#and in so doing prevents connection and empathy etc etc and my brain was just like ah the blorbos

[dadrielle]

Imogen angst ficlet be upon ye:

She hadn’t expected the rot.

Or, perhaps, she didn’t expect it then, with the slow beat of Laudna’s heart restored, a gentle thrum that sparked through her consciousness like the lightning she called. But the rot crept into the edges of her awareness, stinking, accusing.

“I’ll do anything.” She had said that to Delilah Briarwood, desperately grasping to bring Laudna back, and now -  she’s alive, alive, alive - without the fog of grief and need obscuring her view of herself, she could see the truth of it more clearly. She meant it. Anything. Just as Delilah Briarwood had promised however many years before, Imogen would have made any sacrifice to tear apart the veil of death and restore Laudna to the world. Even if those sacrifices weren’t hers to make. Rotten shame ate away at the edges of her, even as she knew she would not, could not renounce that final clarity. The rot crept over the words she wanted to say, the declarations that sat oozing behind her teeth. How could she tell Laudna she loved her, with the taste of her own depravity a heavy syrup on her tongue, knowing that while Delilah had lived in Laudna’s mind, here Imogen was, one foot on Delilah’s path, a new skin for the same terrible promise? 

In a world only a breath different, she would have been the Delilah to some other Laudna, would have stripped away the life and the choice from anyone, so long as it would bring Laudna back to her side. The knowledge clawed up her throat and stilled her tongue, wretched, retching. Rotten.

[mochi-munchies]

AU/Fic Idea: Ragnarok *Title Still in the Works*

This one has been in my brain for a while and I thought I'd just spew it out on my board just to get it out and not forget it. But anyway-

An AU where Ink and Error were the original menaces to the multiverse. As the two most powerful entities with the personalities of toddlers, they were fucking destroying everything, leveling entire AUs in their clashes and tantrums and impulses. Until the other deities finally had enough.

Core Frisk, Reaper, Life, Fresh and Gaster all get together and are like, "Yeah. We can't keep letting them do this, the multiverse is gonna break." So they devise a plot to get them to fight, and then when their balance of Destruction/Creation was at a sweet spot, took them by surprise and sealed them away. Error in the anti-void, and Ink in the Doodlesphere, where they are promptly put into a deep slumber as long as their balance is not disturbed. *1

Fast forward to present day with Nightmare and Dream having their little war. All the other entities aren't pleased with it, but are neutral to the conflict as they see it more as a childish spat.

Until it wasn't.

One day Nightmare takes it too far and his scheme threatens to actually destroy an AU, which immediately has Reaper, Frisk and Fresh flying in there like, "Nightmare stop. You have no idea what you're doing." But they're too late, the damage is done and the AU is destroyed.

So the outcodes are absolutely freaking out, and Dream and Nightmare are super confused like, "you guys have been watching us from the sidelines for hundreds of years?? Why tf do you suddenly care??"

"You morons! Do you have any idea what you've done??!? You disturbed the balance! They're gonna wake up..!"

Then cue Error air-dropping in and absolutely making a fool of everybody and their moms. Making Dream and Nightmare realize that, oh. They were not. In fact. Among the top of the food chain.

The rest of the story then going on about the brothers being forced to finally put their shit to an end and reconnect under duress while also dealing with two overpowered children. *2

*1 - Was also considering the idea of the whole 'putting them to sleep' part failing, unknowingly to the other gods. Leaving Ink and Error completely awake in their isolation- however, due to the connection of their balance, they can speak to each other not unlike with the Creators. Over the thousands of years of only having each other, in their loneliness they come to have a codependency and low-key errink feelings coming in.

When their balance is finally disturbed and their seals are unleashed, of course the first thing on their minds are mayhem and vengeance. But after letting out some steam, the next thing is to obviously find their other half. Something that the other gods are hellbent on preventing, fearing the return of the days when they ravaged the AUs endlessly in their feud.

So Nightmare and Dream are spending the majority of the fic learning to reconnect with each other as they try to reseal the two and prevent them from meeting. However, they also notice how their behavior seems to be incredibly strange compared to what the others described. And eventually, trusting their instincts as the guardians of feelings, they let Error and Ink meet, only to discover that the two were in love and not in fact looking to settle their ancient death match. Error and Ink vow to behave as long as the others dared not to interfere with them, etc. Cue happy ending.

*2 - another alternative version for the story is for Dream to teach Ink empathy (and low-key domesticate him) as he tries to reason with him, and at the same time learn to let the past go and accept his brother as he was, instead of hanging onto who he envisioned him to be before their fallout. And for Nightmare to learn to trust with Error (as well as rehabilitating him) after failing repeatedly at overpowering the other, and at the same time coming to accept vulnerability in his life again.

At first Dream fears Ink as a soulless being and subconsciously sees him as something inherently evil (just how he sees his brother's corrupted form as evil) however, as he peeks behind the curtain of Ink's behaviors, he comes to realize that is not the case, and starts to help Ink with his memory issues, his lack of empathy, his impulsiveness, etc. Also learning along the way that just because someone's nature (soullessness/corruption) was different didn't mean they were bad.

They get close, and Ink starts to cling to Dream. Connecting the emotional growth within him with the first person to actually have the patience to guide him and understand him like this, he starts to prioritize also being there to help Dream more so than having art binges and harassing Error. Oh, and they also end up falling in love BTW.

Meanwhile, Nightmare is getting his shit rocked by Error, struggling to compete with such a powerhouse and is honestly feeling fucked up bc this is the first time he's been so powerless after his corruption. He continues to use more and more low blows and playing on any and every weakness the glitch has- desperately trying to regain his dominance (which he has been using all this time as a feeling of protection).

Nightmare is low-key tweaking at this point, until he finally discovers a way into Error's hidey-hole. So of course he sneaks in with the intention of catching the maniac with his pants down. Only to peek in during one of Error's low moments.

And then Nightmare suddenly realizes how similar the two of them really were. This whole time he was picturing Error as this larger than life, unstoppable and ruthless pinnacle of violence. When in fact.. he was just another monster, just like he was. So, he starts changing tactics after that. Reaching out to Error in the way he wished someone reached out to him back then, and they come to slowly open up together and eventually just.. tumbling into a situationship.

In the end the other gods are really uncertain about just leaving the two to the apple twins- especially with the fear they might use them in their little war. But the twins have none of it, and even have a realtalk then and there to prove no grudges remained.

[mingos]

「 h.c. 」 ー the one about rosinante

　　　　hot take(?): doflamingo loved rosinante a lot.

　one of the few people he would have the emotional capacity to and his worldview would allow him to love, actually.

('but he was planning to sacrifice himー' we will get to that. look, it's complicated.)

to explain what i mean (& prevent from being too long) i want to invite anybody who hasn't seen this to give it a look. here, i talk in more detail about what i mean when i say doflamingo 'loves' somebody & what his limitations are as a neurodivergent person with low empathy.

maybe i'll write a separate post about his cognitive empathy (using logic to determine how someone feels) vs. his emotional empathy (the ability to resonate with someone's emotions and feel what they feel) because it's complicated, and nuanced, and all that junkーbut that's a deep dive for another day. right now let's just talk his emotional empathy.

-

　basically, his love functions differently because his empathy (a pretty key component in loving somebody) functions differently. for most people, he 'loves' in the sense he attaches himself to you because you make him feel good & feed his ego, and he wants to keep you around as a result. he recognizes that, in order to do this, he needs to provide you with things in exchange: protection, money, opportunities, etc. but he cannot connect with you on an emotional level, or at least not where it matters: empathizing with you.

　　that's for most people, though; there are some rare exceptions, and even then it's still a bit... off.

he 'empathizes' best with not just people who have experienced the same things as him, but who experienced the same thing with him. ('empathizes' in quotes because, even then, it's more him projecting how the event made him feel onto a person rather than actually knowing how they feel and it just so happens that sometimes those feelings can overlap sometimes but, eh, he's trying his best...).

he lived in garbage dumps with his four executives, he built his pirate crew up from scratch over 25-30 years, and, uh... y'knowーspent two years suffering poverty & unimaginable abuse side-by-side with his little brother. it's a circumstance that allows him to speak in detail, and commiserate, and genuinely come the closet to caring about someone's feelings that his extremely finicky brain will allow.

　but with rosinante specifically, doflamingo's capacity goes even deeper. because he, most likely, was not only the first person he developed a bond with as his brother, but he inherently places a higher social value on him because he's a celestial dragon. so, in a world of humans (people he declares himself as being socially, morally & maybe even genetically superior to) rosinante is the closest person he has to an equal, and that counts for something.

it counts for a lot, actually. it allowed rosinante to get away with a lot:

leaving for 14 years

coming back inexplicably

the frequent accidents

letting him just leave again for another 6 months & also take law

being seen as generally incompetent when doflamingo values people so long as they're useful

we also don't know the extent of how much rosinante masked his caring & compassionate side during his undercover mission before breaking away with law, but i have to assume doflamingo at the very least knew and, despite hating that side of him, overlooked it and allowed him to stay close.

i also genuinely believe vergo when he says doflamingo didn't suspect him and he accepted rosinante back with completely open arms & no strings attached. for my own portrayal of doffy, i've toyed with the idea of him being secretly a little bitter about being 'abandoned' because he's got some issues with that which may or may not have made the decision to sacrifice his brother easierーbut canonically it's probably a bit more cut & dry.

sacrificing him with the op op fruit was never the original plan. he didn't give rosinante the directive to eat it because he wanted to get rid of him for the last 4 yearsーhe wanted to sacrifice him because he was disobedient.

more than that, he wanted to sacrifice him in this specific way because it was a test to reconfirm his loyalty one last time. at the cost of his life, yes (though, all of his 'family' members are held to the same standard) but he gave rosinante something he didn't give his father or anybody else that betrayed him: an option of how he'd like to die.

'you can keep running if you want, prove to me right now you're a traitor, and i'll come & kill you myself. or you can come home & show me you're still my loyal little brother by giving your life to me. i'm giving you a choice.'

rosinante decided to run, and i have to imagine that broke doflamingo's heart a little. or, whatever what was left of it

[codenamesazanka]

Warning: Rant, character bashing, lots of opinions

I'm saying it outright. I hate Deku. He is entirely underwhelming as a character, much less as the main character, the shonen protagonist of the series.

It's a 'different' type of dislike, though. I feel like I could've like his character. There's nothing greatly disagreeable about him, he's as inoffensive as can be, he's an optimistic, considerate, and polite boy, he's as plain as he is said to be, and that's fine.

My issue is that he's not the character he's said to be. I, personally, just don't buy that he "possesses a drive to save others that eclipses all common understanding", or that he's super intelligent with great analytical abilities that he actually applies on the battlefield, or, in general, he's as amazing or heroic or compassionate as he's apparently supposed to be. How can he be inspiring if he barely challenges any aspects of the society he lives in. Deku is a super good example of the terrible use of "Tell, Don't Show". We're told about his amazing traits, but he rarely follows through; when we do see hints of it, it's lauded but frankly I think it's typical behavior and (this though is not quite his fault) written so stiffly and awkwardly I'm not convinced.

(Honestly I might even call him a Canon Mary Sue. He has no interesting or distinguishable flaws, unless having a shit for brains attitude is one but that's not acknowledged by the narrative. Breaking bones is not a personality trait. If he has a Hero Complex, it's not even the interesting ones where he fucks things up even more; or carries crippling guilt about circumstances beyond his control; or focuses completely on saving people to the point of rejecting almost all human connections and keeping deadly secrets - which is All Might's big flaw.) (Well fair, he does this in the most recent chapter but did it need to take 300+ chapters? Plus I sense the way it's framed is that it's the radical, but right course of action.)

Say what you want about Villains and redemption/shouldn't be redeemed/too evil to be saved/justice/etc, but I think this 'Incredible Drive To Save' should've included Villains from the start. Why does Deku want to "Save people with a smile on his face"? Assuming it's empathy, he should have felt some towards everyone he encounters, whether it's sensible or not. "Why are you so angry?", "You shouldn't go about things this way", "What caused them to be like this?", "Why is there evil in the world?" even. I'm still fuming over his Mall Encounter with Shigaraki, where Shigaraki pretty much reveals his damage: "All Might acts like there's no one he can't save"; but ultimately Deku goes "Wow, that sure is an opinion."

What kind of inane response is this??? There's little pushback from the narrative either, so this isn't pointed out as a failing of his (because, again, he has no big flaws). And he's supposed to be smart and caring. Yes, he does ask All Might right after the Mall Encounter, "Was there anyone you can't save?"; but essentially the replies he gets is "Don't worry about it" and Deku immediately largely puts it out of his mind "Oh whew, I was about to do some introspection and reflection". There isn't even the daunting, kinda-existential anxiety that people get when they realize it's impossible to save/help everyone - which is something, like, medical workers have to learn to deal with - that sharp sense of the inevitably of death, of loss, failure, guilt. I'm not asking for him to come to the conclusion that everyone should be saved - he could've decided nah, Shigaraki is too ugly to be saved and I would've been fine with that, it's part of the character role and potential development - just that he should've had a conclusion at all.

There are the latest chapters where Deku decides he wants to try saving Shigaraki first (though killing him is still on the table), true. Him wanting to save Shigaraki after seeing AFO merged with him, after seeing The Crying Child - but see, I don't think it qualifies because I think it's the bare minimum about of consideration, the typical response to seeing the body horror of warped, fused flesh, to seeing a small sad little boy. I think it shouldn't require "You look like you needed saving" for a true Hero to consider saving someone. Not for someone who is supposed to be unique and special in this regard.

*

I've complained about this before, but the trouble with Deku was evident from the very beginning.

Again, Deku wants to save people with a smile on his face, and again, I’m assuming it’s empathy. We're shown this on the very first page, as he attempts to protect a friend(?) from bullies, but imo like it felt groundless because who was the kid he was protecting? We never see him again. Did Deku's standing up to Bakugou work, and the kid was saved? Or did they both got beaten up; but afterwards, being the kind boy Deku is supposed to be, he still gets to his feet to help the boy, to apologize for failing.

But more significantly, this theme of saving was overshadowed immediately by his focus on superpowers - that he was quirkless. Next page, his focus was on ‘Woah, giant villain and superpowers!’ Instead of like. Helping people. (Though I chalk this up to early installment weirdness)

What should’ve happened if the theme was ‘SAVE PEOPLE’ Is something like: The opening sentence being “People are not born equal. This is the harsh truth I learned when I was four. I knew that... but despite my powerless, I still wanted to help. That was my first and last setback.” And the panels/images themselves (of little Katsuki and his friends) implies that people on the world thinks you need power to help people.

When he saw the villain attack on way to school, Deku can be wow’ed by the spectacle! But then he notices a kid crying and offers to help find his mom. He can be interrupted by a Hero saying he (the hero) will take over, he can find the mom and realize he’s late for school (and so that shows he’s willing to sacrifice something of his to help others! Because of his altruistic nature!). A scene like that, of him helping the lost kid, we would know that he wants to help *anyone*. At school, though, he still gets bullied for not having powers. So he’s mulling over that when he meets All Might, and asks the question.

It proceeds as usual for the next few events: When the sludge monster attacks Katsuki, he can still go gawk at the scene. He can still hesitate. In canon, it's only when he realized the victim was his friend that he jumps into action, which I thinks undermines the theme of 'wanting to save indiscriminately'. IMO, it would've been better that Deku sees it’s his friend, but he still hesitates. “There’s nothing I can do right? All Might himself said so...” But when he sees Katsuki’s *face* of fear, he runs to help. Instead of seeming like he helps only because he realizes it’s his friend, he helps because he feels too deeply about trying to save Katsuki.

Admittedly these are minor, personal critiques; but all in all, the first chapter fails to establish Deku is the willpowered, champion of wanting to save people he's supposed to be.

--Which is fine, if it's acknowledged in the story later, that maybe he wasn't the True Blue Hero he's supposed to be at first, but he can change and still become one. But it's not - Deku is apparently special, without anything special to show for it.

*

I read the one-shot "My Hero" - the prototype for this series - that Horikoshi published years ago, before My Hero Academia was created. I also found it underwhelming, but that was due to personal tastes (I wanted more explosions and dumb violence); as a story on it's own merit, the logic and progression was solid.

The Villains Heroes fought were 'Aberrations' - true inhuman monsters that showed no sentience that would eat people - so the focus could be solely on saving humans. The main character - Jack Midoriya - his original goal was less 'save people' and more 'become a cool hero', before learning that saving people is what true heroism is about, hero license unneeded. (Moreover, he really did 'save' someone without being a hero - by working hard, he was preventing the company from becoming ruined completely, which the CEO had confessed and thanked him for. )

This version of Midoriya didn't exactly needed deep empathy or compassion for that, just a strong willpower, which he effectively demonstrated by chasing after a childhood dream even as an adult salaryman in a tanking company, even though he had anemia and no training and no license. He insisted on this, to the point of getting hurt by being dumb, of being petty over someone dissing the Hero who inspired him in the first place, of skipping out of work and going vigilante. Not the most upstanding guy, but he came through in the relevant themes of the story, in being the character the story needed him to be.

Jack Midoriya was an unimpressive, weird-looking, weak, pitiful, somewhat selfish, awkward salaryman with no great aspects that 'eclipses all common understanding'. But he was a far stronger character than his incarnation Izuku Midoriya could ever be (so far).

[greengrungeemo]

After completing Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.5 Meakashi... I find it puts everything into perspective. I may need to publish multiple posts just to get it all on paper. This will be my in-depth analysis on it all. Spoiler warning, though, I’ll be as delicate as possible.

I can definitely say that this chapter was composed with the most raw of emotions, and succinctly denotes the decline of human mentality.

From the beginning of the story, I already caught the fidgety nature of Shion - the moment she escapes from the school, she has an underlying anxiety shielded by her flirty and playful character. What I found most fascinating was her notebook entries, notably pg. 5, pg. 19, pg. 26, pg. 150, and pg. 165, illustrated below. She records her thought-process and developing emotion as it goes. It’s all captured there. The curiosity of the warm, fuzzy feelings that are occurring. The discovery of being in-love. Pinpointing what captures her heart about him. The impending loss and coping with it. The lack of coping and driver of action. The inevitable despondence and despair. After all information is collected, and once the well is dry of clues, then ignites the blame game. With blame comes condemnation and spite... and with growing spite comes aggression and violence. With aggression and violence comes ensuing mortality, and with murder comes far more mental noise and sanity loss.

It’s like a full circle of true bliss and happiness devolving into agony and insanity. Happier than you ever were before... then it’s all taken from you, stripped away, and buried into questions that cannot be answered no matter how much effort you put. It’s no wonder Satoshi’s loss added such powerful strain on Shion Sonozaki... To deal with those raw emotions? Once logic and problem-solving measures yields no results, that’s when a clear picture becomes exponentially blurred, only intensifying the more you fall deeper into it. I caught myself mentally telling her, “Slow down, Shion. You’ll have your answers soon enough. Some things cannot directly be changed in the world. Some circumstances cannot have intervention.”

Based on how she describes Satoshi is contrast to Keiichi, it’s evident what her type of man is. Once she found him, it’s only him now. No other man can compare. Satoshi is gentle, naïve, airheaded in many facets of life (including but not limited to, ordinary activities like shopping or sports), softhearted, higher empathy than most, and unfortunately suffers a lot mentally due to abuse at home, among other things. This fits all of what Shion loves, and due to her protective and obsessive nature, him suffering furthers her love and dominance over him and his affairs.

That said, there’s also a dominate vs. dominant complex going on. While she feels prowess in aiding and advising Satoshi on typical no-brainer tasks, he still has a dominating feature which conversely is his gentle pets. It freezes her on the spot and she’s instantly incapsulated by his touch. It’s so sweet. A beautiful dynamic unlike any other I ever witnessed.

As the feelings of love flourishes, so too do the feelings of growing spite and hatred towards all who oppose or negatively affects Satoshi. Shion begins to despise Satoko for her role in relying on Satoshi for emotional and protective support.

This is what drove a mental decline for Shion, as her obsessive and recurring thoughts happened, she reinforced them with compulsive repetition. Repeating these thoughts with emotions of fear and sadness associated with them is a recipe for disaster... a turning point for her wellbeing. Despite this increasing mental noise, Shion I would say, has a strong feminine emotional intelligence. She is opportunistic overall with feminine cues, just like how she boasted to Mion, “That just means you can’t slack off for even a moment, Sis, because you’ve got a rival. Tears can attract men, but they don’t anchor them. You should always be smiling, but cry when it really counts!” 

I think we can all relate on this one. We all wish to appeal to the one we love, and the ones who love hard... tend to do the more drastic measures to be in their light, like changing themselves or picking up the hobbies they enjoy, etc. It is psychologically known that opposites do not attract, so employing these changes generally work in your favor - but at what cost? This leads into my next point...

Identity. As her mental state declines, her internal identity crisis intensifies. She had it buried within her the whole time. Her entire life since birth, she may feel as though her twin cast a shadow over her. Sure, she brushed it off with pride and flair to differentiate, but at the end of the day, they are identical twins. One was cast aside, and one was titled the next Sonozaki heir. It is perspicuous what this emphasizes... One is better, or at the very least, more fitting than the other. A lost sense of self, a castaway, sent off to a faraway prison or “school” whilst the other shines brightly... It’s evident what damage this caused Shion internally. While I cannot fully grasp what she feels, since I don’t have a twin, I can only begin to imagine the immense mental weight this put on her and her identity. Her loss of identity and low self-esteem internally connects directly to her own reliance on Satoshi. She NEEDS him in order to clear away that mental noise, to give her that boosted sense of self, and to love passionately for a fuller life.

This was the creation of his presence. Her brain protectively created a Satoshi presence to fill the gaps, to finally garner that peace of mind she deserves. It is all in vain, unfortunately, as nothing can compare to the power of his touch, or the sight of his naivety or shy disgruntled nature.

After having an alter ego for years and years, I know the pain and hardship. Though, while I may not know exactly how Shion felt, I do fully connect with plenty of it. I too, would be just as reactionary and passionately murderous if the love of my life disappeared without answers. There were just so many stages where she could have caught herself? I know how hard it must be to lose the one-and-only, and I know how it feels impossible to feel sane, and I also know how that alter-ego, that demon, that presence, can ensnare you without ever feeling like it would let go... but, after getting help... I promise that it does. I sought out professional help for my own mental noise and alter ego and identity crisis, and the medication and therapy helped me more than I can ever ask for...

I only wonder if this could have been prevented had she sought medical help from Dr. Irie. In conclusion, a fantastic in-depth chapter. I loved every bit of it!

[mansidupte]

The best habit to be pursued before going to bed!

You might be wondering what is this best habit I am talking about before going to bed. Is it skincare? Yes, skincare is important but still, it is not what I am talking about. Please guess! Let me give you some hints- this habit is easy to pursue, anyone can become fond of this habit quickly, this habit gives you intellectual power, empowers you to be a good human, and it also gives you knowledge which no one can take from you. You might have guessed what I’m talking about. I am talking about; READING. This is the best habit everyone should have and should exercise every day. Reading books, magazines, comics, newspapers, etc helps you to have a clear and clean visualization. Reading makes you aware. You can read anything, but you should read like you’re reading this blog now:). Reading is indeed the greatest habit to pursue according to me. Reading helps you a lot to grow your mindset and thoughts. Reading gives you the direction of thoughts. It helps to have rich thinking and a positive attitude towards things.

There are some great physical and emotional impacts of reading on your body, like reading strengthens the brain, increases empathy, prevents cognitive decline, reduces stress, aids sleep, alleviates depression, lengthens lifespan, etc. In 2009, some researchers measured the effects of yoga, humor, and reading on the stress levels of students in demanding health science programs in the United States. The study finds out those 30 minutes of reading lowers blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress just as effectively as yoga and humor did. Regular reading is a must. A regular reader sleeps better, has lower stress levels, higher self-esteem, and lower rates of depression than non-readers. Regular readings improve brain connectivity, increases your vocabulary and comprehension.I read every day before going to bed without fail. My mother introduced reading to me. And it is the best thing I have ever encountered. Some of you may think of making it a habit, but are not dutiful towards it and thought I’ll do it later but didn’t, and that’s not good at all. You should be dutiful towards it by pursuing it daily. When I started reading I loved the process of turning every page with curiosity to find out what happens next? Or where this story is taking me? And when I discovered that joy of reading I feel, I fell for it the moment I completed my first book. I read in multiple languages i.e. In English, Marathi, and Hindi.

Whenever I grab a book to read or anything that comes in my hand, I make sure that I read it with certain seriousness and depth to understand each word I read. If it interests me and increases my curiosity I make sure that I read it till the end. The joy of completing a book or an article takes me to cloud nine. That feeling is so overwhelming and satisfying at the same time. It feels great whenever I complete reading a book or an article or a long post. I tell about the things I read to my parents, friends, or anyone whom I feel “they should know about this.” And they resonate with what I tell them.

Reading gave me clarity in my life. It also gives me a beautiful escape from the reality that results in making me happy and my mood too. Some thoughts written somewhere are so great that they hit us hard; they resonate with our life and reading them out is mandatory. I am a polygamist and altruist reader. I was recently reading three books from totally different genres at the same time. Right now, I am reading two different books from different genres- 1. The perfect look by Blake Pierce (Psychological fiction and 6th sequel from the series of books), 2. You can win by Shiv Khera (Self-help and motivational). I am reading the 2nd book slowly and calmly so that I could keep everything with me and understand the author's perspective, and I think self-help should be read-only when you’re functioning systematically.

You can start your reading journey by reading books that are written in easy English which will help you to understand English far more easily. You can start reading by reading books of Sudha Murthy and Ruskin Bond which are easy to understand. They’ll help you understand many different attributes of life in simple and easy-to-understand English. There are 21 most popular books genres like action and adventure, classics, comic book or graphic novel, detective and mystery, fantasy, historical fiction, horror, literary fiction, romance, science fiction (sci-fi), short stories, suspense and thrillers, women’s fiction, biographies and autobiographies, cookbooks, essays, historical, memoir, poetry, self-help, and true crime. The best genre for me is FICTION; because this genre leaves you in complete awe and makes your jaw drop. You are dumbstruck by the story the author wrote and that is the power of fiction. The main genres of fiction are crime, fantasy, romance, science, western, inspirational, historical, and horror. Even though I love fiction I also prefer non-fiction occasionally, to give me some reality-check. Explore all of these genres and find the one which makes you feel good. So start reading you will love the process and you will also experience better sleep at night since reading is the best habit to pursue before going to bed.

Happy Reading:)

[flickerofkorean]

What is the best/most effective way to learn new vocabulary? How do you learn new vocab?

As far as I know, the most effective way to learn vocabulary, that science has discovered so far, is spaced repetition.

Using spaced repetition means you take a Korean word or sentence, learn it for the first time, then let short amount of time pass and review it. Then:

if you know the answer you increase the amount of time before you review it again

if you don’t know the answer you shorten the amount of time before you review it again

This way you don’t waste time on Korean vocabulary you know well, and instead review vocabulary you started to forget. It prevents the word from disappearing from your memory and you having to reforge brain connections. Instead, you keep refreshing already existing connections until they become permanent.

You can do this by yourself with paper flashcards, creating piles and keeping track of time - which is way too complicated for my taste because there is software today that does all this for you.

The most popular ones are Anki and Memrise. They have built-in algorithms for spaced repetition.

I use Memrise.

My process of learning Korean vocabulary is basically this:

get a Korean word I want to learn (I have several self-created courses, one for vocabulary from my Korean textbook, one for a webtoon I am reading, one for honorific versions of words I come across, one for random words I find interesting etc.)

get the definition, Hanja (if it exists), and pronunciation (if it’s complicated) from Naver dictionary

put all of that into Memrise

if the word is abstract or difficult to remember, also add sample sentences. (This helps me see the word more times, and also helps me learn context in which the word is used.)

learn, review, review, review, learn, review, learn, review, review….

This is what my Memrise courses look like

Bonus Vocabulary Learning Tips: 

Don’t expect vocabulary learning to be quick and easy. To speak a language you will need to know thousands and thousands of words. It’s not unusual for this to take several years (or longer).

Make sure to learn an even mix of vocabulary from sources that interest you and vocabulary you have to learn. If it’s just beginner vocabulary from textbooks or courses you might get bored. Do you like Korean history? Kpop? Kdrama? Korean movies? Korean games? Makes sure to include that vocabulary as well. It will help keep you reminded why you’re learning Korean and make studying more exciting.

Courses I create myself are way more effective than using premade courses from other people. I learn while creating them, I know why each word is included, and I know the context for each word.

Context is even more important when learning vocabulary for language such as Korean, which is so different (unless you speak Japanese). For example, no use knowing the word for “sorry” in Korean if you don’t know “I am sorry” is not the way to show empathy for someone’s misfortune.

Don’t learn words in logical groups. This one may sound counterintuitive, but I read research that said if you learn, for example, all the synonyms for “cold”, or all vocabulary related to one topic such as weather, that ayou will learn slower, mix up words more often, and forget quicker. 

Try choosing shorter sentences if you’re adding sample sentences, especially into apps that require typing like Memrise. One small typo is enough to make you retype that sentence over and over again in short intervals of time, and it gets old real soon.

Learn managable amount of words per day. It might feel exciting, when you have more time, to quickly increase the number of Korean words you know but you will also forget them quickly which means you will have to review them often. When you suddenly have hundreds or even thousand of words to review and you’re busy with life it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and quit.

In short, whatever you do, make sure to keep it as manageable and as fun as possible. The most effective way to learn vocabulary is to keep learning it.

[insidethecrack]

Spiralling loneliness : the art of cursed blessing and blessed curse

Don’t blame me for all the years that you were asleep [...] Last time was it a lost time ? This time you’re... Last time was a lost time This time you’re 100% fucked

Angelspit - 100%

It’s been a few sessions of therapy that we’re circling back to loneliness. It makes since I’ve experienced this feeling since the day I can breathe. To me loneliness is a burning part of life, something you can’t avoid, and barely reduce. We’re circling back a lot to it because my therapist is actually helping seeing where it comes from and why it’s going to be fucking hard to escape it. (yes, I just say a therapist is actually helping, everything happens)

Elle se dit que la la solitude c’est quelque chose d’un peu déprimant, que ça devient une habitude mais qu’on ne s’y fait jamais vraiment

Les Cowboys Fringants  (”she says loneliness is something quite depressing. It turns into some kind of habit but you never really get used to it”)

To properly explain, I need to take a step back to Chester Bennington’s death to suicide. You might not know him, he was (god this preterit is killing me...) Linkin Park singer. Linkin Park was a huge thing to the teenage me. And in a way, they still are. Even if I don’t listen much to them now, they open so many doors, their music heard me cry so much... And Chester was a huge part of all of this. (and you might have read this a lot... the world lost an amazing human being this summer...) He went through terrible shits. He had depression. His music, his voice, his lyrics, helped a lot of us surviving the worst times. He commited suicide this summer. I’m still grieving. But it took me two months to mention it to my therapist... Maybe because I didn’t want to admit how much I still care about a teenage band and how much it hurts when your hero dies and all the strange guilt around it. But still, that’s not the point today. I finally mentionned it because I was pissed at people looking for a rational reason. 

Don’t yell at me please. I know it’s human to search for reason to things that hurt, to things we can’t understand. And remember that I said nothing to these people. Everyone grieve their own way and who am I to judge ? So I let people who needed a reason looking for one. But it pissed me off, you can’t imagine how much... Because it would mean that everything has a reason. but it’s a lie. It’s a fucking lie. Especially in that kind of thing... And it feels even more like a waste of time that we will never ever know why he did it. We can guess and assume, but we will never KNOW. Maybe he killed himself because of all that happened to him that he never healed, or because of the violent critics about the last LP album which was very personal to him, or because he was drunk, or because there was no more salted butter in the house. (sorry, private joke for the French people...) Or maybe a bit of all of these. Or even something else. We will never know And this is it, more than the suicide itself, this is this uncertainty which is hard for all of us human being. The difference between me and the world is that I know this. So I don’t waste my energy on looking for answer that don’t exist. It doesn’t mean that I worth better or anything. That’s not my point. It means that this knowledge prevents me from properly grieving. People are looking for an anwser to Chester’s death, not because they want to know the right answer, but because this answer can help them better understanding, and therefore, feeling better. The way my brain works and the knowledge I have make it impossible to me. Once again, I insist : I am not better because of this. For what it worths, I even think it makes me worth less. Because here, people have a solution to feel better, even if it means using a half truth. I refuse this way to myself because half truth is no truth, therefore, it’s no answer. And Im left in pain. Unable to grieve my hero’s death. (he deserves better...)

This is a fucking long introduction, but this little story is very symptomatic of my brain. This is how I work. 

When I adressed this Chester’s suicide issue and my problems with this half-truth answer, I used mathematics analogy, which my therapist now uses to help me think (it’s the first time of my life a therapist is really making the effort of learning my language of metaphor and analogy to speak with me rather than forcing me into NT language...).

“I’m angry because they want an answer that can’t be made. They think people are fucking straight lines but it’s a lie. People are segments and segments have end. That’s fucking basic mathematics... _It’s true. It’s a very NT thing to think in terms of straight lines. They ask question, they have an answer. Straight line. Sometimes, the line even implies that they have the answer even before asking the question. _Sure, but we psychotic are more spiraling circles. So we can never walk together. I can’t walk with them. I’m trapped in a circle.”

And so by speaking about Chester’s suicide, we hit a nerve, we found something deeply hidden : loneliness. 

I told you the whole Chester’s story because this is how my brain works : it starts somewhere, then goes somewhere, then somewhere else, and else again, and again, and finally it comes back to the beginning, connecting the dots. I can’t know where I’m going before I’m there. That’s the circle. 

The other thing that makes me fucking lonely is that I’m probably too intelligent for my own good. Once again, I don’t say that it makes me better. I’m going to tell another story. Do you know the serie Scrubs ? It’s an hospital serie, a funny one you follow two best friends, a surgeon and a doctor. One day, a Super Doctor comes to the hospital. He’s a Super Doctor because he’s both a doctor and a surgeon. He’s like a fucking genius. At first everyone is happy to have him, but slowly, they hate him because he forces them to acknowledge their own limits and weakness. So they want to throw back their anger at him. But finally they understand : Super Doctor has OCD. He’s super skilled because of this : he had to work the hell out of him to surrender the OCDs, to be able to work. And he works so fucking hard that he went above all the others. Sacrifice being that he doesn’t really have a life outside work because he couldn’t do everything at the same time. 

That’s pretty much what I’m living. My brain never ever stops. My brain wants to know. Not like the end of the straight line. But really know. Even if it means it has to accept that there can’t be real answer, or not full answer. My brain never stops. Do you know why I speak English so well ? Because when I was 13, I bought Meteora by Linkin Park (circle, I told you), and there was a DVD. With no subtitles. I couldn’t understand. It pissed me off so much that I worked my ass out to learn better English since school was not enough. I spent my summer, alone in my room, working my English just because I wanted to understand that fucking DVD. Basically, today, I’m bilingual, I can write, speak, translate and teach English without having landed a single foot on an English-speaking country. And I’m probably about to do the same with German because there are a lot of books I want to read...

I’m not more intelligent because I’m some kind of natural genius. I’m more intelligent because I fucking never stop learning. I can’t stop.  When you do a PhD, people ask you what you want to do after. I have no answer. Because I’m doing a PhD to see where is my limite. How far can I go ? 

How far can I go ? I’m ready to burn myself to have an answer to this...

So what the therapist made me realise is that : if you never stop learning, then you’ll be alone sooner or later. Because people stop, they take break, they preserve their health, they don’t constantly put their vision of the world in danger just because they want to know. So if you keep going when people regurlarly stop, you end up alone. 

I’m alone because I can’t grieve Chester properly and I can’t tell other this because I know they would think I say their way of grieving is bad when all I say is it’s bad for me. So I’m alone. I’m alone because I can see myself being locked in the spiral and there is nothing I can do but wait for the end of the circle praying that I won’t lose too much this time.  I’m alone because now I know too much and even if I explain people won’t follow me that much. 

I’m alone in a circle of questions turning into a spiral because I know there is no way to fully answer them. 

The therapist says it’s a blessing and a curse. Due this constant movement of circle, instead of straight line, and to this thirst of knowledge, my mind is deeper, thicker, more complex and has a wider view on the world. But it also means I’m lonely because not much people can follow (once again, not because they’re stupid or anything, just because I don’t stop until I can’t stand anymore...). And the more the circle turns, the more I know about this. It’s a blessing, because it’s a rare quality to know so much, to develop such empathy. But it’s a curse because the price is fucking high. Two faces of the same coin. “You didn’t chose, you did your best with it” I didn’t chose, because I don’t think no one would ever chose this. What’s killing is that I’m not sure it’s worth it... all the pain and loneliness... I didn’t chose. And I wouldn’t have chosen my life if I had had a choice. How am I supposed to live with this ? Maybe there is an answer to this on a straight line, but not on my spiraling circle.

I have to be the referee of the war in my own head. One part wants to destroy us, actively, with self-harm, punishment, not turning on the heater until my body turns blue and my breats hurt, etc, or passively because it doesn’t care what happen to us anyway. The other part wants to survive whatever it takes, it wants to know and will do anything for that, learning new languages or a whole new scholar field if required. I don’t know which part I want to see win. But I still have to be the referee of a war between me and me. And I dont have time to decide. Because the circle is moving again into a spiral and I have to move. If I keep moving, I may survive. That’s all I know. The voics repeat themselves a lot. One of their moto is “marche ou crève” (”walk or die”). 

I’m alone. No one can walk with me. Because I walk in circles when people walk in straight lines. Our paths can cross, but we can’t walk together for long.

Speaking of Chester and circles, he wrote this amazing song. The lyrics are so perfect, I can’t chose a single line... Sorry, it’s not a great day / week... 

[lzteach]

LINDAS BOOK OBSESSION INTERVIEWS AUTHOR ROCHELLE. WEINSTEIN AUTHOR OF “Somebody’s Daughter”

      What motivates or inspires you to write your novel?

Our world is filled with inspiration. Ideas and plot twists swarm around my brain daily. Interactions and situations turn quickly into stories that mean something and matter. But, the one piece that resonates most with me when creating is feeling something for the story and the characters. If I don’t have a range of emotions for a specific idea, it’s sometimes difficult for me to write. My readers expect a heartfelt, emotional read so being able to access those authentic feelings motivates and inspires the creative juices. For Somebody’s Daughter, I felt a genuine concern for parents and their children (myself included) navigating a complicated world. Despite our best efforts, we may not always be able to prevent our children from messing up, and I needed to write a story that shed light on imperfection and, ultimately, the healing power of acceptance.

  Are any of the characters based on anyone that you know?

One person can never encapsulate a single character—at least not in my novels. Often a character is a complex blend of multiple people and experiences. By extracting the emotions and reactions, the character is made human. When researching Somebody’s Daughter, I worked closely with the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative and victims of revenge porn and cyber-sexual harassment. Sadly, cyber-sexual crimes have afflicted communities across America, and I wrote about these characters to give a voice to all those victimized.

  What is your goal for your readers to take away after reading your novel?

For one, there is no such thing as perfect. Second, even with the best intentions, we don’t always have control over our children and their choices. With that in mind, I hope every parent or teenager who picks up this novel chooses kindness/empathy if faced with a friend or loved one who has “messed up.” It truly can happen to anyone. And finally, sexting and/or sharing explicit sexual videos or photos is a crime. Being a minor can’t and won’t protect you.

  How do you maintain a “balance” in your life, being a mother, author, etc?

I have always lived my life in balance by writing while the kids are at school and being Mom in the evenings and weekends. Obviously, that’s not always exact, but it’s a goal I work toward, and it’s manageable. As a parent of older teens (now 18) I am a lot freer to write as they have no interest in being with me anymore! Our sons (and my husband) value and appreciate my work ethic and I relish in making them proud.

  In your downtime what are some hobbies, (cooking, pets, sewing, reading, etc.) that you enjoy?

I’m a huge reader. When I’m not writing I’m devouring a good book. I love to hike, take long walks, relax on the sunny beaches of Miami, Pilates, puzzles, and snuggling with our dogs. My husband is the best person to walk with because he comes up with some great plot twists. Other than that, I enjoy being with my family and knowing everyone is happy.

  Are you writing any new projects, and if you are can you share something with us?

My fifth novel is titled This Is Not How It Ends, and it’s the story of love and friendship between Charley, Phillip, and Ben. This one will just break your heart. The story takes place in the Florida Keys and leaves you guessing until the very end.

  Where and how would you like your readers to contact you ?(or follow you)

I love connecting with readers.

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

www.rochelleweinstein.com

THANK YOU, LINDA, FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF READERS AND AUTHORS EVERYWHERE. YOUR EFFORTS MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

  Lindas Book Obsession Interviews Rochelle B. Weinstein, Author of “Somebody’s Daughter” LINDAS BOOK OBSESSION INTERVIEWS AUTHOR ROCHELLE. WEINSTEIN AUTHOR OF “Somebody’s Daughter” What motivates or inspires you to write your novel?

[consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis]

21 Self Care Activities You Can Do Without Leaving Bed

New blog post! Even if you're off from school for the summer or no longer driving kids from one after-school activity to another, it's easy for self care to fall to the bottom of your to-do list. That's why I'm rounding up 21 research-backed self care activities that are so easy, you can do them without even leaving the comfort of your bed.

So whether you have a chronic illness like fibromyalgia that sometimes prevents you from leaving bed or you just need easy self care ideas for your next self care Sunday, keep reading to learn about 21 research-backed ways you can add self love and self care into your daily routine!

1. Flip through some old photographs (in your phone, computer or photo album).

When I'm feeling lonely or just want to take a trip down memory lane, flipping through old photographs, cards and notes I keep in a box under my bed is my go-to self care activity. Even if you don't have your own memory box (though this could be your sign to start one now!), you can look through the photographs on your computer, phone or in your photo album. You'll be reminded of some of the amazing things you've done and the great friends and family you have. You might also get ideas of things you want to do again, like returning to a favorite coffee shop you'd forgotten about or texting a friend who's fallen out of touch.

2. Use online tutorials to learn something new.

Is there a skill that you've always wished you had but never took the time to master? Why not dedicate your self care Sunday (or even just a few hours one day a week) to learning a new skill? Thanks to the magic of the Internet, you can learn a variety of skills for free online. Plus, research shows learning new things can actually improve people's happiness and overall well-being, as well as their memory as they age.

3. Write about something that's bothering you for 10 minutes, and then throw the paper away or rip it up!

There's something comforting about being able to vent about a problem and then literally throw that problem in the trash. Putting your feelings into words has also been shown to make negative emotions feel less intense. Plus, writing about your problem could help you better understand why it's bugging you and what to do about it.

4. Challenge yourself to not use your phone for at least the first 30 minutes after you wake up.

Anyone else guilty of checking their phone and scrolling through email and Instagram as soon as you get up? I know I am. Self care can be as simple as saying "no" to technology for the first thirty minutes of your day, especially if you find that looking at work emails or social media comments as soon as you get up gives your days a stressful start.

5. Identify three of the most important goals you want to achieve that day...and they can be big or small.

As famous baseball Hall-of-Famer Yogi Berra once said, "If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else." To help ensure that you accomplish everything you want to each day, try identifying three important goals you want to achieve. These goals don't have to be big either. Sometimes, like when I'm having a fibromyalgia flare up, my biggest goals are to rest, get extra sleep and eat three square meals, and that's totally OK!

6. Read a book for at least an hour.

Besides getting to escape real life for at least an hour, reading a book also comes with a variety of other science-backed benefits, including increased empathy, reduced stress, higher rated intelligence and improved comprehension of whatever you're reading about. If you're looking for self care ideas that will definitely improve your overall health, reading a book is a solid option.

7. Groove out to music you haven't listened to in years.

If you've never had a solo dance party on your own bed, here's your invitation to try. Bonus points if you break out the old high school soundtrack you used to jam out to but haven't listened to in years. You'll be amazed at the memories old songs can bring back!

8. Meditate...or at least try to.

I'll be the first to admit that, although I know meditation would be good for me, I have a hard time actually incorporating this self care tip into my daily life. Luckily, research reports that meditating for even 20 minutes a day can be enough for you to reap big benefits like improved brain function. Meditation is also easily nowadays thanks to countless YouTube videos and apps that help guide you through. As I tell myself when I try to meditate but can't stay "focused" for longer than 10 minutes, something is better than nothing...and you'll never get better at meditating if you don't try.

9. Unplug from social media for at least a few hours...or even longer.

Social media can be an amazing thing. After all, as a blogger, I use social media almost daily and appreciate how it connects me with the rest of the gluten free community. However, social media can also be a huge time-sucker and some studies have correlated high social media usage with increased anxiety, depression and stress. If you're wondering how your social media usage is affecting you, you might want to try unplugging for a few hours (or even a few days) and seeing how you feel. Who knows. Maybe you'll discover a new social media routine (like only looking at it for a certain amount of time or on certain days) that works better for you.

10. Stretch your body!

You've probably heard about how good exercise is for your physical, mental and emotional health. However, you don't have to start doing jumping jacks in bed to get a lift in mood. In fact, experts report that stretching impacts both people's neurological and muscular health. So if you're really not feeling the gym, why not spend some time stretching in bed instead?

11. Listen to at least one podcast episode. Bonus points if it's on a topic you've been wanting to learn more about, but never find the time to.

Lately, I've been all about that podcast life, and listening to even one episode a day is a super easy form of self care. Some of my personal favorites include Oprah's SuperSoul, the Ted Radio Hour and Hidden Brain from NPR and How It is with Hello Sunshine (for a splash of feminist/girl power awesomeness), but you can find podcasts on whatever you're interested in learning more about. If you do feel like leaving bed that day, you can also listen to your podcast in the gym or on a walk. That makes it a nice break for the mind and body.

12. Call a friend you haven't talked to in awhile.

Even if you aren't feeling very social, you might surprise yourself with how much you enjoy catching up with an old friend. Like looking through photo albums, a phone call can also be a trip back in time and have you smiling over happy memories.

13. Make a list of three things that are going "right" for you that day or week. Do it that morning, that afternoon and that evening.

Speaking of podcasts, I actually got this self care idea from listening to Oprah. Compared to a gratitude journal that you only write in at night, this self care activity is a whole-day affair, but it should only take you a few minutes each time. The thinking behind it is that gratitude can offer a variety of benefits, ranging from improved physical health, increased empathy, better sleep, higher self-esteem and reduced stress. By listing three things you're grateful for three times a day, you're maintaining a grateful mindset all day.

14. Map out the next few weeks in a calendar, journal or planner, and schedule fun time and breaks during stressful periods.

Maybe it's just the Type-A control freak in me, but I feel a lot less stressed when I know what the next month of my life will hold. Even though there are definitely some things you can't plan (like my computer dying a few weeks ago...), you might feel less stressed after spending twenty minutes or so filling in your calendar. This is also a great time to schedule some "fun" breaks, like lunches with friends or a relaxing massage, when you notice an especially busy week or two.

15. Unfollow or hide social media accounts that don't give you positive energy or inspiration.

To make sure you're getting the most benefits (and least negatives) out of your social media accounts, do a spring cleaning of who you're following every couple of months or so. If someone's account is making you feel crummy more often then not (by making you feel inadequate, for instance, or by expressing ideas that you find hurtful or triggering), take a break from following them. Your mental health is more important than knowing what some influencer is up to every hour of the day.

16. Write your favorite quotes or inspiring affirmations on sticky notes that you can put in your room, on your laptop, in your car, etc.

Why not spend your time in bed doing something that will make your whole week - and your whole home - feel a lot more positive? Research has found that self-affirmations (particularly, writing about things you value, including your family, career, etc) can increase people's sense of self-worth along with providing other benefits. Personally, I like writing positive affirmations on sticky notes that I place on my computer, fridge or anything else I use regularly in my house. Regardless of how you write or where you put your positive affirmations, the important part is writing them in the first place.

17. Enjoy watching at least an hour of your favorite TV show - and don't feel guilty or like you're "wasting time."

Anyone else feel like they constantly need to be “productive” in order for their day to be a “good” one? I know I do, but that often leads to burn out. So after a hard week or even a hard day, try to set aside time for a totally guilt-and-care-free Netflix binge of your favorite show. You’ll be amazed at how refreshed and motivated you feel after giving yourself a break and escaping from reality for a little bit! 

18. Do something creative for at least thirty minutes!

The next time you're craving some mood-boosting self care, try breaking out the adult coloring books, doodling on a spare notepad, making your own beaded jewelry or really doing anything that gets your creative juices flowing. Research has linked increased creativity with increased positive thoughts, as well as decreased stress and anxiety. Plus, who knows what cute stuff you'll end up creating?

19. Paint your nails, oil pull, do a face mask or any other beauty treatment you rarely take time for.

I’m not usually a big beauty treatment kind of gal, but when I do take the time to put on a face mask or paint my nails, it can transform my bedroom into a spa. So if you need an easy self care activity, think of a beauty treatment you love doing but rarely get around to doing and add that to the top of your daily to-so list. Seeing your newly painted nails or feeling your extra moisturized hair could put a smile on your face for days afterward.

20. Write a card to someone for no reason besides saying hi.

How many handwritten cards do you get nowadays compared to phone calls, emails or texts? Probably a whole lot less! Taking the time to write a handwritten letter can benefit more than just the friend who gets a nice surprise in their mailbox. Expressive writing has actually been shown to improve people's mood, stress levels and overall well-being, so grab a pen and get busy!

21. Smile for at least 30 seconds, even if you don't feel like doing it.

If you're looking for a self care activity you can complete in a minute or less, prepare to show off those pearly whites of yours and smile! Even if you're forcing it, smiling triggers endorphins that elevate your mood. Plus, smiling makes you look younger and thinner, creates the same happy feelings in your brain as 2,000 bars of chocolate and is even correlated with a longer lifespan. Now those are some benefits to smile about!

My Self Care Challenge to You

Whether you throw a self care Sunday every week or desperately need to start adding self care activities into your regular routine, making time for self care can not only make your day 100 times better, but also improve your mental, emotional and physical health. 

As I’ve shown with this list, self care doesn’t have to involve a high-end spa treatment or a weekend retreat to some exotic island. In fact, you can enjoy a plethora of self care activities from the comfort of your own bed...so whether you’re in bed rest because of a chronic illness like fibromyalgia or just need some easy TLC, there are some stellar self care options for you.

My challenge to you this summer is to try out at least one of these self care activities - or some other form of self care that makes you feel good - each week. As relaxing as summer can be, it also often involves lots of family activities, travel and stress. This summer, make YOU and your health a priority with some help from these easy self care tips!

What’s your favorite way to practice self care? Tell me in the comments! 

via Blogger https://ift.tt/2moSlge

[leroypayton615-blog]

Contents, Marked Along with "Swimming Pool"

All improvement starts through having ownership and responsibility from your own life. My guy left me and also informed me mores than I was actually devastated as I enjoyed him a lot I chose to speak to a spelI wheel and I satisfied a pal that told me from a fantastic physician and I determined to call him and also he told me in 3 days my partner are going to phone me and scrounge me to acept him I believed he was poking fun in 3 times every thing occurred as he mentioned I am actually so pleased could likewise contact him at; efespelltemple @ for any kind of type of help, or even contact +2348106985072. That is actually the usual, daily minutes of contentment that usually avoid us. When our experts're feeling delighted during the course of the time, one method to transform this is actually by coming to be purposely informed from. Happy folks possess a trio from joy and happiness practices: they prepare targets, have worthwhile social connections and also technique good psychological behaviors. Whether that is your task or a job around your home, you want to be sure you strive at it and also finish that. I really love to work with hardwood. Happy quotes move our company to take a while to delight in the globe that we're in prior to it's far too late. Create the most out of your hanging or current academic year with the concepts and advise provided within this article. This will definitely produce him presume that he had a lot better get you back before other person covers you up for really good. Looks alone can easily make a man wish you intimately, but if you wish him to join passion, dedicate to a partnership, as well as find you as his only, at that point looks alone won't suffice. Yet merely denying one thing you appreciate, whether it is actually frozen yogurt or even moving and other parts from an amazing, adventurous sex life, will certainly certainly not create your wish for it fade. This morning I lagged someone in visitor traffic that chose they were visiting create a best convert. Seeing you take care of the split up thus effectively will create your ex realize he misses you like crazy. Here are actually some carry out's and do n'ts to keep in thoughts if you want to follow their lead and find out just how to make a person loss in affection with you. Those untamed feelings that you feel due to your concerns need not define you. That uses some sizzling dishes like Grilled Mahi, Shrimp Jumbo Shrimp Scampi, Spanish Paella, Skillet Seared Atlantic Salmon, Cuban Braised Fish, and also Veal Piccata etc I presumed that the secrets I do will definitely make people question and also it is actually not thus vital what I say. I regularly attempt to instruct individuals on my blog and also write-ups to become receptive as well as not to create any sort of restriction for themselves. Dark chocolate peanut butter no bake biscuits produce wonderful grandparents gifts, teacher presents, special day gifts, thanks presents and more. After the party has been kept, personalized static is actually best for thank-you details. If they're certainly not, ensure you do not hurry in to marital relationship, as you may find out that there is actually other people out there that is actually indicated for you. If you are also seeking an option which would carry a brand new phase of enthusiasm back in to your lifestyle, are sure that you raise sexual drive and also make your husband the happiest individual on the earth. Andrew was up next, when he stood up to the mic he stated, Thus, I chose to vocalize this considering that I adore a really good tune regarding daddy problems." He launched into the song, as well as there was actually something concerning this that seemed to be suitable, even though the track was extremely different coming from Andrew's very own account. I indicated a guy that is actually title is PROPHET AHMED he is actually really highly effective and could aid cast incantations to bring back one's gone, dropped, misbehaving fanatic and magic money spell or even spell for a really good job or even fortune spellI'm now delighted & a lifestyle statement cos the man i had actually wished to get married to remaining me 3 full weeks prior to our wedding and my life was actually upside down due to the fact that our connection has actually goned on for 3years. In fact, I would state that some of these love quotes have a great deal of electrical power that they can even revive a lifeless partnership if you utter these quotes to your passion. To make this that bit extra special, make some keep in minds in that, special days and suggestions. By declaring and concentrated on pleased thought and feelings, your favorable outlook usuallies draw in people to you. These could include some terrific books to read and bags that she may profit. Permit me to present to you my favored 10 best ever Attractive Life quotes as well as jingle your time up. Because they have actually given me therefore many satisfied times throughout, I can sit near a heap of publications as well as be actually pleased is actually all I am claiming; possibly this's. Every little thing that our team are actually for ... love, rely on, peace, empathy, joy, encourages us, and every little thing that our team protest ... hate, rage, doubt, anxiety, diminishes our company. Right now opt for: HAPPY or even UNHAPPY. Receive wellness as well as preventive treatment insurance policies and assistances to adhere to Obamacare. I have been around the globe in several magic conventions as well as viewed a bunch of good artists as well as sleight of hand performers, however the major concern remains; why do some make a living conducting this craft, as well as various other don't. There are actually people at grow older 25 which have actually been actually througn actual hardships ... like cancer cells or even car crashes where they are actually paralyzed. as well as you possessed all of it you possess your appeals and also couldnt be happy. They rely upon their loved ones to verify the selections they make in life. First and foremost, never suppose that if you come to know the best ways to make your man pleased in mattress, then you have succeeded the war. Keep in mind, although this may feel like a considerable amount of job, you cost it and you may do that. The secret is actually to try as well as make your action steps fun and also satisfying and also not only feel like a lot from effort. Tip 1: Freedom: Challenge certainly not depending from people to accomplish your goals in lifestyle. Cakes as well as dishes are very easy to make as well as best of all allow kids to create artistic decorations, but today our company'll focus on cookies, primarily the kind that don't need cooking: no bake cookies. The more our team may be best" and satisfied along with each person we come across, the fuller and also a lot more wonderful our lifestyles will certainly be. This is actually a reality that lots of guys believe that they could obtain their sweethearts back by going out with yet another gal to make their ex-boyfriend jealous. In the event you loved this article and you want to receive details with regards to yellow pages advert (Read the Full Article) please visit our web site. The means to take advantage of your right brain is by performing things that make that stretch and increase in manner ins which sustain talented as well as innovative thinking. See to it certainly not to exaggerate the agreements to sustain the celebration really fancy.

[racheltgibsau]

The Scientific Tricks to Tell Brand Stories That Will Move Your Audience to Action

Does the content you create burrow into brains, slam into cells, and trigger an exciting cavalcade of chemicals? If it tells a great story, it can.

But marketers often confuse information for story. Marketing campaigns, direct mail, email newsletters help you do much more than simply relay information. They are communication tools that help you establish a connection with your audience.

In an ideal world, every interaction with your audience leaves a lasting impression. In reality, only those interactions that foster a connection do. So, what’s the most efficient shortcut to that connection? Brand storytelling.

We want to help you make the strongest impact with every piece of content you create, so we’re diving into the science of brand storytelling to teach you how to tell stories that will make the most impact with your audience.

Building Trust Through Brand Storytelling

Before we dive into the science of brand storytelling, let’s address the ultimate goal of all content: to build a relationship with your customers. We know consumers want to work with brands whose values they share, who can provide expert advice and take consumers from point A to point B as painlessly as possible. But the road from passive consumer to active customer starts with your relationship.

Content is one of the best ways to establish a relationship. You may use it to demonstrate your knowledge, help your audience do something, or introduce your culture or brand. No matter the subject, you want to deliver that message in the most effective manner. This is where brand storytelling gives you an advantage.

When you translate your message into compelling stories, you are speaking in a language that your audience’s brains and bodies instinctively understand. This intrinsic recognition is what fosters their connection to you. It’s what tells them you are a familiar friend—not a nuisance to ignore.

The Science Behind Brand Storytelling

Humans are scientifically hardwired for stories—think of the earliest cave paintings. But why? Why do stories captivate us? Because they affect our biology. A good story isn’t just an entertaining experience. It’s a physical experience that affects our emotions and—most importantly—can change our behavior.

This is well demonstrated in the work of Paul Zak, a neuroeconomist and professor at Claremont Graduate University, who is a pioneer in the study of stories and their effect on humans.

In a 2015 study, Zak tested the power of story and its effect on charitable giving. He had participants watch motion graphics delivering two types of stories: 1) a dramatic narrative about a father and son 2) a simple story depicting the father and son at the zoo. After viewing the stories, participants were invited to donate money to strangers.

The study revealed the powerful affect of storytelling. The dramatic narrative caused viewers’ brains to release two incredibly powerful chemicals: oxytocin and cortisol.

Why? The experience of hearing and seeing a human narrative allowed viewers to put themselves in the story, which increased their oxytocin and, therefore, empathy. (This also aligns with neural coupling, in which the brain activity of someone listening to a story begins to mirror the person who’s telling the story.)

While oxytocin is the feel-good “love” chemical, the conflict in the narrative increased cortisol, the stress chemical. This may sound negative, but cortisol is important because stress causes humans to be on high alert and pay attention, making the viewers more invested in the story. Combined, these two chemicals not only shaped emotions but influenced viewer behavior.

After viewing the dramatic narrative, viewers were more eager to donate money. (The power of these chemicals also confirmed findings of Zak’s 2007 study, in which participants injected with oxytocin became 80% more generous.)

Additional research has also found storytelling to be a useful behavior-changing tool. A 2011 University of Massachusetts Medical study found that storytelling swayed patients to better control their blood pressure. And a 2013 Penn State study found that storytelling helped improve medical students’ attitudes toward treating dementia patients.

Connection, trust, empathy, action: This is the inherent power of storytelling—if you tell the right story.

The Formula for Great Brand Storytelling

Now, here’s the kicker. Remember that Zak presented two stories to the viewers. That dramatic narrative contained conflict and resolution. The second, about the father and the son at the zoo, had none. It basically just followed their actions: visiting one animal, then the next. There was no compelling narrative to trigger those chemicals.

But the dramatic story full of conflict, struggle, and tension captured the audience. Therefore, the key to good brand storytelling is a stimulating story.

According to Zak, there are two keys to a powerful story:

It needs to capture attention.

It should transport us to the world.

A 2014 Johns Hopkins study of popular Super Bowl ads found that the key to popularity wasn’t humor or a crazy stunt, it was the type of stories that followed a dramatic arc. For this, let’s refer to Gustav Freytag’s pyramid, which you might remember this from English class.

This classic story structure includes:

Exposition: This sets the scene, detailing who or what the story is about.

Rising action: These are the events that lead to the climax, the conflict, etc.

Climax: This is the turning point.

Falling Action: This is where the conflict unravels.

Denouement: This is the resolution.

This is the most satisfying story structure because it provides everything we crave: intrigue, action, and resolution. (Note that a great ending or resolution triggers a release dopamine, the feel-good reward chemical.)

How to Apply the Arc to Brand Storytelling

It may seem like this structure is difficult to master in marketing, as opposed to a novel or screenplay, but there are plenty of practical applications for marketing, both internally and externally.

Storytelling can be used for:

Sales collateral: Case studies or other content to prove your benefit.

Education: Blogs, articles, infographics, explainer videos, or any instance in which you need to communicate concepts clearly.

Entertainment: Content to delight customers or communicate your brand personality.

Culture Marketing: Content to tell the story of who you are to current/potential customers and/or employees.

Behavior influence: You may use storytelling for positive reinforcement (to increase a behavior) or negative reinforcement (to prevent a behavior).

No matter the application, you can apply the elements of a dramatic narrative to every piece of content you create. Here are 6 ways to do it:

Vet your ideas: To make sure you’re telling the most compelling story possible, ask yourself:

Why do I want to tell this story?

What’s my unique angle?  

What value will this provide to my audience?

What should my audience take away from this?

Tell a single story: Don’t confuse the reader by trying to put too much in. A single, powerful narrative is more effective than 10 random anecdotes.  

Tell stories your audience will relate to: A good story triggers empathy and connection, but you can make it even more enticing by telling stories about subjects your audience is already interested in. Craft content around the issues, interests, or pain points your audience regularly faces. (Find out how to build audience personas which will help you identify these.)

Start with an emotional hook: Use the first 100 words of your article or 15 seconds of your video to grab their attention and trigger that oxytocin and cortisol. Pro-tip: Conflict always creates an emotional response and personal anecdotes, powerful statistics, or provocative questions are a great way to do this.

Create a setup and payoff: Remember that the story resolution triggers that reward response. If you can lead with an emotional hook, get them invested in the story, they’ll want to follow it through to the end.

Be human: Empathy is a human emotion. Make sure your brand voice, language, and empathy is also reflected in the way you tell your story. 

Brand storytelling can be challenging and exciting, but always remember the real reason you’re telling stories: To foster a connection and build a strong, trusting relationship.

For more on creating powerful stories, find out why data storytelling may be your secret weapon and learn how to create content that provides true value to your audience. 

The post The Scientific Tricks to Tell Brand Stories That Will Move Your Audience to Action appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 http://blog.marketo.com/2017/07/scientific-tricks-tell-brand-stories-will-move-audience-action.html

[zacdhaenkeau]

The Scientific Tricks to Tell Brand Stories That Will Move Your Audience to Action

Does the content you create burrow into brains, slam into cells, and trigger an exciting cavalcade of chemicals? If it tells a great story, it can.

But marketers often confuse information for story. Marketing campaigns, direct mail, email newsletters help you do much more than simply relay information. They are communication tools that help you establish a connection with your audience.

In an ideal world, every interaction with your audience leaves a lasting impression. In reality, only those interactions that foster a connection do. So, what’s the most efficient shortcut to that connection? Brand storytelling.

We want to help you make the strongest impact with every piece of content you create, so we’re diving into the science of brand storytelling to teach you how to tell stories that will make the most impact with your audience.

Building Trust Through Brand Storytelling

Before we dive into the science of brand storytelling, let’s address the ultimate goal of all content: to build a relationship with your customers. We know consumers want to work with brands whose values they share, who can provide expert advice and take consumers from point A to point B as painlessly as possible. But the road from passive consumer to active customer starts with your relationship.

Content is one of the best ways to establish a relationship. You may use it to demonstrate your knowledge, help your audience do something, or introduce your culture or brand. No matter the subject, you want to deliver that message in the most effective manner. This is where brand storytelling gives you an advantage.

When you translate your message into compelling stories, you are speaking in a language that your audience’s brains and bodies instinctively understand. This intrinsic recognition is what fosters their connection to you. It’s what tells them you are a familiar friend—not a nuisance to ignore.

The Science Behind Brand Storytelling

Humans are scientifically hardwired for stories—think of the earliest cave paintings. But why? Why do stories captivate us? Because they affect our biology. A good story isn’t just an entertaining experience. It’s a physical experience that affects our emotions and—most importantly—can change our behavior.

This is well demonstrated in the work of Paul Zak, a neuroeconomist and professor at Claremont Graduate University, who is a pioneer in the study of stories and their effect on humans.

In a 2015 study, Zak tested the power of story and its effect on charitable giving. He had participants watch motion graphics delivering two types of stories: 1) a dramatic narrative about a father and son 2) a simple story depicting the father and son at the zoo. After viewing the stories, participants were invited to donate money to strangers.

The study revealed the powerful affect of storytelling. The dramatic narrative caused viewers’ brains to release two incredibly powerful chemicals: oxytocin and cortisol.

Why? The experience of hearing and seeing a human narrative allowed viewers to put themselves in the story, which increased their oxytocin and, therefore, empathy. (This also aligns with neural coupling, in which the brain activity of someone listening to a story begins to mirror the person who’s telling the story.)

While oxytocin is the feel-good “love” chemical, the conflict in the narrative increased cortisol, the stress chemical. This may sound negative, but cortisol is important because stress causes humans to be on high alert and pay attention, making the viewers more invested in the story. Combined, these two chemicals not only shaped emotions but influenced viewer behavior.

After viewing the dramatic narrative, viewers were more eager to donate money. (The power of these chemicals also confirmed findings of Zak’s 2007 study, in which participants injected with oxytocin became 80% more generous.)

Additional research has also found storytelling to be a useful behavior-changing tool. A 2011 University of Massachusetts Medical study found that storytelling swayed patients to better control their blood pressure. And a 2013 Penn State study found that storytelling helped improve medical students’ attitudes toward treating dementia patients.

Connection, trust, empathy, action: This is the inherent power of storytelling—if you tell the right story.

The Formula for Great Brand Storytelling

Now, here’s the kicker. Remember that Zak presented two stories to the viewers. That dramatic narrative contained conflict and resolution. The second, about the father and the son at the zoo, had none. It basically just followed their actions: visiting one animal, then the next. There was no compelling narrative to trigger those chemicals.

But the dramatic story full of conflict, struggle, and tension captured the audience. Therefore, the key to good brand storytelling is a stimulating story.

According to Zak, there are two keys to a powerful story:

It needs to capture attention.

It should transport us to the world.

A 2014 Johns Hopkins study of popular Super Bowl ads found that the key to popularity wasn’t humor or a crazy stunt, it was the type of stories that followed a dramatic arc. For this, let’s refer to Gustav Freytag’s pyramid, which you might remember this from English class.

This classic story structure includes:

Exposition: This sets the scene, detailing who or what the story is about.

Rising action: These are the events that lead to the climax, the conflict, etc.

Climax: This is the turning point.

Falling Action: This is where the conflict unravels.

Denouement: This is the resolution.

This is the most satisfying story structure because it provides everything we crave: intrigue, action, and resolution. (Note that a great ending or resolution triggers a release dopamine, the feel-good reward chemical.)

How to Apply the Arc to Brand Storytelling

It may seem like this structure is difficult to master in marketing, as opposed to a novel or screenplay, but there are plenty of practical applications for marketing, both internally and externally.

Storytelling can be used for:

Sales collateral: Case studies or other content to prove your benefit.

Education: Blogs, articles, infographics, explainer videos, or any instance in which you need to communicate concepts clearly.

Entertainment: Content to delight customers or communicate your brand personality.

Culture Marketing: Content to tell the story of who you are to current/potential customers and/or employees.

Behavior influence: You may use storytelling for positive reinforcement (to increase a behavior) or negative reinforcement (to prevent a behavior).

No matter the application, you can apply the elements of a dramatic narrative to every piece of content you create. Here are 6 ways to do it:

Vet your ideas: To make sure you’re telling the most compelling story possible, ask yourself:

Why do I want to tell this story?

What’s my unique angle?  

What value will this provide to my audience?

What should my audience take away from this?

Tell a single story: Don’t confuse the reader by trying to put too much in. A single, powerful narrative is more effective than 10 random anecdotes.  

Tell stories your audience will relate to: A good story triggers empathy and connection, but you can make it even more enticing by telling stories about subjects your audience is already interested in. Craft content around the issues, interests, or pain points your audience regularly faces. (Find out how to build audience personas which will help you identify these.)

Start with an emotional hook: Use the first 100 words of your article or 15 seconds of your video to grab their attention and trigger that oxytocin and cortisol. Pro-tip: Conflict always creates an emotional response and personal anecdotes, powerful statistics, or provocative questions are a great way to do this.

Create a setup and payoff: Remember that the story resolution triggers that reward response. If you can lead with an emotional hook, get them invested in the story, they’ll want to follow it through to the end.

Be human: Empathy is a human emotion. Make sure your brand voice, language, and empathy is also reflected in the way you tell your story. 

Brand storytelling can be challenging and exciting, but always remember the real reason you’re telling stories: To foster a connection and build a strong, trusting relationship.

For more on creating powerful stories, find out why data storytelling may be your secret weapon and learn how to create content that provides true value to your audience. 

The post The Scientific Tricks to Tell Brand Stories That Will Move Your Audience to Action appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 http://blog.marketo.com/2017/07/scientific-tricks-tell-brand-stories-will-move-audience-action.html

[maxslogic25]

The Scientific Tricks to Tell Brand Stories That Will Move Your Audience to Action

Does the content you create burrow into brains, slam into cells, and trigger an exciting cavalcade of chemicals? If it tells a great story, it can.

But marketers often confuse information for story. Marketing campaigns, direct mail, email newsletters help you do much more than simply relay information. They are communication tools that help you establish a connection with your audience.

In an ideal world, every interaction with your audience leaves a lasting impression. In reality, only those interactions that foster a connection do. So, what’s the most efficient shortcut to that connection? Brand storytelling.

We want to help you make the strongest impact with every piece of content you create, so we’re diving into the science of brand storytelling to teach you how to tell stories that will make the most impact with your audience.

Building Trust Through Brand Storytelling

Before we dive into the science of brand storytelling, let’s address the ultimate goal of all content: to build a relationship with your customers. We know consumers want to work with brands whose values they share, who can provide expert advice and take consumers from point A to point B as painlessly as possible. But the road from passive consumer to active customer starts with your relationship.

Content is one of the best ways to establish a relationship. You may use it to demonstrate your knowledge, help your audience do something, or introduce your culture or brand. No matter the subject, you want to deliver that message in the most effective manner. This is where brand storytelling gives you an advantage.

When you translate your message into compelling stories, you are speaking in a language that your audience’s brains and bodies instinctively understand. This intrinsic recognition is what fosters their connection to you. It’s what tells them you are a familiar friend—not a nuisance to ignore.

The Science Behind Brand Storytelling

Humans are scientifically hardwired for stories—think of the earliest cave paintings. But why? Why do stories captivate us? Because they affect our biology. A good story isn’t just an entertaining experience. It’s a physical experience that affects our emotions and—most importantly—can change our behavior.

This is well demonstrated in the work of Paul Zak, a neuroeconomist and professor at Claremont Graduate University, who is a pioneer in the study of stories and their effect on humans.

In a 2015 study, Zak tested the power of story and its effect on charitable giving. He had participants watch motion graphics delivering two types of stories: 1) a dramatic narrative about a father and son 2) a simple story depicting the father and son at the zoo. After viewing the stories, participants were invited to donate money to strangers.

The study revealed the powerful affect of storytelling. The dramatic narrative caused viewers’ brains to release two incredibly powerful chemicals: oxytocin and cortisol.

Why? The experience of hearing and seeing a human narrative allowed viewers to put themselves in the story, which increased their oxytocin and, therefore, empathy. (This also aligns with neural coupling, in which the brain activity of someone listening to a story begins to mirror the person who’s telling the story.)

While oxytocin is the feel-good “love” chemical, the conflict in the narrative increased cortisol, the stress chemical. This may sound negative, but cortisol is important because stress causes humans to be on high alert and pay attention, making the viewers more invested in the story. Combined, these two chemicals not only shaped emotions but influenced viewer behavior.

After viewing the dramatic narrative, viewers were more eager to donate money. (The power of these chemicals also confirmed findings of Zak’s 2007 study, in which participants injected with oxytocin became 80% more generous.)

Additional research has also found storytelling to be a useful behavior-changing tool. A 2011 University of Massachusetts Medical study found that storytelling swayed patients to better control their blood pressure. And a 2013 Penn State study found that storytelling helped improve medical students’ attitudes toward treating dementia patients.

Connection, trust, empathy, action: This is the inherent power of storytelling—if you tell the right story.

The Formula for Great Brand Storytelling

Now, here’s the kicker. Remember that Zak presented two stories to the viewers. That dramatic narrative contained conflict and resolution. The second, about the father and the son at the zoo, had none. It basically just followed their actions: visiting one animal, then the next. There was no compelling narrative to trigger those chemicals.

But the dramatic story full of conflict, struggle, and tension captured the audience. Therefore, the key to good brand storytelling is a stimulating story.

According to Zak, there are two keys to a powerful story:

It needs to capture attention.

It should transport us to the world.

A 2014 Johns Hopkins study of popular Super Bowl ads found that the key to popularity wasn’t humor or a crazy stunt, it was the type of stories that followed a dramatic arc. For this, let’s refer to Gustav Freytag’s pyramid, which you might remember this from English class.

This classic story structure includes:

Exposition: This sets the scene, detailing who or what the story is about.

Rising action: These are the events that lead to the climax, the conflict, etc.

Climax: This is the turning point.

Falling Action: This is where the conflict unravels.

Denouement: This is the resolution.

This is the most satisfying story structure because it provides everything we crave: intrigue, action, and resolution. (Note that a great ending or resolution triggers a release dopamine, the feel-good reward chemical.)

How to Apply the Arc to Brand Storytelling

It may seem like this structure is difficult to master in marketing, as opposed to a novel or screenplay, but there are plenty of practical applications for marketing, both internally and externally.

Storytelling can be used for:

Sales collateral: Case studies or other content to prove your benefit.

Education: Blogs, articles, infographics, explainer videos, or any instance in which you need to communicate concepts clearly.

Entertainment: Content to delight customers or communicate your brand personality.

Culture Marketing: Content to tell the story of who you are to current/potential customers and/or employees.

Behavior influence: You may use storytelling for positive reinforcement (to increase a behavior) or negative reinforcement (to prevent a behavior).

No matter the application, you can apply the elements of a dramatic narrative to every piece of content you create. Here are 6 ways to do it:

Vet your ideas: To make sure you’re telling the most compelling story possible, ask yourself:

Why do I want to tell this story?

What’s my unique angle?  

What value will this provide to my audience?

What should my audience take away from this?

Tell a single story: Don’t confuse the reader by trying to put too much in. A single, powerful narrative is more effective than 10 random anecdotes.  

Tell stories your audience will relate to: A good story triggers empathy and connection, but you can make it even more enticing by telling stories about subjects your audience is already interested in. Craft content around the issues, interests, or pain points your audience regularly faces. (Find out how to build audience personas which will help you identify these.)

Start with an emotional hook: Use the first 100 words of your article or 15 seconds of your video to grab their attention and trigger that oxytocin and cortisol. Pro-tip: Conflict always creates an emotional response and personal anecdotes, powerful statistics, or provocative questions are a great way to do this.

Create a setup and payoff: Remember that the story resolution triggers that reward response. If you can lead with an emotional hook, get them invested in the story, they’ll want to follow it through to the end.

Be human: Empathy is a human emotion. Make sure your brand voice, language, and empathy is also reflected in the way you tell your story. 

Brand storytelling can be challenging and exciting, but always remember the real reason you’re telling stories: To foster a connection and build a strong, trusting relationship.

For more on creating powerful stories, find out why data storytelling may be your secret weapon and learn how to create content that provides true value to your audience. 

The post The Scientific Tricks to Tell Brand Stories That Will Move Your Audience to Action appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 http://blog.marketo.com/2017/07/scientific-tricks-tell-brand-stories-will-move-audience-action.html

[sualkmedeiors]

The Scientific Tricks to Tell Brand Stories That Will Move Your Audience to Action

Does the content you create burrow into brains, slam into cells, and trigger an exciting cavalcade of chemicals? If it tells a great story, it can.

But marketers often confuse information for story. Marketing campaigns, direct mail, email newsletters help you do much more than simply relay information. They are communication tools that help you establish a connection with your audience.

In an ideal world, every interaction with your audience leaves a lasting impression. In reality, only those interactions that foster a connection do. So, what’s the most efficient shortcut to that connection? Brand storytelling.

We want to help you make the strongest impact with every piece of content you create, so we’re diving into the science of brand storytelling to teach you how to tell stories that will make the most impact with your audience.

Building Trust Through Brand Storytelling

Before we dive into the science of brand storytelling, let’s address the ultimate goal of all content: to build a relationship with your customers. We know consumers want to work with brands whose values they share, who can provide expert advice and take consumers from point A to point B as painlessly as possible. But the road from passive consumer to active customer starts with your relationship.

Content is one of the best ways to establish a relationship. You may use it to demonstrate your knowledge, help your audience do something, or introduce your culture or brand. No matter the subject, you want to deliver that message in the most effective manner. This is where brand storytelling gives you an advantage.

When you translate your message into compelling stories, you are speaking in a language that your audience’s brains and bodies instinctively understand. This intrinsic recognition is what fosters their connection to you. It’s what tells them you are a familiar friend—not a nuisance to ignore.

The Science Behind Brand Storytelling

Humans are scientifically hardwired for stories—think of the earliest cave paintings. But why? Why do stories captivate us? Because they affect our biology. A good story isn’t just an entertaining experience. It’s a physical experience that affects our emotions and—most importantly—can change our behavior.

This is well demonstrated in the work of Paul Zak, a neuroeconomist and professor at Claremont Graduate University, who is a pioneer in the study of stories and their effect on humans.

In a 2015 study, Zak tested the power of story and its effect on charitable giving. He had participants watch motion graphics delivering two types of stories: 1) a dramatic narrative about a father and son 2) a simple story depicting the father and son at the zoo. After viewing the stories, participants were invited to donate money to strangers.

The study revealed the powerful affect of storytelling. The dramatic narrative caused viewers’ brains to release two incredibly powerful chemicals: oxytocin and cortisol.

Why? The experience of hearing and seeing a human narrative allowed viewers to put themselves in the story, which increased their oxytocin and, therefore, empathy. (This also aligns with neural coupling, in which the brain activity of someone listening to a story begins to mirror the person who’s telling the story.)

While oxytocin is the feel-good “love” chemical, the conflict in the narrative increased cortisol, the stress chemical. This may sound negative, but cortisol is important because stress causes humans to be on high alert and pay attention, making the viewers more invested in the story. Combined, these two chemicals not only shaped emotions but influenced viewer behavior.

After viewing the dramatic narrative, viewers were more eager to donate money. (The power of these chemicals also confirmed findings of Zak’s 2007 study, in which participants injected with oxytocin became 80% more generous.)

Additional research has also found storytelling to be a useful behavior-changing tool. A 2011 University of Massachusetts Medical study found that storytelling swayed patients to better control their blood pressure. And a 2013 Penn State study found that storytelling helped improve medical students’ attitudes toward treating dementia patients.

Connection, trust, empathy, action: This is the inherent power of storytelling—if you tell the right story.

The Formula for Great Brand Storytelling

Now, here’s the kicker. Remember that Zak presented two stories to the viewers. That dramatic narrative contained conflict and resolution. The second, about the father and the son at the zoo, had none. It basically just followed their actions: visiting one animal, then the next. There was no compelling narrative to trigger those chemicals.

But the dramatic story full of conflict, struggle, and tension captured the audience. Therefore, the key to good brand storytelling is a stimulating story.

According to Zak, there are two keys to a powerful story:

It needs to capture attention.

It should transport us to the world.

A 2014 Johns Hopkins study of popular Super Bowl ads found that the key to popularity wasn’t humor or a crazy stunt, it was the type of stories that followed a dramatic arc. For this, let’s refer to Gustav Freytag’s pyramid, which you might remember this from English class.

This classic story structure includes:

Exposition: This sets the scene, detailing who or what the story is about.

Rising action: These are the events that lead to the climax, the conflict, etc.

Climax: This is the turning point.

Falling Action: This is where the conflict unravels.

Denouement: This is the resolution.

This is the most satisfying story structure because it provides everything we crave: intrigue, action, and resolution. (Note that a great ending or resolution triggers a release dopamine, the feel-good reward chemical.)

How to Apply the Arc to Brand Storytelling

It may seem like this structure is difficult to master in marketing, as opposed to a novel or screenplay, but there are plenty of practical applications for marketing, both internally and externally.

Storytelling can be used for:

Sales collateral: Case studies or other content to prove your benefit.

Education: Blogs, articles, infographics, explainer videos, or any instance in which you need to communicate concepts clearly.

Entertainment: Content to delight customers or communicate your brand personality.

Culture Marketing: Content to tell the story of who you are to current/potential customers and/or employees.

Behavior influence: You may use storytelling for positive reinforcement (to increase a behavior) or negative reinforcement (to prevent a behavior).

No matter the application, you can apply the elements of a dramatic narrative to every piece of content you create. Here are 6 ways to do it:

Vet your ideas: To make sure you’re telling the most compelling story possible, ask yourself:

Why do I want to tell this story?

What’s my unique angle?  

What value will this provide to my audience?

What should my audience take away from this?

Tell a single story: Don’t confuse the reader by trying to put too much in. A single, powerful narrative is more effective than 10 random anecdotes.  

Tell stories your audience will relate to: A good story triggers empathy and connection, but you can make it even more enticing by telling stories about subjects your audience is already interested in. Craft content around the issues, interests, or pain points your audience regularly faces. (Find out how to build audience personas which will help you identify these.)

Start with an emotional hook: Use the first 100 words of your article or 15 seconds of your video to grab their attention and trigger that oxytocin and cortisol. Pro-tip: Conflict always creates an emotional response and personal anecdotes, powerful statistics, or provocative questions are a great way to do this.

Create a setup and payoff: Remember that the story resolution triggers that reward response. If you can lead with an emotional hook, get them invested in the story, they’ll want to follow it through to the end.

Be human: Empathy is a human emotion. Make sure your brand voice, language, and empathy is also reflected in the way you tell your story. 

Brand storytelling can be challenging and exciting, but always remember the real reason you’re telling stories: To foster a connection and build a strong, trusting relationship.

For more on creating powerful stories, find out why data storytelling may be your secret weapon and learn how to create content that provides true value to your audience. 

The post The Scientific Tricks to Tell Brand Stories That Will Move Your Audience to Action appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

from http://blog.marketo.com/2017/07/scientific-tricks-tell-brand-stories-will-move-audience-action.html

[archiebwoollard]

The Scientific Tricks to Tell Brand Stories That Will Move Your Audience to Action

Does the content you create burrow into brains, slam into cells, and trigger an exciting cavalcade of chemicals? If it tells a great story, it can.

But marketers often confuse information for story. Marketing campaigns, direct mail, email newsletters help you do much more than simply relay information. They are communication tools that help you establish a connection with your audience.

In an ideal world, every interaction with your audience leaves a lasting impression. In reality, only those interactions that foster a connection do. So, what’s the most efficient shortcut to that connection? Brand storytelling.

We want to help you make the strongest impact with every piece of content you create, so we’re diving into the science of brand storytelling to teach you how to tell stories that will make the most impact with your audience.

Building Trust Through Brand Storytelling

Before we dive into the science of brand storytelling, let’s address the ultimate goal of all content: to build a relationship with your customers. We know consumers want to work with brands whose values they share, who can provide expert advice and take consumers from point A to point B as painlessly as possible. But the road from passive consumer to active customer starts with your relationship.

Content is one of the best ways to establish a relationship. You may use it to demonstrate your knowledge, help your audience do something, or introduce your culture or brand. No matter the subject, you want to deliver that message in the most effective manner. This is where brand storytelling gives you an advantage.

When you translate your message into compelling stories, you are speaking in a language that your audience’s brains and bodies instinctively understand. This intrinsic recognition is what fosters their connection to you. It’s what tells them you are a familiar friend—not a nuisance to ignore.

The Science Behind Brand Storytelling

Humans are scientifically hardwired for stories—think of the earliest cave paintings. But why? Why do stories captivate us? Because they affect our biology. A good story isn’t just an entertaining experience. It’s a physical experience that affects our emotions and—most importantly—can change our behavior.

This is well demonstrated in the work of Paul Zak, a neuroeconomist and professor at Claremont Graduate University, who is a pioneer in the study of stories and their effect on humans.

In a 2015 study, Zak tested the power of story and its effect on charitable giving. He had participants watch motion graphics delivering two types of stories: 1) a dramatic narrative about a father and son 2) a simple story depicting the father and son at the zoo. After viewing the stories, participants were invited to donate money to strangers.

The study revealed the powerful affect of storytelling. The dramatic narrative caused viewers’ brains to release two incredibly powerful chemicals: oxytocin and cortisol.

Why? The experience of hearing and seeing a human narrative allowed viewers to put themselves in the story, which increased their oxytocin and, therefore, empathy. (This also aligns with neural coupling, in which the brain activity of someone listening to a story begins to mirror the person who’s telling the story.)

While oxytocin is the feel-good “love” chemical, the conflict in the narrative increased cortisol, the stress chemical. This may sound negative, but cortisol is important because stress causes humans to be on high alert and pay attention, making the viewers more invested in the story. Combined, these two chemicals not only shaped emotions but influenced viewer behavior.

After viewing the dramatic narrative, viewers were more eager to donate money. (The power of these chemicals also confirmed findings of Zak’s 2007 study, in which participants injected with oxytocin became 80% more generous.)

Additional research has also found storytelling to be a useful behavior-changing tool. A 2011 University of Massachusetts Medical study found that storytelling swayed patients to better control their blood pressure. And a 2013 Penn State study found that storytelling helped improve medical students’ attitudes toward treating dementia patients.

Connection, trust, empathy, action: This is the inherent power of storytelling—if you tell the right story.

The Formula for Great Brand Storytelling

Now, here’s the kicker. Remember that Zak presented two stories to the viewers. That dramatic narrative contained conflict and resolution. The second, about the father and the son at the zoo, had none. It basically just followed their actions: visiting one animal, then the next. There was no compelling narrative to trigger those chemicals.

But the dramatic story full of conflict, struggle, and tension captured the audience. Therefore, the key to good brand storytelling is a stimulating story.

According to Zak, there are two keys to a powerful story:

It needs to capture attention.

It should transport us to the world.

A 2014 Johns Hopkins study of popular Super Bowl ads found that the key to popularity wasn’t humor or a crazy stunt, it was the type of stories that followed a dramatic arc. For this, let’s refer to Gustav Freytag’s pyramid, which you might remember this from English class.

This classic story structure includes:

Exposition: This sets the scene, detailing who or what the story is about.

Rising action: These are the events that lead to the climax, the conflict, etc.

Climax: This is the turning point.

Falling Action: This is where the conflict unravels.

Denouement: This is the resolution.

This is the most satisfying story structure because it provides everything we crave: intrigue, action, and resolution. (Note that a great ending or resolution triggers a release dopamine, the feel-good reward chemical.)

How to Apply the Arc to Brand Storytelling

It may seem like this structure is difficult to master in marketing, as opposed to a novel or screenplay, but there are plenty of practical applications for marketing, both internally and externally.

Storytelling can be used for:

Sales collateral: Case studies or other content to prove your benefit.

Education: Blogs, articles, infographics, explainer videos, or any instance in which you need to communicate concepts clearly.

Entertainment: Content to delight customers or communicate your brand personality.

Culture Marketing: Content to tell the story of who you are to current/potential customers and/or employees.

Behavior influence: You may use storytelling for positive reinforcement (to increase a behavior) or negative reinforcement (to prevent a behavior).

No matter the application, you can apply the elements of a dramatic narrative to every piece of content you create. Here are 6 ways to do it:

Vet your ideas: To make sure you’re telling the most compelling story possible, ask yourself:

Why do I want to tell this story?

What’s my unique angle?  

What value will this provide to my audience?

What should my audience take away from this?

Tell a single story: Don’t confuse the reader by trying to put too much in. A single, powerful narrative is more effective than 10 random anecdotes.  

Tell stories your audience will relate to: A good story triggers empathy and connection, but you can make it even more enticing by telling stories about subjects your audience is already interested in. Craft content around the issues, interests, or pain points your audience regularly faces. (Find out how to build audience personas which will help you identify these.)

Start with an emotional hook: Use the first 100 words of your article or 15 seconds of your video to grab their attention and trigger that oxytocin and cortisol. Pro-tip: Conflict always creates an emotional response and personal anecdotes, powerful statistics, or provocative questions are a great way to do this.

Create a setup and payoff: Remember that the story resolution triggers that reward response. If you can lead with an emotional hook, get them invested in the story, they’ll want to follow it through to the end.

Be human: Empathy is a human emotion. Make sure your brand voice, language, and empathy is also reflected in the way you tell your story. 

Brand storytelling can be challenging and exciting, but always remember the real reason you’re telling stories: To foster a connection and build a strong, trusting relationship.

For more on creating powerful stories, find out why data storytelling may be your secret weapon and learn how to create content that provides true value to your audience. 

The post The Scientific Tricks to Tell Brand Stories That Will Move Your Audience to Action appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 http://blog.marketo.com/2017/07/scientific-tricks-tell-brand-stories-will-move-audience-action.html