Saturday, November 27, 2021

Be An Author Challenge (Part 14) —Stories of Perseverance


Let’s share couple of stories about perseverance. Perhaps, we can start from your story. Maybe one time in your life you’ve persevere through hard moments, you’ve endured difficult times. And now you are a stronger person. Challenges come and go, but they don’t stop coming. That’s why it’s important to build resilience. It is necessary to learn how to persevere and endure hard situations. 

It’s not every time things will go the way we want. Sometimes, the inevitable and unexpected happens. And in such situation, we hardly prepare for them, and we are left with shock and worries. But when we learn perseverance, we would build courage. We would not give up. We would always move forward and upward.

In many of the successful stories that we know today, hardly is anyone of them that does not demonstrate perseverance. The people have had their own fair share of life challenges and have built their inner strength and capacity. Let’s share some of their stories.

Can you imagine somebody failing at something for over 10,000 times and still keep doing it? Maybe you can wrap your head around it. To fail at something for 10 times maybe hard for many of us, let alone 100 or 1000 times. Then till you now get to 10,000 times. That's insane! And you know when that person was asked about this what he said? He said – “I have not failed. I have only found 10,000 ways in which something would not work.” 

Imagine that kind of mindset. No wonder he did what others could not do. He invented an incandescent light bulb. An important electrical appliance that we use up to today. The name of that person was Thomas Edison. He was such a genius at making the impossible possible. He had a persevering spirit that was difficult to comprehend by most people. And that made him to be extraordinary and the one people celebrate from generation to generation.

If you love to eat KFC, know that someone has persevered for the business to thrive. After being denied for over 1,009 times, he still went ahead to give his recipe for the chicken that he so much believed in. Eventually, it has now become a franchise business that is spreading fast all around the world. The same thing we see in many successful businesses that we have in our world today. Tesla, Apple, Samsung, Sony, Mercedes, Zara, Google, Amazon, name it!, they've all had their own share of persevering moments before they succeeded in their businesses.

If you know about the richest author in the world, J.K Rowling, I would tell you something about her. Her book that became a bestseller in the world, Harry Potter, was rejected twelve times by traditional publishers. She was told that her book was substandard and nobody would read it. She persevered and later found one small publisher that would give her a try. She ended up becoming the richest author through that book.

Maybe we should share another story.

You know the story of Nelson Mandela? A man whose life was a demonstration of perseverance. He wrote a book long walk to freedom, which became an international bestseller. Nelson started the fight for freedom since he was in his twenties. He wanted to liberate his people from oppression by the apartheid government. He was put in the prison for 27 years. He was asked several times if he has changed his mind before his release, he said he would rather die fighting for freedom than to be alive seeing his people suffering discrimination and oppression. 

After several uproar, and ascension to power by President De Klerk, Mandela was released in 1991. In 1993, he received a Nobel Peace Prize award and in 1994, he became the first democratically elected President in South Africa.

You see all these stories of perseverance? What situation are you going through right now that you are about to give up, I encourage you not to. Persevere more, and your story would turn out well. If successful people have once had difficulties and tough experiences and they overcame, you will overcome.

Remember “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” Robert H. Schuller

Share your story!

If you have any questions, write to bookminds247@gmail.com or Instagram @ so_piens.



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Sunday, November 21, 2021

100 Nuggets on "Be An Author Challenge"

Download the PDF of 100 Nuggets on "How to Be An Author Challenge" via the link below for free 

https://ln5.sync.com/dl/732751750/chkf42tx-nzcmz2td-n9rivrpn-tzjb9k9h



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Saturday, November 20, 2021

Be An Author Challenge (Part 13) – The Essence of Sharing A Story


Let’s go back to the basis. What is the essence of sharing a story? Obviously, it would be for people to learn from it. But, there could be other reasons. Studies have shown that people who share stories bond more with other people. Oprah, the popular TV host, said she started connecting more with people after sharing her story. This means story-telling allows us to bond with other people. When we share story, we release oxytocin, a hormone that bonds us with other people. Be that as it may, that’s just the physiological aspect of it. But there is also psychological aspect of it. We’ll come back to that later. Let’s look again at the essence of sharing a story. If we share a story, we want people to hear us out and learn from whatever we are sharing with them.

Sharing a story can range from sharing something personal to us to something general. It could be about our life, experience, situations, profession, ideas, lifestyle, family, work, projects and so on. When we share story, we feel the emotions and energy that come from it. We feel the moment and memories. And everything comes back to life as though it happened few hours ago.

We also feel relieved and at ease, and we love to hear what people would have to say about our story. We love the feeling and satisfaction that comes from people responding to our story and learning from it. And we also love to hear other people’s stories too, especially when they’re related to ours.

We humans are basically the same when it comes to this instinct— ability to tell and share stories. We always love to share our stories, especially with our loved ones. Even for those who are shy among us, they still feel comfortable sharing their stories with their loved ones, the people they are most comfortable with.

For over 100,000 years we’ve been sharing stories. And there’s no sight of stopping yet. We’ll continue to do it till eternity. Stories have been one of the ways we’ve been able to communicate and share our values, thoughts, ideas, cultures, traditions and so on to our children and children’s children.

Stories have made spreading ideas easy. They have made connections, bonding and communications among us possible and the ability to agree on one course and follow it to the end. As humans, we’ve been able to set big goals, launch great ideas, do mighty things, and conquer the earth, thanks to stories. We have also built societies, strong institutions and organizations because of our ability to share and believe stories. Religion, economy, governments, politics, empires, businesses, and so on have also risen because of this singular phenomenon.

But why does story have this much grip on us humans? Why are we humans so addictive or obsessive with stories? If I may ask you now to tell me your greatest belief, it would be hinged on a particular story. There is no belief without a story. Every belief stems from a story. And so to break any belief, you must tell another story — that is rather stronger and better than the previous.

The power of story on us humans is unimaginable and hardly quantifiable. The acts are so subtle, but the effects are so enormous. It’s pretty much like pressing a small button on an airplane that could create an effect that a thousand people cannot perform.

Perhaps some of the things that we go through right now and the experiences that we have could be because of some stories that we’ve sometimes heard and have subconsciously believed.

When we share our story, we feel more connected with people and become more humane. We feel more empathy and sympathy. And depending on the story, it could really allow us to be more loving, supportive, sympathetic, amiable and so on for other humans.

On the other hand, there are some stories that we are not comfortable to share. Maybe because of how sensitive, personal or generally unacceptable they are. But not telling them could be eating us up. We may be feeling regrets and unease inside. But you know what, go ahead and tell that story! Find someone you trust and let out the story. I know initially it might be so terrifying, but if you can summon courage to just say it, you will be free. 

Oprah was not afraid to tell her story. Joyce Meyer, Lady Gaga and many more who were victims of sexual assaults and other circumstances were not afraid to share their stories. Though they struggled for many years, but the moment they let it out, they were free. And many people appreciated them for this. 

So go ahead and share your story. The story you share is the one that benefits people. The one you don’t share remains unappreciated and sometimes could be a burden in your heart. Share your story today and you will be happy you did. I see you making impact in your world because of your story. Cheers!

If you have any questions, write to bookminds247@gmail.com or Instagram @ so_piens.



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Saturday, November 13, 2021

Be An Author Challenge (Part 12) —The Story of Succeeded Failure


In 1883, a creative engineer by the name John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However, bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before. Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. 

After much discussion and persuasion, he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built. Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge. 

The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway, a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was also injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to talk or walk. “We told them so.”“Crazy men and their crazy dream.” “It’s foolish to chase wild visions.” Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap, Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever. He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. 


As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment. It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife. He touched his wife’s arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. 

Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again. For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife’s arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man’s indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. 

It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half of the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do. Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal. The story of failure that became success. 

Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realized with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are. I enhearten you to step out and get that seemingly-difficult job done. I say you can do it. Yes, you can!

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Saturday, November 6, 2021

Be An Author Challenge (Part 11) – What Reading Does To Your Mind

I'd already prepared the article I wanted to post for this weekend until a thought bumped into my mind. It was about reading. I began to think about the power of reading and how crucial it is for everyone of us to be doing it. I know this is not a new subject. Neither is it what many of us are not familiar with. But how often do we read? I know we can have one thousand and one reasons for not being able to read. But I want to let you know that you will do yourself more havoc by not reading than by losing a million dollars. This may sound outlandish but it's not.

When you know what reading does to your brain, you’ll know this is not an exaggeration. When you read, your mind is open. You begin to visualize and conceptualize ideas. Your problem-solving skills will also improve dramatically. And to be an author, you've got to be a reader. Reading is the only method of learning that allows your brain to process what it's receiving all by itself. You begin to imagine and picture the words, and as you do that, it sparks some reactions in your brain that increase your mental capacity. It is more or less like you are making your brain to go through a mental exercise. And for real, you are! 

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies... The man who never reads lives only once." - George R.R. Martin

When you read, the results are mind-blowing. I have read sometimes and I would think of some things that are not directly connected to what I’m reading. Great ideas and mind-blowing solutions have come from this. I have got better understanding into things that were initially unclear because I was reading. All these could make us understand that reading charges up our brain, and hence our mind.

What reading does to your brain is far more important than what you do with the reading.

Apart from the fact that we gain knowledge and ideas from what we read, what we read has direct influence on our minds. When you see some people who are so vast and intelligent, and you wonder if it is their talent or brains that have fetched them those qualities, it is because they've committed themselves to long hours of reading and learning. Ralph Waldo Emerson said - "If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads." And research has shown that practically everyone of us is genius in our own way. But that ingenuity is only expressed mostly by hardwork and less talent. 

Talent will not do the reading for you. No matter how talented you are, you still have to do the reading by yourself. And when you do it, that’s when talent will work. That’s it! Reading helps us to discover ourselves, utilize our gifts, and unleash our potentials. Many people will not know what to do until they pick a book and read. There have been many accounts of how some people have solved their problems, did great things, and changed other people’s lives because they read books. 

Reading (in form of learning), is by far, the most life-transforming activity that you must always commit yourself to do. I know many of us still think - "If I'm not in school or preparing for exams, why should I read?" This is because we've been taught wrong about reading. We've been thought reading is just to give us information to get grades and acquire certificates. 

But, it's far more than that! 

For those that will have excuse not to read, if you have time to eat, sleep or use the rest room, you have time to read. Let me mention here that reading could be hard to do when you are just starting out. But the moment you are used to it, you will not want to stop doing it. 

So, here is the deal - start with reading little things. Read what you are interested in, and commit to doing it everyday. It could be as short as 5 mins, or as long as an hour or few hours. There’s no limitation to what you can read or feed your mind with. Knowledge has no limitation. And every knowledge has its own usefulness. Don’t limit yourself to where you are now. Learn more. Read more. And you will do more. I see you making big impact in your world.

If you want to start reading good books and expand your mind and imagination, I invite you to join our team of great readers. Write to bookminds247@gmail.com. If you also want to write and publish a book, you can write to us as well.  

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