our first date.

Take a tip or two from the masters. Leo Tolstoy once said, ‘Write only with your pen dipped in your own blood.’ William Jenkins once said, ‘Good writing is like walking across a stage naked.’

Now ask yourself: ‘Does my writing reveal who I really am to my readers?’

If the answer is no, here are a few ways to start:

1) Everything you write, read aloud. Decide if it really sounds like you. Imagine you’re giving a speech at Harvard’s Commencement: would those 5000 students really listen to you?

2)Pay attention to specific words and phrases used in your daily conversations. Do you also use those in your writing?

3)Grab a newspaper and read three editorials. What do you like/not like about the voice of the reporters? While reading, did you find yourself completely engaged or thinking about something else?

All writers have a unique voice, whether they use it or not. So, it isn’t something that needs to be created. It’s something that’s already there because it comes from the heart.

All you need to do is uncover that voice. And your readers will listen.

Well, this has been a lot of fun. I hope we can go out again sometime…

…how about a kiss goodnight?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Do you read books that are written conversationally?