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Most of the time, marketing advice gets handed out as if it’s valid regardless of the personality and preferences of the person designated to carry it out. however, during several decades of observing people, I’ve often seen seemingly solid advice go nowhere because it conflicted hugely with the habits, beliefs and self-image of the one being told what to do.

In my view, people have a much easier time carrying out any kind of advice, including marketing advice, when it fits their personality, rather than feeling unfamiliar, foreign and maybe even objectionable or silly. Let’s see now how we can apply this point to one of the major introverted personality types. Introverts are people who tend to feel drained by social interaction and who need solitude to recharge their energy. (Extroverts, by contrast, thrive on social interaction and generally don’t do well being alone.)

In the Myers-Briggs personality system, the ISTJ type (Sensing/Thinking/Judging Introvert) is quiet, serious, realistic, thorough and respectful of tradition. you can count on an ISTJ to persevere, keep to the schedule and adhere to high standards, even without a lot of feedback or positive reinforcement. An ISTJ especially enjoys observing and creating order for others.

According to introvert watchers, famous ISTJs include George Washington, George H.W. Bush, Henry Ford, Warren Buffett, Queen Elizabeth II, Julia Roberts and, from the realm of fiction, the character of Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh.

If Myers-Briggs testing classifies you as an ISTJ, then the marketing methods that suit you best include:
Blogging regularly by reporting little-known facts, sharing keen observations and offering practical tips
Publishing a newsletter containing useful information
Seeking and holding a leadership position in a professional or civic organization that requires dependably performing certain tasks
Putting on newsworthy celebrations of holidays, milestones and anniversaries
creating and following a written marketing plan
Gathering and analyzing, then publicizing facts, as in a survey
Being interviewed on radio or teleseminars for your knowledge and command of the facts

Marketing dangers to watch out for as an ISTJ include:
trying techniques, like humor, that others have strongly recommended but that don’t come naturally to you
Continuing to do things long after the point where they have stopped bringing results
Taking on too many worthy, unpaid projects
Losing the big picture through too much attention to details
becoming overwhelmed by multitudes of (imagined) things that could go wrong
Failing to appreciate the subtleties of interactions with clients, opinion leaders and referral sources
becoming stodgy, preachy or boring in tone

As an ISTJ, you’ll feel good seeking respect and becoming known for your expertise, rather than for your looks, who you know or your personal story. you won’t feel drawn to marketing mentors who brag, show off, behave brashly or spend a lot of time talking about themselves. Find experts to follow who, like you, show practical, dependable competence and a steady climb to the top of the field.

Breastfeeding Advice

When considering or practicing breastfeeding, we are faced with many opinions (often conflicting) as to the ‘proper’ way to breastfeed your baby.

This can be very confusing for new mums and mums-to-be. there are many reasons for this. some breastfeeding practices are drawn from cultures that don’t mirror the reality of living in a modern world. Baby’s expected weight gain may be based on norms gathered from formula fed babies or unrepresentative samples. And professionals working in the area of infant development often have little or no training around breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding- New Multi Media Book

So Maire Clements’ new book ‘The New Motherly Art of Conscious Breastfeeding’ is a breath of fresh air in the field. Maire has been working with mothers and babies for three decades. As a nurse working with premature babies, an educator and consultant with her own practice she has developed a unique insight into how breastfeeding develops, baby’s skills in relation to breastfeeding (whether full-term of premature) and how to optimise the breastfeeding experience for mom and baby.

Breastfeeding Truths

Maire also recognises something that is often overlooked in the areas of breastfeeding and lactation. even though breastfeeding is natural, it is still a skill that is learned by a mother and taught to her baby.

Maire has distilled her vast knowledge and experience into the Conscious Breastfeeding system designed especially for modern mums. this book will become essential reading for all professionals in the area of lactation and infant development and parents who know that breastfeeding or nursing is meant to be a joyful, fulfilling experience for all.

Pain Free Breastfeeding

Maire starts from the premise and knowing that breastfeeding should be pain-free and teaches us how to make that a reality. She recognises the important role of the partner in breastfeeding success and so the Conscious Breastfeeding system supports the whole family to thrive in breastfeeding.

Maire is a wonderful example of what we can bring forth into the world when we follow our passion and deep knowing of how life can be. this book has already been a great resource for me as I prepare for my twins.

‘The New Motherly Art of Conscious Breastfeeding’ will serve to empower so many mums and dads..creating a beautiful foundation for your baby and you to connect deeply in a way that supports the whole family.

(WNS) — when John Piper needed surgery a few years back he wrote a great piece, "Don't waste your cancer." He argued that it would be wasted "if you think that 'beating' cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ." when I needed a surprise operation in 2008, I stood on Piper's shoulders and wrote, "Don't waste your bypass." I resolved to spend my remaining years praising Christ and promoting what derives from Christ's sacrifice for us.

Now here's another, less significant message. Moving into a new home in Asheville and never having had poison ivy during my six decades, I didn't keep in mind useful sayings like "Leaves of three, let it be." My legs were soon blistering and oozing. I started taking 12 days of prednisone pills, which have both common and rare side effects.

the common side effect I had was insomnia — and realizing that all things come from God, the question was how not to waste my poison ivy. OK, here's an opportunity not just to read for 30 minutes on the treadmill each day but also to read late at night. I wanted challenging but optimistic books, not "sky is falling" diatribes that might leave me lying in bed and churning about dire tidings. Having read America Alone by witty columnist mark Steyn (Regnery, 2006), which dealt with the fall of Europe to Islam, one night I picked up his new one, after America (Regnery, 2011).

big mistake. Europe is one thing, but the end of our beloved USA? Steyn's humor seemed gone, and the subtitle, Get Ready for Armageddon, which I had thought of as raised-eyebrow irony, was dead serious. Despite my confidence in Christ, the book pressed all my vestigial worry buttons, particularly because I didn't expect Steyn to be so hopeless. it was after midnight and I was churning.

what to do? Take a heavy-duty sleeping pill? Read a joke book? That would have been wasting my poison ivy. I looked through books sent from publishers and never read, searching for one about a person and nation in dire circumstances: Aha, a Reformed Expository Commentary on the book of Daniel by Iain Duguid (P&R, 2008). Years ago I taught a Sunday school course on Daniel as a study on how to follow God within hostile organizations, but now Duguid dealt with my worries.

first worry: As Daniel's country was gone, so the United States will be someday (I hope not soon). well, what if it is? Duguid posed the right question: "Are we pouring ourselves into the pursuit of the power and the glory of this world's kingdoms … or are we instead pouring ourselves into the pursuit of God's kingdom, the only kingdom that will truly last?" we should love America but love God more, and whatever He does is right.

second worry: what if life became very hard for Susan and me, or for our children, "after America"? Here's Duguid's biblical comfort: "God has not promised to give us the grace to face all the desperate situations that we might imagine finding ourselves in. He … does promise that if he leads us through the fire, he will give us sufficient grace at that time. like manna, grace is not something that can be stored up for later use: each day receives its own supply."

let me add that I believe Steyn is wrong. we still have time to come out of a national death spiral. I will do whatever small things I can do to help prevent such a disaster. the United States has been in grim situations before: consider Dec. 8, 1941, or some Cold War nights when nuclear war could have come. God brought us through those fires and I hope He will bring us through this one — but if He doesn't, it will still be good.

That night I did not waste my poison ivy. I finally went from reading about Daniel to reading the book of Daniel and then reading Psalm 73 about being "envious of the arrogant … until I went into the sanctuary of God." Amen. when I thought about going into the sanctuary, I was finally able to go to bed and sleep — not long, but well. Thank you, God.

Marvin Olasky is the editor-in-chief of WORLD Magazine.

Publication date: September 28, 2011

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Mitch Daniels has been out of the governor’s office for more than two weeks conducting a book tour, but the office has been far from empty. it was occupied by prison inmates.

The inmates are part of a work release program who have given the governor’s office a new look. and they did it at a price that is sure to please most taxpayers.

All of the oak woodwork in the governor’s office, and there’s a lot of it, has been stripped, repaired and refinished.

Maggie Ban, the governor’s executive assistant admires the work.

“They understood the beauty of the office,” she said, “and they were taking pride in what they were doing.”

The inmates are from the Indianapolis Re-entry Center. about 15 of them did the work at Ban’s request. She didn’t like the fact that the woodwork in the governor’s office was antiqued decades ago.

“And I had been told many times from several people that we could not fix it,” she said, “that the wood was really ruined.”

The workers proved those people wrong.

And as they replaced the furniture they talked about what a rare opportunity the project was.

“I really appreciated the experience,” said Courtney Brown. “I wouldn’t mind going into this field when I get out or something.”

The payoff made the work worth it, said Henry Curtis, another of the workers.

“I dealt with the woodwork,” he said. “It was tedious, but it was worth doing, and now I see the finished product, and it’s beautiful.”

It was a big job with a small price tag.

“When I took the project to the governor,” Ban said, “his first question was, ‘How much?’ When I told him under a thousand dollars, he said OK.”

The actual price: $825 for materials, $0 for labor.

The governor hasn’t seen the work yet, but he’s seen pictures, and he’s planning a reception to show it off and thank those responsible. The inmates will be invited.

Avid fans of the Lord of the Rings movies are probably aware that the Hobbit: an Unexpected Journey is the first film of a two-part epic slated for release next December. Find books by Tolkien, borrow the movies, and learn about the author’s life at the Manatee County Public Library.

if you’re new to Tolkien you may want to start with the 1937 children’s classic “the Hobbit, or, There and back again.” In it Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit (a race of beings about half the size of humans), goes on an epic adventure to win a share of a treasure guarded by the dragon, Smaug. the wise wizard Gandalf, a creature known as “Gollum,” elves, trolls, goblins, and a “Magic Ring” are all introduced in the book. welcome to the fictional world of Middle-earth!

Some two decades later, Tolkien followed “the Hobbit” with his masterpiece, “the Lord of the Rings.” Published as three books, “the Fellowship of the Ring,” “the Two Towers” and “the Return of the King,” the main plot of the books is a quest by Frodo Baggins to destroy the “One Ring” that gives its possessor unlimited power, but is ultimately corrupting. some of its themes include the struggle between good and evil and the importance of hope, courage against overwhelming odds, honor and self-sacrifice.

The three “Lord of the Rings” movies directed by Peter Jackson and filmed in the spectacular scenery of new Zealand, are among the best fantasy films ever made. Critically acclaimed and heavily awarded, they are collectively the sixth highest-grossing film series of all time. the Library System has several versions of the films including “special extended editions” with extra DVDs containing special features.

Fans of the films will especially enjoy “the Lord of the Rings: the Art of the Fellowship of the Ring,” “the Lord of the Rings: the Art of the Two Towers” and “the Lord of the Rings: the Art of Return of the King,” all by Gary Russell. Sumptuously illustrated, each book traces the creative processes involved.

a helpful guide to consult as you read the books or view the films is “the J.R.R. Tolkien Handbook: a Concise Guide to his Life, Writings, and World of Middle-earth” by Colin Duriez. Information about key characters, events, places and themes in the books is included, as well as details about Tolkien’s life and influences on his work.

A concise biography aimed at older children and young adults is “J.R.R. Tolkien: Man of Fantasy” by Russell Shorto. Adults may find Humphrey Carpenter’s “Tolkien: a Biography” of interest. Published in 1977, it is still considered by many to be the definitive biography of Tolkien’s life and work.

Speaking Volumes, written by Manatee County Public Library System staff members, is published each Sunday.