What’s So Good About Christmas?
Issue #2231
- WEALTHY: An inspiring look at success in the face of adversity (Michael Masterson)
- HEALTHY: Beat SAD and enjoy your winter (Jon Herring)
- WISE: Paul Coelho on fighting for what’s important to you
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- How to avoid airport delays (Lori Allen)
- 10 little things Jessica loves about the holidays
- It’s Good to Know… about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Add "denizen" to your vocabulary
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"There is suffering in life, and there are defeats. No one can avoid them. But it’s better to lose some of the battles in the struggles for your dreams than to be defeated without ever knowing what you’re fighting for."
Paul Coelho
What’s So Good About Christmas?
We meet at the Green Owl for breakfast twice a month. He saunters in, red-faced and surly looking. He has the look of the man he is – a survivor of a bad childhood, three bad marriages, 20 years of alcohol addiction, and a bout with prostate cancer.
Yes, he’s a survivor. And he’s surviving still. About a year ago, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He’s already outlived the doctor’s projections by six months, and he’s going strong. He doesn’t like to talk about the disease. "What’s the use?" he says.
"You’re right," I say. "How are your eggs?"
Kieran is one of my closest friends. I met him 30 years ago when I was running a publishing business and he was looking for work as a writer. We hit it off right away. He was on the wagon then and he stayed on the wagon for three years, producing some of the best editorial copy I was getting at the time. And then he disappeared. ("When I take one drink, it’s the end," he told me. "I will ruin everything I have in a matter of months or weeks.")
He came back after about a year to tell me he was sober again, and asked if I’d give him some work.
"Why not?" I said. "You’re the best writer I’ve got."
He never forgot that gesture. And our friendship deepened. When he got married several years later, I was his best man. Since then, he’s stayed sober and has had a successful 15-year career.
He’s made decent money as a business and financial writer, and better money after I convinced him to take up copywriting. ("I’ve told you a dozen times I don’t want to write that kind of stuff," he would tell me. "But let me show you the numbers," I would say.)
He also began writing biographies for young adults. He wrote about William Penn and John Kennedy and the settling of the Old West. He didn’t make much money from writing those books, but it gave him a great deal of satisfaction.
Kieran and I shared a desire to write "real" books outside the business arena. While I was getting my short stories published in small literary magazines, he was getting paid to write books about historical figures he admired. When we met for breakfast, we’d talk about our projects.
About two years ago, he began his most ambitious project. A book on a shipwreck – this time meant for adults. He had been a part-time sailor most of his life, and has wanted to write about ships and sailing for as long as I’ve known him. Spurred on by some research he’d been doing for a book on Captain John Smith, he came up with the idea of writing a book about a famous boat, the Sea Venture, which went down in the Bermudas in 1609.
He shopped the idea to dozens of publishers – and then, lo and behold, he got a letter from St. Martins Press, saying they wanted to do the book. St. Martins is one of the most prestigious book publishers in the United States. In terms of our mutual ambition of "legitimate" authorship, Kieran had struck gold.
I helped him a little with the first few chapters. In the book, he kindly acknowledged my contribution, although I did less than he said. A year later, the book was published to great acclaim. One expert said it will be the definitive work on the Sea Venture for the next 100 years.
We don’t talk about the Sea Venture these days. We talk about what we are working on now – a book of poetry I wrote that he is editing, and a book he’s writing on the Lost Colony of Roanoke that I’ve been encouraging him to keep up with.
He doesn’t have a lot of energy for writing. The chemotherapy and lung cancer gobble up most of it. But he does have an hour or two every day when he has the strength to put in some work. He’s doing 200 words a day – short of the 500-word standard he kept before the cancer got him, but good enough.
His wife has her own health problems that take up a good deal of his time. And since he can no longer work on anything but the new book, he’s not making any money. Times are tough for Kieran – tougher than they are for you and me. But he doesn’t complain. He just gathers his nerves together once a day and gets to his writing.
I have forced Kieran to record a series of audio tapes that detail his amazing life. One day, I will write his biography – and I’m sure it will be my best book. In the meantime, he and I have our bimonthly breakfasts together. "Sometimes the eggs come out just the way I like ‘em," he says. "And sometimes they are f*cked. But you got to eat them if you are going to get through another day."
Do yourself and Kieran a favor this Christmas. Buy a copy of his book, Sea Venture, for yourself and another couple of copies as gifts for a few good friends. Send them this essay along with the book. And tell them to enjoy their Christmas. Tempus fugit. Seize the day.
[Ed. Note: Get Michael Masterson's insights into becoming successful in your business and personal life, achieving financial independence, and accomplishing all your goals on his new website. You'll find updates on all of Michael's books, news on upcoming ETR events, Michael's blog, and room to send in your comments and questions. Check it out today.]
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Reader Feedback: "Thank you for the part you’ve played in helping me orient my life."
"It’s long past time I should have dropped you a note to thank you for the part you’ve played in helping me orient my life. I have been reading ETR at varying levels of commitment for the past few years, and as I have grown in personal confidence, it has prepared the soil for me to be much more receptive to other motivational material.
"After a few years of sitting on the sidelines, I finally purchased the AWAI copywriting program, and am a little over halfway through it. I am really enjoying it and look forward to making a career of copywriting.
"It’s difficult to quantify the impact that ETR and your mentorship have played on my progress, but it has played a key role, and almost surely will continue to do so. Thank you again very much for your generosity in sharing your wisdom and experience."
- Tim Bloedow
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Got the Winter Blues? The Sun Will Make You Shine!
By Jon Herring
Do you get a little sadder in the winter, when darkness falls early and the sun is hidden in the clouds? If so, you’re not alone. Seasonal changes cause more than 25 percent of the population to get the "winter blues" – technically known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
The symptoms include increased cravings for sweets and carbohydrates, longer sleep patterns, lethargy, fatigue, irritability, weight gain, insomnia, lowered motivation, and decreased sociability. In some cases, the long dark winter can even bring on full-blown clinical depression.
But there are several ways to prevent and treat this common condition:
- The best way to conquer SAD is to spend time outside in bright, natural sunlight. It’s especially good to go out and play in the snow. There is a lower incidence of SAD in regions that get regular amounts of snow, probably because the snow reflects light.
- Phototherapy can also help lift your spirits in the winter. It involves exposing yourself to a light box that approximates the spectrum of daylight for 30 minutes to two hours a day.
- Most important, be sure to take a vitamin D supplement during the winter months. In clinical trials, vitamin D has been shown to relieve depression more effectively than broad-spectrum light exposure. In fact, in one study that compared vitamin D supplementation with the daily use of a light box for two hours, the symptoms of depression in the vitamin D group were resolved completely. Meanwhile, the phototherapy group saw no significant improvement.
If you’re not able to spend time in the sun during the winter, you will need a good bit more vitamin D than the government’s recommended daily allowance of 400 IU. Dr. John Cannell of the Vitamin D Council suggests 5,000 IU per day for adults during the winter months, and 1,000 to 2,000 IU per day for children. I don’t know of any multivitamins that contain this much vitamin D, but Carlson’s makes a convenient 2,000 IU soft gel that you can find here.
By being proactive, you can fight back against seasonal depression and enjoy winter… and the holidays… just like you did when you were young.
[Ed. Note: Jon Herring, a copywriter for Early to Rise, is co-author, with Dr. Al Sears, of the book Your Best Health Under the Sun. Discover how the healing power of sunlight can improve your mood, increase your fitness, and protect you against dozens of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Click here to learn more about Your Best Health Under the Sun.]
Avoiding Airport Delays and Other Noble Holiday Goals
By Lori Allen
It seems to me that I spend more time in airports during November and December than I do the entire rest of the year. And it’s not because I schedule more flights this time of year. It’s usually because of longer security check-in lines, delayed flights, delayed (and sometimes missing) luggage, and missed or canceled connections.
If you’re planning to travel by air, here are my top three tips for making it through the airport as fast (and as painlessly) as possible…
- Don’t book tickets on multiple airlines. It’s fine to book a one-way flight out on one airline and then book another one-way flight home on a different airline – but don’t book connecting flights on different carriers. If your first flight is delayed, the second carrier is not responsible for fixing your connection. And this time of year – when most flights are oversold – is not a good time to risk getting stuck on standby.
- Plan ahead for security. Put your wallet, cellphone, keys, and belt in an exterior pocket of your carry-on bag before you get to the front of the line. Wear slip-on shoes and keep your liquids in a resealable plastic bag where you can easily reach them.
- Most of all – be nice. This is a stressful time of year for everyone, and airport personnel are getting gripes on all sides. You always catch more flies with honey – and if you get stuck at the airport, you’ll want those people on your side.
[Ed. Note: Lori Allen is the Director of AWAI's Travel Division. For 93 more time-saving, money-making travel tips, click here. Find deals, ensure a smoother trip, and even find out how to get paid for your travels.]
10 Little Things I Love About the Holidays
By Jessica Kurrle, ETR’s Marketing Associate
1. Tacky Christmas trees. Colored bubble lights, tinsel, glitter, gemstones – the works! The tackier the better!
2. Decorating our palm trees with twinkle lights. I feel like I am in a Corona beer commercial, and that always makes me smile.
3. Watching my yellow Labrador, Buddy Kurrle, get so excited about the brand-new toy or bone he gets for being good all year.
4. Festive gatherings that I can use as an excuse to drink or eat a little bit more than normal. Five pounds… ehh!?! I can work it off next year.
5. The aroma of holiday-themed candles, coffee, and baked goods. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, peppermint, and pumpkin are all things that remind me of good times with my family and friends.
6. The passing down of traditions and family recipes. This year, my mom helped me make my first-ever Thanksgiving dinner. She shared all my favorite recipes from dinners past, and taught me how to create good memories for my future family.
7. The desire to hibernate. There is something about this time of year that sets off some instinct I have to slow down, rest, and snuggle on the couch in a sweatshirt to watch movies with my husband.
8. Red wine and hard cider! I usually drink Prosecco and Sauvignon Blanc. (Which I love!) But when the air turns a bit crisp, a nice red wine or a tangy hard cider soothes the soul and warms me from the inside out.
9. Getting back to basics. Sometimes the machine that is "The Holidays" can overwhelm me. Finding a way to make this time of year meaningful is always a challenge that I enjoy tackling.
10. Really cool wrapping paper. The funkier the better. I like non-traditional patterns and colors.
It’s Good to Know: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
The story of plucky Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a deeply ingrained piece of Christmas mythology. So it may surprise you to learn that it is not a traditional folk tale. A young copywriter named Robert May created Rudolph in 1939 as a promotional tool for the Montgomery Ward chain of department stores.
The company printed up the story, and gave away 2.4 million copies of the booklet to customers that Christmas. It was so popular that millions more copies were given away over the next several years. It wasn’t until May persuaded his bosses to turn the copyright over to him that it became a financial success. Under May’s direction, Rudolph appeared in cartoons, books, songs, and more over the years, securing both May’s fortune and the story’s place as a holiday staple.
(Source: Snopes.com)
15 Minutes A Day To Personal Freedom in 2008…
Just think, reaching your goals this year could make the difference…
Between retiring with just enough to get by… or with a millionaire’s portfolio…
Between having a job you dread going to every day…. or the job you’ve always dreamed about…
- Charlie Byrne
Word to the Wise: Denizen
"Denizen" (DEN-uh-sun) is another way to say "dweller" or "inhabitant." The word is derived from the Latin for "from within."
Example (as used by Peter Gay in My German Question): "Goethe, who visited Berlin only once, found the ‘wit and irony’ of its denizens quite remarkable."
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker ... build your self-confidence and intellect ... increase your attractiveness to others ... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Michael Masterson
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2007
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