Maurilio Amorim

Author: Maurilio Amorim

  • Lies We Believe: You Always Need 100% Effort

    Assumptions don’t always work out for me.  Well, I could sanitize the word a bit and call it a “myth” or an “erroneous supposition,” but at their core, these are lies that I have treated as facts. Some are as innocuous as “if I train hard I can be a competitive runner.” Well, If I train harder, I could potentially be faster than I am now, but I’ll never be a 5-minute-mile elite athlete. But then there are lies that can derail your entire life. One of them has cost me a lot of pain until I came to grips with it. Somehow early on my childhood I believed that if I couldn’t be the best in doing something, than I shouldn’t even try doing it. If I couldn’t do it at a 100 percent, than I would do nothing at all.

    Lies we believe 100 percent effor Maurilio Amorim

    That sounds like crazy talk, doesn’t it? After all we all know that we can’t be the best at everything. Truth be known, we can only be good at very few things. “You’re a perfectionist,” you might diagnose me, but I was convinced from an early age that I was expected to excel in everything I did. I can recall even to this day many activities and opportunities I missed out on because the threat of not mastering them kept me from even trying.

    But I have a hunch I’m not alone on this one. I see people who “lapse” during a diet and then they just give up completely: “since I ate that pizza I went ahead and order the brownie and ice cream.” In their minds, once they “blow it” then all the effort is wasted and the opportunity is gone; one slip up and you’re out of the race.  I have known people to make pledges to church financial campaigns and not be able to fulfill their pledges. Instead of giving what they can, they decide not to give at all. If they cannot do it at 100 percent, they don’t do it at all.

    We all know that we’d be better off with 70 percent effort in our pursuit of health meals than nothing. We should reason that our church could benefit from 50 percent fulfillment of our pledges than our not giving at all. While I’m not advocating laziness, sloppiness and poor work ethic, but I’m certain that sometimes even the little we have offer is more than sufficient.

    Somehow we have distorted the fact that doing our best and being THE best is the same thing. It’s not. The first is our responsibility, the latter a big fat lie.

    Is there an area of your life you’re not willing to tackle because you’re afraid of failing?

    What if just 30% worth of success was enough to make a difference? Would you try it then?

  • 5 Things You Should Know About Communicating With Millennials

    They are the most educated and studied generation on earth. Parents, teachers, marketers and communicators want to figure out how to successfully reach millennials. As a parent as well as employer of Gen Yers, I’m always glad to find new, helpful research. Recently, I read in Advertising Age an excellent article by Thomas Pardee on marketing to millennials that I want to share with you. After all, if you’re reading this, your life is and will be impacted by Generation Y. If you want to communicate, sell, or reach them, then:

    How to communicate with millennial Generation Y Maurilio Amorim

    Be Fast

    Twitter has taught them to write in 140 characters. If you can’t say it fast, then don’t bother, because they can.

    Be Clever

    According to Nick Shore, head of research at MTV, funny is the new rock ‘n’ roll. This generation has had access to the best and most clever footage on earth at their fingertips. They reward funny and clever through their extensive networks.

    Be Transparent

    While we might argue that Gen Yes are entitled and even arrogant, one thing is for sure, they’re not stupid. They know when we’re trying to sell them shampoo or an idea. Find a way to make it fun, and they’ll reward you with their attention. They’ll appreciate your honesty.

    Don’t “Technologize” Everything

    By their own definition millennials are defined by their use of technology. According to Pardee, “marketers should resist the urge to attempt to ‘speak their language’– Gen Yers can smell those ploys a mile away.” Unlike me, millennials are digital natives. “They don’t use technology, they live it and do so subconsciously.”

    Give Them a Reason to Talk about You

    While millennials don’t like ads, they don’t mind something that’s non-invasive, non-interrupting that offers them something fun, like an app, an event, or even a personalized fun video that they might share with their network.

    As I think of my sons, their friends and my own friends who are in their 20’s, I see them as a paradoxical group. In one hand they seem naive about certain aspects of life I had figured out (mostly because I had to) long before them. On the other hand, they are clever, wise and seem to be able to “sniff” out situations better than I can ever remember doing at their age. But one thing I know for sure, when millennials decide to talk about something, they make sure the whole world hears. And that my friend, is the power of Generation Y.

    Beyond these, what other tools have you found in communicating with millennials?

  • Are Your Best Days Behind You?

    I heard someone say that his best days were during his high school years. Not for me. My high school years could be described as “awkward” at best. But this exercise created a series of questions in my mind: what were my best days and why? Could they have been my college years, or my early 20’s or the productive 30’s? They all had highlights and yet I couldn’t decide even on a decade. I have struggled with answering that question until I realized that I deeply believe that my best days are still to come.

    Best days behind you maurilio amorim

    I don’t know about you, but if I allow myself to think that the best life has to offer is already past, I would have a very tough time carrying on the status quo. As part of my Christian faith, I know that my days are ordained and redeemed by God. I also know that I’m made for a purpose that’s much bigger than me.

    I’m not done. There’s so much room to grow and learn and create and accomplish. I don’t think this is unbridled optimism on my part, but a worldview that keeps me growing and reaching forward in order to fulfill what I believe God has in store for me.

    What about you? Do you really see your future with optimism?

  • Is It Time for a New Do?

    The Fashion Friday post makes a come back. Today’s topic: men’s haircut. This is of personal interest because I decided to grow my hair out six weeks ago, and now I find myself in the awkward transitional stage, or what I call, one-more-bad-hair-day-away from getting it chopped off again. I’ve heard it said that most men will stay with the same hair style of the time in life they felt the most popular. If there’s any truth in that statement then take a look at these pictures, do you see anyone familiar in them?

    Fashion Friday Haircuts Maurilio Amorim
    Aah, the 70's were a frightening time for men's hair. Long but no product and obviously no conditioner either.

    Mullets, highlights and the introduction of hair mousse defined the 80's scene. I was guilty of all it.

    David Beckham had every possible hairstyle during the 90's. From the faux hawk, to highlighted tips to #2 setting on the clippers, he tried them all

    Fashion Friday haircuts, Maurilio Amorim
    Long hair has made a come back and it's pretty much a free for all.

    Fashion Friday Mad Men Maurilio Amorim
    Thanks to Mad Men, the corporate look of the 60's is making a comeback. I'm making a play for the Don Draper cut.

    Do you know anyone, even you, who’s stuck with a past due hairdo?

    Are you considering a new hairstyle? Which one?

  • The Day You Become Obsolete

    I couldn’t help but to eavesdrop during a conversation at the gym locker room last week. I heard a man named Jim asked someone whom I figured was a owner of a marketing agency, if his business was still doing full marketing campaigns. “Yes, we do.” The interested party then followed up with another question, “even social media?” The man’s answer was puzzling to me in its dismissive nature, “we do all that stuff.” By then I was fully engaged in their exchange. Jim went further to prod, “you know social media is a very different strategy.” Then came the confession, “I’m older than 30, so I don’t get social media,” said the business owner. In my opinion, his days are numbered as a professional marketer. Sometime ago, he decided to stop learning and growing. He’s now obsolete.

    I’m a life-long learner. I have made that commitment years ago when at the ripe age of 15,  I taught an 80-year-old cook how to prepare a dish. That day settled one of the most important lessons of my life: I would never be too old to learn. I might not embrace every new communication or technology idea or tool that comes around, but unless it’s illegal or immoral I’ll probably give them a try.

    Where should you be investing your time?

    What should you be learning?

  • Sometimes You Need Off the Bubble

    Recently, I have been thinking about the bubble I live in. It’s a very homogeneous existence where I associate mostly with middle age people who look, think and act like me. If I’m not careful, I can find myself trapped in conversation about our latest aches and pains and a boil that needs lancing. Lately I have challenged myself to go beyond my natural “habitat” and discover someone else’s perspective. Life is so much fuller when you get off your bubble.

    I have intentionally spent time with young professionals lately and I have truly enjoyed their perspective. One thing that has stood out and resonated with me is what I call the “power of perspective,” or the ability to dream and to believe that such vision can and will come true. I love engaging 20-somethings and watching them approach their careers full of optimism.  Life has not beaten them down yet and they have not exchanged eagerness, passion and energy for cynicism, doubt, and fear.

    For some, this young generation is a threat or trouble, at best. Not for me. Being around them energizes me to the point of dusting off dreams I have put up in the attic and getting ready begin to purse them anew. After hanging out with the young, I believe the best is yet to come.

    What’s your bubble?

    How are you breaking away?

  • Stupid Stuff Christian Men Should Never Say on a Date

    I’ve been asked to write about how Christian men should communicate on dates by some of the single readers of this blog (all 3 of them). Since I have not been single in over 20 years, I’ve asked my friend KelcieKay Sberna to help me out by sharing her experience in the dating scene. Here’s her account.

    This is a list that I have compiled over the past couple years; years filled with bad dates and creepy suitors. I have a career in ministry so I find that my dates are usually evangelical men 25-30 years of age. These are all actual accounts from my dates, however fictitious they might sound. I will marry the man of God who doesn’t commit any of the following crimes.

    Sending flowers the day of the date is an excellent idea. However, attaching a note that says “Imagine how much more romantic I will be later” is not.  You might as well have written “I’m going to lock you in a basement and make a coat of your skin.”

    Words of affirmation may not be your love language. But please don’t throw out compliments like: “You’re beautiful! And the cool thing is that my mom used to say, ‘where beauty lacks in one area of the body it will usually make up for it in another area.’ So you are blessed!” What the heck is that supposed to mean?!?!

    Speaking of mothers, it’s always a good sign when a son treats his mother well. It tells a lot about how he treats women. However, “my mother is sexy. I hope my wife looks like her some day. Can I see a picture of your mom?” is just wrong.

    I don’t mind movie buffs; however, asking me if I am on Team Jacob or Team Edward and then giving me a 6-point thesis as to why I should be on Team Edward will assure you of no second date. At least not a with a female.

    A good Christian man should always take the lead and bless the food before dinner.  But please, do not pray this prayer out loud during the date: “And God, should this be the woman I am to marry, please let her spirit speak to her quickly, as the spirit has already spoken to me. For you are the ultimate matchmaker. And bless the food and conversation, amen.” CHECK PLEASE!

    What’s the worst date moment of your life?

  • Self Discipline Is Not Enough: How I Get My Butt Out of Bed at 4 AM

    If you follow me on Twitter or somewhere else in social media, you might have noticed my early morning posts, usually between 4 to 5 a.m. about going on a run or hitting the gym for a workout. There’s always a comment from someone saying “I don’t know how you do this. You must have a lot of self-discipline.” The truth is that I have some self-discipline, but what I have most is a built-in system of accountability and expectations.

    Maurilio Amorim Tammy Gray John Frazinelli Karen McCuctheon
    Running Friends: Tammy Gray, John Frassinelli, and Karen McCutcheon

    Left on my own, I can justify staying in bed every morning and postponing my workouts until later in the day. But with my busy agenda at work, heavy travel schedule and family responsibilities, I know that if I don’t exercise early in the morning, I won’t do it at all. Most days getting out of bed at 4:30 for a run in the dark is 10% inspiration and 90% accountability.

    Over the past few years I have developed strategic relationships to keep me accountable to 1. show up and 2. push myself beyond my comfort zone. Not only some of these people have become great friends, they have inspired and trained me into becoming a better long-distance runner, and a stronger, overall healthier person. All of it without spending a dime on personal training.

    Maybe Hillary Clinton was right, and it does take a village to raise a child, and, I might add, keep us accountable.

    What part of your life needs more accountability than self discipline?

    What are you going to do about i?

  • Are We Creating a Better Version of Ourselves Online?

    Last week I got several messages from Twitter and Facebook friends about getting together during the Catalyst conference. Unfortunately my schedule was packed with meetings in-between sessions and dinner appointments, and I wasn’t able to  meet many of my digital friends face to face. Since then my insecurities have taken hold of me and whispered, “maybe it was for the best. You’re a lot better looking and more interesting online than in real life.”

    Are we creating a better version of ourselves online

    That thought has stayed with me for days now and I can’t seem to shake it. I overheard a co-worker say that she is often disappointed when meeting celebrities in real life situations because they never live up to her expectations. Ok, I’m not a celebrity–I have no paparazzi following me, or even a friendly stalker–but the comment forced me to ask the question, “have I created a better version of myself online?” I’m not sure I can objectively answer that question.

    I want to believe that my online persona is who I am, but somewhat self-edited and on my best behavior, and not a carefully constructed caricature  of the person I wish I were. We all have heard of truth in advertising, but what about truth in social media persona?

    How should we manage putting our best “digital” foot forward without fabricating a bogus online identity?

  • Is Self Promotion Evil?

    Most Christian leaders I know struggle to find balance in life. They need to find the proper ratio between work and family time, the balance between eating and exercising.  But while most of us would agree that family always comes before work and that overeating and poor exercise habits are not good for anyone, Christian leaders struggle with the elusive, apparently evil, but frequently necessary need for self-promotion. Is self-promotion a symptom of a prideful heart, a necessary evil of ministry, or a simple tool to achieve a mean?

    self promotion, marketing, personal brand

    Well, it depends.

    I’m not trying to be evasive when I say, “it depends.” As both a communications expert and a literary agent, I help my clients  develop a platform where their resources (books, videos, blogs, curricula) can be consumed. One of the very first questions publishers ask me about a new author is, “what type of platform does he or she have?”

    “But isn’t creating an audience the job of a marketer?” You might ask. Yes, it is, but the content, specially Christian content, cannot be divorced from the content provider and thus both the author as well as the product must be promoted.

    Frequently I hear that such and such pastor or author has gone overboard with their self promotion. That translates to me as:  that person is doing a good job in getting his or her message out. “But that’s vanity!” some have argued.

    Here’s how I see it: The act of self promotion itself is amoral, meaning void of moral meaning. It’s neither good or bad. But it’s absolutely necessary in order to develop a platform, engage culture and grow a church or movement because the message cannot be divorced from the messenger. The motivation for self-promotion, however, is key.

    As an author, business owner and Christ-follower, I understand the need to reach out to an ever-growing audience so I can have a deeper impact. “Oh, but I have seen people buy into their own PR and become horrible divas.” Yes, so have I. But that’s God’s problem, not ours. I cannot and will not judge someone else’s motivations and neither should you.  I can only comment on people’s actions and behaviors. When those whom are close to me behave unbecomingly, I’m the first one to call them on it. Otherwise, I want to help them unapologetically seize every opportunity, take every interview, kiss every baby, shake every hand and smile for every photo opp that comes their way so that their life-giving message can get out before as many people as possible.

    I know this is an emotionally-charged subject and difficult to navigate, but am I off base?