Stephen D. Palmer

Life Manifestos is Official

Stephen Palmer — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 23:18:26 +0000

If you haven’t heard yet, I’ve officially launched my new company Life Manifestos.

Check out our selection of manifestos, and be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

A “life manifesto” is a clear, concrete, and compelling declaration of your most cherished values and highest ideals.

It is your planted flag, your line in the sand, your standard held high.

It is your constant reminder to do, be, and live better.

Display your life manifesto prominently in your home or office. The more you read it, the more it permeates your subconscious, influences your speech and actions, stretches your vision, purifies your desires.

It is a beacon of hope through storms of emotional turmoil.

An idealistic manifesto is not ignorant of excruciating realities.

It is not a naïve and fanciful expression of lofty intangibles.

It is a gritty, gutsy proclamation grounded in the recognition of disturbing imperfection, yet driven by the certain knowledge that progression is possible through choice.

As William James wrote,

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.”

A life manifesto is your planted flag declaring:

I choose to rise above my past, my pain, my limiting beliefs.

I choose to drag myself from the canvas every time I’m knocked down.

I choose to never give up striving for the ideal.

I choose to live from the space between stimulus and response.

I choose to live from a vision of joy, rather than wounds from the past.

I choose to be governed by love rather than pain.

I choose to be a victor, not a victim.

Make your choices easier and better by purchasing manifesto posters.

I guarantee they’ll help you bounce out of old ruts and break bad habits. And your life will never be the same.

An Unmistakable Indicator of Unjust War from John Ruskin

Stephen Palmer — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:22:19 +0000

I just read this piercing quote from John Ruskin in Sesame and Lillies, which should arrest the attention of every American citizen:

“…it is entirely capitalists’ wealth which supports unjust wars. Just wars do not need so much money to support them; for most of the men who wage such, wage them gratis; but for an unjust war, men’s bodies and souls have both to be bought; and the best tools of war for them besides, which makes such war costly to the maximum; not so speak of the cost of base fear, and angry suspicion, between nations which have not grace nor honesty enough in all their multitudes to buy an hour’s peace of mind with…

“And, all unjust war being supportable, if not by pillage of the enemy, only by loans from capitalists, these loans are repaid by subsequent taxation of the people, who appear to have no will in the matter, the capitalists’ will being the primary root of the war…”

To see a clear and chilling connection between capitalists and unjust war, watch the illuminating documentary “Why We Fight.”

While you’re at it, read “Truth, Lies, and Afghanistan,” an article by Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis in the Armed Forces Journal.

What Would You Tell Your Children on Your Deathbed?

Stephen Palmer — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:00:43 +0000

You’re enmeshed in tubes, breathing shallowly, preparing for the bright light.

Your teary-eyed children shuffle into the room.

You have one final chance to convey the most valuable lessons you want them to remember.

What would you say?

That’s the scene I envisioned when I wrote the “Live Extraordinary” manifesto.

“This, my dearest children, is how to live the masterpiece life. This is how to look yourself in the eye without regret at the end of each day.”

Don’t wait for your deathbed to inscribe these consequential lessons into their souls.

Purchase the 16″ x 20″ manifesto now and display it prominently in your home.

Let it saturate their subconscious mind. Watch with pride as it manifests in their actions.

Product Details:

The typographically-designed print is printed on high-quality, non-coated poster paper and fits a 16″ x 20″ frame.

Money-Back Satisfaction Guarantee:

Dissatisfied in any way with your print? Return it for a full, no-hassle refund.

Complete Manifesto Text:

“Trust your flashes of intuition. Ignore the clamoring of crowds. Don’t
drudge through a job. Devote yourself to a Mission. Make every day an adventure. Don’t be a slave to unconscious reaction. Consciously choose your actions. Keep your word, no matter the cost. Who you become tomorrow is determined by the books you read, the friends you keep, and how you spend your free time today. The time to be most vigilant is when no one else will ever know. Privately fix your own heart before marching in public protest. Plant seeds for others to harvest. Choose long-term growth over immediate gratification. Your character is revealed by how you treat those weaker than you and from whom you have nothing to gain. When you’re discouraged, forget yourself and uplift others. Don’t gossip about people. Discuss great ideas. Be an initiator, not a criticizer. Be a player, not a spectator. Above all, keep moving forward, no matter what.

Shun mediocrity. Live with extraordinary passion, principle, and purpose.

And teach your children to do the same by displaying the “Live Extraordinary” manifesto in your home.

My Thoughts on the South Carolina Presidential Primary

Stephen Palmer — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:00:55 +0000

John Adams sums it up nicely:

“If worthless men are at the head of affairs, it is because worthless men are at the tail and the middle.”

Where in the World is Stephen Palmer?

Stephen Palmer — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:54:31 +0000

No, I haven’t disappeared.

And yes, I’ve still been writing.

I’ve been devoting all my spare time to Life Manifestos, which I launched just recently.

I’ve been writing a weekly newsletter for Life Manifestos subscribers.

Check out the archives and subscribe (on the left-hand column) here.

My recent newsletters have included:

Enjoy, and be sure to subscribe to get new articles every Monday morning!

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand: A Must-Read for Every American Citizen

Stephen Palmer — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:11:13 +0000

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every American citizen should read this book.

Wow. What an incredible, inspiring story.

In her closing paragraph of her acknowledgements, author Laura Hillenbrand writes,

“I come away from this book with the deepest appreciation for what these men endured, and what they sacrificed, for the good of humanity.”

Yes, as do I, Laura. And I thank you for bringing this story to life.

This book is a searing, unforgettable reminder that our freedom, comfort, security, and prosperity are a sacred trust, given to us by the incomprehensible suffering of brave men and women who have gone before us, never to be taken for granted.

View all my reviews

What I Read in 2011

Stephen Palmer — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:00:53 +0000

These are ranked in order of what I would recommend to a general audience.

You can see how I ranked them on Goodreads here.

I’d be curious to learn your favorite books from 2011 (comment below).

(These links are Amazon affiliate links, meaning that if you click the link to purchase, Amazon will give me a few cents but it doesn’t cost you any extra.)

FreedomShift: 3 Choices to Reclaim America’s Destiny by Oliver DeMille
Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall & Denver Moore
L.I.F.E. Living Intentionally For Excellence by Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak
Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life by Byron Katie
Aspire!: Discovering Your Purpose Through the Power of Words by Kevin Hall
Resolved: 13 Resolutions for LIFE by Orrin Woodward
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zuzak
Prentice Alvin (Tales of Alvin Maker, #3) by Orson Scott Card
Alvin Journeyman (Tales of Alvin Maker, #4) by Orson Scott Card
Heartfire (Tales of Alvin Maker, #5) by Orson Scott Card
The Crystal City (Tales of Alvin Maker #6) by Orson Scott Card
Do the Work by Steven Pressfield
The Way of the Wild Heart: A Map for the Masculine Journey by John Eldredge
What difference do it make? – Stories of Hope and Healing by Ron Hall & Denver Moore
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
The Grace of Great Things: Creativity and Innovation by Robert Grudin
Beyond Capitalism & Socialism: A New Statement of an Old Ideal edited by Tobias Lanz
The Servile State by Hilaire Belloc
The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth Godin
One Second After by William Forstchen
The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell
The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement by David Brooks
What All The World’s A-Seeking The Vital Law of True Life, True Greatness Power and Happiness by Ralph Waldo Trine
Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee
Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman
Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative by Ken Robinson
The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2) by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins
There Is No Death: The Extraordinary True Experience by Sarah Lanelle Menet
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
Dune (Dune Chronicles, #1) by Frank Herbert
Foundation and Empire (Foundation, #2) by Isaac Asimov
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver
Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
The Art of Money Getting: Golden Rules for Making Money by P.T. Barnum
Fire in the Soul: 100 poems for human rights edited by Dinyar Godrej
Poem a Day Volume 3 edited by Retta Bowen
Five Minds for the Future by Howard Gardner
The Intentional Family: Simple Rituals to Strengthen Family Ties by William J. Doherty
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Room by Emma Donoghue
The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First
Century by James Howard Kunstler
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
Unzipped: A Portable Guide to the Anatomy of the Female Customer by Michele Miller
Fascinate: Unlocking the 7 Secret Triggers of Influence, Persuasion, and Captivation by Sally Hogshead
The Copywriter’s Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Copy That Sells by Robert Bly
The Zigzag Principle: The Goal Setting Strategy that will Revolutionize Your Business and Your Life by Rich Christiansen
I Don’t Want to Talk About It by Terrence Real
Sudden Fiction edited by Robert Shapard
Call to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results by Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg
Persuasive Online Copywriting: How to Take Your Words to the Bank by Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg
Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug
Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed by Jakob Nielsen
Aristotle’s Poetics for Screenwriters: Storytelling Secrets From the Greatest Mind in Western Civilization by Michael Tierno
Designing Web Usability by Jakob Nielsen

C’est Naturelle Farms Featured On CBS News

Stephen Palmer — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:04:38 +0000

My friends, William and Vernie DeMille, owners of C’est Naturelle Farms in Oregon City, Oregon, were just featured on CBS News.

(William is Oliver DeMille’s brother.)

The story asks, “Should government subsidize crops used in junk food?”

Of course, you know my answer.

Check out the video:

*If you’re reading this in an email or RSS reader, you may need to watch the video on my blog.

Why Your Vote Doesn’t Matter (and It’s Not What You’re Thinking)

Stephen Palmer — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:34:39 +0000

Anyone who claims that your one vote really makes a difference in national elections is delusional.

They’ll be quick to point out the handful of close elections in history, such as the 2004 Florida contest between Bush and Kerry.

But that brings me to my point: Would our nation really be that different today had Kerry won instead of Bush?

Would Kerry have eroded our freedoms and spent our money more than Bush?

I highly doubt it — at least not in any substantive way.

Status-quo Republicans and Democrats are virtually indistinguishable.

As political economist Gunnar Myrdal stated,

“Political parties . . . have to take up a fighting position at least at election times when they have to stimulate the lazy and undecided voters to vote, and to vote for them. All politicians . . . have, however, an interest in preserving favorable conditions for the normal day-to-day cooperation and collective bargaining among them all.”

He added that,

“We tend to arrive at a situation where there is a large measure of agreement among all the political parties. They sometimes even compete in propagating new and constantly more sweeping redistributional reforms as levels of income rise.

“In any case, we have seen very few examples, if any, where the coming into power of a more conservative political party has meant a substantial retraction of reforms previously carried through by a party which was further left.”

As long as you vote for status-quo candidates, your vote doesn’t matter. Regardless of party, you’re still going to get the same things: unsustainable debt, overblown spending, more inept bureaucracy, more global intervention, less adherence to the Constitution.

The current debate among the GOP is which candidate has the best chance of beating Obama.

I’ve heard countless people say that any of the current GOP candidates would be better than Obama.

Really? Based on what version of history and for what reasons?

Both sides of the aisle gave us the TARP bailouts. Both sides passed the Patriot Act. Both sides vote for entitlements. Both sides give lip service to cutting spending, while our budget and debt continue to balloon.

Republicans: If you vote on the basis of who is most likely to beat Obama, you’ve already lost the battle and your vote is pointless.

This is yet another example of freedom-lovers fighting election-cycle battles, rather than a 100-year war.

To restore our freedoms, we must break free from our current partisan gridlock, where our freedoms are eroded year after year regardless of which party is in power.

In short, we need more Independents and less party loyalists.

Freedom-loving Republicans must stop focusing solely on trying to beat Obama, and instead must shift their efforts to winning a 100-year war for freedom.

Furthermore, all citizens must realize the limitations of elections and put their right to vote in context.

Yes, the right to vote is important. But it’s mostly symbolic of deeper issues.

Freedom isn’t preserved by citizens who do little to preserve it outside of elections, then show up angry at polls.

It’s preserved by citizens who build families and small businesses. Who educate themselves and their children about freedom and the Constitution. Who deeply understand the issues rather than accepting the talking points and 30-second media sound bites from status-quo politicians.

All the populist rantings about beating Obama and the dangers of “splitting the vote” are deceptive distractions blinding voters from the real points:

Vote status quo and you’re going to get status quo — regardless of party.
The impact of your vote is limited and must be put in context. Far more important than voting is how you educate yourself, raise your family, become a producer, and serve your community.

General Thanksgiving: A Proclamation by George Washington, 1789

Stephen Palmer — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:00:58 +0000

On October 3, 1789, President George Washington signed the following decree titled “General Thanksgiving.”

While there were Thanksgiving observances in America both before and after Washington’s proclamation, this represents the first to be so designated by the new national government.

General Thanksgiving
By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America
A PROCLAMATION

“WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me ‘to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

“NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;– for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;– for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;– and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

“And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;– to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

“GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

*Thanks to Shanon Brooks for bringing this to my attention.