I hope you will find the following useful and inspirational. If you do, why not forward it to friends? We never sell or buy mailing lists, so all our subscribers come from referrals from people like you.
Sound mind, sound body (in three parts)
1. As you sit and read this, check your neck, shoulders and arms for tension. Those of us who spend time at a keyboard tend to hunch and to carry the weight of the day in those areas. Quick remedy: Sit up straight, lift your right arm straight into the air, let your left arm dangle down loosely. Now stretch up the right arm, stretch down the left arm. Stretch all the way out to your fingertips. Hold for 15 seconds. Then switch arms and do the same things. Do this three times per side. Ahh, much better!
2. Tea-drinkers' alert: Probably you already are aware that tea (especially green tea) contains substances that help counteract the free radicals in your body. Recent research shows that these substances are most effectively released if you steep your tea for 10 minutes (about 75 percent of their potential are released if you steep for just three minutes). Best news: The cheaper teas tend to be the most healthful.
3. Maybe you have heard about the anti-depressive power of St. Johns Wort. Even better news: Recent research shows that this herb also counters the growth of certain types of bacteria, including some that are resistant to penicillin and other antibiotics.
Try to remember
A study at Tufts University found that people find it easier to remember something when they look to the right. You might also try the following, which is based on Neuro-Linguistic Programming studies: If you're trying to remember something visual, look up to both sides; if you are trying to remember something auditory (e.g., something someone said), keep your eyes level but try all the positions from left to right. And if you are trying to remember something that had emotional content, try looking down and first to one side, then the other.
Pen and paper: What a concept!
As handy as e-mail is for quick messages, sometimes old-fashioned pen and paper (or at least computer and paper) do the job better. A study at Wake Forest University took at look at how much weight members of Congress gave to their e-mail. The answer: very little. They put their e-mails on almost the same "no response needed" level as petitions and mass mailings. What impressed them most was a personal letter. A personal visit was even more powerful. Whether you are writing to a valued friend, trying to sell an editor an article idea, or making a business contact, consider what the impact would be of a personal letter, maybe typed or printed, but with a hand-written P.S.
Did you know that these items are only a little taste of the kinds of creativity and productivity tips and techniques you will find in every issue of "Brainstorm," my bi-monthly newsletter? Each issue is jam-packed with useful information, and in that format I have space to go into more depth about the ways you can turbo-charge your work and your life. Note: A Brainstorm subscription makes a great present.
To subscribe in the United States, send a $19.95 check or money order to Brainstorm, 7957 Hemingway Ave., San Diego CA 92120. In the UK, send £14.95 to Brainstorm, 85 Ridgmount Gardens, London WC1E 7AY. Wherever in the world you are, you can charge the subscription to your Visa or Mastercard by calling us +44 207 580 4997.
Are you lying?
In the last issue we looked at a lie many people tell themselves, from the book "Seventeen Lies that are Holding You Back & the Truth that Will Set You Free" by Steve Chandler. Here is one more: "It is all about who you know." Chandler says no, it is all about what you do.
Having worked in the film and television business for a while, I had to think about whether this is true. Connections count for a lot in this field. In fact, who you know has a lot to do with what you do. If you do something that impresses people favorably, they become your fans. After that, knowing them can be a major asset. When I had to hire two people recently for a writing project, yes, the people I chose were people I knew, but they also were people I knew to be excellent writers.
A related truth: If you do not let people see what you do, they cannot be impressed by it. I do not know if it is the same in your business, but many inexperienced writers are so afraid someone will steal their ideas that they never want to tell anyone about their stories. They do not know yet that ideas are a dime a dozen; it is how you execute an idea that is really important.
Action: If you think the foregoing might apply to you, take 10 minutes to write down who in your field you would like to know, who might be in a position to help you get ahead. Then go over all these names and figure out what you could do in order to impress those people with your ability. It might be as simple as writing to them with a sample of your work. Many will not have the time to answer, but if even one or two do, that could be enough for a breakthrough.
A quote from J.D. Salinger: "I am actually a paranoid in reverse. I suspect that people are secretly plotting to make me happy." I am not sure when he said this, but considering how grumpy he is these days, I think he has changed his mind. Nonetheless, what a great philosophy. For a day, try paying attention to all the things that go right, the trains that are on time, the counter clerks who give you a smile, the movie you see that assumes you have an I.Q. of at least 100. Compare how you feel at the end of that day with how you normally feel. It might become a habit. Til next time, Jurgen
P.S.: Check out our web site, www.BrainstormNet.com. You also might enjoy my book "Do Something Different." It's available now in the U.K. and scheduled for U.S. publication in October. You can pre-order it in the United States from Amazon.com.
Editor's note: Requests to subscribe (or unsubscribe) should be sent to BstormUK@aol.com. We also welcome your comments and suggestions, and we do not sell or share our mailing lists. (Contents copyright 2001, Jurgen Wolff)
