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Write for You News & Notes Words Working for You
April 2010/Vol. 5, #3

Welcome to the latest issue of Write for You News & Notes with some words of wisdom on writing, business, and life. If you'd like to share any books or favorite links with our readers, send us an e-mail. And be sure to check our web site for ways that we can help you with your business.

Nancy Passow

in this issue
  • Book of the Month . . . The Power of a Positive No
  • "Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On"
  • Giving Back
  • Try Constant Contact for Your E-mail Marketing

  • "Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On"

    Are you familiar with the Serenity Prayer? "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference." Why do we waste so much energy on the things we can't do anything about? I keep reminding myself to, as Jimmy Buffet puts it, "breathe in, breathe out, move on." Only I don't always follow through.

    The ladies at LeadStar (Courtney and Angie, authors of Leading from the Front), in their latest "Leadership Moment" e-mail called "Let It Go", offer their own advice for letting go. Start by making a list of all those things that are driving you crazy. Look at your list and divide it into the things you can change and the things you can't. Now, take the list of things that you have no control over, tear it up, and throw it away. It may only be symbolic, but those things are gone and you can now move on. If you prefer to save paper, type the list on your computer, send it to Trash, and then hit the "empty trash button" -- make sure your speakers are turned up -- and listen to that satisfying "crunch" as the Trash is emptied.


    Giving Back

    Giving back is an important part of my life and my business -- I consider it part of my values, part of what makes me who I am. There are various charities and special causes that I support either through my work or my personal life -- sometimes a mix of both. And although I give to them -- I certainly get something back. I'd like to share these causes with you -- and also ask for your help.

    First are the various professional organizations I belong to (you can find links to these organizations to the right), where I have served on the boards (or will serve on the board) and provided my expertise in writing and marketing. It is never enough to just belong to an organization -- if you want to meet people and get known, you have to work for the organization. And if the work you do showcases your talents, all the better.

    Next is the YWCA of Bergen County. Six years ago I was elected to the YW's Board of Directors. For the past three years I've been board secretary (serving on the executive committee) and recently added chairing the PR & Marketing Committee and the Advocacy Committee. Serving on the board has been a true eye-opening experience; instead of just managing my small business, I am helping to manage a multi-million dollar business. To learn much more about what the YWCA of Bergen County does (besides running the county's Rape Crisis Center and being the largest provider of child care), please visit my Blog.

    There is another non-profit organization that my business helps. This is the Northern Virginia EMS Council, which coordinates emergency medical services in northern Virginia. For the past several years, I have provided public relations and marketing services for the Council. It's a very worthwhile organization (and yes, my daughter the paramedic got me involved with them).

    My personal charity is the ALS Association which works to support those affected by ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) or Lou Gehrig's Disease (a fatal neuromuscular disease) and to spread awareness of the urgency to find treatment and a cure. As some of you know, I lost a close friend, Laurie Speight, to this awful disease in December, 2006. Every year I participate in one of the The ALS New York Chapter's Walks to Defeat ALS -- We Walk Because We Can. This year I will be walking on Sunday, May 23, 2010, in Long Branch, NJ. If you would like to learn more about ALS and the walk and help by donating, please visit my Walk Page.


    Try Constant Contact for Your E-mail Marketing

    Interested in trying Constant Contact for your business? Click here to learn more. If you open a Constant Contact account, using this referral link, we both receive credits to our accounts. I am now a Certified Constant Contact Expert and will soon be a Constant Contact Business Partner. Which means I can help you with your e-mail marketing -- whether it's starting out, writing the content, or doing something more advanced.


    Book of the Month . . . The Power of a Positive No

    This month's book is by William Ury, co-founder of Harvard's Program on Negotiation. Here's how Mr. Ury explains his first two books: "Twenty-five years ago, Roger Fisher and I co-authored a book called Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, which focuses on how to reach an agreement that is beneficial for both sides. . . . A decade later, I wrote Getting Past No: Negotiating with Difficult People in response to the most common question I received from readers of the first book: how do you negotiate cooperatively when the other side is not interested?" The most recent book is The Power of a Positive No: How to Say No and Still Get to Yes. What Mr. Ury realized was that sometimes the problem wasn't getting to yes, it was how to say no while still maintaining respect and keeping the door open for a future yes.

    Quote of the Month: "The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good." -- Samuel Johnson

    Quick Links...

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