No matter how bright the Sun seems to shine, we are more interested in looking at its shadow.

No matter how big the Moon’s smile is, we prefer focusing on the darkness surrounding it.

We speak of change on a daily basis. We demand respect of others. We talk of unity. And yet, every disagreement makes us forget our humanity.

We are the only animals with a brain powerful enough to do magnificent things. And yet, we destroy everything around us.

Deliberate ignorance is the real disease of this century.

I wanted to send a quick note to thank you for the mention about XXXXX on your personal website, and the article you wrote about us for Examiner.com.

Much appreciated,

XXXX”

This email came in my Inbox today. I had never talked to the sender before, so they could not know about my article…

…Unless they have been monitoring what is being said about them on the Internet.

If you are serious about your brand, you will harness social media to its full potential. And this includes keeping an eye on public conversations. Whether you use Google Alerts, Topsy, or Social Mention, you must find a way to know what others say about you. Why? Simply because these people are already aware of your brand.

When you reach out to them, you show them that you care. As a result, even those who have negative things to say about you are most likely to change their minds.

In social media, you cannot afford to avoid blind spots. Monitoring your brand is essential.

A grateful attitude goes a long way. The more you practice it, the more engagement you create. And we all know the rest of the story.

A few months ago, a friend told me about the condition from which she suffers: Trigeminal Neuralgia. As I had never heard of it prior to the discussion, I decided to do some research and share what I have found with you so far. I do hope that you will find this article useful.

Brief definition and history

Considered as one of the most painful afflictions known to man, Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) is a disorder of the trigeminal nerve. The condition has been known and documented since the first century A.D. Early treatments included bloodletting and bandages containing different types of poisons (arsenic, mercury, hemlock, and cobra and bee venom). Nicolaus Andre coined the condition “Tic douloureux” or “painful spasm” in 1756.

Trigeminal nerve

This nerve is one of 12 pairs of cranial nerves that originate at the base of the brain. Its three branches conduct sensations to the face (touch, pain, and temperature) and control the muscles used for chewing:
–Ophthalmic / upper branch: eye, forehead, and nose;
–Maxillary / middle branch: upper teeth, gums and lip, cheek, lower eyelid, and side of nose;
–Mandibular / lower branch: lower jaw, teeth, gums and bottom lip.

Causes

The most common cause of TN is a blood vessel pressing on the root of the trigeminal nerve, causing the protective coating around the nerve (also known as myelin sheath) to wear away . TN symptoms can also occur in people suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (disease caused by the deterioration of myelin throughout the body) or may be caused by tumor compression that damages the myelin sheath. Because of this deterioration, the nerve will send abnormal signals to the brain.

Attacks

A person suffering from TN will usually feel extremely sharp, throbbing, and electric shock-like pain on one side of the face (rarely on both sides), except when asleep. Each episode lasts between a couple of seconds and a few minutes. The sufferer will remain still or will refrain from speaking or moving his or her face.

The usual course of TN is as follows:
1) periods of flare-up: attacks come often and are difficult to control;
2) periods of remission (painless).
Over time, the periods of flare-up increase in frequency and severity.

Triggers

TN attacks may come without warning. However, they are usually triggered by specific stimulation. Common triggers include: touching, talking, eating, drinking, chewing, kissing, tooth brushing, hair combing, and water from shower. Cold wind, high pitched sounds, loud noise, smiling, or a scarf may be too much to bear.

Usual treatments

There is no known cure to TN, and usually, sufferers endure years of suffering and misdirected treatments before the disease is recognized. The first line of treatment is usually medication (i.e.: anticonvulsants to decrease the hyperactivity of the trigeminal nerve). Then, doctors suggest surgery.

Alternative treatments

Below is a list of alternative treatments. I do not know anyone who has tried them; I am just passing the information as is…

–http://www.natural-homeremedies.org/blog/remedies-for-trigeminal-neuralgia/
–http://www.nationalpainfoundation.org/articles/576/complementary-techniques
–http://ms.about.com/od/signssymptoms/a/tn_tips.htm
–http://www.trigeminalneuralgia.us/app/tips.asp
–http://www.ehow.com/way_5631887_home-remedies-trigeminal-neuralgia.html
–http://www.mamaherb.com/nervous-tic-home-remedy-using-mu-xiang-bing-pian-and-bi-bo
–http://trigeminalneuralgiaproducts.com/;
–http://www.nativeremedies.com/articles/trigeminal-neuralgia-treatments.shtml;
–http://www.altmd.com/Articles/Herbal-Remedies-for-Neuralgia.

If you know more treatments, feel free to share them in the comment section under this article.

Facts and figures

TN affects about 1 in 15,000 people, mostly women. It usually develops after the age of 50, although there have been documented cases of three-year old patients.

For more information

Your Complete Guide to Trigeminal Neuralgia: http://www.umanitoba.ca/centres/cranial_nerves/trigeminal_neuralgia/manuscript/
Trigeminal Neuralgia Fact Sheet: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/trigeminal_neuralgia/detail_trigeminal_neuralgia.htm
MedlinePlus: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000742.htm
Facial Neuralgia Resources: http://facial-neuralgia.org/conditions/tn.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060406231921.htm
Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/trigeminal-neuralgia/DS00446
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/trigeminalneuralgia.html
Trigeminal Neuralgia Association: http://www.fpa-support.org/
Living with TN: http://www.livingwithtn.org/
Trigeminal Neuralgia Association of Canada: http://www.tnac.org/

When I receive an email like this one, I usually know the kind of authors I may have to deal with: Someone who has not done any bit of research and has no clue what branding is all about.

A lot of indie authors do not get it.

Paying a professional to do the work for you and hoping that they can turn you into the most successful author in the world overnight is what keeps you from achieving real success.

Yes, some writers have sold hundreds of thousands of copies of their books, and made a lot of money in the process. But you know what? They work diligently, and most of the time on their own. They listen to feedback, never stop looking for novel ways to promote themselves efficiently, and most importantly, set up attainable goals.

It is not because you have an ounce of talent or money that the world owes you anything. It takes a smart approach and unique selling proposition to market yourself well.

If you want to work with me, be aware that I will never promise things I cannot deliver. If you expect miracles, leave this website immediately and do a Google Search for people who can walk on water instead…

Google Search Stories is a free tool that allows you to harness the combined powers of Google and YouTube to create short, commercial-like trailers. You can showcase anything you want.

In my opinion, Google Stories is perfect for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

To create your video, all you need to do is visit http://www.youtube.com/searchstories, enter search terms and which Google Search tools you want to use (web search, books, images, maps, news, blog and product search). Add some music, preview the video, and if you are happy, upload the video directly to your YouTube account.

Here is my first Google Search Story. I plan on creating others when I have some time.

Have you tried Google Stories? If so, what do you think?

Extract from La chute d’un ange  (An Angel Has Fallen) – Translation by Cendrine Marrouat

Time, that only has meaning in the tongue of men,
Only names here below the minute where we are;
But, beyond times and humanity,
The name of everything is one: Eternity!

******

Extract from À une jeune fille poète (To a Young Poetess) - Translation by Cendrine Marrouat

What to heavenly voices is the meek mortal echo?
The most divine chords that rise from the earth,
Are the silent outbursts of the solitary soul
That the wind cannot even hear.

******

À M. Beauchesne (To Mr Beauchesne) - Translation by Cendrine Marrouat

If you seek peace and shelter for your dream,
Why build your nest so close to the big reef?
I prefer the fisherman’s house on the shore,
Whose hurling wave caresses the threshold;

I prefer the shepherd’s house under the snow
In the whitening Alps at sunrise,
Where one can hear frost assaulting it,
Whose joist cracks and shivers as the wind blows;

I prefer this boat, the frail and floating house
Of these sailors, strangers to every land,
To these eroded palaces less stable than a tent,
Where the noise of man covers the sounds of God!

******

Extract from La Marseillaise de la paix (The Marseillaise of the Peace) - Translation by Cendrine Marrout

I am a fellow citizen of any thinking soul:
Truth is my country!

******

VIII Adieu à Graziella (Farewell to Graziella) - Translation by Cendrine Marrouat

Farewell! A word whose tear moistens the lip;
A word that ends the joy and slices love;
A word by which departure from delights weans us;
A word that must be, by eternity erased one day!

Farewell!… I have often bid you in my life,
Without realizing, upon leaving my loved ones,
What sadness and lees you contained,
When man said: Return! And that God said: Never!

But, today, I feel that my mouth utters
The word that holds it all, because it is full of you;
That falls in the abyss, and can only find an answer
In the eternal silence between a picture and me!…

Still, with each breath, my heart speaks again
This word broken with a silent sob,
As though all the sounds that fill nature
Had only for a meaning, alas! a great farewell!

******

L’insecte ailé (The Winged Insect) -  Translation by Cendrine Marrouat

Let me fly and follow you,
Remove your childhood hand!
Sweet child, I am not
What your weakness imagines.

I look like the butterfly
Who, sure of his metamorphoses,
Loves to play in the vale
Around children or roses.

You want to grab me, but in vain:
Instead, you would seize the flame.
While playing, I escape from your hand:
I was born in the sky, I am a soul.

I am a soul, from which gods
The next decree unveils.
To clothe a body in this scene,
Yesterday I left my star.

******

IV Inscription - Translation by Cendrine Marrouat

Would you without ruler or square
Position your honey hive?
Open your door to the earth
And your window to the sky.

******

VIII Improvisation - Translation by Cendrine Marrouat

Last night, I dreamed that a vague harmony,
That would have made air sprites jealous,
Was enchanting my sleep, soothing my insomnia;
And within me, I said, “What a sweet dream, God!”
A dream? Ah! Forgive me! The error is all mine.
Of hospitality, it was the sweet spirit:
No dream was it, I had slept in your home.

******

Extract from Celui qui créa la nature (The One who created nature) - Translation by Cendrine Marrouat

The great and small things
Vibrate within the eternal hymn;
Leaves and roses falling
Can be heard even in his sky.

Still, there is a sound of the earth,
A sound more resonant and triumphant;
It’s your name, O mysterious God,
Babbled by a child!

******

So, find what makes you tick and want to be the best you can be.

You may think that you only have 24 hours in a day. But, each hour is made up of 3,600 seconds. And one second can make a complete difference in another person’s life.

Smiling actually takes half a second.

It is not enough to talk about it. It is not enough to sit and wait for others to do the work for you.

You must will change with all your might — until even your bones demand action from you.

“Change brings opportunity.” – Nido Qubein

“Change is the only constant. Hanging on is the only sin.” – Denise McCluggage

“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” – Gail Sheehy

Liebster is a German word that means ‘dearest’, ‘beloved’ or ‘favourite’.

The idea behind the Leibster Award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers all in the spirit of gathering more connections.

Start a new article. In this article:

It is important to observe what others do in order to learn what works or not. Usually, independent artists make five major mistakes that may be detrimental to their career.

The 4 Dangers of a Self Released Album is an excellent article written by M. Frascogna. It states a sad but obvious truth: North American independent artists need to change their approach and work on their marketing and promotional skills. And usually, that change of approach has to start locally.

Undervaluing one’s product

In Canada and the United States, it is common to emulate what big stores like Futureshop offer customers in terms of special offers. While these can be a good thing, they do not really work. People like good deals, but they have to be reasonable. If you sell your CD or book for $5 for a limited time and then want to mark it up to its regular price (let’s say $12.99), you may end up selling nothing afterwards.

So, do not undervalue your creations. You want to be taken seriously for your hard work and dedication to your art. Instead of lowering your prices, give away something with your product.

Media hype before checking product

Read more