OKPrProf

The Critic Doesn't Count

Easy post but probably the most thought provoking of any I have every made. Too bad I didn't really write it.

I keep this quote with me all the time. I have other ditties which I am sure I will share in time (the equation for rate of return, a few measurement quotes, etc.) but this one, most of all, reminds me of who I want to be.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
 
-Theodore Roosevelt
"Citizenship in a Republic," Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

So, I have shared and now it is your turn. Tell me your favorite quote or even advice.

p.s. Try to find a quote like this from the last five or ten years. Something as eloquent, thought provoking and timeless.  With so much "conversation" taking place these days I wonder why nothing stands out.

Where are you in your future

We all want a bright future but your future is dependent on where you are in our craft and just your craft alone. It doesn't matter who you are, what you look like, what your background is, etc. Just the simple truth -- have you done our homework, have you practiced until perfect, have you taken every opportunity possible to make yourself the best? If you are good, you are good. If you are great, you are great. And, if you are not, what can you do today, tomorrow and the next day to be great?

Paul Potts sells mobile phones. That's not his primary craft - his future.

Warning - Random acts of blogging ahead

Sorry to do this, just lots on my mind. I will be brief...

Oskope - I love this - It's social media meets I'm not sure what. Check it out at http://www.oskope.com/ and tell me what you think.

Why do I have power tools in my back seat? - Because I do public relations work. Not that everyone with a hammer drill in the back seat does PR work, but most PR folks I know come prepared to roll up their sleeves for the benefit of the client. Sometimes the work can be dirty, but if it enhances the story, supports the client, achieves the goal, just roll up your sleeves and drive the concrete screws into the floor (if no one else is around to do it). Your client will thank you, the media will (unknowingly) appreciate it and the customers will buy, buy and buy some more.

So many different ways to communicate - e-mail, phone, text, im, facebook, twitter and, face to face (do people still do that?) to name a few. My preference depends on the nature of the need. A quick question - send me an im or e-mail. Need to talk - send me an im or e-mail and see if I am busy (you can always call but if I don't recognize the number I most likely won't answer). Really, really want to talk? - stop by my office (but not the store) and sit down for a spell. My overall preference is always face to face. Call me old fashion but I like being able to look a person in the eye when we speak.

Microsoft invests $240M in Facebook - Normally I don't comment on such events but "as part of their deal, Microsoft and Facebook companies will expand their advertising hook-up" just resonates with me. I think the Internet and social networking sites are doing a great job of numbing us to on-line ads. I barely notice them while shaking my virtual magic eight-ball. The future? Outlook not so good unless some true "tools" can be created. If not, be on the lookout for the next Facebook fad.

Wow, random doesn't even begin to describe...