“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

This is one of my favorite quotes from Mark Twain. I’m not a sailor…but, I love to travel and explore. While Mr. Twain uses sailing terms to describe his exuberance for exploration the larger picture drawn here is simply the encouragement to GO. Get out, explore…do something fun. There’s a great big world out there waiting for you to explore it. Where do you want to go? What do you want to do?

Recently, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested that five hundred million people in the United States are losing their jobs every month in order to emotionally pitch the stimulus bill. Those are some astounding numbers, considering that there are only three hundred three million Americans.

Of course, she meant to say five hundred thousand per month. But still…one can’t help but wonder (once again) about the credibility of our “leaders.”

In light of the wonderful happenings in our nation’s Capitol these days, I thought I’d find some fitting quotes to highlight my personal opinion on the matter:

Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.
Mark Twain

I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress.
Ronald Reagan

It is the duty of the President to propose and it is the privilege of the Congress to dispose.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native criminal class except Congress.
Mark Twain

Quotes courtesy of BrainyQuote.com

Lyndon B. Johnson was certainly not a copywriter. He also wasn’t one of my favorite presidents either. However, he is responsible for a statement that I think would be a great mantra for a copywriter who desires to always create great, relevant, to the point content.

“What convinces is conviction. Believe in the argument you’re advancing. If you don’t, you’re as good as dead. The other person will sense that something isn’t there, and no chain of reasoning, no matter how logical or elegant or brilliant, will win your case for you.”

– Lyndon B. Johnson

While the quote does not directly discuss writing, it does relate well the concept behind any form of writing. If you’re going to write for customers, you better be good at accurately conveying their message!