Suggested to a Norwegian this morning that she probably would have no trouble putting up a membership site that used translations of one of my books in small excerpts, interspersed with her comments that make it relevant to Norwegians. For an example, let's say I start with one of my favorite books, Live the Life You Love.
First, I'd select an excerpt
(I won't start at the beginning because the first pages - title page, dedication, etc - aren't characteristic and won't illustrate what I'm trying to demonstrate. But I will start with the opening quotation all the same: It's by Henry David Thoreau.
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.:
That is to say: You are one of a kind. When you try to follow the instructions of those who need people to act in a more uniform manner, you might not do a good job. That's not because you're inferior. It's because you're a different type of person and the instructions don't suit your abilities or viewpoint. A fish is not an inadequate bird, it's a fish.
A classical story that illustrates this point is The Ugly Ducking [Story to come]
Now you must listen carefully to try to hear the drummer inside you so you can march to that beat.
That's what the following blogposts will be about. They're taken from Barbara Sher's prizewinning book, Live the Life You Love. [My good Norwegian friend might put them all in Norwegian, of course.]
I'd like to end today's post with another quote, and this one often has a big impact on the people who hear or read it:
[to be corrected] The world has never seen anyone like you, and they never will again. [find quote by Vartan Gregorian]
No comments:
Post a Comment