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Paine was the impassioned democratic voice of the Age of Revolution, and this volume brings together his best-known works--"Common Sense," "The American Crisis," "Rights of Man," "The Age of Reason," along with a selection of letters, articles and pamphlets that emphasizes Paine's American years.Price: $35.00
This guest post is by Aman Basanti of ageofmarketing.com.
Yamamoto Tsunetomo’s Hagakure is the most famous text on bushido, the warrior code of the samuari. Written in an era when Japan was obsessed with warfare and martial prowess, the book offers instruction on how a samurai should live and die.
The most famous line in Hagakure is, “I have found that bushido means to die. It means that when one has to choose between life and death, one quickly chooses the side of death.”
Modern scholars find such a statement horrifying. The author’s obsession with death is disturbing. Even the Edo Confucians of the time condemned Tsunetomo’s morbid teaching.
But if you look past the shock and absurdity of the statement, there is logic and sensibility behind Tsunetomo’s advice. In fact, once you understand what the statement is really saying, you realize that Tsunetomo is not preaching obsession of death; he is preaching freedom from its obsession.
What Tsunetomo is saying is that being afraid of death attracts it. Fear of death paralyses the warrior in battle stopping him from thinking clearly and acting correctly. When you accept death, however, you neutralise its paralysing effects. You become apt at dealing with the stress of combat. You become better at mobilising your martial skill, therefore increasing your chance of survival.
It is a great paradox that by accepting death you increase your chances of surviving in battle.
But you are not a samurai. Why do Tsunetomo’s words matter to you?
Copyright Galina Barskaya - Fotolia.comAfter the excitement of researching the idea, of thinking of the possibilities, of counting the potential dollars in your head, doubt starts to set in. Do I have the time to do this? Will the people I have to market to or network with like my products, ideas and style? Will I be able to make this blog successful in time to quit my job?
You put off the idea for a week, a month … before you know it, another six months have passed and you are not much closer to execution of your blog idea.
I certainly felt this way when I decided to start my blog. I wanted to get the design right. I wanted to get my strategy right. While some of the planning was important, much of it was just procrastination. I wanted to launch in November 2010, but I ended up launching in May 2011—six months behind schedule. In the end I stopped trying to get it perfect and took the plunge, and am glad for it. Improvement, like education, is a lifelong activity. You cannot wait till you know everything before you start.
Even after they get started, many bloggers do not give it their all. They do not work at it seriously enough. Why? Because that way they can still hold onto the mental comfort of, “I could have made it if I tried.” Just think of how many people you have met who will look at a successful person and say, “I could have been him or her if I tried as hard.”
Unfortunately, mental comforts do not put food on the table. They do not make you a celebrity. They do not win you interviews or awards. All they do is keep you ticking along until you are six feet under and not in a position to do anything.
If you are such an individual, Tsunetomo’s words could not be timelier. Accept failure. See it is as another aspect of life, as another season in the year, as another colour in the rainbow. Do not think of it as an end, but another starting point.
Don’t buy it? Then take a look at the list below. These are famous individuals who failed before they succeeded.
Abraham Lincoln went bankrupt running a general store. Had to surrender everything he had, including his horse and navigation gear. Then went on to become the President of America.Walt Disney went bankrupt after his first film studio failed. Then invented Mickey Mouse and started the juggernaut that we today know as Walt Disney.Henry Ford went bankrupt after starting his first car business, Detroit Automobile. Then founded Ford Motor Company and never looked back.Failure is not the worst thing that could happen to you, it is mediocrity. Failure lets you move on, mediocrity just stalls you.
Is the fear of failure holding you back? Has it done so in the past? Share your experiences in the comments section below.
Aman Basanti has written for a number of A-list blogs including ProBlogger, MarketingProfs and Business Insider. He shares his secrets to getting guest posts on A-list blogs in his new FREE e-book – Guest Posting Secrets: 25 Tips to Help You Get More Guest Posts. Visit Ageofmarketing.com/guest-posting-secrets to download it now for FREE (No opt-in required).
This guest post is by Kevin Cullis of MacStartup.com.
"If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins."-Benjamin Franklin
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime; sell him fish supplies and a fishing guide and you have a company.
Most of us start a blog with not much thought other than just to start writing. But at some point you say: "I'm putting in all this time in my blog, how do I make money from it?"
There are two parts of each company, including blogging: there's the craft of your company (graphic art, doctor, lawyer, blogging), then there is the company of your vessel (making a profit from your craft).
Starting a blog first requires the three main questions:
Why are you writing a blog, what is your purpose for writing?How do you get it done, what specific actions you will get the desired results?What will your expected results of writing your blog?So what blogging and fisheries have in common? Let's take a quick look at points 1 and 3, and a longer look at 2.
Question anybody if they have fished, and most people will say "Yes." However, when asked, "what are the steps to take to go fishing?" most people are stumped.
Blogging is no different. While you can start a blog and start writing posts, it is similar to casting your fishing line in the nearest Lake, pond or stream with no fishing lure, bait on the hook — or even a hook. You must have a good reason to be there.
If you are fishing for fun or the love of fishing, that's one thing: grab some gear and hang the "gone fishing" sign. If you hungry because you're fishing, this takes on a whole new perspective and you will hopefully put in some serious thought, or search for answers to get food on your kitchen table.
Results is done in two ways:
take action and learn from your mistakes and figure out what the best way to get results, orlearn of others and their errors, thus cutting down the time needed to get the results you want.Learning means having the right answers, and implementing them in the correct order, to increase your chances of catching the fish (writing your blog). Even then, there are no guarantees. So here are the steps to a more successful blog (and catch fish):
Step 1: who is your ideal customer/blog reader? Describe who your ideal clients and, in some detail. You need to know the "fish" that you are fishing for, or that ideal fish tuna, salmon and rainbow trout. If money is no object, you can use the money to travel to Alaska salmon fishing and start paying. Most of us have not, however, that kind of budget, so we grab a fishing rod and head to the nearest fishing hole ejected to a line. Blogging is no different in that you need to know who your audience is and a small enough niche to the expert that everyone goes to.Step 2: which problem solves your solution/blog? What is your audience looking for? What is their ideal solution? In other words, what are your "fish" hungry for? What a salmon eat depends on age, gender and location, and fishing is about finding the right four or five baits or lures that work to increase your chances of catching salmon. Blogging resources providing answers your audience is looking for. You can write blogs and guest blogs all day long with no focus, but you go business-or results-hungry if you don't look at the results of your blog and make the necessary changes. Sometimes blogging, like fishing, requires trial and error to become successful. I blogged about the initial and initials in iWork pages for my book to make because I worked out the solution, and within weeks it became one of my top viewed posts. If you cast the line not never, you get a "bite". Please test and change to get results you want.Step 3: where are your customers/readers? Where they visit, hang, and connect with other readers of their tribe of offline and/or online connections? You need to know where are the ideal locations or "awesome fishing spots" for your customers/readers. Try salmon fishing in the hinterland of Kentucky and you'll be hungry. Write a guest post about Typepad for a WordPress website and you will be rejected because it does not connect with their readers. So, where are your ideal fish.Step 4: why should your customer choose your product/blog about a similar? What makes your product different, better, or make it stand out? Choose the best "bait" on your local fishing shop or what is in your box to tackle for salmon works. Your blog "ACE" has an ideal message for ideal reader's problem. What are the distinctive advantages of your blog from others? What is your hook?Step 5: how to make your customers buying decisions about your product? What makes them Tick about how they choose your product? You must have the ideal technique to lure your "fish". Plop ping just the hook in the water can not attract a fish. It takes a different technique to "hook" every kind of fish. blogging is no different in that your audience is different from those who read books or magazines. Google Analytics gives you the advantage of content change your overnight to "starve" needs of your audience.Step 6: when is the best time to promote your product to your customer? How many times have you to talk with your customers to consider them and then buy your product? You need to know the ideal time to your line to "hook" your fish "objects". Fish have specific times that they feed, which is no different to marketing during the holidays, anniversaries or special events such as weddings. In this case, as with most an audience or customer, you need to cast your line when they are ready to buy, not when you're ready to sell. The great thing about blogs is the internet guest blog "chum" you can spread over the internet "waters." Then upload a relevant post (casting your line and lure) and watch the "chum" guest post lead traffic to your blog site.These six W — really five w and H — are the basis for creating a successful blog. While it is easy to "spray and pray" your blog the contents with the hope of its success, it is better to look at the results of your post to see where your "hunger" blog reader take you. If you have a blog comment post bite, "Hook 'em, Dano!"
Kevin Cullis is a former officer of the u.s. air force and considers himself as an entrepreneur, Mac Evangelist, Business Geek, man, published author of a book of Mac company, readaholic, analytical, balding. He is the founder of MacStartup.com.
