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07/26/2010 Fresh Eyes
Any time I’ve written or created something, just when I think it’s exactly the way I want it, I’ll fiddle with it to make it better. Sometimes that works; sometimes it doesn’t.
I have a tendency to over-think things; I also try to address every possible objection or question someone might have. I do this by adding more and more and more and more information. (See what I mean?) By the time I finish, not only are my readers confused, but I am, too.
The best time for me to have some fresh eyes review my work is right after I finish my first real draft. Instead of going over and over it, trying to “fix it” or make it perfect, I hand it over to an objective party. In my case, that objective party is usually my husband. He has a very logical mind and doesn’t hesitate speaking it. (Of course, that fact drives me crazy sometimes, but it can be useful in small doses.)
A friend, co-worker or pastor might work well for you. Make sure you choose someone who is skilled in your craft, someone whose opinion you respect.
If you set your manuscript (or other creative work) aside for a while, sometimes those fresh eyes can turn out to be your own. That’s when you find missing words, misspelled words, typos —and read what you actually wrote instead of what you thought you wrote.
So when your vision is blurry from overwork, go to your “fresh eyes” to see clearly.
07/16/2010 You’re Either In or You’re Out
During a particularly tough and discouraging week where one thing went wrong after another, I was tempted to throw in the towel. I even sensed that there were “forces” out there that would be quite pleased if I did. However, the message I heard from the Lord was: You’re either in or you’re out—there’s no in between. Yoda put it this way: “Do or do not... there is no try.”
To do the best you can with all your might and resources no matter what it looks like—now that is excellence. Doing things halfway is like a baseball player who gets a hit, but doesn’t run the bases because he sees the centerfielder standing right under the ball. Doing things halfway is like an author writing a book but never making the effort to get it published. Doing things halfway is like a person starting a business just for the tax write-off. How does that honor God?
Colossians 3:23-24 says:Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
No matter what you’re working at, do it with all your might. When the Lord wants you to stop and move on, I’m sure he can make his voice heard.
07/12/2010 Professionalism
If you’re looking to run a regular column in your monthly publication, ask the potential columnist how long they’ve been doing this work and how many columns they have available for you to review. In other words, have they proven themselves in the marketplace over time?
And make sure all features are submitted in a format that's easy to manipulate so it can meet the specifications of your particular publication.
If you choose to use some FREE features, make sure they add value to your publications—sometimes “FREE” can mean it’s only worth what you paid for it.
Churchmouse Publications is the leader in Christian syndication. We are NOT a vanity publisher or a pay-per-click content site. We are a PROFESSIONAL WEB-BASED PUBLISHER—and our company and producers reflect that fact.
07/10/2010 Excellence
Here are some powerful quotes on excellence from those in all walks of life.
Effectiveness is doing the right thing. Efficiency is just doing the right thing. Excellence is doing the right thing at the right time, and doing it well. ~ Stephen Anderson (Info unavailable)
Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek. ~ Mario Gabriele Andretti (1940- ) American auto racing driver
Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. ~ Aristotle (384-322 BC) Greek philosopher & teacher
Excellence is best described as doing the right things right – selecting the most important things to be done and then accomplishing them 100 percent correctly. ~ Author Unknown
Whatever you are, be a good one. ~ Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) 16th President of the United States
It takes less time to do a thing right, than it does to explain why you did it wrong. ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) American educator & poet
It is our best work that God wants, not the dregs of our exhaustion. I think he must prefer quality to quantity. ~ George MacDonald (1824-1905) Scottish author, poet & Christian minister
Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude. ~ Ralph S. Marston, Jr. (1900-1965) Motivational author & publisher
Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way. ~ Booker Taliaferro “T” Washington (1856-1915) African American educator, orator & author
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