Austin Kleon teaches me how to steal and fake it

This is THE most awesome-ist advice I have read in a long time.

How To Steal Like An Artist (And 9 Other Things Nobody Told Me) - Austin Kleon
I was exposed to this article a few days ago and ever since I have forwarded it on to anyone I think would benefit from it’s humorous yet insightful evaluation of what he believes can help make us successful creative beings.
Here are my favorite take-aways: (Visit his blog…it’s fabulous!)

Nothing is original

I say this all of the time even though I sometimes like to think that I could come up with that big idea.  Read what Austin has to say about this particular theory.

Don’t wait until you know who you are to start making things

That’s right!  I’m still “finding myself” as they say. Working on the things we love, only help us to discover who we are…brilliant!

Fake it til you make it

The next time someone asks me, “What do you do?”, you know what I’m going to say?  “I’m a writer”…because I am…I wrote this, didn’t I?

How to Get Into Venues Using a Press Pass | eHow.com

I just might try this! How to Get Into Venues Using a Press Pass eHow.com

Social Media and the Financial Industry

You never know what you don't know, until you learn something...

For anyone in Finance who is interested in using social media to facilitate further engagement with your customers...
I was asked recently by an old colleague of mine, to take a look at a copy of guidelines for the financial industry as outlined by FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority). At first I thought, I was going to have to break out the law books, but FINRA's Regulatory Notice 10-06: Social Media Web Sites Guidance on Blogs and Social Networking Web Sites, is actually very layman-friendly and not as ominous as I presumed.

The areas that concerned me the most were the rules regarding:

• Q1: Are firms required to retain records of communications related to the broker dealer’s business that are made through social media sites?
• Q3: What factors should firms consider when developing procedures for supervising interactive electronic communications on a social media site that recommend specific investment products?
• Q4: Does a blog constitute an “interactive electronic forum” for purposes of Rule 2210?
• Q8: If a customer or other third party posts content on a social media site established by the firm or its personnel, does FINRA consider the third-party content to be under Rule 2210?

The answers weren't scary at all and I think if planned properly, a social networking strategy can be executed as long as the rules are followed impeccably.

 

Listening to your Heart: A 5 Minute Practice

There are various approaches to meditation. My biggest challenge over the years has been the struggle to quiet my mind; my inner voices. But I found the best time for me to practice is immediately upon waking up. I quickly check in with myself just before my brain has a chance to inundate me with anything (tasks, bills, worries) I have on my plate.
Something about those first five minutes upon awakening in the morning, reminds me of when I was a kid trying to hear the sound of the ocean in the seashells* my mother collected. I couldn't hear a thing no matter how hard I tried. All I could hear was what I had later heard described as "white noise". Well that "noise" is what I now focus on while I listen to my heart. Instinct, God, spirit, the Universe, heart. Call it whatever you need to, to make u feel comfortable.  In the end, it is the core source of who we are as beings in the here and now.

The Practice...

When u wake up, open your eyes and make sure you're really awake. Then close your eyes and listen to what your heart is telling you. And don't forget to breath.
Your heart is not a parent telling you what to do. It's not judging you...it's your very own energy giving you the message of the day. Shhhhhh. Don't ask for anything. Just hone in on the message you're receiving. You have the option to accept or reject the message. Write it down and continue your day with the message always lingering in the background. At the end of your day ask yourself: Did that message help me today?

Try it out! Let me know how it goes. I'd love to hear.

By the way, in case you're wondering....This morning, my message was to tell someone about my five minute practice.


*My Mom's seashells looked like this...