How Well Do You Do Your Job?
Sometimes blogs don’t have to be long. When I met Seth Godin, and he gave me a wonderful endorsement for one of my books, I learned from Seth just how short – but powerful – his blog posts can be. Books, speeches, advertising copy, sermons, and other writing are similar – length doesn’t necessarily mean insight, creativity, or depth. In fact, Mark Twain was quoted saying, “If you want me to give you a two-hour presentation, I am ready today. If you want only a five-minute speech, it will take me two weeks to prepare.” So in the spirit of short can be brilliant, let me share this amazing quote from Martin Luther King, Jr:
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”
Wow. My only question is: Whatever you do for a living, does that describe you?
Phil Cooke, PhD. has been called “one of the most innovative communicators of our generation.” As a media producer, writer, speaker, and consultant, his client list includes major film studios and TV networks as well as major Christian organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, The Museum of the Bible, The Salvation Army, and others. He’s also coached and consulted with many of the most influential churches and nonprofit organizations in the world, helping them use media to tell their story. You can hear his podcast here.
