How to achieve an enormous effect of your speech

"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:

1. Prepare and practice your morning speech.
2. During the day collect only positive information and deliver only good news.
3. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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?

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.

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 )

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”

“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

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

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)

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…

" How can I start writing?"

 " How can I start writing?"

George Rusky
November 2005

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

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

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?”

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?"

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.

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

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.

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.