A Great Way To Give Thanks

Garth Beyer

Today, we all have a lot to be thankful for, but many will spend this day doing little different from any other day. They are already in the business of giving thanks. They give thanks by doing work that matters. They celebrate having the resources, the inspiration, the competition, the audience (thank you) and the passion by using it all.

It’s the people who are in the long-term business of giving that we can be thankful for, at their generosity and devotion to doing work that matters. Even more so, though, is that we are all one action, one phone call, one blog post away from being part of the business of giving, caring and doing work that matters.

Thank you for being there while I take action, call and post each day.

And thank you for being in the business with me.

The Real Shortage

Garth Beyer

Shortage

There are thousands of ideas on how to make life easier, there are thousands of ideas of how to make day-to-day actions more fun or aesthetic, there are thousands of ideas on how to fix government, how to fix the water shortage, thousands of ideas for businesses, books, songs, houses, cars, tractors, buildings, etc,.

When you think to yourself “Can’t they think of a better idea.”

I would bet a thousand that they have.

The shortage isn’t of ideas; the shortage is of action, of execution, of application.

It’s not that people are stupid. It’s that they are afraid.

 

Stay Positive & Are You?

Garth E. Beyer

Photo credit

What’s Your Krypton

Garth Beyer

I encourage everyone to spend the holiday break discussing big ideas and committing to something.

Start a Krypton course. Meet once a week for four weeks.

Here’s the first course layout. Look it over, plan a date and start inviting people.

Oh, and remember, you only need you and someone else. After completing the first course with one friend, I may even argue that it’s better than having a larger group. All the same, there are advantages to both – all of which are essential.

 

Stay Positive & Go Start Something. It Will Be Remarkable.

Garth E. Beyer

Small Words To Communicate Large Ideas

Garth Beyer

The following seven lessons are courtesy of Adam Schrager, WISC-TV

1) One-to-one Relationship: For example, if your mother, father, or roommate asked you, “What happened in class today?” Chances are you wouldn’t answer, “Well, the guest speaker clearly articulated the proper procedure on how to write for the broadcast audience, underscoring the significant and substantive differences between it and the written world for print journalism.” No, hopefully, you’d say something like, “We had a reporter in to discuss how to write for television news.” Write the way you talk.

2) KISS Principle: Keep it simple, stupid. Mark Twain loved to say if he had more time, his books would have been shorter. Simplicity does NOT mean stupidity. To explain the difficult simply is an art form.

3) Be concise: Preferably, one thought per sentence. That’s how people speak.

“It has often been said
there’s so much to be read,
you never can cram
all those words in your head.

So the writer who breeds
more words than he needs
is making a chore
for the reader who reads.

That’s why my belief is
the briefer the brief is,
the greater the sigh
of the reader’s relief is.” – Dr Seuss

4) Avoid jargon/euphemisms: Why would you say, “Airline officials blamed a lack of visibility for the crash,” when you really mean, “Airline officials blame the crash on thick fog.” Why say, “Ford reports that automotive production declined last month,” when you really mean,” Ford officials say the company made fewer cars last month.”

5) Make a commitment: you should be able to state your story in a single sentence with a subject, ver, and object. Everything else, all the details, should flow from there.

6) Activate your sentences: Write in the active voice; use action verbs. For example, why write “The man was arrested by deputies after smashing pumpkins,” when you could write, “Deputies arrested the man for smashing pumpkins.”

7) Write to enhance, not to describe: In broadcast journalism, we see the pictures. We know what we see. Enhance what I’m seeing with something I can’t see, don’t tell me what I’m seeing.

Who Are You Trying To Please

Garth Beyer

Investors

Competition

Randos

Dog people

Critics

Your parents

People who buy hats

Readers

Blue collar folk

Your enemies

Your SO

Yourself?

There’s over 7 billion people out there.

It’s best you know which ones you’re trying to please.

 

Stay Positive & Be Honest

Garth E. Beyer