Mindset – Inner Game

Categories

When “Impossible” Becomes Probable

By Tom Ruwitch

Once upon a time, human beings believed a four-minute mile was impossible. For thousands and thousands and thousands of years, humans ran and raced, and not one achieved the four-minute mile (at least not one measured by an authorized track-and-field organizationĀ šŸ˜‰). And then, in May 1954, Roger Bannister did it. Seven weeks later, John Landy…

Read More

The Dum-dum Who Doesn’t Know What “Rhyme” Means

By Tom Ruwitch

Before you beat on the AI E-Z Button again, you have to hear this oneā€¦ Yesterday, as I was celebrating Word Nerd Day, I grabbed a cup of jo with my AI-powered copywriting robot, B-9(?). I mentioned the holiday and observed, ā€œThere arenā€™t many holiday names that rhyme.ā€ In fact, I couldnā€™t think of any…

Read More

Why Scary is Good

By Tom Ruwitch

Season 2, Episode 12 of the great Apple TV series Shrinking: Gaby is struggling to act. She knows what she needs to do. But sheā€™s WAY outside her comfort zone. Itā€™s ā€œscary,ā€ she says. Her friend Liz replies: Just do it. And then their friend Aliyah chimes in: ā€œYou know, bravery isnā€™t about not being scared;…

Read More

Customer service? NopeĀ šŸ˜–

By Tom Ruwitch

Yesterday, I got an email from “Customer Service” with a subject line that started with “URGENT…” Of course, I opened it because… …well… …it was from “Customer Service…” …and it was “URGENT.” I thought it might be a scam, but what if it was real? What if I ignored something truly urgent regarding my account?…

Read More

Help Comes to Those Who…

By Tom Ruwitch

Yesterday, Melissa and I visited a camp, set deep in the woods of the Missouri Ozarks, operated by the secondary school we attended back in the dark ages. (Yeah, Melissa and I met in high school. Stay tuned for the Hallmark movieĀ ). The camp, called “Drey Land,” hasn’t changed much since the 1970s when Melissa…

Read More

A Lying, Liar Bites the Dust. Here’s The Story…

By Tom Ruwitch

From atop a cliff on the Amalfi Coast in Italy… A few days ago, I visited the island of Capri. That’s a hunk of volcanic rock filled with fancy villas, overpriced bistros and shops, and tourists — lots and lots of tourists. It’s a beautiful place — the kind that attracts movie stars and other…

Read More

You Have to Pay More Attention to This…

By Tom Ruwitch

Let’s make a deal. Behind curtain number one: a prospective customer who will buy $10 of your goods and services if you spend $5 on marketing and advertising. Behind curtain number two: a prospective customer who will buy $20 of your goods and services if you spend just $1 on marketing and advertising. Spend $5…

Read More

Why Kris Kristofferson Failed at First

By Tom Ruwitch

When he first tried to make it as a songwriter in Nashville, Kris Kristofferson couldn’t catch a break. He eventually became a country music legend, but, at first, he couldn’t tame his literary side. Kristofferson, who died on Saturday at age 88, studied English literature and graduated with honors from Pomona College. He earned a…

Read More

The Right and Wrong Way to Get Prospects to Tune In

By Tom Ruwitch

I dozed off during a Zoom meeting yesterday. I couldn’t help it. I was tired, and the speaker was BO-ring. Thankfully, my camera wasn’t on so no one caught me. In olden days in Great Britain, they might have called me a “sluggard.” (That’s a fancy English word for “lazy person.”) In the 18th-century, British…

Read More

What Will You Do When it Comes Tumbling Down?

By Tom Ruwitch

In yesterday’s email, I told you about the little kerfuffle I’ve got going with the content cops at Facebook. More specifically, the new AI-powered robots that review content and decide whether it complies with Big Social’s “policies.” Big Social’s robot pressed pause on some videos and ads I launched. So that campaign is in limbo.…

Read More