Thursday Essay Preview -"Lucky Sevens" and Relationships

Thursday's Essay Preview

Thousands of couples got married on July 7, 2007, because they believed that date would result in wedded bliss—“lucky sevens” they thought.  But, what effect does luck have on relationships?

For this essay I depend on the research of Professor Richard Wiseman of the University of Hertfordshire who studied “luck” for more than ten years.  I have avoided using quotation marks, however, I depend on his article, “The loser’s guide to getting lucky” (sponsored on the Web by BBC News) for the information in this essay.

Thursday's Essay Excerpt

So, for those who chose to marry on July 7, 2007, because it had the potential of bringing them triple the amount of luck for wedded bliss, I leave them the following suggestions.  Let your luck motivate you to pay attention and plan carefully.  First, pay attention to everything around you so you can take advantage of all opportunities to make life better for your relationship and your relationship partner.  Second, plan not just for today but for years ahead.  Plan to make time for yourself, for your partner, and to enhance your relationship.  Save money every week to assure financial security.  Because there is always an element of chance in life, you need to capitalize on that chance to make life more rewarding, challenging, and  exciting.  If luck is truly the confluence of preparation and opportunity, then it is easy not just to understand but to support what Thomas Jefferson said: “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have it.”

Site-stripe Updates and Richard L. Weaver II Thursday Essay Preview

And Then Some Publishing and ANTworkstudio Updates

This week the yellow site-stripe was updated.

What is that you ask?

Atop all of our blogs and many websites there is a yellow band that includes links to more books, videos, blogs... And Then Some!

Upon visiting the pages that include the site-stripe, the popular opinion was the site-stripe was too demonstrative and felt as if you were to navigate the current website using this feature. Confused? Most people were and that wasn't the point.

Our goal was for you to visit our many websites, videos, and blogs in the And Then Some Publishing and ANTworkstudio world using the yellow site-stripe. We weren't supposed to create confusion.

We hope we've fixed the issue. Use the new yellow site-stripe links and see more books, videos, baby books...  you guessed it... And Then Some!

Let us know what you think of our yellow site-stripe atop this page. Did you find something interesting? We hope you did! 

It's always fun to start off with a joke:  Laugh... And Then Some

Thursday's Essay Preview

 As I write these words (at the end of the first week of February), over one-third of those who made a New Year’s resolution have already broken them.  According to John C. Norcross, a professor of psychology at the University of Scranton, six months after January 1st, 46% of those who make them will not have fulfilled them, and FranklinCovey, based on a poll of 15,000 customers, claims that 80% of those making resolutions will break them.  So, how long does it take for the shine of a new resolution to rub off?

Thursday's Essay Excerpt

At the Time/CNN web site, Maia Szalavitz, in her essay, “How to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions: Advice from the Experts,” writes: “ . . . recognize that willpower is like a muscle — it gets stronger with appropriate use but ultimately weakens if overloaded” . . .  set “short-term goals that are moderately difficult, realistic, concrete and measurable” . . . start “at a level that is challenging but not overwhelming [to] provide a sense of achievement and success — which can give you the drive to take on bigger challenges.”  That is, not only do you not need to let the shine rub off, but you can polish it to an even higher level of shine!

News... And Then Some

 

Happy New Year and Essay Preview: If you want to change, you must be open-minded

Happy New Year!


We hope your New Year's was safe and lots of fun! In 2011 And Then Some Publishing will be releasing more videos through our ANTworkstudio YouTube channel. These videos will include "How-to Paint a Portrait," more interviews with Richard L. Weaver II about his books, and the introduction of eBooks to our repertoire. We expect 2011 to be a GREAT year!

Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview:
Thursday’s essay is called, "If you want to change, you must be open-minded." Open- mindedness requires that you be open to new findings and understandings, and you must be open to options, alternatives, and possible new choices.  It can be a great journey, but without a commitment from you, there’s likely to be no journey at all — just words on a page or ideas that travel in one ear and out the other — if, indeed, they get that far.      


If you want to change, you must be open-minded
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:
For many people, it isn’t necessarily fear, doubt, and concern, it is that you either think you know everything you need to know, or you think there is no need or room for improvement.  Another possible problem is that you know that a change in your self-concept may require other changes, new behaviors, actions you cannot anticipate, and an unknown set of problems that you are just not ready or willing to take on.

Choice Overload Essay Preview

And Then Some Publishing News

Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview:

Thursday’s essay is called, "At what point do customers have choice overload?"  Choice produces paradoxical effects.  For example, people feel an enormous burden to get enough information to make good decisions.  Do they have the time to find the best digital camera, the best cell phone plan, the best 401(k), the best health insurance, the most economical automobile?

At what point do customers have choice overload?
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:
Studies have proven that when customers are given a narrow-range of choices, they are more likely to make a purchase.  In one study, significantly fewer choices increased purchasing propensity by ten times. It is true that without any freedom of choice, life would not be worth living.  But, it is also true that more choice does not necessarily mean greater happiness.  You do wonder, at what point customers have choice overload?

And Then Some Works!

S'Mores and Celebrating Daily Life Preview

And Then Some Publishing News

How do you turn a unsavory situation and make it tasty again? Sometimes you have to throw it all away and start again. That is not the situation we are in. Richard L. Weaver II and Anthony Weaver filmed numerous videos on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 and they turned out fantastic! We were hoping to release the first video today, however due to technical difficulties the first release has been delayed. 


The first video we are releasing is all about S'Mores... wait... no SMOERs. What is SMOERs? It's a tasty book quotes compiled by Richard L. Weaver II. In the video he explains the inspiration for the book... and then some!

We will continue to try and figure out what the problem is and will let you know when the video is available in the next couple of days.

Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview:

Thursday’s essay is called, "Celebrating daily life."  Most often when we think of celebrating, it is just at those special times (e.g., birthdays, Christmas, New Years, athletic victories, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, etc.), and we seldom believe (or think) about celebrating on a daily basis.  What do most of us have to be thankful for?  A brief list may stimulate your thoughts: parents, family, children, health, abundance of resources, liberty and freedom, friends and neighbors, independence, self-sufficiency, and life itself, to name a few.

Celebrating daily life
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:

And I want to close this essay on celebrating daily life with my own quotation: The beauty of celebrating everyday life is the joy of having a carnival of the spirit, a festival for our frame of mind, and a tribute to our way of thinking that boosts our morale and provides an ongoing force that drives our daily espirit de corps.  Celebrating our daily life may not seem that important; however, it gives each of us a chance to show our appreciation for those things that really matter to us, and daily celebrations remind us of how fortunate, privileged, or simply lucky we are.

And Then Some Works!

And Then Some Book 1 and Taking Healthy Risks Preview

And Then Some Publishing News

Anthony Weaver and Richard L. Weaver II will be shooting new videos this week. Dr. Weaver has authored many books about relationships, motivation, and optimism. Relationship Rules, SMOERs, You Rules, and And Then Some Publishing's first book And Then Some Book 1 all have have something in common. They all need videos to help explain more about each book.

Specifically, And Then Some Book 1 is hard to explain. To start it was their first book. Anthony and Richard L. Weaver II (Dick) didn't know if they were going to be able to produce another one. There were many complications from technology, building the first website, beginning blogs, and then some! From the book conception to the finished product the book took two years to complete. 

When you take the complications into consideration and the wonderment if another book would be produced, everything and the kitchen sink was put into And Then Some Book 1. Containing 50 essays with subjects that include family, humor, education, travel, and more, this book reads sometimes as advice, a little bit of education and learning from personal life experiences, or as a short story about Dick's travels... and then some! 

And Then Some Book 1 covers a wide gambit of essays and is a fun read... and now Anthony and Dick will be shooting a video to better explain this book.


We hope to start releasing the first videos from this shoot by next weeks news, however we're not sure which videos will be released first.


Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview:
Thursday’s essay is called, "Take healthy risks for positive rewards."  You have to learn how to take healthy risks. The important thing to remember when it comes to taking risks is that you live life only once.  Life is too short to be wasted on things you don't want to do or on things that you have done over and over.  That’s how comfort zones develop.   

Take healthy risks for positive rewards
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:

There were several important learnings that emerged from my run for student-council president.  First, and this is supported by research, I never regretted the effort.  A report in the journal Psychological Science reveals that whether you miss achieving a goal by a little or a lot, you won’t lament going after it nearly as much as you think you will.  The failures from risk-taking behavior, for the most part, don’t last long with respect to regret, sorrow, sadness, disappointment, or residual unhappiness.

And Then Some Works

Blind Spots in Relationships that Rule!

And Then Some Publishing News

Have you seen all the books, videos, and blogs from And Then Some Publishing? An easy place to get started is the black and yellow links at the top of this page. We don't want you to get lost so every link opens in a new tab/window. Get more information about World War II, baby books, public speaking, relationships, great art... And Then Some!

Coinciding with this week's essay about relationships, author Richard L. Weaver II offers a book to help you in your relationship. Once you understand the "rules" of relationships you will be able to create a long lasting bonds built for long-term happiness, security, and commitment. There are numerous suggestions, steps, and additional ideas that will motivate, encourage, and challenge relationship partners. Relationship Rules is available at Amazon.com.

Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview:

Thursday’s essay is called, "Blind spots in early dating often jeopardize the ability to make proper decisions."  Just as I had completed my essay on “Judging Others,” and how important it is to be aware of our limitations, I read an article by Kaja Perina (the editor of the magazine) in Psychology Today (January/February, 2007) entitled “Love’s Loopy Logic,” which explained the reasons why our ability to judge others is so limited — a situation in which Perina explains, “it sometimes pays to deceive ourselves.”  I found it to be such a perfect example of what I wrote in my essay last week, that I felt an obligation/responsibility to share it with readers.

Blind spots in early dating often jeopardize the ability to make proper decisions
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:

You [the reader] will best profit from [at the very least, identify with] the observations in this essay if you can transport yourself back to the time when you were trolling for the wit, kindness, curiosity, intelligence, and “chemistry” that would allow you to make the proper decision regarding a future mate.  It is often within the parameters of such a quest that an explanation for the limitations of our observations and judgments can best be understood.  Perina casts both her observations and descriptions within the broad rubric of “mating intelligence,” which, she explains, is as oxymoronic as the term suggests.  The key sentences in Perina’s article are, “We’ve all got blind spots about the opposite sex.  And sometimes that’s for the best.”

And Then Some Works!

S'Mores and Essay Preview | In judging others, we need to be aware of our limitations

And Then Some Publishing News

Do you need some motivation, encouragement, and/or inspiration? Sometimes an inspiring quote is just the ticket. Our words of wisdom blog, SMOERs, has tons of quotes and we guarantee you will find a quote that will spark your inner being. 

The SMOERS quotes on our blog are derived from the compilation quotes in our book of the same name. SMOERs is based on the delicious snack S'Mores... just spelled funny. The quotes are based upon the title, Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules. The book is broken into 365 days with an average of 4 quotes a day. Pick any day and read some great quotes!

Visit our SMOERs blog or go to SMOERs.com and get a taste of our book with 30-days of quotes.

Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview:

Thursday’s essay is called, "In judging others, we need to be aware of our limitations."  You cannot make accurate predictions about how even top-rated individuals might behave in specific circumstances---even though you have judged their character positively in other instances. The point is simply that it is not easy to assess the character of a person. 

In judging others, we need to be aware of our limitations
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:
In most cases in life, we decide who we like or dislike for no good reason.  It is truly an unfair decision based on little or no evidence.  But, if we waited until we knew everything about someone before we made up our mind, we would spend much of our time with no commitments to anyone—in relationship limbo.  Not only do we not have access to the kind of information we need to make up our minds, but even when we think we have gathered sufficient evidence to confirm a decision, the person behaves in such a way as to counter our judgment—totally repudiating not just our evidence but our ability to root out the essential information we need.

And Then Some Works!

And Then Some News

And Then Some News

We  have been busy updating our look on Edgar E. Willis' web site.  It has a cleaner smoother look, and is easier to navigate.  Pop over and check it out.  Just click the link at the top of our home page.  While your there be sure to watch Edgar's videos on How to be Funny on Purpose - An Anatomy of Humor and Civilian in an Ill-fitting Uniform: A Memoir of World War II.  You can also read the first chapter of his book Civilian in an Ill-fitting Uniform. I guarantee it is worth the look.

Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview:

Thursday’s essay is called, "Through words, you become the architect of your own reality."  The main problem with catchwords, buzzphrases, and quickie concepts is that they are simply a form of entertainment that anyone can perform.  They connect people instantly and can keep conversations bobbing with humor and liveliness, but they work against taking ourselves seriously.  They are accessible, but they reveal no depth.   They are easy to understand, easygoing, and pleasant, but there is no substance attached to them.   Pop language is fun, useful, and free in the same way that advertising-supported media is fun, useful, and “free,” but there are obvious trade-offs, and the most important one is thought replacement. 

Through words, you become the architect of your own reality
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:
If you are like me you are feeling immersed (submerged?) in a world of popular catchwords, buzzphrases, and quickie concepts that Americans seem unable to communicate without using.  This verbal kudzu tells more about how we think than we think.   There is no doubt that many of these words and phrases—when used in the proper context—pack rhetorical oomph and social punch, but, as Savan notes, “today’s pop talk projects a personality that has mastered the simulation of conversation.  It’s a sort of air guitar for the lips, seeking not so much communication as a confirmation that...hey, we’re cool (pp. 10-11).”

---

And Then Some Works!

New EdgarEWillis.com website unveils on Friday

And Then Some Publishing News

The new EdgarEWillis.com will debut this Friday, October 1, 2010. Check out the new website on Friday... it rocks! (At least we think so.)

Great book reviews every Monday: Book Club... And Then Some!

Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview:

Thursday’s essay is called, "The lessons of college translate well into life." What are the lessons students learn from their college life?  So many students today doubt the value of college because they don’t believe, first, that it has any practical value.  Will it prepare me for a job?  Second, time spent in college is time wasted when it comes to earning money, as far as they’re concerned.  And the more time that it takes, the more money lost.  Third, it is a lot of work, and they feel they have just put in a lot of work finishing high school, and they just can’t see putting up with a whole lot more of that “crap.” 

The lessons of college translate well into life
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:
Students need to understand that if the point of life is to not just to run the race but to succeed, college helps teach them that what they sacrifice today, they will gain tomorrow.  I know that for me college reinforced the importance of hard work, strengthened my ability to work as part of a team, underscored the value of playing by the rules, buttressed the role that rewards played in my life, encouraged my change in direction because of a teacher’s influence, and, in addition, deepened, enriched, and improved my ability to live beyond the college walls.

---

And Then Some Works!

And Then Some News

And Then Some News

Well once again I find we have had a slow week with no major news to report.  Rest assured that the news will be coming soon.  Richard has been traveling having more adventures that I am sure he will be writing about.  I can hardly wait to see what he brings back for us. 

For now, here is a little preview of Thursday's And Then Some Essay.   Enjoy and we will be seeing you next week!

Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview:

Thursday’s essay is called, "Essay anniversary III: A writing career and then some." This is what this essay is all about, as I write about it in the essay itself:  "For this anniversary essay, I want to talk about more than simply what I have and haven’t learned from writing essays or the contentment and joy that has resulted from writing them.  I have mentioned both of these in the previous two anniversary essays.   Rather, I want to take a brief moment here to take stock.  At the risk of sounding totally self-absorbed, self-indulgent, and self-important, I simply ask readers of my essays to allow my self-obsession in this single essay.  This is my 'taking stock' opportunity, and despite the egotism it reflects (those who know me well would never suspect the least bit of egotism! —I need a smiley emoticon here!), I will proceed unabated."

Essay anniversary III: A writing career and then some"
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:
If I had difficulty accepting the fact that I survived writing one essay a week for a year, then two years, it comes as a major shock to me to accept the fact that I have now been doing it for three years.  Remarkable, to say the least!  It is not just the fact that I have now published on the blog 156 essays (representing approximately 156,000 words!), but that it has taken place uninterrupted, that I had enough “unique” ideas to come up with that many essay topics, and that I have not only maintained interest in doing it but have had great fun as well.

---

And Then Some Works!

And Then Some News

And Then Some News

Today's news is just a quick preview of things to come...   We'll see you next week.

Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview:

Thursday’s essay is called, "There is no way to capture the effect teachers can have on you." Although this is not an essay designed to offer a rebuttal to home schooling, a comment by my granddaughter about her desire to be home schooled prompted the essay, and in the essay I talk about some of my outstanding teachers.  I end the essay saying: "These are some of the teachers I had before I arrived at college.  I know my parents could have home schooled me if they had chosen to because both were teachers, but I would never trade the knowledge, background, and preparation of even these few teachers for what might have been a home-schooling experience.  It was from these teachers that my inspiration for learning began."

There is no way to capture the effect teachers can have on you
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:
As individuals, teachers did not make impressions on me until I was in junior high school.  They were all good, it seemed to me, and all of them taught me, motivated me, and inspired me.  I can’t think of a single negative experience I had with teachers during the entire course of my educational career.  Perhaps it was luck, but I think teachers like good students, and I was definitely a good student.  It wasn’t because I wanted to be “good”; it was because I loved to learn.  Everything just seemed so new, intriguing, and fascinating.  I was captivated.

---

And Then Some Works!

Edgar E. Willis website changes and Romatic Notions

And Then Some Publishing News

And Then Publishing hopes everyone had a safe and happy Labor Day. 

This week we expect to see the new prototype for EdgarEWillis.com. We are very excited to be working with Kinetica Media to help redesign the website. Their professionalism and knowledge has been instrumental in our growth. We expect amazing, and we know we won't be disappointed. 

This coming weekend Anthony Weaver is shooting a new set of videos. Are subject is toilet paper tubes and turning them into fun craft projects. The projects are a car, a spider attacking a city, and a peacock. The projects were picked by McKenzie, Lindsay, and Austen who are Anthony's nephew and neice's. We expect to release the videos a few weeks after they have been shot.

Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview:

Thursday’s essay is called, "Romantic notions help us maintain balance—a stable, steady footing—in our lives."  Romantic notions are pleasant, comforting, and adequately soothe our idyllic, picturesque, fairy-tale side.  They offer, too, more than just a reason for living; they are, indeed, a placid, warm, snug, and cozy place where our thoughts can reside in a calm and peaceful manner without agitation, distress, or upset.  We need romantic notions to maintain a balance—a stable, steady footing—in our lives---and, thus, they are worth discussing.

Romantic notions help us maintain balance--a stable, steady footing--in our lives
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:
When we were in Australia for 6 months, our choices were limited, but we discovered that it doesn’t take long to become accustomed to it.  When we returned home, we even discussed the possibility of limiting what we needed to live comfortably, but it isn’t long until the supply catches up with what you want—not what you need, but what you want.  Soon, once again, you begin to appreciate all that you have and all the choices you have in order to have more!

And Then Some Works!

Has anyone seen our Book Club? We need to learn how to fly

And Then Some Publishing News

Have you checked out the And Then Some Publishing Book Club? Every Monday we review books based on the And Then Some Philosophy: Give more, get more, want more from life. We've had reviews from our family of readers, however most of our reviews are written by Richard L. Weaver II. His analysis of each book will let you know if this is the book for you.

Visit our Book Club... And Then Some!

Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview:

Thursday’s essay is called, "Learning how to fly."  Why would my lessons in learning how to fly merit an essay?  Because, I feel, the requirements that go into learning how to fly are similar to those that signal when a little bird is ready to leave its nest — or, when a child is ready to leave home.  Not to fill the basic prerequisites is likely to create major problems if not disaster.

Learning how to fly
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:
Learning how to fly — becoming independent — is much the same as learning how to fly.  Learn the fundamentals, gain as much experience as possible, then rely on yourself.  Many people say it requires a willingness to let go; however, I would contend that it requires use of all your resources.  Your instructor — just like your knowledge and experience — stay with you and, mentally, continue to provide suggestions and guidance.  You never “let go.”   If you have the commitment and the patience, you, too, can learn to fly.

And Then Some Works!

ALL PROCEEDS of each book sold beyond $1.00 goes to Find a Cure

And Then Some Publishing News

And Then Some Publishing has added lots of Facebook links to our websites. We haven't completed the project, however at SMOERs.com you can share the first 30 days of inspiring quotes and at RelationshipRulesWorks.com you can share the painting of the cover on Facebook. The cover painting is a must see and the book? Relationship Rules... What could be more important than working to develop a more positive self — one of the cornerstones for relationship success?

Have you heard? This week, from May 10, 2010 through May 16, 2010 buy any of And Then Some Publishing, LLC's eight books through Amazon.com and we will donate ALL PROCEEDS of each book sold beyond $1.00. Proceeds beyond $1 are donated to Susan G. Komen - Find a Cure to breast cancer.

Let's keep it simple:

Buy any of And Then Some Publishing's 8 books and ALL PROCEEDS beyond $1 goes to Find a Cure... and your purchase could donate over $5 to breast cancer research.*

Click the links below and find out more information on all our books:

Pick any book and help Find a Cure:
Civilian in an Ill-fitting Uniform: A memoir of World War II
Special Delivery: A baby memory book for boys or girls
Relationship Rules: For long-term happiness, security, and commitment
SMOERs: Delicious quotes to help you get through your day
Public Speaking Rules: All you need for a GREAT speech!
You Rules: Caution - contents leads to a better life
And Then Some Book 1: Essays to entertain, motivate, and inspire!

Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview
How to build a personality from the ground up
by Richard L. Weaver II




Thursday’s essay, “How to build a personality from the ground up,” is an essay that focuses on personality development. Whether you are just starting out or looking for a complete make-over, this essay has practical and worthwhile suggestions that you can begin using at once.

Excerpt:
How do you begin to build a new personality from the ground up? It is actually a simpler process than what one might imagine; however, there are two prerequisites. First, one needs a completely new situation. It’s a little like sitting next to a stranger on an airplane or chatting with one on the Internet—a person you know you’ll never see again—and supplying the kind of information and details that cause the other person to form a complimentary, praiseworthy, and totally favorable opinion of you. Second, you need a whole set of new acquaintances who have no ties or relationships to your former persona. What these new acquaintances must only hear and see is “the new you.”

---

And Then Some Works!

*And Then Some Publishing, LLC book proceeds vary per book. Donations to Susan G. Komen are calculated per each book sold. Depending on which And Then Some Publishing, LLC book is purchased, your donation can vary from approximately $2.00 to over $5.00.