Awhile back I wrote 7 Ways To Kick Writer’s Block in the Face! Recently, I read the below article from Robert Bruce and CopyBlogger about Writer’s Block, was super inspired and thought it was a must share… Love to hear your thoughts for killing writer’s block (or kicking it in the face) or how to unleash creativity. Drop us a line in the comments below…

Legendary copywriter Eugene Schwartz created a system of working that, before he was finished, enabled him to write nine books (including the classic Breakthrough Advertising), dozens and dozens of successful ads, and countless articles for well-known publications all over the world.
He did it all by — in his own words — writing only 3 hours a day, 5 days a week.
And he did it in style.
As one of the highest-paid copywriters of the 1950s and 60s, Schwartz lived very comfortably in Manhattan, became a world-class art collector, and a respected Biblical scholar.
His technique for getting copy written is offensively simple.
Here’s the thing, I know what you’re going to say about this.
“That’s so obvious.”
Or …
“Yeah, thanks for wasting my time. I’m a serious copywriter and this is insulting.”
That’s fine, ignore this approach at your own professional peril. Or, use it and watch your career accelerate.
The hard work clause

Before I lay this thing out, let me be clear that Schwartz was a consummate craftsman.
He worked incessantly to both improve his copywriting skills as well as prepare for jobs through dedicated research.
He even joked that, by the end of a job, he’d know more about a product than the person who’d created it.
He did this by reading, re-reading, and re-re-reading all the information he could get his hands on about the product and by systematically marking down the benefits — as stated by its creator — one by one.
This gave him unlimited ammunition going into the writing part of the game.
If you don’t know your craft, you’re sunk.
If you don’t do your research — trust me — your gig will end in humiliating failure.
All right, on with the show …
3 hours a day, 5 days a week

Schwartz said that learning the craft and doing the research are the hard work.
Writing, as many can attest, can be the impossible work.
You stare at the blank screen, blinking and terrified. You get up and grab another coffee, you walk around re-organizing your bookshelf.
You drink.
You pick at your teeth.
You Tweet something stupid.
You’re blocked.
Eugene Schwartz never had writer’s block. He never faced self-doubt in front of the page. How did he become one of the most powerful copywriters in the history of the business?
He set a small kitchen timer to 33.33 minutes and pressed the start button.
Here’s the part where you either roll your eyes and leave in disgust or read on and potentially change your game. Make your decision.
Schwartz describes sitting at his writing desk five days a week. It was a cluttered disaster, but he had a ritual and he never wrote anywhere else.
He’d have his coffee on the left, with a little cream mixed in, and a few pens on his right, displayed just so.
He’d turn to his machine and the ad he was working on (admittedly, he didn’t have to worry about Twitter back then).
Then he’d set the small timer for 33.33 minutes.

Once that timer was set, there were only a few simple rules:
He could drink coffee
He could stare out the window, or at the wall
He could sit and do absolutely nothing for 33.33 minutes
He could write the ad
He could not leave the chair for any reason
He could not do anything else
That’s it. He just sat in front of his open page with research notes and a skeleton outline on it.
He’d usually sit in that chair for a few minutes until he got bored, and then he’d slowly start typing.
When the timer went off, he’d stop — even if mid-sentence — and go do anything he wanted for 10 or 15 minutes. Then he’d go back and do it again.
Craft and research were the fuel, but boredom was the key. It got to a point where he just couldn’t sit there for half an hour doing nothing … so he wrote.
He sat down and set that old timer six times a day five days a week. 3 hours a day.
All right, technically that’s 3 hours and 20 minutes a day. Close enough.
Nine books. Dozens and dozens of successful ads. Countless articles. One hell of a living.
Anyway, that’s how one of the world’s greatest copywriters got his writing done.
You can like it, dismiss it, laugh at it or embrace it, but old Eugene Schwartz took it to the bank again and again and again and again …

What tips do you have to KILL writer’s block and unleash creativity?

TheWayItCouldBe.com is a site promoting cultural impact through personal and spiritual transformation. Post topics include family, faith, leadership and other stuff. Feel free to browse around by category. If you dig the site, you can subscribe for free email updates by simply entering your email address in the sidebar out to the right

I read a great post from Pete Wilson recently about “deeper” preaching and worship. I hear people all the time say things like, “That teaching is not “deep enough” for me,” or “I’m not be fed enough spiritually.” I realize the need for rich spiritual development and sound biblical teaching. Nonetheless, often those making comments such as these mistake scholarly language and theological terms for spiritual depth. In other words, just because a teacher or preacher uses big words or technical explanations, doesn’t mean that their teaching or words and “deeper” or better. On the contrary, some of the most powerful teaching I’ve heard comes like Jesus, through simple stories and concepts that can be understood and put into practice. Simple, as Warren says, doesn’t have to mean shallow.

John Piper and Rick Warren discuss teaching and doctrinal depth here. Check it out:

What are your thoughts on the interview? Love to hear them!

TheWayItCouldBe.com is a site promoting cultural impact through personal and spiritual transformation. Post topics include family, faith, leadership and other stuff. Feel free to browse around by category. If you dig the site, you can subscribe for free email updates by simply entering your email address in the sidebar out to the right

Let’s just be honest here. Wives wants more time and emotional connection from husbands. What do husbands want? Of course friendship and respect, but what else? Um, you take a guess, and it is not a new set of socks for Christmas.

I recently read The Husband’s Guide To Getting Lucky from Marla Taviano and it was hilarious and very insightful!

The book is short, which every guys should appreciate. It talks about really getting to know your woman, and offers practical tips like guarding your eyes from what the world puts in your face each and every day. Taviano discusses earning your wife’s respect and the importance of praying for her in a number of ways.

The fifth chapter is entitled “Slow it Down” and will cause all husbands to stop and think about honoring and valuing their spouse by taking time to speak to her heart and show her how amazing she is. The last chapter is entitled, “Get in On.” So, um…. I’m not going to comment any more. This is a family blog. Ha!

You can check out the book, the blog and other resources for husbands and wives from Marla HERE. OK wives, what do you want husbands to know?

TheWayItCouldBe.com is a site promoting cultural impact through personal and spiritual transformation. Post topics include family, faith, leadership and other stuff. Feel free to browse around by category. If you dig the site, you can subscribe for free email updates by simply entering your email address in the sidebar out to the right

10 Fascinating Facebook Facts: And What They Say About Us. Article from Pete Cashmore. Go here to see the original article on CNN.

(CNN) — A study released this week revealed that 47% of Facebook users have swear words on their pages. A survey last week, meanwhile, showed that undergraduate men who talk about alcohol on Facebook tend to have more friends. Whether it’s our level of tolerance for swearing or the link between alcohol and bonding with friends, these Facebook studies provide intriguing insights into our online behaviors.

And yet I’d argue that Facebook surveys have a more fundamental role. With more than 600 million people actively using Facebook, these studies in fact provide a deeper understanding of our evolving cultural norms: our values, our morals and our changing relationships between one another. Don’t believe me? Here are some fascinating Facebook facts that just might serve as a peek into our 21st-century values.

1. 56% of Americans think it’s irresponsible to friend your boss on Facebook
A survey released in February 2010 showed the majority of Americans don’t find it socially acceptable to be Facebook friends with their boss. The study of 1,000 people by Liberty Mutual’s Responsibility Project suggests that despite an increasing overlap between our work and home lives, we continue to value a separation between the two.
Path: Like Facebook but only for a few Student suspended over Facebook post. Meanwhile, 62% of those surveyed said it’s wrong for a manager to befriend an employee on Facebook. And yet 76% of respondents said it was acceptable to befriend a peer on Facebook, suggesting what we truly value is that our work be judged on its merits rather than getting ahead based on personal relationships.

2. Facebook links about sex are shared 90% more than average Facebook confirms the adage: Sex sells. From February until May 2010, social media scientist Dan Zarrella processed 12,000 links to news sites and blogs. He discovered that links about sex were 90% more likely to be shared on Facebook than any other subject matter.
He also discovered that links with positive sentiment were more likely to be shared on Facebook than those with negative viewpoints.

3. People in Facebook relationships are happier than single people
In February 2010, Facebook marked Valentine’s Day by comparing the relationship status of its users to their happiness — this was surmised based on the level of positive or negative sentiment in the user’s Facebook updates. The result: Those in relationships were found to be slightly happier than single people. Those who were married or engaged were also happier than single people on average. However, Facebook users in an “open relationship” — where the partners are not exclusive to one another — were significantly less happy than single people. Monogamy, it seems, makes us happy.

4. 21% of people would break up via Facebook
A June 2010 survey of 1,000 Facebook users — 70% of whom were male — found that 25% had been “dumped” via Facebook (via their significant other updating his or her relationship status). Twenty-one percent of those surveyed said they would end a relationship by changing their Facebook relationship statuses to “single.” While worrisome, the survey does show the majority of people do not split up via Facebook. For this uncomfortable task, it seems, we still turn to more personal forms of communication. This particular study also appears to suffer from a little male bias — a July 2010 survey found that 9% of women have initiated a breakup via Facebook, versus 24% of men.

5. 85% of women are annoyed by their Facebook friends
For women on Facebook, friends can sometimes be irritating. In a March study conducted by Eversave, 85% admitted to having been annoyed by their Facebook friends. Of these annoyances, the most cited was “complaining all the time” (63%).
Other pet peeves included “sharing unsolicited political views” (42%) and “bragging about seemingly perfect lives” (32%).
While I’ve yet to see a similar survey focused on men, it’s probably safe to assume these feelings are universal: Our friends are a source of joy and occasional irritation.

6. 25% of households with a Facebook account don’t use privacy controls
A June 2010 survey from Consumer Reports stated that “in one of four households with a Facebook account, users weren’t aware of or didn’t choose to use the service’s privacy controls.”
While Consumer Reports chose to interpret this finding in a negative light, I’d propose a contrary view: Seventy-five percent of households did take the time to understand Facebook’s privacy controls, suggesting that privacy remains important to our society.
The same study stated that “Twenty-six percent of Facebook users with children had potentially exposed them to predators by posting the children’s photos and names.”
Again, the positive view would be that 74% of Facebook users with children did not post their photos and names — suggesting that we value privacy.

7. 48% of parents friend their kids on Facebook
On the question of whether it’s OK to friend your kids on Facebook, parents are roughly split down the middle — 48% have chosen to do so. Respondents in a May 2010 survey by Retrevo admitted that this could be “awkward at times.”
Parents were also asked about the minimum age at which their children should be allowed to sign up for Facebook or MySpace. Twenty-six percent of parents replied “over 18,” 36% said “16 to 18,” 30% said “13 to 15″ and 8% said “under 13.”
Opinions may be changing rapidly, however. A Consumer Reports survey released this month says the majority of parents of kids 10 and under “seemed largely unconcerned by their children’s use” of Facebook.

8. 47% of Facebook users have profanity on their walls
As previously mentioned, a new study by the reputation management service Reppler has found that 47% of Facebook users have swear words on their walls, with these profanities being posted by a friend 56% of the time.
In other words: Nearly half of Facebook users are comfortable with swearing. The most common profanity on Facebook? No prizes for guessing: It’s the “F-word.”

9. 48% of people say they look at their ex’s Facebook profile too often
In a January study by YouTango, 48% of respondents said they look at their ex’s Facebook or other social-networking profile too often. The statistic illustrates one danger of social-networking profiles — ex-partners are more accessible than ever.
But the survey also points to a degree of self-awareness among the respondents. While new technologies provide new temptations, it seems that many of us are able to control these behaviors.

10. 36% of under-35s check Facebook, Twitter or texts after sex
An October 2009 study by Retrevo suggested that social networks are becoming an increasingly important part of young people’s lives. Among under-35s, 36% admitted to “tweeting, texting and checking Facebook after sex.” Forty percent of respondents admitted to doing so while driving, 64% said they do so at work, and 65% use these communication channels while on vacation. Here, we might conclude that the next generation is driving society into a less desirable direction: a world in which digital devices are never put down, even in the most inappropriate of situations.
And yet if Facebook is our guide, I’d say our cultural norms have remained intact. We continue to value professionalism. We find great rewards in human relationships — and most of us try to exit them honorably. On the whole, we continue to value privacy. We try to look out for our kids. And as we have been since time immemorial, we continue to be fascinated by sex — after which we go straight to Facebook to find out what our exes are up to.

TheWayItCouldBe.com is a site promoting cultural impact through personal and spiritual transformation. Post topics include family, faith, leadership and other stuff. Feel free to browse around by category. If you dig the site, you can subscribe for free email updates by simply entering your email address in the sidebar out to the right

From LifeChurch.tv- Happy Father’s Day!

From the Beastie Boys. Get dad what he really wants for Father’s Day…

This one is from Church on the Move. A tribute to dads everywhere…

Thanks to Church on the Move for this hilarious dad vid!  What is your fav part??

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