Everywhere!

If I were to offer a single piece of advice that I think, most people could benefit from every day, it would be as simple as:

Bring two books everywhere. 

A book, so that you always have something inspiring to read, if you happen to have an idle moment, and a notebook, so that you always have a place to nake a note, if you should happen to have a thought worth keeping for later use. Think it over: how many spare moments have been wasted on Angry Birds - or whatever happens to be the thing of the moment on the omnipresent smartphone? How many thoughts worth keeping for later use are lost, because they weren't noted anywhere?
All to all those objecting that "unfortunately, I have no space for the two books when I am on the move": let me guess that you always have space for the omnipresent smartphone? Well, then it is easy: install an e-book reader and an application for taking notes on it. And open one of these two, whenever you have the time and the urge to throw a bird...
(Translated from Overalt!)

#7ThingsIReadThisWeek

Occasionally - on very rare occasions - I am happy to observe that the distance between my ideas and my action is not always a marathon.
I have experienced a rare example of this kind of happiness this week, where I wrote on Monday how I could fantasize about creating a blog concerned with inspiring things I had read - and later today, I actually publish the first "real" post on #7ThingsIReadThisWeek.
The blog is in English - because I have to admit to myself that most inspirational things I read are written in English - but I cannot deny the possibility that from time to time there might be a link to something that's in Danish or otherwise non-English.
And the thought is - we'll see how long it lasts - that a post should be published every Sunday. So far, it seems to be going well; the post for today is ready for release. The coming Sundays will show if the initiative holds, or if I fail.
(Translated from #7ThingsIReadThisWeek)

Things I have read

Over time I actually read quite a lot; quite a lot of what I read contains some very good points, and common to most of it is that later, I can experience difficulties remembering, where I found specific topics of interest. Something that can annoy me quite a lot, as I like to be able to give credit where it is due.
That in turn made me consider: what if I actually have a possibility to do something that more people can benefit from? What if I started collecting information about some of the memorable things I read - started writing it up on a blog somewhere, thereby getting the opportunity to both remember it myself and make it available to other people?
The more I consider the idea, the more I actually find it too good not to realize.
(Translated from Turèll-blogmanifest nummer 22, eller: Ting, jeg har læst)

Promises made to readers

Image courtesy of pixabay / MiraDeShazer

I saw a very interesting video the other day, where professor Adam Grant visits author Daniel Pink in the latter's backyard, and they speak on the topic of "writing books". A particularly exciting sequence comes towards the end, where Daniel Pink talks about an editor who had commented a passage of 4-5,000 words that do not quite work, by asking Pink consider what promise he actually makes to his readers.
And then it becomes interesting how Pink reflects on the question:

I'm asking the reader to say: oh, no matter, what you are doing in your life, just stop. Please stop, spend how ever long it takes, 20 minutes, half an hour, with me, because it is more important than anything else you're doing - more important than doing your work, more important than exercising, more important than spending time with your family - just spend that time with me, and it will be a better use of your time. And you're like "whoa, wait a second, I'm actually making the promise that that's the case, I better deliver on that promise."

It is very beautifully and accurately put. Because that's what it's all about: in this world where time is often regarded as our most precious resource, we are wasting people's resources if we make them read something for a span of time they could have used for something better.

It is one thing that all those of us who carry an unhatched author inside, should think carefully about.
As well as, for that matter, something that one as a blogger should keep in mind. If we haven't got something important to say, we should remain silent. Alternatively refrain from wondering why no one reads what we write.
(Translated from Løftet til læserne)