entertainment

Stuff I read isn’t boring. Do you know why? We as humans, don’t read boring – people ignore boring . For years, I have struggled with boring because of my field (fat loss). I want to be taken seriously. There are so many problems and issues in my field, that the last thing I want to do is alienate people by being too stuffy or academic. My humor and style are not in line with the mainstream, therefore, people don’t  “get it” often. You won’t ever see me write the expression “belly fat” unless I am making fun of someone who writes the phrase “belly fat.” What “Yo Mamma!” Jokes  Can Teach You About Vocabulary I was picking up a reference book in the writing section the other day and saw, “The Yo Momma Vocabulary Builder.” I assumed it was an out of touch attempt at vocabulary teaching for kids. I was still curious enough to pick it up and possibly increase my knowledge of Yo Momma jokes. What I got was a fun surprise and unique read. “Yo momma’s so indigent, when she was kicking a can down the street, I asked what she was doing, and she said “Moving!” The authors of this book could have easily gone into a territory of trying to look like the “cool teachers” rapping about fractions. Instead, they brought an insightful view point and exercise to the subject of vocabulary. The book is made up of those classic words you often see in any SAT study book. But, I guarantee you the lessons and education will go beyond basic memorization and actually teach someone. Boring it isn’t. WTF Can I Eat? I put out an article discussing the topic of foods and the controversy surrounding what is safe to eat . In it, I featured an Xtranormal video I created as a satire on the topic. In the video, I take a jab at how eventually nothing will be safe to eat anymore depending on who you follow for information. These topics in my field are constantly being debated, but rarely supported by legitimate research.  It was a popular article with around 2,500 views of the video and counting. The video is not meant to go viral, I have other videos for that purpose (some with 100,000+ views ). The point was to offer my blog readers something different in a post and make them think. The point was to not bore them, while educating them. My goal was to educate people on the topic of food safety and selection, but also make them laugh at the situation for a moment. In the future, my site will incorporate more of the “less boring” approach. Education and experience isn’t enough, you have to entertain. In blogging, problem solving and entertainment is crucial. If you can combine both, you will have a real winner on your hands. Here are a few examples of blogs that aren’t boring (varying rankings of popularity): Rog Law Fitness – Friend and fellow fitness sexificationer with a new and growing blog. Gapingvoid – Hugh Macleod is a remarkable cartoonist and the opposite of boring. Seth Godin – If you aren’t already familiar with his work – start now. Writer, marketer, and legend. Penelope Trunk – Mom, Careerist, and extremely entertaining in writing and point of view. Steps To Decreasing Your Boringness 1.  Get out of your own way Being boring is safe. Being boring means less rejection, less opinions, and more blending. If you want to stand out, you can’t blend. Big blocks to creativity are uncertainty and fear . One of my favorite things to do is dance. I love all types of styles of dancing and movement. Dancing is an extremely basic thing to do, if you can get out of your own way. Most people feel stupid or hesitate. When something is based on fluid movement, hesitation leads to awkwardness. That awkwardness leads to an unsuccessful dance and more insecurity.  You may not think a blog post is something to get insecure about, but it is not much different to being the first out on the dance floor. If your posting is playing it to safe and bland, it is the same as standing against that wall at your 8th grade school dance. 2.  Surround yourself with non-boring entertainment and education Research shows overwhelming evidence that friends and environment affect everything from obesity to wealth. Who you surround yourself with is in a sense, who you are. If you spend your time reading boring material or surround yourself with people that don’t stimulate your creative thought, it will dull your sharp wit. Have you ever looked at a successful writer’s library? It’s a thing of beauty in which variety and innovation all abound. Maybe it isn’t writing, maybe it is music or movies. But, creative spark needs to surround your life.  The subconscious changes alone will be worth your time. 3. If you don’t know how to think outside of the box, teach yourself There are tons of books and exercises you can use to spur your creative abilities. You can literally teach yourself to be more creative and think outside of the box. If you are intuitive enough to know you need help with creativity, then you can gain true knowledge from sources that help you do that. One of my favorite books period is Thinkertoys by Michael Michalko . This book is filled to the brim (I mean stuffed to the gill) with exercises, anecdotes, history, games and more to get your creativity flowing. It is psychology, art class, math class and business school in one book. I highly recommend the book to anyone for practically anything. Here are a few free exercises and insights into the type of activities there are in the book. Assignment Over the next few days, take note of what stops to make you look. Take notice of what excites you and what holds your interest and then think of how you can apply similar things to your entrepreneurial experience. Leigh Peele Get your bonus copy of my book “How To Start An Internet Business & Make Your First $1,000 Online” Download Here