George Rusky Consultancy

How to Find a Mentor

2011-10-09T00:09:00.001-07:00

DearFellow Toastmasters

Ihope you have done your home work since my latest speech on the 27^thApril when I asked you to think about having a mentor for you.

Iam georghe Rusky and today I will tell you how to start searching a mentor andwhat qualification a mentor of your dream should have.

Firstyou have to determine clearly in which area of human expertise you would liketo achieve top results and if you can do without help. To be successful we need

Bygoing to people who are ahead of you in the personal or professional arena youcan save months (maybe even years) and thousands of dollars to learn what youneed to learn all by yourself. To be successful, we have to find people whohave already paid the price to help us learn the things, that we need to learnto achieve our goals.

The mentors you chooseshould be people you respect, admire and want to be like. The advice you seekshould be guidance regarding your character and personality and specific ideason how you can do your job better and faster. Remember, you can’t figure it allout for yourself. You have to have the help of others. You have to find men andwomen who will guide you and advise you on the road of life, or you will take along, long time getting anywhere.

Therefore the first requirement for the mentor is competence

Thementors you choose should be people you respect, admire, and want to be like.The advice you seek should be guidance regarding your character andpersonality and specific ideas on how you can do your job better and faster.Remember, you can't figure it all out by yourself. You must have the help ofothers. You must find men and women who will guide you and advise you on theroad of life, or you will take a long, long time getting anywhere.

Thereare two vital qualities to look for in a mentor. The first is character and thesecond is competence.

Characteris by far the most important. Look for a mentor who has the kind of characteryou admire and respect. Look for a person who has high degrees of intelligence,integrity, judgment and wisdom. The more you associate with men and women whoare advanced in the development of their character, the more you will tend topattern them and to become like them.

Thesecond quality you look for in a mentor is competence. This means that theperson is extremely good at what he or she does. A good mentor in your careeris one who has the knowledge, skills, and abilities to move ahead far morerapidly than his or her peers.

Theimpact of a mentor on your life is dependent on two additional factors. Thefirst is your degree of openness to being influenced by another person.Openness is so important because many people, especially young people, areextremely impatient, always looking for shortcuts. When they get advice onsomething that another person has spent many years learning, they often try toadd their own variations and improve on it without ever having mastered theoriginal instruction.

Remember,when you open yourself up to guidance and input from another person,concentrate first on understanding and learning exactly what that person has toteach you. Afterward, you can modify and change that lesson to suit yourchanging circumstances.

Thesecond factor that determines the influence of a mentor on your life is thewillingness of the mentor to help you in every way possible to achieve yourgoals. We know that the more emotionally involved someone is in our lives, themore susceptible we are to being influenced by that person. When you seek out amentor, you must look for someone who genuinely cares about you as a person andwho really wants you to be successful in your endeavors.

So,for a good mentor-protégé relationship, you must be wide open to the influenceand instruction of the other person, and at the same time, the mentor must begenuinely concerned about your well-being and your ultimate success. These arethe two essentials.

Yourability to choose your mentors can be a crucial step toward achievement in allareas of your life. So here are 12 steps for building successful mentor-protégérelationships:

1)Set clear goals for yourself in every area of your life. Know exactly what youwant to accomplish before you start thinking of the type of person who can helpyou accomplish it.

2)Determine the things you will have to do in order to achieve your goals, theobstacles you will have to overcome, and the roadblocks you will have tosurmount.

3)Identify the areas of knowledge, skill, and expertise you will have to acquirein order to overcome the obstacles existing between you and your goals.

4)Look around for the most successful people in the areas in which you will needthe most help.

5)Join the clubs, organizations, and business associations these people belongto.

6)Once you have joined these organizations, become actively involved andvolunteer for responsibilities. This will bring you to the attention of thepeople you want to meet faster than anything else.

7)Work, study, and practice continually to get better and better at what you do.The very best mentors are interested in helping you only if they feel it isgoing to be worth their time. You will have no problem attracting people to youwhen you develop a reputation for being up-and-coming in your field.

8)When you find a potential mentor, don't make a nuisance of yourself. Instead,ask for 10 minutes of his or her time, in person, in private. Nothing more.Remember, most potential mentors are busy people, and they may be opposed tosomeone's trying to take up a lot of their time. It's not personal.

9)When you meet with a potential mentor, express your eagerness to be moresuccessful in your field. Tell him or her that you would very much appreciate alittle guidance and advice to help you move ahead. Ask for an answer to aspecific question, for a specific book or audio program recommendation, or fora specific idea that has been helpful to him or her in the past.

10)After the initial meeting, send a thank-you note expressing your gratitude andappreciation for his or her time and guidance. Mention that you hope to meetagain if you have another question.

11)Each month, drop your mentor a short note telling him or her about what you aredoing and how you are progressing. Nothing makes a mentor more open to helpingyou further than your making it clear that the previous help has done you somegood.

12)Arrange to meet with your mentor again, perhaps on a monthly basis, or evenmore often if you work closely together.

Overthe course of your life, you will have many mentor-protégé relationships. Asyou grow and develop, you will seek out different mentors, the people who cangive you the kind of advice that is most relevant to your current situation.

Successfulpeople are very open to helping other people who want to be successful. This is especiallytrue if they know you are willing to be a mentor to others who are younger andless experienced than you. The more open you are to helping others up theladder of success, the more open others will be to helping you.

GeorgeRusky VPPR, CC

Communication. A Draft for the webpage

2011-10-01T04:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen

Communication is a process of transmitting a message fromone person to another or to a group of people.

How do you assess your ability to communicate with the worldaround you on the scale of one to ten?

Is it 9 or 3 or five?

Hi I am George Rusky and on this page I would like to talkabout a process of communication as I see it.

First I want to thank the Lord my parents forgiving me thegift of producing sounds and words in my native language and in a few otherones, for the miracle of articulating and producing the words in a sentencesmoothly with out any verbal problems. In short for the ability to communicate.

Now, as I have such a wonderful gift, isn’t is wise andlogical to give the best use to this gift and learn how to communicate withothers and gain an image of a pleasant expected-met-greeted everywhereindividual, rather than a portrait of a boring unpleasant fellow whom peoplehave no desire to invite and flock with.

But, you may say, if communication is a gift given to you,can it be earned or learned or trained? Isn’t it is something you either haveor don’t have.

And now we have arrived at the point where I alwayshave problems with anyone I share my philosophy of self-development adself-improvement.

According to this philosophy, almost anything can be learnedand improved if only a man or a woman badly wants to acquire a new skill. Be itthe skill of playing the guitar or painting.

I personally strongly believe: it is possible!

I also believe that those who declare that if you have notalent, say, to be a writer, you will never become one.

I guess they say that because they want to hide their lazinessto start doing something that goes beyond their daily routines.

And, what is more, they do not want let others to developtheir new skills.

By the way, the strongest argument of the supporters “youwill never…” is that they compare the enthusiast of self-development tochampions in the field.

This approach is wrong. The only one way to compare is whena person compares herself of today, to her as she was a week or a monthago and sees that she has made a great progress…

Now if you agree with my approach to learning new skills, wecan easily move to learning the skill of communication and to learn it withToastmasters International where the skill of communication occupies thecentral position, the core of the whole Toastmasters Educational system.

Why Toastmasters, actually? Aren’t there any other offers onthe market?

No!

Toastmastersis the only one organizational where anybody can start speaking to the audiencein a friendly, supportive and positive environment of people who joined a TMclub for the same very reason: to become a better communicator and leader.

Dear friend

If you really want tocreate your future success in personal and professional life, strongcommunication and leadership skills are a must, you aught to come to a meetingof a Toastmasters club and see what it’s like to become a strong and inspiredleader.

Why is such a long introduction?

To explain to you my position of self development withoutborders, which is also true for learning the skill of communication andleadership, the two main educational directions learned and practiced atToastmasters.

Learningcommunication with the Toastmasters. What is so unique about that?

There is a number of serious benefits of the Toastmasterseducational program that make it possible in a short time to become a bettercommunicator an a leader.

Let’sthink about your own communication and leadership experience, the real peopleyou met, the movies you have seen the books you have read and the stories youhave heard, in short, all that has created I you a picture of people equallygood at speaking and leading versus the ones who failed in both these skills.

What is your ideal portrait of a leader and communicator?....

How To Become A Public Speaker. By George Rusky

2011-08-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

Introduction
As a business, Public Speaking appeared in the middle of the last century and
since that time it has attracted attention of various people who wanted to
join this business.
Hi
I’m George Rusky and I’ve been a Public Speaker for more than two decades
and have spoken before people of different countries, various age groups and
walks of life.
Now, as I think about the business, I come up with some interesting
observations.
Suppose you want to become a teacher, a lawyer, a doctor, an
engineer, etc. you can study this craft at various educational establishments
of all ranks and standards.
With Public Speaking the picture was different.
There are no establishments where the subject of public speaking
occupies an equal position with other school subjects. The craft and
profession of speaking publicly was started and developed by a small group
of American enthusiasts lead by Mr Bill Gove who considered as the Father of
Professional Speaking, the first president of the National Speakers
Association, one of the most out standing professional speakers of the 20th
century, the founder of so called Workshop for training professional
speakers.(1947)
It was him who gave this art and business life and determined
development of it for the next decades for those volunteers who wanted to
become public speakers.
Twenty years later, I stepped on the path of public speaking activity
that was kind of a part-time job I enjoyed doing both for money and free and
had never thought of sharing my experience of speaking on public with
anyone who might be interested in this business.
So, this short report is my first attempt to write about some of my
observations about this magnificent business of Public Speaking and how you
can possibly join us.
Enjoy!
George Rusky

Chapter One.
A Public Listener versus Public Speaker.
How to become a public speaker?
First you have to become a public LISTENER.???
Let me explain why I am saying that.
I will start from the idea that a Public Speaker is not only a person who
speaks in front of audiences on press-conferences but anyone who at least
once has spoken to a group of people trying to achieve one of the following
basic goals:

Giving information (any kind of meetings);
Persuading listeners to make a decision (sales presentations);
Inspiring the audiences ( sermons);
Motivating people ( joining organizations);
Entertaining the public (shows);

Apart from these best known human gatherings where one group is
listening, and an individual/group of individuals is speaking, we may think of
all possible kinds of social events where the above mentioned goals will take
place in various imaginable combinations: debates, forums, educational
meetings, celebrations, weddings, funerals and so on and so forth.
As you can see now, a public speaking is a huge sociable phenomenon of
human society that penetrates all spheres of everyday life and very often a
speaker address to the audience after she had made a few essential
preparations, has done her ‘home work’
In the majority of cases an orator collects information, does the research and
listens to others on the subject of her talk, just not to repeat what has been
said and to say something new.
In short, before someone acts as a public speaker she has to become a
public listener, she has to know what the public wants to hear from her, what
might be worth listening.
It may also happen, and it does indeed, that the speaker says what she
believes is interesting for her and what she is patient about but the group of
people she talks to, needs something absolutely different.
James Malinchak advices to ask and listen to what a potential client will
agree to accept as a subject of the talk for her audience, rather than
persuade her to accept the speaker’s topic.
If you want to earn money, do what the client wants: the CLIENT is always
right!I still insist on becoming a Public Listener first!
Not convinced yet?
OK, read on! The following almost true life stories will help you to get to the
point.
Situation One.
At the Doctor’s.
Imagine: you enter the doctor’s office and from the moment he sees you he
starts his speech:
“Mr Smith, isn’t it?
Before you open your mouth to reply, he goes on:
“As I can see, you have a serious problem with your stomach, headaches
every morning, you don’t sleep well and what is even worse, you have…”
You are still hoping to say something, but the Doc is unmerciful…
“No, no no, please, don’t say a word! I can see that you have a high blood
pressure and so on and so forth…”
Situation Two.
At a shoe store.
You are buying a pair of shoes. No sooner than you are entering the store,
you are literally attacked by a shop assistant who is giving his speech
“Good morning sir/madam and welcome to our store.
My name is John Smith and I am a senior shop assistant.
Let me tell you what you are looking for and help you with all you need.
I guarantee that you will be pleased with our services and will buy minimum
three pairs of magnificent shoes.
First, let me guess your size and favorite color. Then we will go on with the
model that suit you and finally you will try our products on and buy.
While this dazzling sales presentation, you feel that you have no chances but
shut up and wait what is going to happen next because to your complete
amazement while the senior shop assistant is talking, a junior one is carrying
the shining boxes with footwear, leaving you no chances but to sit and try
the shoes-candidates on, or to try to run away.
Situation Three.
A Dating agency.
A usual thing: He is looking for her. She is looking for him.
An agent is looking for money from him and her and that is why he doesn’t
care whether he may like her, or she may like him. The agent knows
everything even before the candidate crosses the door of his office and starts
explaining what kind of the only one he is hoping to find, the agent has predestined the newcomer’s life: he knows exactly who is the real candidate
for the poor soldier of life mis-adventures.
I can go on showing you the importance of listening before
speaking, but you get the point: the doctor, as well as the shop assistant and
surely the dating agent must first listen to their clients, ask dozens of
questions and only after that give the best options for their clients.
“No one cares how much you know, unless they know how much
you care”
Do you think the situation is very much different in the craft of a
public speaker?
Don’t you believe that before one even think of becoming a public speaker
has to become a public listener?
Or, perhaps, listener to the public.
Chapter Two.
How to Become a Good Listener. One.
Before you begin a good listener, you should become a good Reader!
Another paradox? Come on George!
I feel you are getting angry with me and, the way the report is made makes
you nervous.
But, listen to this!
Trust me, I am serious.
In order to listen to a person worth listening, you have to READ as much as
you can about this person!
Agree?
Listening is also the process of investing your precious time and surely
you must know that you invest your time wisely and effectively. So, go to the
website and read all you can about the one who offers you to listen to him.
Being a good listener does not mean only having ears and mind open
toward the information, but know exactly that what you are looking for and
forward you will read in testimonials of other customers.
Actually, I have built my list of who I listen to regularly.
If you want to know the giants of Public Speaking industry, send me a
message and I will send you my list, it’s not that long.
By the way, how often do you hear these questions?“How can you listen to this rubbish?”
“I don’t want to hear this BS”
“All I have heard was a complete waste of time…”
And here goes the resume: Collect information about who you want to
listen to if you really want to be a good listener. A good listener listens to
wise people and valuable information.
NB: don’t listen to your closest who recommends you to listen to someone.
Try to read about the candidate and make your own opinion about this
concrete person.
How to Become a Good Listener. Two.
Now let’s define concrete steps of getting a better speaker thru
listening to what others wish to hear from you.
Rule number One. Don’t expect anyone to tell you what they want to
hear from you.
I have noticed in some situations people don’t really know what they want!
Help them: ask questions. Be the master of asking questions.
And never say you are asking because you are curious as the majority of my
conversationalists do.
Ask questions because you want to find out what your potential client wishes
to hear.
Develop your art of asking good, well formed questions that will lead
you in the direction you want and at the same time, help people to express
themselves.
The best questions are the ones I call ‘wh’ questions: what, why, when,
where, who…”
In short the questions that need more than just:’ yes-no’ answers.
So, become a master of asking questions.
Rule number Two. ‘Don’t interrupt’
How often we hear this:” Don’t interrupt, let me finish…”
It’s impolite in everyday, casual talks, it’s a ‘must not’ in business talks.
Do not interrupt a potential client, let her dominate the talk!
Go on with the conversationalist with nodding, showing your interest in any
ways you can think of trying occasionally direct smoothly the talk to the
destination you plan.
Rule number Three. Define the key points of the story you hear.While listening, define what the biggest concern of your conversationalist and
re-ask her what she has said, but say that in your own words. It’s a very
powerful tool of listening that shows better than anything else that you are
interested in what you hear.
Use the following short questions:
1. ” If I understood you correctly, you…?”
2. “Let me check whether I understood well what you have said…?”
3. “Do you mean to say that…?”
4. Or, the favorite question of Brian Tracy: “How do you mean it?”
When you repeat the information correctly, the other person will be pleased
with her ability to explain and your skill of understanding all in the way that
it had been said.
Rule number Four. Hold on!
Whenever you feel like adding something or trying to encourage your fellow
speakers, resist the temptation to do so. I have noticed that very often
instead of helping them to move on in the direction we want, they ‘jump’ into
another topic or just endlessly try to explain their point differently and fail to
find the right words and examples for it.
Be careful with providing this kind of support.
Rule number Five. Practice the three above described rules.
Yes, exactly so: “Take action!”
It’s never enough to be familiar with what should be done and how it must
be done. The crucial element of any activity is DOING.
Armed with the best possible knowledge of any existing subject, a man will
never become wealthy if he only enjoys his profound knowledge.
He must sell his knowledge, exchange his knowledge for another product.
So, take action!

Chapter Three. Becoming a Public Speaker. Dos and Don’ts.
As soon as you understand what is the interest of your potential client,
time to start preparation for your speech.
There are scores of good advice how to manage the time for the preparation
of your talk, what to do first and so on.
Let’s divide the whole process on several stages.
I. Identifying the main goal of the talk. What am I supposed to bring into my
audience? Remember: the goal/goals of the talk must be based on the
opinion of the one who orders the talk. II. Find out all you can about the audience. It’s a well-known rule: know
your audience. You should become one of your future listeners knowing their
worries, their likes and priorities. All monsters of public business recommend
working with one or two targeted groups of people: you become an expert in
serving these specific audiences.
III. Write the text of the talk in as many details as you can imagine. It is
said not to read the text of the talk and I won’t say any different with just
one remark: you need to know the contents really well to speak on memory.
It doesn’t work at the beginning of the career of a public speaker.
IV. Do not show your manuscript to a native speaker of English. Even if you
lucky and your ‘judge’ or helper is good at speaking and writing she may
completely change your text in accordance with what she things she could
have said in this sentence or paragraph. On this stage is important to start
and be the best you can. The rest will come later.
V. Prepare all supportive materials for the talk. Think of anything that could
make your performance more important for the audience.
VI. Practice as long as you can afford. If you want to become a top speaker,
a Michael Jordan in public speaking, you must practice 2-3-4-5-6-7- and
more hours a day. It’s just tough. You decide where you want to be, it’s on
you.
VII. The last and very important. The English language.
Try to make it perfect. Check my materials in the section English Training.
You will find there all you need to develop your language skills.
Don’t be discouraged: practice makes miracles. Find a coach. Don’t hire just
a teacher of English, native or non-native. You need a trainer, the person
who will be your sparring partner for becoming an excellent speaker, your
Professor Higgins, if you will.
Chapter Four. Where to Start. The First Steps of a Future
Champion.
Now, as you have learned that much about how to prepare a speech, it
is the right time to think of the listeners, your audience. You cannot just give
speeches to people in the streets.
But even before finding a place, I still strongly recommend you do something
else which might sound a bit unserious or unnecessary, yet has proved to
make wonders for lots of people. I’m now talking of a very simple exercise.
Look into the mirror and ask you a simple question:
“Do I really want to become a Public Speaker?” Then listen to your answer and be sure that the one in you who is
answering is not lying.
Without that step, the rest of your efforts make no sense. Wait for a few
days and ask the same question again and again unless you precisely know
that it is what you are thinking about most of your time.
A word of warning here: don’t ask anyone’s opinion! It’s your personal
business. Others have their own problems and they may have their own
understanding of business of talking on public.
As soon as you are absolutely sure that it is what you want to start
doing, go to a place where public speaking is taught, learned and practiced.
There is only one place I can think of: a Toastmasters club in your locality.
Start your trip into the business from this organization. Whenever you join a
club, the rest is there: the mentoring, the manuals, the support of fellow
toast masters and your personal growth.
For a symbolic amount of money you will check whether speaking on public is
what you have come into this world for should continue with this or do
something else.
Chapter Five. ‘Tell Them What You Have Told Them.’ Conclusion
Well, time to revise briefly what we have learned so far. I think it could
have been possible to load you with more materials about the craft but let’s
leave it for the next report or an e-book. One of the best ways to boost your
knowledge of the subject is to
subscribe to my Newsletter and receive all you may need for
developing your business right into your e-mail box.
OK, what has been said and learned about the main point of becoming a
public speaker.

We have answered several basic questions:
What is public speaking business?
Why do I want to start this business myself?
Where can I find listeners to start my career?
How can I begin my public speaking business?
Who can help me with my first steps in the business?

The only one question out of the six ‘wh’ questions was left.
It’s ‘when’ question.
When do I start this business?
If I you asked me to answer this question I would have most probably
said: “Now!”
Public speaking industry is still in its age of infancy, so many ways and
chances for the years to come. The sooner you arrive at the trade, the
better. And, don’t forget: as any serious business, it needs time to get to the
top, unless you want to stay in the bottom.
But, I hope, you want to join the champions of the stage, right?
So, do it now!
The best of luck and success to you,
George Rusky

How To Improve Your English. Fast and Easy Methods. A Report.

2011-08-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

Introduction

After having taught English to hundreds of business executives for almost three decades, I have found out that the best results my students had when their courses were closely related to what they performed at work or in business.

I have also discovered that the method of learning a foreign language worked well as soon as my students realized that English for them was merely a tool for delivering their goods and services worldwide.

Reading literature in the area of their expertise, taking part in trade fairs and conferences gave them an opportunity to find new partners, customers and develop their business.

Years of experience finally helped me to create a set of recommendations for business executives and entrepreneurs who wanted to ‘cross the borders’ and develop international business.

This report is the presentation of the methods and approaches that worked for the many and can work for you too.

George Rusky

Chapter One.

Short Historical Background of Learning English in Central and Eastern Europe.

English, as a dominant foreign language came into Eastern Europe in the early 1990s.

Due to revolutionary changes in the former socialistic states located in Central and Eastern Europe, thousands of people began actively learning English.

Language schools grew in big numbers, travelers from English speaking countries rushed to help Europeans speak English, while thousands of Czech, Polish, Hungarian and other former socialist countries’ residents moved to western states.

Now, after 20 years of teaching-learning English on all levels, the number of schools, directions, methods and concepts of learning is so huge that to find the right school, courses and teachers is not simple. And what is more, acquiring a set of English communicative skills is a long process of hard and regular work, the only way to achieve good results.

Who Are My Students.

There are two categories of business executives on the market.

One is the group of people who deliver goods and services locally and the other group of businessmen and executives who want to develop international contacts and cooperate with business partners from other countries.

The people of the second group become my clients.

How I start working with them?

On our first meeting I listen to them talk about what they are responsible for, how they carry out their duties and what range of business activities they are in charge for.

On the first stage, therefore, I get acquainted with the language they use at work, the vocabulary, the grammar aspects, the topics of communication they cover each day, this sort of things.

I figure out the spectrum of daily activities of a concrete person and when I have a clear picture of what my potential candidate does at work, I make an individual program for this client.

As a rule, this is a year program of regular two 90min sessions a week with breaks for business trips, holidays and other personal arrangements.

Is this Book the Right Choice for You?

Let me repeat this again. There is an enormous amount of concepts, trends and approaches in studying English and I have no intention to persuade you to pick up mine and state that this one is better than the ones you may have used.

The choice is yours.

Here’s a brief description of a typical client I teach and if you fit in this picture, you are my student and I will lead you to a good level of English in one year.

You are a person who…

spends 8-10-12 hours at work

has very busy daily agenda

travels a lot

cannot leave work/business for longer than 10 days

wants to communicate with foreign partners and use English on trips

thinks that she is too old to start or develop her language skills

thinks is not gifted for learning a foreign language

believes she is too lazy to learn

is tired of trying again and again without any good results…

If to all or most of the points you answered :”Yes”, you’ve made the right choice of buying this book.

Try the methods described in it and if you have any questions, I am ready to help you.

Chapter Two.

Models of Communication Lessons.

Model One. One Person Communication.

On a one person communication (not at all something bizarre, trust me) a student practices the following language skills:

listening

repeating

memorizing

writing

telling/retelling

preparing notes or a short essay for using them on the group session

Thus, the goal of one-man training is to get ready for communication in a group

on a specific topic.

This can be done by a student without a teacher/ coach, instructor.

Model Two.

Two Persons Communication: a Student and a Tutor/Instructor.

(When the student is ready, a teacher will appear) :-)

The same language skills as in model One are practiced, but the instructor checks whether the student is ready for taking part in a group session/s.

Going to a group session without a proper preparation is unproductive.

Model Three.

A Group of Three and More Participants.

It’s sort of a test of the skills practiced on the previous individual English communication sessions.

After completing two initial models, students are invited for a group session.

A tutor, instructor, well-trained leader is necessary. The activities are:

Listening to information on the topic the students practiced on the models one and two.

Making short notes on the info heard.

Preparing a short message/speech based on the material received.

Delivering a 3-5min speech based on this material.

Topic discussion, exchange of opinions, thoughts, ideas, etc.

Resume.

What happens to a student on all the above mentioned models.

Model One.

The student works on a model of self-education. A very wide-spread worry:

“How can I work on my own if no one hears and corrects me?”

This is not true and I will give you all the explanations when we go to a description of method one. Let’s forget about it for now.

Model Two.

A tutor, instructor ( I don’t classify myself a ‘teacher’, rather a consultant, a language coach, a leading authority in communication, not a teacher.) checks whether the client has been able to work on his own and had prepared made any progress in her studies.

At this stage, a coach may help a student to practice exercises and if necessary agree on a number of extra training sessions.

Model Three.

A Student is involved into communication with the group of her fellow-students on a particular subject.

This is an ideal environment for the student to develop her public speaking skills.

Chapter Three.

Description of Model One.

Step One: Listening.

Materials should include a textbook of units, a CD/DVD with the texts and exercises recorded a set of exercises for practicing listening.

Listening. Element One.

A student listens to the whole text and tries to understand it without looking into the text.

In case she understands the text completely, she has to go to the element of the training on this stage.

If the student doesn’t understand the recording, she can read the text and find out the meaning of the unknown words and then to listen to the text again.

The main task of this element is to hear and understand all the words in the text.

I believe is important to hear all the words in the text, not only to catch the idea of the recording and answer true-false questions.

Why is it necessary to understand every word said?

The way native speakers in various countries pronounce the words in the same sentence may sound differently from the way our instructors pronounce them or we do.

That’s the reason we don’t understand native speakers of English when we hear how they speak. With movies it is even worse.

Yet, when we read the text of the conversation we have just heard, we understand everything.

That’s why we need to compare the written text to what speakers ‘make out’ of it when they speak, especially when we have no chances to ask a speaker to articulate, repeat the phrase or say the same phrase slowly.

I believe listening itself serves us less effectively than when we listen and repeat and check whether we understand correctly what has been said.

How to do so.

Listen to the passage and try to understand what is said.

Listen again, this time sentence by sentence.

Repeat what the speaker says and try to understand the phrase completely.

Check your understanding with the written text.

If you understand the phrases of the text in the way they are written and pronounced, well done!

If not, try again until you reach the point of complete understanding.

I know it seems like a lot of work and, not too creative and much fun…

But if you want to be a champion, that’s one of the ways to the top!

As for the textbook and recordings, feel free to choose the one on your level of the language expertise.

Try to avoid too much of a challenge, as instead of even slow progress, you may get the feeling that you don’t go forward at all.

At this moment I would like to warn you of asking a language expert for help.

You may find the one who doesn’t accept my method and will try to offer her methods of teaching. In short, do it yourself, follow your intuition.

And remember. I do not promise ‘a rose garden’ to my followers as the most of teachers of English, especially native speakers of English do.

The way how they learned to speak English does not suit us, for whom English is a second language.

Native speakers of English can educate only children who will learn the language in a similar way as they learned their mother tongue.

For adults these methods may work only when they are in a community where only English is spoken, which is a rare case. At least for my adult students who always learn English thru their native language and always compare an English sentence to the same sentence in their language.

Only non-native speakers, teachers of English know how to teach English, especially the ones who have not lived for years in English speaking countries.

Why?

Because the teacher usually say, that it is impossible to speak English without living abroad.

So, try to do all on your own. Following my instructions you will easily find what and how works for you better and you will start speaking good English even without living abroad.

Another thing that may also happen as soon as you share your plan of studying with other teachers, they may accept your idea painfully: every teacher is fond of her ways of teaching.

Let me repeat that: I have met a good number of serious educators in various countries and of many nationalities.

Most of them had their individual concepts of teaching their students.

But, it’s not about how intelligent the teacher is, it is about how well you are able to speak after being taught by your teacher, right?

My mentor Brian Tracy often says:

“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care”

In other words it is not enough to know the subject you teach, it is necessary to lead your student to the results she wants”

That’s the essence of the studying process as I understand it.

Chapter Four.

Description of Model Two.

As we’ve already agreed, on this stage a tutor turns up.

We also understand that at this moment it is clear whether a student is able to work on her own or the tutor has work with her from the very beginning.

Let’s consider that the student has learned her tasks and has performed her home preparation.

The tutor, thru a series of exercises, checks if the student is ready to move to the next level and if there’s anything in her preparation that might be corrected, improved or simply prepared better.

This phase of studying may vary from one session to a number of consecutive meetings of the student and the tutor.

As soon as the tutor and the student agree that the latter has achieved the result that allows her to move forward, she goes to phase or model three.

Chapter Five.

Model Three.

Model three is the final stage of the series of sessions to make a serious improvement of the English language skills and is focused on a fluent exchange of knowledge, information, opinions on a specific subject.

The structure of the meeting.

As the members of the discussion group had received the topic for a group discussions they come to the session prepared to speak on a topic and a problem/aspect of the topic they had been asked to prepare.

A tutor starts the session and invites the first participant to deliver her short ( 7-10min) report for further discussion.

The speaker gives her presentation and the listeners make notes and think over the ideas of the report-presentation.

As soon as the speaker ends up her presentation, all are invited to take part in a discussion on this particular aspect of the matter.

I will repeat again this basic rule of this debate: the students have to be prepared for talking on the subject, which means they have to learn the vocabulary they will use for this particular topic.

The tutor monitors the discussion and guides the participants to the next speaker...

When the agenda of the meeting is at the end, the tutor makes the conclusion, invites the students to express their opinions about the meting and gives the tasks for the next session.

Resume of the author.

I strongly believe that the method of individual work followed by a series of group sessions, will not only improve their individual knowledge of the students, but will also help to boost their public speaking skills.

George Rusky VPPR, CC

What is your true Calling?

2011-07-24T01:28:00.000-07:00

“Every calling is great when greatly pursued.” Brian Tracy
“There is no greater calling than to serve your fellow men. There is no greater contribution than to help the weak. There is no greater satisfaction than to have done it well. Walter Reuther:
“Each person has their own calling on this Earth.” Billy Ray Cyrus ( Am singer, author, country music)
Dear ladies and Gentlemen
The worst thing in life you can do as Brian Tracy believes, is to stay at a job for months and years for which you are completely unsuited.
A lot of people spend their whole lives doing something during the week they don’t like and dream of doing after work and at the week-end something they really love.
Why does it happen?
Hi, I am GR and today I will tell you how you can find satisfaction and joy in whatever you do every day of your life.
Here’s the Plan of my 7 minutes
First, we define a problem and the consequences of having this problem
Then, we will find the way to get out of the problem
And finally you will receive the plan of actions to have a better life.
Dear Friends
I wonder if you ever thought why so many people are unhappy and unsuccessful. What is the true reason for that?
Brian Tracy thinks and I completely agree with him, that the reason is only one: these people don’t discover their gifts and talents that were given to them By the Lord, as I believe, or the universe or the parents or whatever you may believe in.
In other words, they do not want to discover their true calling. What they are here for! What is their mission!
They are not quite pleased with what others prepared for them and always complain about their bosses or their jobs. They repeat the same activities every day and hope that one day things will get better.
One day, however, people who are not following their true callings begin to feel helpless. They feel that there is nothing they can do to change things.
But your aim in life is to become everything you can become and enjoy full expression of your gifts and talents.
---------
If you do, let’s move to another point of our topic: how to get rid of the problem and entirely change the situation.
First, discover your true calling.
Answer the question:” what is it that I love doing, spending time with, enjoy going to, most of all?”
Success comes from being excellent at what you do.
And you are excellent at what you do only if and when you love it!
Remember: The market only pays excellent rewards for excellent performance. It pays average rewards for average performance and below-average rewards for below-average performance.
All really successful and happy people know in their hearts that they are very good at what they do. If you are doing what you really love and enjoy doing, you will always try to become better at it, you will always want to develop your skills and finally become a superstar in your area of expertise.
You will go to courses, buy books, go to see top performers in your business.
You will have a constant desire to learn more about it.
want to join the top 10 percent of people in your field.
be willing to start a little earlier, work a little harder, and stay a little later.
Very often people ask me how they can get better at what they are doing, more successful.
And I always ask them: do you do what you really love doing?
Most of my responders say: “I have to do something, to get money and, you know…I hope things will get better one day.”
No, they won’t.
Because average performance leads to average results.
Dear fellow toastmasters, what is the solution?
Find your true calling!
Some say: ”I’m not sure, I don’t know’
Then I recommend, ask someone you trust, they can help you to define what you are good at.
Remember, we you here to do something wonderful with your life.
You have talents and abilities so many that you could never use them all even if you lived a thousand years. There are no limits on what you can be, have, or do if you find your true calling, and start doing it with you hear passion and will.
And here’s the last point of my talk: What you should do to become successful and happy:
1. On a sheet of paper write down the answer to this question: ”What is my true calling?”
2. Define what you have to do to start doing it
3. Go to it!
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for listening,
And I hope after hearing these recommendations, you will try to find your true calling, define the plan for changing your life and go to it!
I’m GR, I’ll talk to you next time
www.georgerusky.net

How to Write Your Speech

2011-07-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

As in any kind of communication when you have to address to your listeners, writing a speech should meet a series of general rules of communications.

First, when you get in touch with someone, you have to name this person to attract her attention, e.g: Good Morning, Sir/Mr Smith, etc

Let’s compare to a start of a spec:

You say: ”Dear Ladies and Gentlemen”

“Dear Friends…”

What you do after you address someone?

You give the reason why you are talking to the person.

In the speech you say:

In my speech I would like to tell you about …”

You may also introduce yourself and inform the listeners what and how well you know about the subject.

After this introduction you can explain to your listeners why you have decided to talk about this subject what you would like them to know and remember, use and do after they have heard your speech.

(Some experts in public speaking believe that unless a speaker has something worth-saying and listening to say, he should have refrained from speaking.)

After these introductory notes, continue with the development of the speech.

When you believe that you have achieved the goal of the speech, get to the conclusion where you remind the title of the speech, the main points of it and what you think the listeners should have done in order to put into action the ideas they have hear din your speech.

I prefer writing all ideas that come in to my head a soon as I start thinking about the contents of the speech: they all can get useful for the contents of the speech.

I also believe that writing the text id vital and necessary to organize your ideas before you come to the final variant of the presentation in general so that later to start practicing the speech.

The Speech on the Boat. 26 June 2011

2011-06-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen
When Jarda Sladek announced a tall tale speech contest on the boat I was not sure if I would like to participate. I said to myself: ”You are sixty, a serious man, a newly elected VPPR and exaggerating and fantasizing, making up stories, no.”
And then I heard: ”Successful people do what unsuccessful won’t do…” So I decided:”I must speak!”

Hi I’m George Rusky and here’s my true story.
Last Wednesday evening I was on my way to Deivicka by metro to take part in our regular toastmasters meeting.
I changed the line on Mustek and waited for the train when I saw an unusually strange group of men and women wearing one stile t-shirts and all carrying identical bags. On both shirts and bags I read: “Toastmasters International.”
They were eating toastmasters sandwiches of Commendation, recommendation and encouragement and practicing toasts having glasses in their hands
“Oh, oh,…”
The train arrived and not wanting to stay off-board I went with the flow. In 10 minutes I heard this announcement: “Dear Ladies and gentlemen, you have arrived at the final station Deivicka. Please exit the train. Attention for the contestants of Prague speakers TM club. You ‘ll be met at the upper platform by DTM Mr Ruzicka”
“What the heck is going n?” I kept on asking myself. A young man with a smile of the size I have never seen before or after was dancing next to me. I immediately recognized him as my compatriot.
“What’s going on here?,” I asked.
“You don’t know brother, read ziz” He gave me yesterday’s Lidove Noviny where I read:
”One Membership seat at Prague Toastmasters. Run!”
“You see, brother, I want to win this membershit”
I was just about to correct his mistake, when he went on: ”I hired one of the best Prague speakers DTM jarda Sladec who mentored me for one month. They have no chances because I have ziz powerful ice breaking visual aids: Russian vodka, Kalashnikov and Balalaika! Wiz zis I will break any ice!”
I felt like perhaps Alice felt in the Wonderland.
But most exciting was the podium,the stage prepared for the contest on the square next to the station: a huge table on which were sitting DTM Sarma Gintere, the author of the project, DTM Hana Masoupostova, an Ah-oh Expert and the veteran of the club DTM Piter Pelchip.
All was ready for the contest.
----------------------
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen
very often we take all modern wonders of human progress around us for granted, forgetting that once they all were born in somebody’s mind and imagination.It’s our time to imagine, that one day people will queue and fight for the membership of our TM clubs more fiercely than for the appointments with local dentists.”
Imagine also that we live in the society where all grow in supportive and positive living environment”
Now, let me ask you a question: “Do you want it to happen?”??? Do you really believe it?”
Napoleon Hill once wrote: “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve”
“Achieving the greatness together, fulfilling your dreams!” is the motto of District 59.

Dear fellow toastmasters,
Let’s turn tall tales into real stories!

A School of a New Toastmasters Club Member

2011-06-18T06:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend

Are you interested in developing your communication and leadership skills?

Well-done!

Toastmasters International is the right place for you.

What and how should you act now?

You certainly have some thoughts, expectations about Toastmasters and surely have a lot of questions to ask.

To help you with getting a good orientation in this business I have prepared a set of questions you should answer before making a final decision of joining a club.

As son as you know the right answers to all the questions, making a decision will be‘a piece of cake’ for you.

From understanding this simple truth, you will be able to make your choice and decision.

After that, prepare a list of questions you would like to make clear before making the next step. E-mail VPM (vive-president membership of the club) and ask for explanations or invite her for a cup of coffee and ask to give you all necessary explanations.

You can also come to another meeting and try to find someone in the club to answer your questions.

By the way, try to visit all the toastmasters clubs in the city and find the club you like more.
How to choose a club. A few basic ideas.

These are the questions you have to answer before joining the club. It is a serious step and you should prepare for this step seriously.

I. Before the meeting.

1. What is the website of the club like?

2. How to contact an officer of the club and ask if you can visit a club meeting?

3. The location: how far from the city centre the club meets?

4. What is the building like?

5. What is the meeting room like?

6. How often do the club members meet?

II. At the meeting.

1. Where you introduced as a first time visitor?

2. How many club members are there in the club?

3. How many speakers are assigned for each session?

4. Did you receive a chance to talk on your first visit?

5. How did you find the atmosphere of the meeting?

6. Were you invited to share your first impressions of the meeting at the end?

III. After the meeting

1. Did Vice-President Membership talked to you after the meeting?

2. Were the members friendly and eager to answer your questions?

3. Did any members want to talk to you? Did they show interest?

4. Did anyone invite you to join them for their usual pub gatherings after the club meeting? To spend some time over a coffee or a beer?

Here are the main questions you should answer before you decide to join a Toastmasters club. Please, don’t hurry to make a decision based on seeing only one meeting of one club.

And the last:

Do you want to know my answers to all these questions?

Please, go to my website and send a message

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

George Rusky VPPR, CC

www.georgerusky.net

How You Can Become A Good Storyteller

2011-06-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends

In one of the units in the textbook New Progress to First Certificate there is a topic with the title:”Are you a good storyteller?”

Believe me or not, most of my clients always answered this question negatively”

Why is that so?

I think there are several main reasons for not being a good storyteller.

First. In many cultures speaking is a feature of something not serious and ability of speaking is often compared to the ability of doing. The first is a waste of time the second-the only one correct way of living.

“Yeh… You are speaking all right…How about doing?”

“Everyone can blah-blah-blah… To do it is always more difficult…”

Second. Starting from the earliest educational institutions, children are neither taught nor encouraged to express their opinions publicly.

And when they try to do so, their peers ridicule the brave unmercifully.

Third. Public speaking as a school subject is a rare phenomenon in the majority of high schools and universities. The same or very similar situation is with communication.

And the last. Most young people do not see the importance of learning and developing communicative and public speaking skills for their future employment and personal career. They believe that speaking on public should be in the form of entertainment and nice, jolly show, something to make us feel good and relaxed after a hard working day.

-----

But what if someone decides to study communication and public speaking seriously and use these skills for her future personal and business growth?

Are there any possibilities to become a good communicator and public speaker?

Of course, there are a lot!

There are numerous courses, seminars, webinars, workshops on and off-line where these skills are taught. A number of books, reports, tutorials, CDs, DVD, is being produced and introduced on the market in good numbers.

Everybody is free to choose what she likes more.

I personally vote for the Toastmasters International.

You haven’t heard about this world-wide organization yet?

That’s not a problem, you are not the one. In fact, you can go now straight to the website toastmasters.org and get to know as much as you can there, or listen to me.

Ladies and Gentlemen, here’s my story.

In November 2010 I joined the local toastmasters club Prague speakers and began my journey with the toastmasters organization. Naturally enough, I had a lot of questions of what to do and how and I wasn’t sure whether the club was really the right place for me.

The first meetings of the club made me think that I was not going to get as much as I had expected from the club, but suddenly I realized that the club was the only one place in my situation where I could and had the right to speak about what I loved and wanted to, and what is more, I could receive warm and friendly feedback and comments on my short speeches. I prepared my first 7minutes and discovered a lot of aspects that I could have performed better: the speakers receive feedback, short notes with comments on speeches. In addition to that one fellow toastmaster is assigned to evaluate a speech for two minutes in front of the club members and I must say, all these opinions are really helpful and supportive.

Another aspect of Toastmasters International is that anyone who wants to develop her career within the organization has a chance to grow from a position of regular member to a Competent Communicator and further awards that are given to a member who successfully delivered a certain number of speeches. A well-designed plan with a lot of supportive materials, such as manuals, magazines, newsletters, articles, educative sessions and so on and so forth is prepared for our growth and personal improvement.

In short, as soon as a member of the club decides to grow and develop her communicative skills and qualification, she has everything for that.

The second basic direction of Toastmasters International is becoming a competent Leader, learning leadership skills.

And again, the system of materials and learning criteria is designed for everyone who desires to be not only a good communicator, but an excellent leader as well.

As a result of hard work on both communicative and leadership skills, after several years a fellow toastmaster becomes an excellent leader with great communicative and public speaking skills.

Dear Friends,

In a short introduction it is not easy to tell you all about this amazing organization of enthusiasts of communicating, leadership and public speaking, and I could have told you much more…But,

Why don’t you come and see yourself?

Or, if you have any questions, send me a message?

Thank you for reading and I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Wishing you the best of success

George Rusky, VPPR, CC
www.georgerusky.net

The War of Goals.

2011-06-17T06:12:00.000-07:00

In the book Goals, Brian Tracy describes his experience of rewriting goals every day.

As soon as I read, it I set off for a trip of rewriting my goals.

Brian also explained that rewriting goals daily is a powerful tool to prioritize goals and after several days or rewriting anyone doing that eventually comes to a list of goals in the most important sequence for the goal-maker.

Now, here is what I have discovered.

After two weeks of doing goal rewriting exercise I had an enormous headway in one of my goals connected with improvement of my financial situation.

This rapid progress required a lot of time investment which made it impossible to work on my other goals: that goal devoured all the time that could have been devoted to other goals.

What to do?

Go ahead with the ‘left behind’ goals and try to work on them according to my plan.
B. Reduce the number of the goals (not to feel embarrassed for not working on all goals simultaneously)
Postpone the rest of the goals and make them real at a later date.

Any of the above didn’t seem to work well.

I tried to sort the situation out and have finally come up with the following solution:

As the movement ahead is so powerful in the goal of the financial sector, which is my #2 goal, the Lord considers it of my high priority and thus plans the advancement in this direction.

’What a relief,” I said and took all the three variants as real ones and went on relying completely on the will of the Creator, praising Him for His holy help and support.

back to www.georgerusky.net

How to achieve an enormous effect of your speech

2011-02-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

"How to achieve an enormous effect of your speech"

Toastmasters 5^th speech

Dear Fellow toast masters

Benjamin Franklin once said,

“There are two ways to acquire wisdom; you can either buy it or borrow it. By buying it, you pay full price in terms of time and cost to learn the lessons you need to learn. By borrowing it, you go to those men and women who have already paid the price to learn the lessons and get their wisdom from them.

There are a lot of techniques to boost your speech performance

Which one works best for you?

Let me ask you a question?

What is the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?

Hello, I am George Rusky and today I will tell you about the method I started using to achieve a better effect of my speech.

I borrowed it from my mentor Brian Tracy., using Tony Robbins’s method of addressing the public I will ask you:

“Who gets a cup of coffee, say “I”!”

I guess, everyone has her morning routine.

You know what I do?

I make a morning speech which I am sure helps me to improve my general speech performance.

Here’s how it happen.

Imagine a morning in my flat with a small corridor and a big mirror in it.

So, the first thing in the morning I go to the mirror.

The picture I see doesn’t make me happy: you now, an old man, red eyes, shoulders bent, grey messy, hair…but suddenly I say

”I like myself! I like myself! I like myself!...”

I start my speech.

After such a promising introduction I go on to the body of my speech and declare: ”I can make it, and I repeat this affirmation several times after which I clarify the message and say: ”I can make a million!”

Who wants to be a millionaire, say “I”

Excellent, Martin. Please tell me dear fellow toast master if you have a sum of 6 thousands czk?

Congratulations and welcome to the millionaire club because 6oooczk equals exactly 1,000,000 bel rubles

Actually when I say :”I can make a mln,” I actually mean at least Czk mln

After that great body of my speech, I go on to the conclusion and say:

”I am the best and repeat this affirmation several times.”

I spread my shoulders, lift my chin and put in order my hair!

Now I am ready to go into the world and in such high spirits I go thru the day

ignoring completely negative news, violence, murders and all media rubbish.

I spread positive emotions, attitudes and deliver good news.

But that is not all about my speech practicing.

At the end of the day, I come to my mirror, this my podium, stage, speaking platform and deliver my evening speech.

You know what I start with?

“I like myself…….

In high spirits I go to bed sleep soundly because it is essential with what thoughts you go to bed.

On the next day I repeat the whole procedure again.

Helen Douglas, legislator, the first woman elected to the US Congress once said:

"Character is built daily by the way one thinks and acts - thought by thought, action by action."

And now, let me conclude my 7 minutes with the way Brian Tracy ends his messages:

To put immediately into action these powerful techniques, do the following:

Prepare and practice your morning speech.
During the day collect only positive information and deliver only good news.
End your day with the powerful evening speech. Following these three steps, dear fellow toastmasters you will make your every speech irresistible.

E N D

Starting a New Career. What holds us back.

2011-02-21T14:10:00.001-08:00

George Russky, February 21, 2011

M. "When it comes a discussion about a new career there is always a number of voices that determine a selection of the area of your best interest as the most probable topic for your speech.

“Find out what you are good at and get going!,” they say.

However, how to do it, nobody says, or they recommend to think what you are good at.

But how to determine what I am good at if I haven’t ever won any prizes, medals or distinguished certificates identifying me as a leader or a winner among the many.

And then it is not enough just to like something and do it as a part time activity, nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary…

I would like to be this or that…But the complex of being an ordinary, just one of the many who potentially can be good at the same as I want to be holds me back and doesn’t let me go in the desired direction.

Can that be helped?"

George: I guess I understand what troubles you. I have heard that a many times with similar descriptions of the same problem:’ I’m not good enough to build a new career, to start a new activity and so on.

First of all to start something new it is not necessary to be the best or good enough.
Being good enough to wish something to start is quite enough.

That is the first step. To have a burning desire.

As you can see, we again come to the same formula:

What =>Why => How!

What: I want to start a new business even though I am not a ‘super hero’ in this industry.

Why: I want to feel important, fulfilled, express myself thru this business, earn money and position, etc.

How: I will collect as much knowledge about the subject, learn all I can and create a Plan for everyday activities to achieve my goal.

Does that make sense for you?

And something else. Whenever you feel like sharing your ideas about your new start, think twice before you decide to do it, because “Why do you want it?-Do you need it?” people will always try to change your decision. Be strong and ignore the voices of even your closest and dearest who will try to make you change your mind.

In short, make a decision trust your intuition and listen to your inner voice.

And, perhaps, the most important of all: do not quit!

A Rest-Room Dancing.

2011-02-15T14:44:00.001-08:00

A Rest-Room Dancing.

As you know I work as a massage therapist for a big hotel.

I receive a call-invitation from the reception desk and at a definite time come to prepare the massage room and wait for the client.

Then I give massage say good-bye to the client and go home.

Sometimes on the way from the fitness centre I pay a short visit to a restroom.

Today as on hundreds of other days all went pretty much the same: invitation, massage, good-bye and the rest room on the way and I would have left the hotel as any time before if not one funny thing that had happened to me when I opened the door of the gentlemen’s rest room.

So, I opened the door and saw there a nicely smiling woman that was apparently looking after the order in the room. She was carrying a bucket with a brush and something else.

“Good evening,” she said.

“Good evening,” I replied not really knowing what to say else that could somehow match this kind of a situation.

She didn’t notice my confusion and added:

“You can now use it”

A few words about the place. All around is nicely tiled. Spotless walls and floor can compete with the interior of a surgery theatre; a slow romantic music flowing from the walls finishes the whole great spirit of the room.

This time it was a saxophone solo accompanied by three other instruments.

I made a few steps towards a white opening fixed to the wall when suddenly I asked the cleaning lady: “Shall we dance?”

The question must have sounded so incredibly stupid and out of the place that the woman tried to grasp the sense of the question but could not do it.

After a while she asked: “Shall we what?”

“Dance,” I repeated. “Shall we dance?”

My new ‘dancing partner’ was still trying to understand what was going on.

Then she slowly answered: ”No, we can’t do it”

Why not, I insisted. “You have a partner, a dancing partner, music and a nice atmosphere. Why not”

Having said that, I boldly stepped towards her, and gallantly bowed.

I guessed at that moment she finally saw how absurd my offer had been and put her hand on my shoulder.

We moved slowly along the white cabins and rows of shining urinals.

My trained massage hand immediately detected a nice shape of my partner’s back.

My mind started making the picture of the rest of her body when the door opened and in the frame of it stood the front office Manager, Mr Vrubel apparently trying to guess what exactly he was watching.

“Well, well, well…” he finally uttered. “What’s going on here?”

“The discothèque is sold out?”

Trying not to notice his sarcastic remark, I stopped dancing bowed my partner and thanked for the dance.

Then I gave her the bucket and led her to the exit.

Mr Vrobel, let the woman go and asked me if I could wait for him in the hall.

I said I could and went out.

Something was going to happen and I was very curious what exactly it could have been.

What would you have expected if you were in my place?

How to Become a Public Speaker.

2011-01-31T12:40:00.000-08:00

How to Become a Public Speaker.

A Seven Days Mini Course

By George Rusky

Jan 2011.

Day One.

So you want to become a public speaker, but do not know how?

Excellent!

Let’s get to it together and first, we’ll start with the definition of ‘public speaking’ and see if we understand it correctly.

Two clicks and we are reading a definition of public speaking at the Wikipedia:

“Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners.”

There are more definitions on the subject but I guess they are pretty much similar.

Now, to understand better the definition, let’s go thru it again, word by word, OK?

Process.

As any process it has a beginning, continuation and an end, right?

We are now at the start of the process.

Speaking to a group of people.

That simply means that a group of people listens to an individual who speaks to them.

In a structured, deliberate manner

That may mean that the text of the speech is planned carefully, nicely written and prepared especially for this group of listeners with the intention of leading them to the destination designed by the speaker.

Intended to inform, influence or entertain the listeners.

As you now can see, there are several kinds of speeches, the ones that influence, inform and entertain and I guess, in a very short time you will have a hard time to identify you own domain in the public speaking business: to speak to people so that to influence, inform or entertain them, in which direction you would like to develop your public speaking career.

Action Exercise

Read again carefully the definition of Public Speaking and think in which of the three areas of the business you would like to start your public speaking career.

Write down five-seven reasons to explain your choice.

End of Day One.

How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.

2011-01-19T06:59:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought how you can get from where you are today to where you want to be in say one year?

Hello

I’m George Rusky and today I’m going to talk to you about taking actions to achieve your goals.

As you well remember, we started our journey into the world of Goals on the 15 December last year. I told you about the whole scheme of

-setting and writing down your goals,

-making plans and

-taking actions.

On the first day we talked about writing down your goals, then on the 5^th January we went on with making plans.

Now, the next step: taking actions.

There are many techniques that can help you to achieve your personal and financial goals.

And today I want to share with you a special method that has taken more people from rags to riches than any other single method ever discovered.

It is simple, fast, effective and guaranteed to work – if you will practice it.

This method is described in chapter 15 of the book Goals that was written by my mentor Brian Tracy.

Earlier, I said, “You become what you think about, most of the time.”

This is the great truth that is found in all religion, philosophy,

psychology and success.

W. Clement Stone wrote:

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

This is the key

I am often asked:”George, what do you think about setting goals?”

“Do you think goals are necessary?”

And I always reply:’ I don’t think”

I am serious: I used to think when I was 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 ……

Not now.

Now I follow the methods that will bring me from where I am to where I want to be.

And here’s this phenomenal method.

It is called: Your goals revision.

I learned that from my mentor Brian Tracy.

For many years, he worked on his goals, writing them down once or twice a year and then reviewing them.

Even this was enough to make an incredible difference in his life.

He then learned the technique that changed his life. He discovered that if

it is powerful to write down goals once a year, it is even

more powerful to write down goals more often.

Finally he came up with writing and rewriting goals every single day.

“Repeticio est mater studiorum” said Thomas Aquinas in the 13^th century.

Repetition is the mother of all learning.

In CZ it has an interpretation :”Opakovanije matka moudrosti”

Now, here’s the question:

“What is the core of this method and what is the result.

You write the list of 10-15 goals you want to achieve this year every day.

But when you write, you do it from the memory comparing them with the first variant.

What’s the point of doing that?

Let me tell you what happens when you do this exercise every day.

1. Each day that you write down your list of 10-15 goals, your

definitions become clearer and sharper. You will eventually

write down the same words every day.

2. Your order of priority will also change as your life changes around you.

But after about 30 days,

3. You will find yourself writing and rewriting the same goals every day word by word..

One thing is important: You must trust the process

When you begin writing your goals, you may have no idea how they

will be accomplished. But this is not important. All that matters is

that you write and rewrite them every day, in complete faith,

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the staircase."

Martin Luther King, Jr

And here’s one more thing:

This exercise of writing out your 10 goals every single day is a test.

The test is to determine how badly you really want to achieve these

goals.

But as you pass the test, here’s you reward:

Miraculous things are going to happen:

-Your work and personal life will begin to improve dramatically.

-You will start to attract people and resources into your life to help you to achieve your goals. You become a living magnet!

-Everything will begin to change in a very positive way.

Isn’t it what we all really want?

----------------------

In this short speech I told you about the most effective method of getting from where you are to where you want to be, a phenomenal method of revising your goals every day.

After hearing this I am sure you will be able to follow this method and achieve your goals for the year 2011 faster that you ever thought possible.

Giving versus not giving

2011-01-16T14:00:00.001-08:00

I was sitting on a bench waiting for my friends come from Dresden when a beggar came to me and as it always goes asked me for money

“How much do you want?” I asked

I don’t want much I don’t want a million…”

“You don’t?” I interrupted. “I do”

“I don’t know what I would do with the million.” He went on.” I now have nowhere to live and no money to spend on my quite low needs why to think about a million.

I looked at him while fishing some change from the pocket.

He was a man of 35-40 years of age, well-build with a pleasant smile, regular human body… Nothing to complain about. If he could change his clothes, I though for a better stuff, he could have well passed for a manager or a company sales ex. \sometimes executive.

I gave him 10 crowns, about half dollar, he took the money with the habit that is well=made by service stuff that live on tips received on a daily basis at hotels and similar places.

“Thank you sir, he said to me Now I can buy a cup of coffee all \i need for the moment.

The man left wishing me a god day. Sometimes people of this ‘industry’ ask for more when they see a handful of coins exactly the way how offered him the money. This man didn’t say a word.

Under the impression of the meeting I was still sitting and thinking about the stranger and his words about a million and other things and tried to grasp the way to his today’s status of a man without ambitions, dreams and goals the subject I proudly talk about to my numerous audiences.

In situations like this I always feel very ashamed and offended at the same time. Ashamed for the people who fell down that low from the level of a usual human being living in a flat or a house having families and money, going to places, traveling and so on…

A man I was talking too had nothing of the list mentioned.

And I went on asking the same question again: “ How do these people reach the level of beggars for coins rather than winners of millions?”

I could have understood all if they had serious health problems or were cripples of any kind and had no chances live actively in at he society.

But then I realized that it was not about being handicapped physically but injured rather mentally, spiritually. How many times I felt a burning desire to help those people who were lost and never found in the world of wealthy ones driving a car and having meals in restaurants?

What could they think about while looking at the other walks of life?

How about their mothers who gave birth these all who once were children with their childish dreams and hopes?

Have they ever thought of becoming beggars, living on what they could receive from walking and driving around them.

I always give money to anyone who asks me for it. Sometimes I get into troubles because most of the potential givers do not perform their duties of giving. They just send the askers away or say they do not have any money. But when I give 10 crowns to the person who had left someone before me with empty hands, I am in danger of being criticized severely a it had happened to me several times.

Someone suddenly comes and asks tells me off for giving the money.

“Do you know what he or she is going to use your money for?” they usually ask me.

“I don’t care. I gave them the money and now its their choice what to use it for. I performed my duty to give when I am asked. To give it a good use is their job”

One man asked me:“ You want to show that you are better than we are?”

Yes, I replied, but I want to show that to myself first, I added.

--------

When someone stops you in the street and asks for money, some change, what do you normally do?

Do you give the money or you say you have no money.

What do you feel about yourself at these moments?

Does it ever come into your mind that you might have behaved differently?

“Do not judge…” written in the Bible.

It is entirely on you what and how you make your decisions about people around you.

We can blame begging men and women saying that they didn’t make right decisions and didn’t read good books, but will they feel any better having heard just the confirmation of their physical and moral collapse?

I don’t think these questions will ever be answered; neither will they ever be included into any documents of political parties, either.

Looks like we, ordinary people from the streets, are the only ones who are able to give a hand to those that ask for a couple of crowns for their daily bread or a glass of cheap wine.

What happened to us?

2011-01-15T14:54:00.000-08:00

Can you imagine a kid, a teenager living without dreams?
I can't.
As long as I remember myself, I had always been dreaming.
I dreamed about my future life, full of nice people adventures and beautiful women.
I dreamed about my career, when I am a big boss who can afford to eat in good restaurants and wear expensive clothes.
I dreamed of punishing my offenders because one day I was surely going to be big and strong man.
Then I dreamed about a woman I will love all my life with all my heart.
And so on and so on.
I remember the best time for dreaming was when I went to bed and could forget about problems with parents and at school (there were some)
There was the time of dreaming.
We lived in a big room where I didn't have anything children have in families.
I didn't have a table for doing my home work; I didn't have anything where I a teenager could hide something belonged to me.

Time past. I lost all my dreams. All that I had been created so carefully before entering the world of big boys, faded away in the world of realities.

Dissatisfaction, disappointment, sadness and even depression at times, replaced most of my childish dreams.

It all went on till the day when I suddenly realized that I became an obedient tool of daily routine, performing a set of simple operations, that could bring me minimum of moral and financial support.

I can't remember how it came into being, but one day, about a half a year ago, I suddenly looked into the mirror at my fat body, wrinkled face and asked myself:

"Is that really something you had been dreaming of?"
"Is that what you had been trying to get from life?"
"Is that the flat you are going to meet your last days?"
"Is that the attire you are going to wear in the years to come?"

"No" was the only answer to all of these and other questions I was asking.

I went to my desk, turned on the computer and tried to figure out what I could do to change this flow of every day deeds that were so different from what I really had been passionate about long, long time ago.

I realized then that the problem was in my inability to dream and to keep an eye on my dream, just to see where to go.
The next days were extremely important for me. I felt I was ready to make a serious step in changing my life…

A Public Listener versus Public Speaker.

2011-01-11T05:15:00.000-08:00

A Public Listener versus Public Speaker.
How to become a public speaker?
First you have to become a public LISTENER.
???
Let me explain why I am saying that.
   I will start from the idea that a Public Speaker is not only a person who
speaks in front of audiences on press-conferences but anyone who at least
once has spoken to a group of people trying to achieve one of the following
basic goals:
 Giving information (any kind of meetings);
 Persuading listeners to make a decision (sales presentations);
 Inspiring the audiences ( sermons);
 Motivating people ( joining organizations);
 Entertaining the public (shows);
   Apart from these best known human gatherings where one group is
listening, and an individual/group of individuals is speaking, we may think of
all possible kinds of social events where the above mentioned goals will take
place in various imaginable combinations: debates, forums, educational
meetings, celebrations, weddings, funerals and so on and so forth.
   As you can see now, a public speaking is a huge sociable phenomenon of
human society that penetrates all spheres of everyday life and very often a
speaker address to the audience after she had made a few essential
preparations, has done her ‘home work’
In the majority of cases an orator collects information, does the research and
listens to others on the subject of her talk, just not to repeat what has been
said and to say something new.
   In short, before someone acts as a public speaker she has to become a
public listener, she has to know what the public wants to hear from her, what
might be worth listening.
It may also happen, and it does indeed, that the speaker says what she
believes is interesting for her and what she is patient about but the group of
people she talks to, needs something absolutely different.
   James Malinchak advices to ask and listen to what a potential client will
agree to accept as a subject of the talk for her audience, rather than
persuade her to accept the speaker’s topic.
If you want to earn money, do what the client wants: the CLIENT is always
right...

To read more, go to http://georgerusky.net/Public-Speaking.html

A Goal Without a Plan is Only a Dream. ( My third speech at Toastmasters , 5th Jan 2011 )

2011-01-06T01:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Fellow Toastmasters
First, Very happy New Year to you!
I believe it will be the best year of your life.
As some of you already know
I am George Rusky and on the 15 December I told you how you can get everything you want faster than you ever thought possible!
If you remember we were talking about setting goals, writing them down making plans to achieve the goals and taking actions toward your goals every single day.
You saw these steps written here:…………..
-write down your goals
-make plans to work on your goals
- take actions every day!
Last time we learned how to write down your goals.
And
Today we are moving to the next step of this life-changing process- making plans.
And I believe that after hearing my presentation you will be able to make your own plans to achieve your goals.
How we can make and write down plans?
As you have already written down your goals and actions you have to take, put this paper in front of you and look at it critically.
“What exactly and when do I have to accomplish?”
That’s the question you should ask
The next question is this:
“How regularly should I do the steps toward accomplishing my goals? Once a day, twice a week, or three times a month, etc…”
Only you can answer this question. Less Brown says: ”I am responsible!!!”
After that you take a peace of paper and make a table where you put on the top 12 columns (the months of the year) and down list all the basic goals for the year and the actions to take, as you see on the table.
That is the Plan for the Year!
The next step is very important! The essence of the whole idea: A week Plan where we numerate not only all activities we have to do but also the time planned and spent for this activity.
Here’s this essential question again:
“How regularly should I do the steps toward accomplishing my goals? Once a day, twice a week, or three times a month, etc…”
Now, do you think without week plans you can to monitor your progress?
OK
Look at this typical weekly plan of mine.
What you can see here, is a merely copy of all activities numerated in the year plan, but!
Attention: here you write down the time you plan to spend for each activity each day!
And at the end of the day you report to yourself whether you have done all that was written for this day.
Look here!
On my week plan you can see that as a future professional speaker, I consider this goal the most important one. Then I predict how much time I can devote to each activity every day. You can also think of doing these things on week-ends. But only you know how much and how soon you want to be where you want to be.
For example:…….
Of course, you may ask:”What if you are unable to do what is planned?”
Good question.
So, answer it! Say why you were unable to make it. If the reason is accidental, you will do it next day. If the problem has a regular character, this daily activity should be planned on another week or month, or simply cancelled.
Remember: nothing in your plans is written in stone. You are the Manager of your success, the creator and maker of your brilliant future. Remember: “I am responsible”
As soon as you finish with the first goal go to another one and do the same.
A word of warning: be serious and realistic about what you can do and how much time you can devote to this goal!
When you finish with planning, start doing. Be a doer!
But we will be talking about that next month!
Live on this plan for a couple of weeks and you will see what works and what doesn’t.
Then sit in a quiet place and analyze the situation, identify the problems.
Correct them and make your week plan more real.

Dear friends, now after hearing my presentation you are able to make your own year and week plans to achieve your goals if you really want them to achieve.
Next time I will tell you how to take actions in order to make your plans work for you effectively.
Thank you for listening. I am George Rusky, till next time.

“How to Get Everything You Want – Faster ThanYou Ever Thought Possible”

2011-01-06T01:46:00.000-08:00

“How to Get Everything You Want – Faster Than
You Ever Thought Possible”
Second Speech for the Toast masters Meeting on the 24 November 2010

Dear Mr Toasmaster
Dear Fellow-toastmasters
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen

Let me start with the quotation:
“Continue to follow your goals. I’m sure you all have your communication and leadership goals written down. Remember that if you know where you’re heading the goal is easy to reach. If you do so (y)our success is inevitable.”

Hello
I’m George Rusky and I’ve chosen this quotation of our DG Benjamin because it is consistent with the topic of my speech.
The title of my today’s speech is
“How to Get Everything You Want – Faster Than
You Ever Thought Possible,” which I borrowed from one of 40+ books written by my American mentor Brian Tracy.
The book is called :”GOALS!”
As a Speaker, writer and mentor Brian has talked to thousands of people around the world including myself on a vast variety of topics, but if there was one thought, that could help his readers and listeners to be more successful, he would say:
“… write down your goals, make plans to achieve them and work on your plans every single day!”

So, the main point of my speech today is the first step of this idea.
“Writing down our goals”
Now, let me ask you a question:
“Who thinks it is necessary to write down personal goals?”
I hope you have them written somewhere in a secret corner of your flat.

OK, let me show you my Goals.
As you can see it’s written here:……

More than 50 years ago, a boy of 18 at that time, Brian Tracy started learning why some people were more successful than others.
These studies led him to a phenomenal discovery: setting goals is the key to success.
The regular and systematic practice of goal setting takes from
poverty to prosperity, from frustration to fulfillment, from
underachievement to success and happiness.

Brian also discovered the formula of happiness:
Earl Nightingale once wrote:
Happiness is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal, or goal.
Do we really want to be happy?
We do?
OK, why don’t we begin at the very beginning?
And here’s an exercise that will help you on the way to happiness:
I want you to take a piece of paper like this one and write down 10 goals that you want to accomplish with in the next 12 months.
Write the word GOALS and today’s date on the top of the page
And then ask yourself this great question:
“If I could accomplish one goal in this list but had for that only 24 hours, which one goal would have the greatest positive impact on my life?”
This is the great question because it usually jumps at you.
You say:” If I could accomplish this one goal it would have more impact on my whole life than anything else”
Sometimes it is a financial goal, sometimes it is a health goal or relationships goal
But whatever it is, put a circle around this goal, turn the page over and write it on the top of the page, set a deadline for a goal,
then
Write a list of everything you could do to achieve this goal.
And here’s the kicker: Do something every day that moves you towards your major goal

This exercise of selecting your major goal, making a plan and working on it every day, will change your life in ways you cannot imagine.

Now you know how to make the first step towards a new life and lots of positive changes in it.
OK, let’s repeat all together:
First: write down the list of 10 goals on a separate sheet of paper
Second: select the most important goal and write it down on the other side with the date and `the deadline.
Third: write down all you have to do in order to accomplish this goal.
Last and the most important: take action, do something every day towards your goal!
Here’s the promise of Brian Tracy, Jim Rohn, Bob Proctor, Tony Robbins, Jim Cathcart, Steve Seabold and other top leaders of Public speaking industry:
When you follow this simple steps
In now time , you will
Get Everything You Want – Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible

Thank you

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T02:28:00.000-08:00

Hello
My warmest greetings to all of my dearest friends, business partners and clients!
Merry Christmas to You!!!

The year 2010 is getting to its historical end and we are just about to revise all we have achieved in this year and start thinking about what we would like to accomplish in 2011.

I love what my mentor Brian Tracy says:
"Think of the New Year as the best year in your whole life!"
I believe this is true if only we accept the fact of having every year important whatever it had brought into our life.

As I live in the stream of dreams-goals-plans-achievements, for me the year 2011 will be the next step of my Big Five years Plan that I have made for five years.
This long-term perspective seem to work better for me.
But you can make plans starting from one day plans to one year plans, as long as you are getting better with planning your life stages.

Whatever scheme you may choose, however, the point here is to take actions every day, check what is done and correct plans on the way.
Your plans are not written 'in stone' they may be influenced by various life circumstances that may change the 'how' details.
But the 'what' directions of your plans must be the same.

Seeing the destination is extremely important. As I always repeat:
"Answer the two basic questions 'what? and 'why?' and the 'how?' question will find its way itself!"
Which means you must know what you want to achieve and why you want it.
The ways and methods will go naturally to lead you to your goal/s.

So, dear friends,
Merry Christmas again to you and yours and I will talk to you later!
George Rusky

Something About Us

2006-01-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

The saying:”Life runs fast’” can hardly surprise anyone.
And after 50 it runs even faster.

But, it’s not a problem how fast it runs, but how much we do on the run.
A millionaire and a beggar have the same amount of time -24 hours, but the amount of work the do is different.

The year 2005 was very significant to me and brought a lot of good into my life.
I guess everyone has something positive to remember about this year.

I wish all who has never read my blog, and most probably never will,
A Happy New Year and all their dreams come true!

George

Docendo Discimus ( While teaching others we teach ourselves)

2005-12-13T08:01:00.000-08:00

I live in a house where all things are too familiar to me that I can hardly notice anything new or unusual, especially after nearly eight years of living there.

But as it’s written in the online course: “You don't have to write a novel, you just need to take notes, observe, and write regularly.”

I totally agree with not writing a novel and not against taking notes, observing things and then writing regularly.

“So,” I say, “if you agree with all, what seems to be the problem, then?
Just, do it!”

It is also recommended “When you walk down the street near you home, try looking at it like you're a visitor and have never seen it before.
What things do you notice that has escaped your attention in the past?”
Walking around again and again:”Do this, don’t do that!”
--------
At that moment I somehow clearly saw why teachers are rarely do what they teach.
Teaching how to do and doing are two things that can’t go together!
Funny as it might sound but only a small amount of great players or masters were really able to raise talented followers. If they create and invest their time in doing, they have no time for teaching.

Sometimes I witnessed the scenes when masters could offer their annoying observes to see what they had been doing and try to imitate or repeat them.
Do you think it worked?
No, it didn’t.
Why?
Simple.

Imagine a painter who paints a picture and next to him stands his disciple who ties to do what his maestro is doing.
First, the painters are sensitive to anyone who looks at their labor from behind their shoulders and, God forbid, makes comments.

What is worse, an observer will inevitably start asking questions, or ask for explanations.
Who will ever answer them?
No way! The master needs involvement, concentration full attention.
Even a slight disturbance will tear a chain of his thoughts.

Okay, another example.
A writer.
Can a writer teach anyone how he does that, unless he interrupts his writing?
Interview? Hard, but possible, a short talk on TV, perhaps, but not teaching regularly.
Teaching is a process that is established according to a schedule of classes, seminars and the rest of learners’ curriculum activities.

A writer lives for writing because he cannot live without doing that.
He can live without food, family and most of other essentials. He cannot live without writing.
What if he is in the middle of the chapter and the sentences (as it is with me now), flow easily and naturally on the screen, and suddenly he realizes that in half an hour he’s got to start seminar at the university?

Great thoughts, as we all know, may well not come again…

George, I’ve got a question: " How can I start writing?"

2005-11-29T13:19:00.000-08:00

George Rusky
November 2005

George, I’ve got a question: " How can I start writing?"

To start writing it is necessary to start doing it. Period.

What do all people love talking, thinking and, of course, writing about?
What is the number ONE subject for everyone?
What is in the centre of attention of every one all the time?
Yes, correct!
She and He.
Every one loves occupy her time with thinking, speaking and writing about HERSELF.

Let's start.

Step One.

Switch off all the phones you have, everything producing any noises, send anyone from your apartment, find a place, where you can concentrate.

Before you start working with the questions, realize the importance of the next stages of the whole process from the first to the last point.

Here's what you do.

You:
-think deeply about each question
-answer the questions honestly before your self
-try to find the essence, the real gist of the notions, without pretending to be better than you are
-formulate your thoughts in your mind
-put your thoughts on the paper, transforming them into the sentences as they appear in your heart. No Grammar/No Spelling.
-critically observe what you have written
-read loudly. Hear how it sounds.
-correct your text, asking yourself if you have been sincere
-finally, edit your text.

That's the way how you start writing. This IS my 'magic' formula.

Please, begin now. Write the answers to the questions below. No clichés, no banalities, no verses, only what you think with your own words.

1.I was brought into this world for which purpose?
-
-
-

2.What was I given that differs me from others?
-
-
-

3.From all that I have described at 2, how much/how many/to what extend I have already used or using or intend to use?
-
-
-

End of Step One.

That's not easy. I understand.

And it will not be much easier.

Writing is about GIVING, investing, devoting, serving.

Reading is about getting, but

Writing is about GIVING.

That's why people don't write messages/e-mails/let alone, letters.
Not because they are lazy. No!

They love getting. That's why.

And the last. If you feel like sharing with me what you will write, please do it. Some thoughts may be too private. You decide.

Anyway, I need your thoughts.

The deadline-...day, the ...th of ...ember. Why the dead line?
You will know in my next message.

As soon as you finish with the first step, we'll move forward.

Happy writing!

George, I’ve got a question: “Reading English Books For Learning English. Your opinion?”

2005-11-17T02:56:00.000-08:00

George Rusky
November 2005

George, I’ve got a question:
“Reading English Books For Learning English. Your opinion?”

In spite of a predicted answer “Yes, it certainly does help and will help…,”
I would rather say: ”It depends....”

Consider the following:

For a school learner where teachers follow the program, where a book for out-off-class reading is an element of the program,
it is good.
In a primary school it’s a book of adapted fairy tales or any other book for children.
In high or higher schools different levels of book for out-of-class reading are listed.
I’m a supporter of this reading.

Now, a university graduate with firm habits of learning various disciplines starts learning a foreign language, transforms her practice onto foreign language learning.
She buys a lot of books, follows a number of theories, among which her own occupies the main position, goes to various courses and changes the teachers, and so on and so forth…

But nothing works as quickly as she wants.

Then she thinks:
”I should learn a bigger vocabulary, I will read a book!”

In a book store she purchases a book or she finds appropriate book in a library, and full of good intentions starts reading carefully finding in a dictionary each unknown word.
After one or two pages she quits, simply stops reading.
A number of new words is overwhelming, writing the words in native language above the words in the text, doesn’t help much…

In fact, this kind of reading may give some information about the text, say for a purpose of general comprehension of the text.

But, I’m strongly against this kind of reading.

George, I've got a question: ”How do you choose a book for reading? Do you use any special methods for reading?”

2005-10-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

October 2005

Let’s start with the cover of a book.

I believe, it reflects the author’s attitude towards his work.
Even today when the modern books are enveloped in covers that can hardly survive two or three readers,
there are still some works of the writers who believe that their novels will be read by more than one generation of booklovers.

On the contrary, the look of a tattered book will please the next library shelves’ explorer who may think:”Oh, that one’s been read by lots of folks.
I should read it too”
The first impression may be deceptive!

Here are some suggestions for selecting the reading you look for.

1. Before you come to a library ( not a book-store):

a) Carefully identify the area of your interest. What exactly you want to read.

b) Know your purpose of reading: pleasure, research, etc.

c) Have a list of the authors who wrote or write about your subject. What aspects of the problem they are dealt with in their works. Spend time for the research.

d) Get a general orientation of the authors and/or their works you think may suit your interest.

e) Choose a day and hours when there are fewer visitors in the library.

f) Prepare some change for Xerox-copying.

2. In the library:

a) Find a librarian who works in the section where you suppose to find the materials you need.

b) In details explain to her what you need. Show her the list you have prepared (see 1c above)

c) Let her know how important these materials are for you.

d) Get all you are advised plus anything you may find on the shelves.

e) Sit at a quiet place, get ready to work. (Don’t forget to switch off a mobile phone :-)

3. How to work with the book/books you have on a library table.

a) Place a book in front of you. Feel it, touch it, guess what the book is about.

b) Read the title, think if the title matches your subject.

c) Open it and read all the information on the first page esp. where and when it was published/republished.

d) Read the back cover of the book where there’s information about the writer and the resume.

e) Go through the dedications and acknowledgements: you will know how the writer himself values his labor. (The same and deeper information you may get from a foreword) Try not to skip it.

f) Read the contents and make a general impression of the manual.

4. How to read the book.

Reading is a very serious process. Depending on the type of literature, you must vary the approach and attitude to the whole process of reading.

Some general observations before we get to the a, b, c points.

A book, any book, is an act of an individual or group men’s creative activity that may be compared to, say, delivering a baby, building a house, tailoring a suit or anything else that a human being may produce.It’s an act of passion, hard labor, doubts, long chain of successes and failures, physical and mental efforts, sleepless nights, nerves breakdowns and so on and so forth.

It’s, after all, an act of a high responsibility of the writer before the readers of today and the readers of tomorrow.
Nearly all authors rewrite their sentences, paragraphs, even whole chapters several times, before their final versions are ready to meet the first readers.

After these comments, you may look at a book with more respect.

So, back to the reading.

a) Start with what directly related to your topic: go to the topic that is the closest to your theme.

b) Always read with a pensile in your hand and tick the phrases, thoughts, ideas that attract your attention, shed the light on the subject from another POV and so on.

c) On the sheet of paper fix accurately your thoughts that come into your head while you are reading.

d) Pay a special attention to the author’s ideas you may use in your work. Put them in brackets and write down a page on your sheet with notes: you will easily find them later.

e) Compare your own thoughts with the writer’s. Place exclamation/question marks next to the writer’s text. You’ll come back to them later.

George, I've got a question: "Nobody wants to hear my opinion. Why?"

2005-10-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

I guess, it may happen.

Here are some of my observations, why.

First.
People just don’t need anybody’s opinion.
Second.
They’ve already formed their own outlook.
Third.
They are afraid to hear an opinion, different from theirs.
Fourth.
They don’t wish to change the opinion they already have.
Fifth.
They had spent years to create their ‘small world’, it may be destroyed by another, even a better built theory. That scares them.
Sixth.
They aren’t able to defend their way of seeing the things and can be easily suppressed by a more skillful orator.
Seventh.
They like living with the thought (illusion?) that their ideas are correct.

Some Observations About the Thoughts that Come to Us.

2005-09-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

Observations about the ideas and thoughts visiting us.
(Some Thoughts from the Time of My Forced Break.)

George Rusky
September 2005

When a thought comes to us we have a choice: to accept it for further contemplation or to reject.
One should know, however, that all the thoughts are sent to us with a specific purpose, we are in charge for taking them as the ones worth our attention or the ones to neglect.

Consider also that the thought left without notice may never come again and, therefore lost forever.

Hundreds of times we’ve heard about lost wonderful opportunities in different areas of our lives that could have changed our lives if only we were clever enough to take them seriously.

Does it sound familiar?

The same with the thoughts: they come according to the caprice of the Sender who doesn’t care weather we are tuned to receive these thoughts or not.

Should we then be surprised that all philosophers, art folks, writers and the like, daily and nightly, wherever they are and whatever they do have something to write on?

Recommendations:

-Keep you ‘antenna’ ready for any thoughts you may receive. Carefully listen to the signal from the ‘transmitter’.
-Always, even at night, have something to write on and to write with. You never know when the thoughts may come.
-While making notes, try to fix the thought as fully as possible: your frame of mind at the moment the thought had come, the place, the time, other details.
-Never divide the thoughts, when they come, onto important or time-wasting. Trust and respect the Sender.
-During the day when you are involved in other things, try to concentrate on what you do, block the access to any thoughts unrelated directly to what you are busy with at the moment.
-If the thought visits you when you are busy with something else, come back to it later when you can spend more/enough time for the thoughts.

A Draft for the Website on Copywriting

2005-02-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

A Draft for the Website on Copywriting

George Rusky
February 2005

"All great endeavors would inevitably sink into oblivion, if no one opened our eyes on these wonders to satisfy human desires and needs."
G.Rusky

This Site is about Copywriting. Copywriting as the trade, the science, the advertising, the marketing, the selling, the writing, the education, the earning money…

But most of all, this site is about the people in copywriting, a special breed of folks who take us into the world of unknown, telling us about new products entering the market today, or, as the Dictionary puts it: “A Copywriter is a person who writes or prepares a copy (especially for advertising material) for publication.”

Let’s think for a moment. Is that the main role of copywriter to inform her readers or listeners of a new vacuum cleaner or a better medication?

Do we agree with some career advisers who claim that: “…to become a copywriter, it’s enough, just to be able to write.?

I believe, a copywriter, first of all, is a person of high moral responsibility for the society she lives in. Consider the following, please.

Only a copywriter is able to persuade her audience to start using a new washing powder or to stay in the N. hotel. True?

Imagine: you read a leaflet which sends you to a hotel where there’s no hot water and yet, in his copy the author describes the whole range of pleasantries there?

Or, you’re invited to a new store, where, according to a letter found in your mailbox, something will be given away. You rush there, and soon learn this is just not true!

O.K. The last example.
A website designer promotes his website building program thru the most eye-catching sales copy. You click the link, then another, then another and finally, you leave his website with no intention of ever again clicking his link. Sounds familiar?

Isn’t a copywriter the one ho must be ready to declare, that she ‘stands to death’ for every word she has written, fully realizing that her readers may become buyers, and then users of the product she has once written highly about?

Being aware of that, I have worked out a Copywriter’s Oath, something similar to a well-known Hippocratic Oath, still traditionally taken by doctors at their graduation,
and invite you to read carefully the following and think if you are ready to put your name under it.

The Copywriter’s Oath.

I make the Lord my witness, that I will fulfill according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant:
To hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents and to live my life in partnership with him, and to regard as equal to my brothers who have signed the covenant and have taken an oath according to the copywriting law, and to teach them this art—if they desire to learn it.

I will apply my knowledge and writing skills for the benefit of the readers according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice.

I will neither give the wrong information about any subject of my writing if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect.

I will guard my reputation and my art.

I will not use my pen for writing anything harmful for my audience, even if I am offered all the treasures of the world, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in this work.

Whatever house I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the clients, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of charging extra reward for the writing done.

What I may see or hear in the course of the writing or even outside of the writing in regard to the interests of the client, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep to myself, holding such things shameful to be spoken about.

If I fulfill this oath and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot.

2005-01-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

Where To Make Friends
Part Two

How To Make Friends On The Internet?

Yesterday I forwarded the problem of making friends for middle-aged folks who had found themselves living in a new country, new city, in short, far from their birth nest.
Having traveled through a number of places of evident candidates for finding potential friends, I have peacefully arrived at the Internet.

Now, after having spent five years on the Internet, I may say that all Internet visitors are roughly divided onto two categories: those who show their faces names and addresses and the bigger part –who don’t do either of above mentioned.

They even don’t have names, just codes.

Anyway, to make friends at forums and newsgroups is real, provided you follow the rules. Some of them are:
1. Joint a discussion group, a forum or a newsletter.

2. In most of them you’ll be asked to tell about yourself. Do it.

3. Read carefully your fellow – writers’ mails.

4. Discover the writers working in the same or similar areas and contact them.

5. For a considerate reader, the character of their reply will display a lot. If you get a polite respond, bordering with the answer of auto responder, most probably this person just tries to be polite.

6. Important is also, if your new correspondent uses her Christian name or a nickname, weather communicates openly or strives to avoid naming herself.

7. Try to guess on the tone of a message weather the author is a man or a woman. The English tongue is sexless, so use your intuition, chiefly if you want to meet with a man-writer. A scarce, though.

8. Develop your relations very unhurriedly, stay away from bombarding your new acquaintance with more than one mail at a time.

9. Tell about yourself only when asked. Show your likes and dislikes cautiously.

10. You’ll be asked to criticize your friend’s stories. DON’T. Forestall this kind invitation saying that critiques are something you have never been good at.

11. You will also be asked personal questions. Answer shortly, avoid details. Respect you new friend time and patience.

12. Try to know something about your correspondent. We all love being asked about us. Ask only about something directly connected to the subject of her writings or trade.

13. Analyze the development of contacts, experiment with new subjects of your on-line friend’s possible interests. If you feel, that your relations do not have a tendency for progress, it might be wise to eliminate them and see how they will go.

14. The word of warning, if I may. Never use one text of message for a bunch of folks. You will most probably lose them all!

Well, I could have continued with the list of dos and don’ts, but try to find your way in it.

Instead of the Resume.
From my personal experience, I must confess that the Internet has been quite merciful to me, sending interesting, full of positive emotions people.
With them we exchange regularly e-mails, usual letters with photos and souvenirs.
One German guy with his family even came to me in Prague last year.

Keeping and developing good relations on the Internet demands your time, the most valuable we all have.
Invest yourself in your invisible Internet friendship and your life will always be full of joy and gladness.

Where To Make Friends

2005-01-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

Where To Make Friends
Part One

By George Rusky
December 2004

Making friends today is getting more difficult than ever before.
I’ve asked tens of my clients how and especially when they had made friends. From all my respondents about 70 % found their classmates at a basic school
About 11% agreed and added high schoolmates and university mates.
The next making friend institution was work, clubs, common trips, recreation activities, and the like.

This quick and amateurish survey won’t hold any serious critic, but even done un-professionally, it gives a general overview of making friends.
Indeed, as we come back to the days of our childhood, we can agree, that the whole process of forming our buddies, even though based on likeness, was not at all complex.
Try to remember your first day at school. Wasn’t that the same?

I went to school at times when learners had to share a desk. I, for one, wanted to sit next to a boy and all I did, just asked him to join me at a desk. That simple.
Even then, we boys of six had their childish preferences.
After a while, some of the initial making friend’s steps had been remained and strengthened, while others went through some changes.

The end of the process of forming and developing close relations can be considered the graduation from the school. I believe that this period is the one that really makes friendship strong and long- living.
I’ve even met a couple of former classmates who then got married.

My respondents agreed that university studies didn’t bring a lot of chances to make new friends.
Why?
Most probably, there’s not much to draw students together.
Lectures? Hardly so. Big auditorium, voluntarily attendance, individual tests.
Students have few chances to meet and become friends. Agree?

Work. Nice place to make friends. Right?
Well, yes and no. First of all, who with?
The one who occupies the same position as you? Possible.
Don’t forget, however, that in this competitive world everyone has an chance for a promotion, which might destroy good terms.
Your superior? Good, if only she doesn’t thing you want to ‘dig a hole for her’
and overtake her position.
Your subordinate? If you don’t yourself think of losing your chair.
Someone from another company, operating on the market in the same industry?
Forget it! You’ll be immediately calculated as a potential commercial secrets deliverer.

So, what?
If someone had to move to explore new territories, and left all his ‘old guard’ at home, is she doomed?
Almost so. Yet, there’s a slight ray of hope.
Consider these places where it is still possible to gain some acquaintances with the hope that they may become your friends.

1. Clubs.
This is where birds of the feather rub shoulders. Membership gives you, sort of guarantee that you may meet the one you’ve been looking for.

2. Education centers for learning new skills: language courses, writing courses, mountain climbing training, playing games and other activities where folks of similar interests go.

3. Church is another great place to meet nice people. In many congregations church-goers dine together, organize trips, visit exhibitions, discuss various life problems.

4. Dating agencies. I, personally, dislike this way of meeting new people and have no experience of that kind, but it looks these businesses are getting quite popular.

5. If you live abroad, cafés, restaurants run by your compatriots where English is spoken. Places full of potential, with lots of openings to meet someone.

6. Our list of making friends ‘establishments’ will definitely not be complete, if we pay no attention to the Internet, this ‘Monster’ of knowing all.

But, this is a topic of our next talk. Let’s call it:”How To Make Friends On The Internet?”
So, till tomorrow!
Oh, I‘ve nearly forgotten. Think of your experience with making friends on the Internet, prepare notes, and tomorrow, while reading my article, just tick the same or similar points and add mine, if you like them, O.K.?

How To Write On One Breath

2004-12-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

How To Write On One Breath
George Rusky
November 2004

Anyone embarking on a piece of writing, sooner or later, will face a difficulty of expressing one’s thoughts.
Everything seems clear in the head as you think about it; you even try to pronounce separate passages of your future article.
All seems to work!
And yet, something happens when you sit in front of the computer, try to excavate the words from your memory and draw them together into sentences.

No, I’m not talking about a writer’s block. Block is, well, another story.

Before we go further, let me ask you this question:” Isn’t it said that we think in words and sentences? If so, why our thoughts do not smoothly go to the screen?”

Before starting writing, I was told to think intensively about what to write, jot down my writing ideas in a note pad or record on the Dictaphone so that not to lose them later. Or, at night, waking up with a start, to fix the dream’s fading images and descriptions into a note pad.

In theory, everything is O.K.
In practice, not always, especially with night night’s half asleep scrawled ‘reportage.’
In the morning, only a general impression of the dream (or nightmare) remains.
Pity.
Sometimes night dreams bring us invaluable material for writing projects.

Listen, what if we had a special ‘smart’ machine to transmit our thoughts directly onto the screen of a computer, just without hands, fingers, keyboard, desk, desk lamp, and so on?
Imagine, you sit in a comfy armchair sipping a beer and create literary pearls?
Or, you sleep, and everything is read from your brain directly to the computer, or whatever it can be?
What is more, the text is edited, corrected, prepared for publishing? All with astounding speed!
“Wow!” you say, “What a challenge! I wish I had such a virtual assistant!”

It’s not harmful to dream, after all. Besides, I’m sure that this gear will definitely come out one day.
But, on the other hand, who can guarantee that the labor of a writing man will become easier?

I’m absolutely sure, whatever tricks the twenty-first century technical progress may play to us, and whatever the mechanism of writing may be, an author will always carry a burden of responsibility for what she wrote, whether she’d done it with the top speed of a super-modern writing gear, or scribbled it with a goose-quill.

O.K. With inability to transform thoughts into the words, the responsibility for evil-writing is clear, but what do you recommend?
I’m glad, you asked.

Without further ado, here we go.

First.
Write, write, write, and then read.
Write quickly what comes out from your brain. Main point- to place on the screen the more lines you can, not to lose anything that has been stored in your memory.

Second.
When you feel that you wrote yourself out, come back to what you have written and read the text loudly.

Third.
Read the text as quickly as possible to move forward the narrative where it had been stopped.

Fourth.
Go on typing as much as you can, completely ignore green and read wavy lines which may appear on the screen.

Fifth.
As long as you’ve written as much as you think you could, it is the time to start looking critically at what you have produced.

How To Write As You Talk.

2004-10-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

How To Write As You Talk.
George Rusky
October 2004

One of the most frequent instructions we receive from the copywriting authorities who want us to write better is: write as you talk.

O.K. I, personally, agree. I’m not against it.
As a former teacher of history I am used to talk a lot.
As a current business consultant I also talk much. Sometimes my wife says:”You talk too much,” and she is probably right.
Whenever it happens, I, trying to defend my orator’s status, boldly declare:” I’m paid for what I say, darling! If I shut up, as you wish, we won’t be able to shell out the bills with all the ensuing consequences.”
I don’t know if she agrees, but her malicious attacks discontinue. Not for a long time, though :-)

Now, as I started writing articles, the same story repeats.
This time it goes:”What is the point of spending (she definitely wanted to say: ’wasting’) that much time in front of you computer, writing God knows what!”
“You’d better…” then follow variants of more lucrative activities for my heart, body, soul, and family affairs, of course.

This time I can’t say, I’m paid for that. I hope to be, one day, one glorious day!
So, anyway, everything is in a good time.

But, back to talking –writing tandem.
As I said, the idea of writing as you talk is fine. But the question of questions is: “Do I talk good enough, to transfer my talking on the paper, or rather, on the screen of the computer?”
“What if not? What if my talking is under the level acceptable for writing?”

Last week I had an amazing discussion with my clients about telling stories.
“What is a good storyteller?” I asked them.
To my entire surprise, seven out of eight participants of the talk announced they were not good storytellers and thus could not think of entertaining their listeners by telling stories!
Wow! A discovery?
Hardly so.

Speaking to the audience is a talent, a gift, a matter of years of drilling, mastering.
Does that mean we first need to master the way how we speak to people, communicate with them, influence them and persuade them to do what we want them to do?

Before joining a local speaking club, let’s put everything on their right places and sort out what we already have.

First.
Notwithstanding the way you talk, you have the right to record your words for someone to read. Period.
Think of a note your write to you next of keen, say, about your unplanned trip, or asking your son to walk your dog, or go to a grocery. You write it in the same way as you talk to you son. Anything odd will not work. I always put something like this: “Walk out Cristina!” Short, clear.

Second.
As you write, always think about your readers. Will they accept your writing as good time investment for them? Do they read your stuff as a side-line work, or they devote to it their prime time?

Third.
Never ever try to show off, to display your knowledge, however deep it may be. Unsolicited demonstration of knowledge will draw away your readers.
Imagine, how stupid it may sound, if you talk to a waitress :” I wonder, if you would be kind enough to give me a cup of this incredibly smelling blah,blah,blah…”

Fourth.
Writing is an act of addressing to an individual, not to a crowd, to a carefully selected reader.
I know what you are going to say. Books are written for millions, not for individuals.
Well, yes and no.

Consider this. How often you have heard: ”That’s a great movie, you can’t live without it?” Or:” This book is just a masterpiece, a must for everyone”
You go to the movie, you read a couple of pages of the book. Not much impressed.
Something in them did not touch you.
So, I will repeat that: as a writer, you must know who your reader is and what she wants to find in your writing.

Fifth.
Always try to talk to your readers, to ask for their feedback. If only there’s something you feel they want different, or they dislike, immediately change it.
As a bearded maxim goes:” He who pays - orders the music”

Sixth.
Once and forever identify your stand of a writer: you are on-line to serve your readers, not to cherish your ego. Chose the motto for your on-line presence: “At your service!”

Sevenths:
What ever you write, always do it with love. Love your writing, and others will love that too.
Even though you hope to get some money for your writing, (nothing’s bad about it, is it?) write as if you look into you reader’s eyes and say: “I want to tell you something that will solve all you problems as soon as you hear this.”

When your readers see your love in your sentences, they will pay for your writings their ‘last penny.’

How To Speak English In Ten Days.

2004-10-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

How To Speak English In Ten Days.

A Course for Total Beginners.

A Message of the Author.

Dear Friend,

I’m sure you know that English has become the World Language, spoken in some countries as the first state language, in others
You can hardly find the area of human activity where this does not occupy a significant position.

In the Czech Republic, as it is in many countries around the world, the number of speakers of English grows every year. How does it happen?

Simple: thousands of children start learning English at basic schools, then continue at secondary schools and so on.
Quite naturally, after several years of school studies, young people speak good English. They can travel, communicate with foreigners or, if they want, find an interesting job.

Of course, you may say: “We are glad that our children can learn English at school.
But we, their parents, we didn’t have much chances to study English at school and now, so many years after school, we need this language. What shall we do?”

Good question.

I’m glad you asked, because
the book you are reading now I wrote for YOU, women and men, who could not study English at school and who need to study this language now, from the scratch.

You know what?

After seven years of teaching beginners of your age, I can say that I understand your problems very well.
Am I right to say that now, at forty-something,
-you have reached a high level in your profession,
-you are an expert in your department,
-you are full of energy and knowledge,
-you want and need to work where you are now, or
-you wish to find another job…and yet,
you can continue to work, use your knowledge or find another job only
If You Speak and Write English.

I agree with you that one thing is to study a foreign language at school, when you are eleven and another is when you work, look after your family, try to find time to rest or chat with your former school-mate, and now… to learn English. I know how difficult it may be. (Please, don’t ask me about my Czech :-))

That is why, since 1997 I’ve constantly thought how to help you with learning English. After years hard work I finally know how to do that.

All you need to start is written in this small book, the rules and exercises to begin and develop your English quickly and easily.

Besides,
I give you my word to personally help you with all you may need to make your studies trouble-free, fast, and funny.
Does it sound good to you? Great!

Let’s not waste our time and immediately go to Unit One.

And, of course, I wish you to speak English as soon as you want!

Good luck,

George Rusky

P.S. To start your course, e-mail me.

How To Grow Winning On-Line Imitator.

2004-09-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

How To Grow Winning On-Line Imitator.

By George Rusky,
September 2004

Dear Fellow Marketers, without a long introduction, let’s get to the point.
And the point of the article is the question:
“To Imitate or Not?”

If you are among those who see hundreds of ‘lose or gain’ on-line messages, asking to follow pictures, written, audio, video testimonials, in short, duplicate something done, you will understand what I’m talking about.

So, what? To imitate?
”If someone,” you may say, “is worth imitating, why not?”
Then, an obvious question: ”Who is? What is the rule for choosing one/ones?”

Trust me, I’m serious.
In real life, if I want to get in touch with someone who interests me, I often fail to do so: the territory, time, connections, visa regulations, and so on and so forth.

On-line everything is easy: you can contact any one.
And that’s where the problem conceals.
After a week of submitting to a bunch of newsletters and e-zines you know a lot about the ‘flagships’ of today’s Marketing.
And, as the majority of them advocate long sales letters, you can imagine what it takes to go through their materials.
But the worst is, to identify, who to follow, who to imitate, whose actions to repeat.

I believe everything written about gurus, I trust the authors. I love their command of superlative adjectives used in their biz messages!
So, whom to decide in favor of?

Ever experienced the same problem? You have?

Let me tell you what I have come up with.

First.
Chose the on-line entrepreneur according to your life preferences, I mean how she looks, what she produces, how she made her web site, her style of writing, etc

Second.
Try to know as many/much as possible about the master and her business.

Third.
Purchase everything the guru has created: it will help you to propagate her and her business (it is called affiliate)

Fourth.
Whenever is it possible, promote your superior, e.g. your business cards, briefcase, tie, t-shirt, cap, etc.

Fifth.
Write about your trade partner, share the results of working for this business, never exaggerate.

Sixth.
Remain loyal to the chosen one. Rotation on-line is huge, yet trustworthiness counts.

Sevenths.
Imitate the most, if not all, what your leader does. Remember, even if it sounds alien, she/he is the one who caries the ‘burden’ of responsibility for your on-line success.

Eighth.
Make friends with your mentor. Get to know her family. Don’t just look at her as an entrepreneur, see the real person, like you and I.

Ninth.
Attend her workshops, seminars, take part in all her ad campaigns, be active in all she does in his business.

Tenths.
Prove, that your cooperation means a lot for you! As soon as she trusts you as an essential part of her business, an expert, she may invite you to take part in her endeavors, create a new product together.
Joe Robson once was asked to write a book for Ken Evoy. As the result of this creative ‘tandem,’ a book, no, THE book, the gift, “Make Your Words Sell” was given to the world.

Elevenths.
Be ready for biz offers: big businessmen start new projects, and, as it always happens, they look for someone to take care of the old ones. You might be the candidate to take up ‘the baton.’

And the final twelfth.
Think of starting your own business. As soon as you are ready for that, your teacher will help you to take off, to develop and win.
Starting your own successful business, must remain the aim, the crown, the apogee, the zenith of everything you are doing on the Internet.

With this in mind, let me wish you to find your the only one to imitate, and enjoy a happy on-line living!

How Many Words Should An Article Contain?

2004-08-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

How Many Words Should An Article Contain?
By George Rusky,
August 2004

Have you ever thought of how you start reading a new article? I mean, what do you do first?
Look at a list of pre-things I’d like you to consider before reading articles.
So, what will you start with?
The title?
The author?
The subject?
The short contents of the article?

I, for one, always start with the title of the article. If it grabs my attention, I go to the author, and ...

1. If the writer is known and authoritative, read the article;
2. If un-known, immediately seek the information about the author. Suppose, from the information, it’s not clear about the writer’s expertise.
Then my next step is - the number of the words. If the number of words exceeds 350-450, most probably the article will be left without reading.
Why is that so?
The art of writing articles lies in the ability of an author to advertise her mastery, her business, her mastery to persuade the readers to single out her from her competition, to lead the reader to the Most Wanted Response, which is a click on the link to the article writer’s site, and only this tap of a reader’s point finger is worth writing an article.

Now, where does the above mentioned 350-450 number of words come from? Simple arithmetic:
The Title-8-10 words.
The Lead of the story, the most important paragraph -40-50 words.
The Body of the article, depending on the business may vary from 250 to 300 words.
The Ending may include not more then 50-60 words.

And now, probably, the most important part of the whole article: The information of the writer and her business, not more then 25-35 words.
So, let’s put these figures together:
a) minimum: 40+250+50+25=365
b) maximum: 50+300+60+35=445

These simple calculations surely do not reflect the whole spectrum of writers’ approaches, and only the authors exactly know what and how they want to write.
But, listen up!
The further the writer from tested and proven standards of business writing, the further is she from the Most Wanted Response.

P.S. This article serves as the illustration of the writer’s concept: The Title- 7words The Lead- 51words The Body-242words The Ending-50words The Info about the author-27 (The total number of words is-377)

How To Find A Topic For Writing

2004-08-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

How To Find A Topic For Writing
By George Rusky,
August 2004

In his article “6 Tips That Make “How To” Book Writing A Snap” Jeff Smith recommends: “Pick a topic that people want to read about AND that you are passionate about.”

So, what can be a better advice for writing?
Write, right?
O.K. Let’s pick a topic people want to read about...

Suddenly I caught myself on thinking about writing as a human activity, when and how it was born, for what purpose and, what topics ancient people wanted to read about.

According to Microsoft Encarta 98 encyclopedia, Writing is “Method of human intercommunication by means of arbitrary visual marks forming a system.” When and why and how was this ‘system of arbitrary visual marks formed’?

I imagined a group of people living on a separated territory, thousands years ago, using for communication only their voice and body language… What might have been a motive, a need or any other stimulus for recording words or pictures people used every day? From our own experience we know that writing is directly connected with reading.

A winged maxim: "Write for someone to read" is known to anyone who had ever embarked on a piece of writing. Who and why and how could need a new method of communication, as an alternative to already existing one, verbal?

Speculation One.
a) Sending a written message to someone. (No mobile phones, no telegraph, no radio or TV. No pigeons.) Hardly so. Messengers were widely used for delivering good or bad news (extremely dangerous mission: in some cases ended deplorably for heralds of evil news.)
b)Sending a secret message to a distant correspondent who knew the language in which the message was penned. Sounds more or less probable. But how often could such correspondence occur?

Speculation Two.
While some men-warriors spent time hunting and fishing or, perhaps, fighting, others could depict the deeds of the first, say, on the walls of their caves. In fact, hundreds of cave drawings were found here and there to prove this theory. Let’s imagine, for a moment, someone, who saw the picture on the wall, where his exploits might have been portrayed.
What could be his natural reaction? Of course, to try to notice a resemblance. Cave pictures, however, did not bare a high level of mastery, were performed quite primitively, and thus could hardly looked like the original.
A natural question:”How to place a name of a personage next to the drawing?” An ancient painter had a home work!

Speculation Three.
I guess, writing as the way of recording events or someone’s deeds could not emerge in a primitive society, where all members had equal rights and therefore no one claimed a privilege to occupy a special place or position in the tribe. Most probably writing appeared when there was a demand to document life stories of outstanding people of those days.
It is not incidentally that most of ancient graphic arts depict heroic deeds of emperors, tsars, kings and pharaohs who may have ordered to invent an extra way of describing their unique role in the life of their people.
So, as a result and logical continuation of fine arts, followed written comments. The final speculation is about a significant role of clergymen who in all times had been the most educated group in any ancient human formations.
Serving gods led the clergymen to inventing the way for recording everything connected with their ministry.

Resume.
1.Writing came into existence as a result of natural development of human society and since the early days of human history, has occupied a prominent place in the row of most significant inventions of all times.
2.At the outset writing was a privilege of a limited group of learned people who wanted to remain their exceptional status.
3.Writing met the needs of ruling classes, primarily for the records of glorious deeds of reigning dynasties.
4.In ancient Assyro-Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, civilizations literature had a vast variety of styles and genres, long lists of bright names of authors, founders of classical drama, comedy, poetry, prose, religious, historical, philosophical writings.
5. For the last 5,000 years the list of most wanted topics had not been changed at all. (I’m not sure, if ancient wordsmiths wrote much about marketing, say, in Athens of 2004 BC :-) )

Conclusion:
Write about evergreen topics:
-family,
-health,
-human relations,
-business,
-love,
AND you won’t fail to win your audience!

The Articles Full Of Clichés, Or The Challenge To Writing Authorities.

2004-06-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

The Articles Full Of Clichés, Or The Challenge To Writing Authorities.

George Rusky
June 2004

Dear Fellow-writes,
I’ve discovered something fantastic about writing!

Contrary to a well-known concept of maximum concentration while writing, advocate of which I’ve been for decades, the new approach, or method or, whatever you may be inclined to name, of writing, literally had taken me aback.

Hear this; I’m talking about writing to the music.

A flashback.

A short while ago I was writing a long message to my wife, trying to find appropriate words and expressions. After having lived together for nearly three decades, it’s not always that simple. The radio was on, sort of a political discussion.

All of a sudden, a beautiful music started. As a long time music lover I naturally lent an air to this melody. The more I listened the more I fell under the influence of the tunes.
But what was the most amazing that immediately I started drumming the words on the key board as if I wanted to translate the piano music into the computer.
Reminiscences of happy years spent with Lady S. from long forgotten past revealed in small details so vividly as if they took place a few days ago.

The music stopped, I rushed to switch the radio off and under the impulse I had gotten, I finished the writing.
Excited, I read what I’ve written. Boy, was that gorgeous!
After a quick editing, I hit the send button.

Lady S. was shocked! As you may well guess, the natural question of hers was if I had been drunk.
Well, you know how it goes.

Inspired by such an unexpected result, I tried some more samples of music and found out that diverse musical styles and fashions help with writing differently.

Here’s something I have discovered.

Dynamic, energetic, full of movement melodies, for example, help out with writing sales letters, something motivational, especially if your writing is directed to future,
while calm melodic tunes make us feel sad, even depressed, cast a gloom over past experiences.

A word of caution, though: the music must be instrumental, without words.
Why? The words grab our attention, mix up with the words we are writing.

These are in a nutshell the basic lines of my ‘theory.’

Interested?
Write to me about your experience, we may all benefit from such an exchange.

A Conversation In A Subway Train

2004-05-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

A Conversation In A Subway Train
George Rusky
May 2004

"…For this money I would have never started even thinking of making that myself! "
I came closer to two women talking about a crocheted bag, which was the subject of their conversation.
"It’s a waste of time for me," went on the owner of the bag. "I can afford to pay the cost, but as I think about the time and efforts invested into making such a bag, I don’t understand how one can make it!"

The other woman was wearing a knitted jacket, which I guess she had made herself, was just smiling…
As it has become a habit to think about S. when I see or hear about crocheting, my thoughts immediately went to her.
She’s been working with needles and crochets for nearly forty years, had made hundreds of garments, and had never earned a dollar for any of her projects.
"Waste of time…" May be for some people it really is. But, not for S.
For her crocheting is the way of living, the whole philosophy!
Do you know this 'ancient,' quotation:" Do what you love doing and money will come!"

Love, the everlasting locomotive of all our existence! Passion and love to whatever we are doing in this world are the keys to happiness, wealth, success.
This is why, when I offered to S. to create a web site for crocheters, she loved that idea at 'first hearing' I will not bore you with description of hard work of creating our first web-baby, the work which is now in progress...

Another factor that helps us is our faith that everything we are doing will be useful for crocheters.

The Temptation of George Rusky.

2004-04-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

The Temptation of George Rusky.

By George Rusky,
Prague 2004

Dear Friends,

I’m writing to you because I want to share with you some of my concerns and
ask you for help.
It’s about Internet, of course.

The biggest problem caused by the Internet, as I can see it, is the openness and accessibility to an unlimited amount of information.

Naturally, one who can touch a key board at least with one finger, should accept the internet with all its good and evil as an incredible invention of all times.
That’s one side of the coin.

Another one is that I’m, for one, is totally lost in the ocean of on-line offers; one is more seductive than other.
”The best method of creating your wealth on line…” shouts at us a sales letter.
“The most progressive ever way of building your list of subscribers…”hollers another.
Tens if not hundreds of messages (most of them, certainly, unsolicited) call us to prosperity on line.

I don’t know about you, but I was raised to respect the word written. It’s not only The Constitution , laws of the state, school textbooks, manuals, instructions, notes, you name it!
The Bible, of course. I will always remember a notorious question my Pastor used to ask me: ”What is written in the Bible about it?”
Looked like for every problem one had ever experienced, Pastor could find the answer in the Bible.
In short, the miraculous power of the word, written in my heart, is written ‘in stone.’

Now, when I read the unlimited list of superlative adjectives of sales letters I feel desperate, thriving to find out ‘where the dog is hidden.’

The messages where the writers start saying:
”Don’t you lose this one in your whole life opportunity, etc”

I wonder, if one can find a pumpkin, who would wish to lose his one time in his whole life chance?
So, I click the link, open the web site and read a special report, nicely formatted, highlighted, emphasized, splashing good news into my face, raping me with ‘order, order, order, and again, order.’

But that’s not all!

“If you order before midnight,” it says, “you will sure get tons of bonuses, so don’t tarry!”
I move aside from my desk everything, spilling a cup of coffee I was advised to grasp before reading a message, fumbling for my ‘electronic wallet’ and just about to fill in the form…

Thanks the Lord, it is still necessary to fill in the form, the last chance to escape the hypnotic daze of the sales letter, cool down, and recover from the fog of a ‘narcotic’ power of the commercial offer.

Uff, sweating and shivering, I regain consciousness, trying to think about something else and put off the hanging above me horrendous cloud of doubt: ”What if this is that one chance from a thousand , which just come only to bold and smart individuals, who, after just a few months report to us:
”I come back to gloomy days of the winter 200? when I didn’t have any money to pay the bills, to do this and that, etc, unless I met John Smith who showed me the big picture… so now my life has completely changed. Look at my house, I bought a week ago and a new car I’m thinking of buying, and, so on.”

To resist this temptation is beyond my power.
I grasp my right hand so that not to click the desirable link taking me to the treasures island where money grows on the trees and one can experience joy and gladness because one blessed day she clicked this miraculous link!
Paradise lost?
No, Mr Milton,
Paradise found…

Instead of an epilog.

After nearly four years of trying to find a ‘Magic formula’ for getting rich on the Internet, I’m still where I was last century.
“If I could do it, you can too…”
“Can I?”

Are We All Writers?

2004-03-14T08:27:00.000-08:00

Are We All Writers?

George Rusky
March 2004

As a member of the CWG (Christian Writers Group) on line, I receive a good number of various messages.
The authors of them tell us about their problems, ask for advice or help, share some information, and require critique for their stories.
As it generally goes in the group, somebody asks a question, and if the members of CWG find the subject interesting, or it inspires them to take part in the talk, they send their messages to the group, thus a discussion begins.

Recently, a ‘hot’ discussion has started around the subject Called to write.
Nearly every active member of the group shaped their understanding of what they felt the Lord had called them to write for.

As it appeared, some authors wrote in the field of business, others in fantasy. A number of writers honestly confessed they have been just called to write and were asking for advice how to set off.
The messages, however, can sometimes lead to rather unpredictable discoveries, as it was in the case of Mr.’s N. e- mail.

After a short review of other writers’ ideas about the subject, he briefly introduced himself, saying he had not been a regular contributor to on-line discussions, but this time he “felt obliged to share this with the rest of the group.”
His call to write Mr. N. saw in serving the Lord in writing horror books and carrying out duties of a Chairman of an international organization, a union of writers of horror literature.
“I received this call from the Lord, who clearly let me see my mission in writing horror books,” he wrote on.

“Well,” I said to myself, “Live and learn!”
The message made me thing about it.

I got used to reading the e-mails like “The Lord called me to write. Hey, guys, what to write about?”
Or “ How long should be the sentences and the paragraphs of the story to be approved by editors and published?”

I could go on with the extracts of this kind; there’ve been lots of them.
But this time I didn’t know what to think!
Could we assume that Jesus Christ calls to write horror books?
Could He call to write about violence, sex, pornography, and such like?!
How shall we accept then Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 6:9,10:
” Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind.
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
Well, it is not written about authors of horror books, though.

What does worry me in all these sharing, that their authors do not realize one crucial point: when God chooses us, His servants, for His mission it is a great honor for us and privilege to be His part-takers. It’s an awesome responsibility too.

Moreover, when it does happen, He gives all necessary ‘instructions’ for carrying out His divine task. Whether we want it or we don’t, we are just nominated to do what our heavenly Father wants us to do. Period.
The Bible is full of such examples. Let’s recall just a few of them, shall we?

Moses,
“And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? (Ex.3:11)
The Father’s answer in the next twelfth verse:“ And he said, Certainly I will be with thee;…”
From that moment onwards, the Father ‘tutors’ Moses till the day, when Moses, performed everything for which he had been brought into this world.

David.
Why was he chosen by our creator to fulfill His intentions? We read:
” But the LORD said unto Samuel… for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (1Samuel 16:7)
From that moment onwards the Father is with David, teaching the king how to live and serve his nation.

Hosea.
Can we, men, imagine someone from our dearest tell us to marry a harlot?
What if our father would say that?
“And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms… “ (Hosea 1:2)
Hosea accepts this command from the Father in Heaven with no questions asked:
“So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.”
From that moment onwards God leads Hosea all along the way telling him what to do.

Jonah.
When God calls Jonah to preach repentance to the Ninevites, the latter turns down the assignment and tries to flee. But God is serious about His command. He has appointed Jonah, and that means there’s only one way for him - to follow God’s will.

Habakkuk.
The Lord God instructs Habakkuk what to write and how to write:
“And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” (Habakkuk 2:2)
Habakkuk acknowledges the command from the LORD with gladness:
“Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (3:18)

Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother.
Jesus said: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matt.4:19)
From that time onwards the Lord leads them till the last breathe of their lives.

Saul from Tarsus.
The Lord talks to Saul, on the way to Damascus:
“And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”(Acts 9:6)
From that moment the Lord had been with Saul-Paul teaching him what to say, what to do, and what to write till the day of Paul’s death.

These are just a few well-known names from the Bible.
How many Christians do we know, that, having heard the voice of the Lord, answered the call and gave their lives to the Lord?
I’m sure, everyone can tell us about some.

So, what is in it for us?

We all like talking about our position in the body of Christ, referring to the epistle to the Ephesians 4:11 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;” or: 1 Corinthians 12:28 “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.”

The gifts of the Lord are an obligatory topic of our Bible studies.
We also try to place ourselves in the church of the Lord according to the call we have received (or, rather, we think, we have).

There’s nothing wrong about it, is there?
“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:7) (italics are added)

Grace is given, dear brethrens!

The Lord gives the gifts and provides everything for the realization of His gifts.
What is grace for a pastor? His flock!
What is grace for an elder? Wisdom for governing the church.
What is grace for the teacher? Clear delivering of the message of the Lord.
What is grace for the healer? To heal the body and heart of a sinner.

What is grace for a Christian writer…?
To answer the call of the Lord, to be His instrument by performing His Father’s will of
saving sinners, and to do that thru our writing!

The Father sent His son to the world to save the world!
We have no right to write about anything except this theme.
Isn’t it what we are here in the world for?

We are pastors -our readers are our flock.
We are the light to the world -we call sinners to repent and give their hearts to the Lord.
We are elders -we look after our readership.
We are evangelists -we educate our readers according to the word of God.
We are teachers-we teach our readers the God’s truth.
We are translators -in our writings we help readers to understand the scriptures better...
These are just few tasks we have to carry out, if we really claim to be Christian writers.

In his work Telling the Truth Dr. Marvin Olasky wrote:
“If even fifty new, talented, biblically directed journalists were to emerge in America during the next few years, the revitalization of Christian Journalism would be well under way…”
My thoughts are interrupted by a nice melody coming out from my computer: another e-message has been delivered.
It says: ”Hi, I’m new to the group. I feel God called me to write…”

I close my eyes and pray the Lord that this new called writer will say she desires to write for His glory!
Amen!

Lifting Eyes to the Hills.

2003-12-23T05:51:00.000-08:00

Lifting Eyes to the Hills.

George Rusky
December 2003

The narrator: George Rusky, 50, a Christian writer and teacher.
Martina: a visitor, a Czech woman
Pavel: her future husband, a Czech man.

"I’m living in the Czech Republic, writing articles for a couple of local newspapers and magazines that are printed for English-speaking readers. In my free time, I teach English at the Jazykova Skola, ( a language school) more for fun, rather than for money.

I wish I could write like the gifted Ernest Hemingway, except without his lack of Christian ideals.
I’m married with two adult sons, D., who is twenty-six, and K., who is twenty. S., my wife, will be fifty this year.
To make the picture complete, we have a ten- year old dog Cristina, a Toy-Terrier.
She was only two weeks old when S. brought to the family.

When I meet fellow-Americans for the first time, I am often asked: ”Why are you here?” with various tones, melodies and, sometimes, unpredictably, “What the hell are you doing here?” What is so great about living here in Prague?” Local folks don’t bother to ask me this question. They just figure that it is none of their business.
(A lot of my countrymen have the bad habit of being nosy; that is precisely why we get into so much trouble overseas.)

Well, this is the question I failed to answer myself, until recently.
Back in 1997, when I came here I intended to see Europe, to explore new territories, just as our ancestors did a couple of centuries ago. A well-known story, is it not?

As time passed I came to feel that Prague is a great city to live in* In a spiritual sense, I see it as the crossroads between the East and the West; the river brings commerce and goods, from the West and mysterious country folk with their ancient customs and folk-medicine.

Soon after my wife and younger son arrived, they both began liking their new city.
K. got to know, and later became a member of our local Baptist church.
There he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, and was baptized.
Can you see this chain of events? In other words, GOD brought my family and I here.
It is truly wonderful!

Then, only then, I very clearly realized, why God had brought me here.

Well, after such an introduction, it’s the time to tell you the story.
It was Sunday, the day when I sometimes meet with people and talk to them about the Lord and the Bible, sort of Bible studies, a home course, if you want.

I’m fond of these meetings, where my listeners are able to share their understanding of God, who He is, and what they think about Christianity, and how we all have to live according to the word of God. We discuss a lot of various questions connected with this subject.

Along with the writing and teaching English, I consider this part of my ministry very important.
On that Sunday I was expecting M. and P. a young couple who came into my life to learn English and to learn about GOD. I usually try to combine
both lessons into one, but I had to confine my religious teaching at home.

Matina and Pavel seemed to be interested in learning about GOD, so I invited them to our apartment.
Since that day, they have visited me several times.
I must say, these meetings were not only very warm and pleasant, but useful in learning English and understanding of the nature of God. We began practicing as we started reading the Bible in English. Generally speaking, our friendship grew and developed.

As I waited for them to come I was thinking about the course and what were we going to study, when the telephone rang.
It was Martina.
“I’ve just arrived by bus,” she said.” I’m coming to see you in twenty minutes. Pavel called me and said he didn’t know if he would come. He is sorry.”
“May I come without him, yes?” she asked in her nice voice with an irresistible accent.
“Yes, sure, no problem,” I replied.

I put my mobile phone on the desk. Something was wrong. I felt it even though I didn’t know what it was.
I tried to pull my thoughts together.
“I come without him, yes?”

Did Martina say that? Did she say she was coming without her boy friend this time into my apartment where we were supposed to be alone with no one else there?
“What seems to be the problem?” I said in a strong voice.
“We are going to read the third chapter of Matthew and discuss it, aren’t we?” I went on.
I was just about to continue my speech in the same vein, but suddenly I saw Martina’s eyes, her smile, her hair, the picture was so vivid and real, as if she was next to me.

I even could sense the aroma of the perfume she was wearing.
I remembered, when I first saw her, I was charmed by her look.
I felt a warm wave spreading on my body, the tongue got dry.
I couldn’t control my thoughts which now led me to the images of her naked body with a perfect shape of her breasts and smell of her skin. I imagined us in bed with all the details of the moment.

I could hardly breathe!. The flow of sexy pictures overwhelmed me. The vision was so strong and real, that I lost control. Faces of Jesus, my wife, my children all of my dearest ones changed one another in front of my eyes.
Yet, there was someone else, who’s whispering I heard. It was going through my ears into my brain and chained my will, pushing me into the act!

Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew it was terribly wrong to follow his instructions and not to be strong enough to struggle against him.
I suddenly realized! I had to do something to stop this flow of images!
But how could I do that?
“Isn’t she a good partner? You know now what to do when she comes! “The voice kept on whispering.
”You don’t have to read Mathew to her, it’s a long ago story. Use this chance; answer the call of your human nature. Both of you will just love it! Nobody will ever know that…”

“But my Father in Heaven will!” I gathered all my power and shouted.
“Come on, don’t be stupid,” he continued. ”Hath your Father said, Ye shall not love a woman you want?” He started laughing at me, waiting for my reaction.
Something dramatically familiar was in the question…

Yes, now I remembered, from where I had known the question.
I knew also, that alone, I could do nothing against him. I reached the Bible and breathed out: ”Jesus, help me, please!”

I repeated again and again, or it might have been just my thoughts, rather than words. I tried to imagine Christ’s face, His hands his eyes, the ones I saw in the movie Jesus Christ
“My Lord, only you can help me now, please do it for me. I’m not strong enough, I’m so sorry. Forgive me for not being that strong,” I begged…

Then, in an instant, my dream was over. I opened my eyes, and whoosh! The voluptuous vision disappeared! I found myself with the Bible in my hand, kneeling on my knees. I felt a great sense of relief, as if a giant boulder had fallen off my shoulders!

“Oh, Jesus, thank you, my Lord. I knew you will never let me down, when I need you”
I said.
I slowly stood up, closed my face with my hands, trying to realize what had happened a few minutes ago. The Lord helped me. There was no doubt about it. Hallelujah!
“Thank you my Lord, thank you for your help…”

The doorbell brought me back to reality. I opened the door.
Martina was smiling at the door, and next to her, stood Pavel.
“A strange thing happened to my boss. He, all of a sudden, changed the time of our meeting today, so,” Pavel continued,” I can have the pleasure of seeing you!”
His words rang in my head: “The pleasure of seeing you!”
“You can’t imagine, what a pleasure for me to see you,” I said, smiling.

No, I didn’t just say it, I practically shouted, and laughed hysterically!
They both had a quizzical expression on their faces but they didn’t ask me any thing. They didn’t know, what had happened to me just a few moments before, and they never will!

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” (Psalms 121:1,2)