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General

The love of God and a lump of bread

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The love of God and a lump of bread

When the Privy Councillor of Medicine died, his sons began to sort out his estate. In a glass display case, which the old doctor had guarded like a shrine, they found, among other treasures and mementos, a strange object: a gray, shriveled and bone-hard lump – a dried-up piece of bread.

Perplexed, they asked the old housekeeper. The housekeeper told them that the doctor had once been seriously ill during the famine years after the World War. The acute illness was accompanied by a general state of exhaustion. Strong food was necessary – but rare. An acquaintance sent half a loaf of bread. Good, wholesome bread, which he himself had received from a foreigner friend.

At that time, the teacher's little daughter was sick in the neighboring house. The medical councilor therefore sent the bread to the teacher's family without eating it himself. But even they did not want to keep the bread. The old widow over there under the roof in the emergency quarters needed it more. She passed it on to her daughter with the two children in the puny basement apartment. She remembered the sick medical councillor who had recently treated one of her boys without asking anything in return.

"We recognized it at once," concluded the housekeeper, "by the stamp stuck on the bottom of the bread, showing a colorful little picture." When the Medical Councillor held his own bread in his hands again, he was shaken beyond measure and said, "As long as there is still love among us that shares its last piece of bread, as long as I have no fear for all of us helps; This bread has filled many people without a single one eating it."

This story makes tangible the power of love: "The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:5) And this love is palpable in our four walls: this good, loving spirit is blowing. No, our houses are not gray concrete, it is rather living space for the good spirit of God. But the spirit also breaks many a space and frame. Because this love can be experienced through our heart attitude beyond all borders: We do not only keep what we have for ourselves, but give others a share of it – so that something remains!

And so, once again, and in the midst of us, in the here and now, a miracle happens: a feeding of thousands – three thousand employees and over six thousand people entrusted to us – they are fed.

I wish this miracle for all of us again and again.

 

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US congresmen write Zuckerberg to act against Slovak users of facebook

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US congresmen write Zuckerberg to act against Slovak users of facebook
                                         from Czech alternative web

US congressmen wrote Zuckerberg a letter to take action in Slovakia against supporters of Putin and Russia on Facebook
US Congress decides who should be deleted and blocked on social networks in Slovakia ?

Today, American congressmen are already writing public letters and intervening against the internal affairs of another "sovereign" country.

A total of 5 members of the US House of Representatives Intelligence committee, headed by committee chairman Adam B. Schiffem wrote an open letter  to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to crack down on Slovak citizens who glorify Russia, Vladimir Putin and spread alleged Russian disinformation on his social network. It is said to pose a huge threat to the security of the US and its allies.

In the letter, five Democratic Party congressmen call on Zuckerberg to increase the number of Censors in Slovakia, that is, in their words, “fact checkers” for verifying and deleting Russian disinformation and posts that express sympathy for Russia, Russian officials, the Russian army, etc.and also to launch an investigation into who publishes this information on Facebook .
These congressmen are Adam B. Schiff
Mike Quigley
Peter Welch
Sean Patrick Maloney
Jason Crow

Slovakia is officially an American colony with everything ? The civil rights of Slovaks to opinions on Facebook are controlled by US congressmen…. And the prime minister of Slovakia Eduard Heger still thanks them? Is this normal?

Slovak prime minister Eduard Heger  already sent his thanks to US congressmen also saying that this is result of a common truth-seeking effort and wrote also "It is highest time for as many people as possible to be clear about the values and to be able to navigate correctly in the complexities of the contemporary world."

Member of Slovak parliament Luboš Blaha from political party SMER has already responded to the intervention and wrote  an open counter-letter to Zuckerberg. 

Yes, it is obvious that Americans are afraid of massive anti-American sentiments in Slovakia among the ordinary population. Anti-American signs are beginning to appear, according to our information, everywhere, in all cities, and the police do not have time to blur the letters " Z " appearing in hundreds of cases. It is something like a form of” Zorro Avenger " protest against censorship and against American aggression in Ukraine, against the American nationalization of political and media processes, against the deployment of American occupation forces in Slovakia with the assistance of the government, which part of the Slovak public and especially the opposition calls treasonous.
Facebook is powerful in Slovakia. It is the most used social media platform in the country, with approximately 2.7 million active members, which is approximately 49% of the Slovak population.

Slovakia is very important for the US Congress from the logistical point of view of supplying weapons to Ukraine. It is a country that shares a border with Ukraine, and this makes Slovakia an extremely important vassal for the United States, so important that the US Congress is straining to eliminate resistance and opposition in Slovakia, including the criminalization of representatives of the strongest opposition party.

                    Thank you for reading

                                                     Margaret

Source: https://aeronet.news/video-george-bush-ve-freudovskem-uklouznuti-odsoudil-vlastni-invazi-do-iraku-namisto-ukrajiny-potom-se-opravil-sam-pro-sebe-potichu-rekl-ze-je-to-vlastne-stejne-jedno/

General

Understanding Mental Models To Improve Your Life And Enhance The Lives Of Others

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Understanding Mental Models To Improve Your Life And Enhance The Lives Of Others

  • Make more intelligent decisions. 
  • Become a better communicator.
  • Become more instinctive and objective.
  • Think proactively, and react quicker.
  • Increase your self-awareness.

 

We have fitness gyms to improve our physical fitness. But what about a gym for our mental wellness? What would the mental equipment be?  Building your mental gym is essential and mental models are some of the most potent mental tools at your disposal. They may help you think and react quicker.  

We all have mental models, which are the lens through which we see the world that influences our reaction to everything we experience. It is crucial to be aware of your mental models to be objective. 

Mental models are significant and rooted in human nature, and they affect how we see problems and how we see people. Mental models may either be extremely helpful or destructive, depending on how you use them.

 


Source: brainyquote

What Are Mental Models? 

There are many different mental models, and it would take a very long time to study them all in detail. Some mental models are rooted in biological observations, while others have been described in behavioral studies. However, all mental models serve as beliefs or ideas that we form based on our experiences consciously or unconsciously.

Mental models help us understand life by providing a shortcut for reasoning. They guide our thoughts and behaviors and help us make sense of the world around us. By understanding how mental models work, we can improve our thinking and make better decisions.

Mental models are not a new concept; they are essential to understanding how our mind works. Below are 23 of the fundamental mental models that you can start observing in your daily life. They are helpful in understanding everyone’s thought process, and they will help you become a better communicator by considering other people’s mental models when speaking with them. Most importantly, they will help you become a more self-aware person.

 

23 Intrinsic Mental Models 

1. Anchoring
Anchoring is a mental model that refers to the tendency for people to rely too heavily on the first piece of information they receive (the “anchor”). This can lead to bad decision-making because people often fail to adjust their thinking when new information contradicts the original anchor.

2. Bandwagon Effect
The bandwagon effect is a mental model that refers to the tendency for people to do something simply because other people are doing it. This can lead to bad decision-making because people often fail to think for themselves and blindly follow the crowd.

3. Bayesian Reasoning
Bayesian reasoning is a mental model that refers to the process of updating your beliefs in light of new evidence. This is a good way of thinking because it allows you to constantly learn and update your beliefs based on further information.

4. Behavioral Sink
A behavioral sink is a mental model that refers to the tendency for bad behavior to spread in a population of animals or humans. 

This can happen when there is no punishment for bad behavior or when the rewards for bad behavior are more significant than rewards for good behavior. This can lead to disastrous consequences, such as the spread of disease, lowering of society's standard of living, or extinction of a species. A behavioral sink has been applied to many fields, including public health, marketing, and economics.

5. Classical Conditioning:
Pavlov's dog is an excellent example of classical conditioning. A biologically potent stimulus, such as food, is paired with a previously neutral stimulus, such as a bell, to condition response in animals. In this case, saliva is produced due to the neutral stimulus (the bell), just as it does when the biologically potent stimulus (food) is presented.

6. Commitment and Consistency Bias:
The desire to be and appear consistent with what we have already done. 

It prefers consistency over change, maintains current behavior, and avoids discontinuity. Confirmation bias is the tendency to favor information that confirms your existing beliefs, and Conformity bias tends to be more responsive to social pressure when evaluating a decision in the presence of others (e.g., a purchasing decision)

7. Common Knowledge:
It's a wide-accepted truth that everyone or nearly everyone knows. 

While common knowledge does not always signify fact or authenticity, most people will acknowledge it as such. In many cases, common knowledge can change. What was common knowledge in the past may not be common knowledge now. What was common knowledge in your country or society may not be common knowledge in another country or community.

8. Diversification:
The process of allocating your resources to reduce exposure to any particular risk and is essential when it comes to investing. By diversifying your portfolio, you reduce the risk that you might lose everything if one specific investment tanks. It’s also important to diversify when it comes to risk reduction in your life.

9. Game theory:
An umbrella term for the science of logical decision-making in humans, animals, and computers. 

Game theory is a branch of applied mathematics; it explores how we make decisions when faced with rules, rewards, and punishments. It is used in economics, political science, artificial intelligence, and many other fields. In its most common form, the game theory looks at strategic decision-making and its theory. When analyzing a game, we try to find the best strategy to win it. We look at what happens if everyone plays a certain way and what happens if they don’t.

10. Hyperbolic discounting:
A model states that, given two similar rewards, people prefer one that arrives sooner rather than later. 

This is often referred to as ‘discounting the value of each reward according to how soon it arrives.’ Hyperbolic discounting is often thought to be an innate aspect of human nature rather than something that can be changed. It is often applied to explain why people often fail to save enough money for retirement.

11. The illusion of control:
The tendency for people to overestimate their ability to control events. 

This illusion can lead to a false sense of security, a lack of preparedness, and a false sense of confidence in your ability to succeed. Researchers have found that this bias is common in people across cultures, backgrounds, and demographics. People with higher confidence levels seem to be more prone to the illusion of control. And though this bias can be quite beneficial, it can also lead to disastrous consequences.

12. Incentive:
Something that motivates or encourages someone to do something. 

Examples of incentives include financial rewards, prizes, gift cards, and bonuses. Incentives can also be non-financial, such as public recognition, an employee of the month, or a thank you card. Incentives are most often used in marketing to encourage current or potential customers to buy a product or service.

13. Inversion Principle:
The process of looking at a problem backward. For example, imagine everything that could make your project go wrong instead of brainstorming forward ideas. 

The principle can be applied to any situation where you want to develop new solutions to problems. Backward thinking helps you develop new ideas by challenging your current way of thinking. Inversion takes mental flexibility to apply to any situation in your life. 

14. Loss Aversion:
Loss aversion can be observed in various situations, from investment decisions to risk perceptions. People tend to place more value on avoiding losses than on achieving equivalent gains. E.g., Some people are more distressed about losing $10 than pleased to find $10.

15. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs:
A hierarchy of human needs is often represented as a pyramid in which lower-level conditions must be satisfied before higher-level needs can be addressed. 

In this hierarchy, human needs are arranged in five categories: physiological needs, safety needs, needs for love and connection, need for esteem, and self-actualization at the top of the pyramid.

16. Mere-exposure Effect:
It is a psychological phenomenon by which people tend to prefer things merely because they are familiar with them. 

The mere-exposure effect is a bias where people are more likely to select items based on past experience rather than new information. This can lead to confirmation bias, where people seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs and avoid information that conflicts with them.

17. Norm of reciprocity:
It's the expectation that we repay what another has done for us in kind. 

It is a deeply ingrained social norm that is believed to promote a positive cycle of behavior rather than a negative spiral of consequences. This norm inspires us to do good deeds for others, and when we receive a favor, we feel the obligation to pay it forward. When you have been on the receiving end of a good deed, you now have the responsibility to go out and do something nice for someone else.

18. Operant conditioning:
A learning process where the strength of a behavior is modified by reinforcing or punishing it.

Operant conditioning can be used to modify any kind of behavior and is often used to treat problems like ADHD, but it's also used to help people wanting to improve their performance. Operant conditioning often relies on a system of rewards, like a token economy, to reinforce desired behavior. There are many different types of operant conditioning, but they all rely on classical and operant conditioning principles.

19. Scarcity:
An item in limited supply and thus in demand in the market. Also, artificial scarcity is created when the government restricts the amount of a commodity that may be bought. 

People often react to scarcity by stockpiling goods and spending more money. This can be a response to anything from the uncertainty of a political climate to a natural disaster.  In the face of scarcity, people often turn to each other for support, building communities and trust. Scarcity can also lead to conflict, as people fight over resources.

20. Status Quo Bias:
A status quo bias is a preference for the current state of affairs, where the current baseline is taken as a reference point, and any change from that baseline is perceived as a loss. 

Status quo bias can also be understood as a preference for the “devil you know over the devil you don’t know” or inertia. Status quo bias is a common human bias often observed in decision-making. It can be beneficial in certain contexts, such as deciding whether to stay in or move out of a particular investment. However, it can also be very costly.

21. Surfing:
The business principle of “riding the wave” of new technology, a product, or a trend. 

When a new technology, product, or trend has the potential to impact your business significantly, you can ride the wave by exploring how it can be integrated into your existing offerings. Stay ahead of the curve by keeping an eye on cutting-edge technology and monitoring changes in the marketplace. You might discover that new technology has the potential to be adopted by your existing customers or to attract new ones.

22. Survivorship bias:
The logical error of concentrating on the people that made it past some selection process and overlooking those that did not, typically because of their lack of visibility. 

This frequently occurs in entrepreneurship. For example, if you profile successful entrepreneurs, you are unlikely to consider those who tried and failed. Examining the lives of successful entrepreneurs teaches us very little. We would do far better to analyze the causes of failure, then act accordingly. Even better would be learning from both failures and successes.

23. Tribalism:
A way of thinking in which people are loyal to their social group above all else. 

Tribalism is the opposite of individualism; it’s the idea that social status is more important than what you achieve. It’s the idea that your group — your family, friends, and co-workers — is more important than any other group.

 

How To Use Mental Models 

Mental models should not be mechanically applied to enhance your cognitive performance. There is a common misconception that mental models should be rigorously studied and employed. There are several mental models that you should do your best to avoid. For instance, an “illusion of control” can be particularly dangerous in certain situations, and it's good to understand them, so you are aware of the pitfalls.

It is crucial to be able to recognize mental models to grow as a human being, whether you are using them or communicating with someone who is. Ideally, you should decide whether or not to employ them rather than being swept away by our brain's habitual thinking.

 


Source: AZ Quotes

 

How can you master mental models, identify them in others, and beneficially use them? 

Here are a few strategies you may use to master mental models rather than being dominated by them.

● When thinking, ask yourself challenging questions.
● Challenge your thinking with actual facts by gathering information
● Ask others about their thoughts and challenge their opinions.
● Avoid jumping to conclusions and suspend your assumptions. 
● Be on the lookout for habitual thought patterns, and disempower them.

Being aware of your mental models is critical, as a tool is only as good as its user. Once you know your mental models, you can use them effectively to achieve your goals.

 

How To Build Your Mental Models

In a fast-moving environment, mental models can be instrumental in helping you think fast and make decisions. After all, they’re great at giving you a rule of thumb to predict likely outcomes or behaviors if done well. However, to really benefit from mental models, you need to build them actively and put them into practice.

The best way to do this is to constantly challenge your assumptions, actively seek out new information, and work towards testing your mental models through active experimentation. Doing this will help you continuously improve your mental models and make them more accurate, reliable tools for critical thinking.

Begin developing your own mental models by finding inspiration in people. When you read a biography, ask yourself: why did they make this decision? What was the reasoning? What mental model did they employ?

It's not always about famous entrepreneurs or creatives. We all have a friend or colleague whose work we admire. When you see them make a particular choice in a difficult situation, ask them how they arrived at that decision.

Ask for feedback from a friend or colleague to see if you exhibit any undesirable behaviors. It may be difficult and perplexing to self-observe, but it can be incredibly beneficial and enlightening.

It's essential to be aware of undesirable mental models and recognize the positive ones. Instinctively, you'll notice mental models you don't want to replicate. Studying them is also worthwhile because it is easier to avoid a mental pattern when you know how to spot it in yourself and others. Write down your mental models, whether they are constructive or destructive.

To delve deeper and learn more about mental models, visit Farnam Street. 

 

References: 
Farnam Street 
Anne-Laure Le Cunff 

 

Also published @ BeforeIt’sNews.com: https://beforeitsnews.com/education/2022/05/understanding-mental-models-to-improve-your-life-and-enhance-the-lives-of-others-2461449.html 

 

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World is threatened with famine

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World is threatened with famine – warning of German minister

(information on important politics meeting from Czech web)

Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatens the world's biggest famine since World War II. At a press conference on Wednesday18th May 2022 German Development Minister Svenja Schulze said this at the start of a two-day meeting of development ministers from the countries of the group of major world economies of the G7. She said that it was therefore necessary to create an international alliance for food security.
"Food security was a problem before the war, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine dramatically escalated the situation," Mrs.Schulze said. "The world is facing the biggest famine since World War II," she warned.

The G7 food ministers invited as guests Indonesia, which now chairs the G20 group of the world's largest economies, India, Senegal and representatives of the UN development programme and the World Bank. Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal will also participate in the debates via video link.
One of the main topics of the meeting will be ensuring the export of agricultural products from Ukraine. Many countries in North Africa and Asia depend on this land, which is called the breadbasket of Europe.

Due to the Russian blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports, it is impossible to export grain and other food by sea, European states, including Poland and Germany, began to organize export by rail.

Thus, according to the German minister, food security is the most pressing issue that the ministers of the countries of the group will discuss. In Europe, we have too many fields sown with profitable crops, relying on imports from Ukraine, Russia and India. All three countries have enough to worry about.


Many of us can ask how it is possible that Africa, where it is possible to harvest crops twice a year is constantly dependent on food aid?

Global annual wheat production exceeds 700 million tons and is growing every year. The largest wheat producer is the European Union with an annual production of around 150 million tonnes. France and Germany have the largest share here. Only China, with a production of 130 million tonnes a year, can match Europe in wheat production. India ( 90 million tons) is also a major producer.  Russia (70 mil. tonnes) and the USA (60 mil. tons). In the Czech Republic, about 5.5 million tons of wheat are grown annually.
The EU is the largest consumer of wheat, accounting for 18% of global consumption. This is followed by China (17%), India (12%) and Russia (6%). Most of the wheat is consumed in the countries where it is grown, and about a fifth of the production goes to international trade. The largest wheat exporters are the United States (26% of global exports), Canada (14%) and Russia (10%).

Another important agriculture product is sunflower seed for oil production.
The three most important world growers produce 70-75% of the total volume of sunflower seeds. This is on first place  Ukraine (for the marketing year 2021/2022, the production estimate was about 17 million  tons), Russia (15,5 million t) and the European Union ( 10.5 million t).

Not only are food prices in Europe and around the world already rising rapidly, but the situation may get even worse. Let's hope that politicians will find a quick and good solution.

                    Thank you for reading

                                                       Margaret
 

General

NATO enlargement and Putin

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Plans to accept Finland and Sweden into NATO are a problem, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday 16th May. According to him, Russia would have to react if the Alliance expanded its military infrastructure. Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson announced on Monday that her country had officially decided to apply for NATO membership. Finnish parliament members are now debating the same move.
Sweden has relied on neutrality for years, but has reconsidered its position over the course of this year's Russian invasion of Ukraine.The Swedish prime minister announces the decision after a three-hour debate. She thinks there is a large public support for this step. Sweden's planned entry into the Alliance, which with Finland should grow to 32 members, will redraw the geopolitical map of northern Europe, according to Reuters.
  Swedish Prime Minister

 Swedish PM Magdalena Andersson says Europe and Sweden "are living now in a new and dangerous reality". But she also said that Sweden does not want any nuclear weapons on its territory. A date for the formal application is still unclear because Sweden will send in its application together with Finland. Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marino have spoken out in recent days about joining NATO.
Putin did not specify what steps Moscow would take if NATO infrastructure was moved to Finland and Sweden. "We'll see what threats he creates for us," he said. "There is a problem here created for no reason. We will respond accordingly " he added.

   NATO members in blue, grey are neutral states
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Moscow considered such a move worrying and would monitor the implications for its security. "We are convinced that the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO will not strengthen or improve the security architecture of our continent," he said. 
At the same time  some of the biggest ever Nato military exercises in the Baltics are taking place in Estonia and Latvia.
Putin also said that Russia had no problems with Sweden or Finland and that the enlargement of the Alliance was in the interests of the United States. "The US-led military alliance is working to increase its global influence," he said.

Germany welcomes NATO's enlargement to include Finland and Sweden, said German Foreign Minister Baerbock.

It seems any calming down of the political situation is out of sight.

                      Thank you for reading            

                                                             Margaret

General

Longing for home

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And where are you at home? Where is your home? Let's imagine that we have the same task as the young adults in the vocational school level and in the educational park. We have to choose an object with which to introduce our home. What kind of object could it be? An armchair that I can sit in at night? A deck chair with which I can lie in the sun at my favorite place? My headphones with which I can listen to my music undisturbed? Or maybe my bed, where I can sleep safe, warm and secure?

These objects show: Home is where I feel comfortable. Where I am safe and secure. But home is more than that. I'll list a few more objects that might illustrate home.

– A table where we meet to eat and talk.
– A soccer field where we can play together.
– A festival where we can meet others.
– A church where we can worship together.

When I think about it, I realize that home may not have so much to do with places, houses or apartments. Home is a "we. In other words, people with whom I am connected. People who mean something to me. People who belong to me and to whom I belong. People who give me the feeling of being at home. As the philosopher Karl Jaspers put it, "Home is where I understand and where I am understood." Yes, that's what it takes to be at home. Someone who understands me and someone I understand.

I invite you to think about where our home is and what that has to do with God. Three thoughts on this:

1. finding home
2. shaping home
3. walking towards home

1. FINDING HOME
There is a Psalm in the Bible that talks about how a person finds a home with God.

How pleasant are your dwellings, O Lord of hosts …
My soul desires and longs for the courts of the Lord; my body and soul rejoice in the living God.

The bird has found a house
and the swallow a nest for her young,
Your altars, Lord of hosts.

When temple courts and altars are mentioned, one might think that it is mainly about the temple. The temple as a special place. The temple as a holy place. But the temple is important primarily because the psalmist finds God in this special place. Here he experiences the presence of God. Here he knows himself understood. And here he learns to understand God.

He finds home with God.

Does this mean that we must travel to Jerusalem to pray at the Wailing Wall? Is that the only place we find a home with God? It is quite interesting to observe how the understanding of where to find God evolves in the Bible. The Israelites noticed in their long history: God is not bound to a sanctuary. God is to be found everywhere. God goes along. He is there. Everywhere. In every place.

I would like to tell you an example of a story from the work of the Ziegler Youth. I think that you have also experienced something very similar in Pauline Care.

We celebrated a church service in the Haslachmühle. Children, young people and adults with a hearing-speech disability and an intellectual disability live in the Haslachmühle. We celebrated a farewell service there because people have moved. Some of them had lived there for many years and Haslachmühle had become their home. And now they dared to leave.

To a new place. The hope, but also the fear could be felt when they said goodbye. The longing to meet people in the new place who understand signs and by whom one is understood. The longing to find home in the new place.

In order to make it clear that God goes along and is present, we gave the blessing of God to those leaving and gave them a small wooden cross. The blessing was in very simple words: Jesus loves you. He is with you. Today and tomorrow. Here and in every place. Jesus blesses you.

This farewell service for the move was not only good for the residents of Haslachmühle, but also for me. This service showed me how important it is to have a home with God. A home that is independent of where I live. Which I can experience and feel everywhere: God understands me and I am understood by him. And this service also showed me that ultimately it comes down to my trust. My trust in what God promises:

I love you. I am with you. Today and tomorrow. Here and in every place.

Being at home with God – that was the first thought. A second:

2. SHAPING HOME
In the Bible there is a "strange-worthy" verse on the subject of home: "We have no lasting city here, but the one to come we seek."

You could understand it this way:

What happens around you here in this world is not important.
What is important is that you align yourself with God.
That sounds kind of "unworldly" – doesn't it? It's not quite that simple. If you read this passage in Hebrews in its entirety, you realize: both are important. This world in which we live. And the future world we are living towards.

This became very impressive and vivid to me when I heard a report from a refugee camp. This refugee camp is in Ethiopia. The camp is called Shimelba – translated "the place without a name". After the end of the Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict, this refugee camp was established. Today, about 6,000 people live there. 6,000 people – that is a small town. There are thatched round huts, but also huts with corrugated iron roofs, there are paths and some larger communal houses.

The people have made themselves at home here as best they can. They had to leave their homes. Their land was expropriated, family members were killed and those who could fled. Most of the inhabitants are waiting for the time when they can finally emigrate. But this can take many years. Some also want to return to their old homeland. Shimelba is not a permanent city. Everyone who lives here wants to leave. And yet, life is here and now.

In the middle of this refugee camp there is a church. The people in the camp have helped together and built this church together. It urgently needs to be expanded; on Sundays it is bursting at the seams. There is a school where about 1,000 students are taught. There is a training center where young adults receive training in computers and tailoring, a youth center with opportunities for leisure activities, and various small stores.

Hospitality plays an important role. Guests are generously entertained. Despite monthly food rationing, guests are served whatever is available.

In the middle of this refugee camp is a church. The people in the camp have helped together and built this church together.

I am fascinated by how these people are shaping their difficult situation. They are doing exactly what Christians are called to do in the Letter to the Hebrews:

"Love for brothers and sister / should remain. / But do not forget hospitality &hellig / Remember the prisoners, / as if you yourselves were in prison with them. / Think of the abused, / for you too still live in your bodies …. / In your whole way of life, do not be greedy for money, but be content with what you have … / Do good and share with others do not forget; for in this God is pleased."

Perhaps we can learn from a refugee camp what is really important for our lives and for living together:

-Every person has the right to a roof over their head, to food and drink, to basic medical care.
-Every person has the right to education. To the opportunity to learn something.
-And every human being has the right to a perspective. The possibility to direct his life towards a goal and to create hope.
That is the basis for our coexistence. In our cities and communities. This can also be seen at the Heimattage under the motto "Living together".

Diakonie also makes an important contribution to this togetherness. This is your commitment at Paulinenpflege.

Giving people who are disadvantaged a home.
Shaping a home with people who are disadvantaged.

This includes a roof over their heads, food and drink, medical care. But "full and clean" is not enough. Every person should be given the chance to learn something. That's why we have a large number of schools where everyone gets a chance.

And because we create home, we celebrate church services together. This horizon is important to us. God is there. In our everyday life. Where we live at the moment. Where we are at home right now. And he helps us to shape our home in such a way that everyone finds a home.

Shaping home. That was the second thought. A third.

3. HEADING FOR HOME
"We have no lasting city here, but the one to come we seek" – we read in the Letter to the Hebrews. "But our home is in heaven," writes the apostle Paul in Philippians.

This is somehow the other way around, the way I usually think of it. I think of home from the past. Where I grew up. Where I come from. Paul thinks of home from the future. Where I will be one day. Where I want to go. When I think of home from the future, it is a very beautiful and encouraging perspective.

Then my longing for home and for security has a future, a goal: I will be with God. He is waiting for me.

"My home is in heaven" – I remember saying goodbye to a good acquaintance. Because I had moved away, I had not seen him for many years. I heard that he was terminally ill with cancer. Shortly after that, I was in the old country for a visit and learned that he was dying.

I wanted to see him. But I felt a little queasy. We had not seen each other for a long time and now a reunion shortly before dying? He took away my uncertainty as soon as he greeted me. He gave me a friendly and warm welcome. After briefly telling me about his illness, he said, "You know, I'm looking forward to heaven. I know that the way will still be difficult and saying goodbye hurts. But I feel carried by God. And I know that nothing can separate me from the love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

So it was. It was hard to say goodbye. And yet everyone was carried by this hope: Our home is in heaven.

That is my wish for you and for me. That we experience home in this comprehensive sense: When we think of home, we think of our past. Where we come from. Then we should know: My life, as it has become, is safe with God. He carries me. When we think of home in terms of the present and our longing to be understood. Then we should know: I can come to God at any time and with everything. He understands me.

And if, when we think of home, we think of the future and the goal toward which we are living. Then we should know: I will one day be at home with God in eternity. Jesus has prepared a place for me. He is waiting for me.

AMEN

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How Effective Are Crypto Lobby Groups In DC?

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How Effective Are Crypto Lobby Groups In D.C.? 

Can They Educate And Influence Archaic  Politicos? 

Over the past twelve months, we've seen governments worldwide press for aggressive crypto regulation, especially regarding privacy, non-custodial wallets, stable coins, defi, and even NFTs. This has made crypto lobbying more critical than ever, and many crypto lobbying groups have advanced to protect the industry from over-regulation or worse. 

In this article, we’ll look at 

  • What lobbying is
  • The current state of crypto lobbying
  • The prominent crypto lobbying groups
  • What they can do to reinforce the crypto industry

 

What Is Lobbying?

The term ‘lobbying’ is said to have originated from the lobby of England's Houses of Parliament, where politicians would gather to be petitioned by the general public. Today, lobbying is probably one of the most controversial aspects of modern politics. It involves hiring someone to influence politicians to change laws and regulations and is often a well-connected former politician. 

Some would argue that lobbying a politician is not much different from bribing a politician; however, there is a subtle difference. Bribing a politician usually involves paying them directly to do something. In contrast, lobbying usually involves donating to a politician in advance and then sending a lobbyist over to discuss what the donor wants. 

Of course, if the politician doesn’t agree or comply with the conditions, they are not likely to receive any more donations, with the lobbyist moving on to their political opponent. And yes, it is legal, aligning with the First Amendment of the Constitution, which says that the people have a right to “petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

It’s believed the founding fathers of the United States explicitly included this clause in the First Amendment because they knew that influential individuals and institutions will always try to influence laws and regulations via politicians, even if it's illegal and carries a harsh punishment. 

Making lobbying legal makes this influence transparent and creates free-market competition between different lobbyists and interest groups, theoretically resulting in better laws and regulations, especially since anyone is technically allowed to lobby a politician. However, in theory, lobbying is different from how it works in practice.

In practice, whoever has the most money can hire the best lobbyists and therefore have the most significant influence over the laws and regulations of the land. Interestingly, this effect only started to become apparent in the 1970s after the United States officially went off the gold standard and may well have to do with the abnormal concentration of wealth that has been happening since then. 

Today, lobbying is estimated to be an almost $4 billion industry, and interestingly, only around 14,000 people work in the industry, with most of the lobbying happening in Washington, DC. Moreover, the average return on investment for lobbying is about 760x. In other words, for every dollar spent on lobbying, an individual or institution can expect to see favorable laws and regulations that will result in $760 worth of returns. 

Not surprisingly, most of the lobbying money comes from corporations, and the top spenders have mostly been big tech companies over the last decade. However, the composition of last year's top spenders includes real estate and big pharma organizations.


Image source: Open Secrets

The Need For Crypto Lobbying

There is an excellent practical reason why lobbying is legal and especially relevant to cryptocurrency. The simple fact is some politicians can be incompetent. [Well, we all knew that.] But more specifically, they may not be qualified to create comprehensive laws and regulations on complex topics in emerging industries. Many would argue some should have retired years ago. 

It means that lobbyists are often the only way comprehensive laws and regulations can be created. Sometimes, the lobbyists write these laws and regulations, which was actually the case with El Salvador's Bitcoin law. Many political experts have pointed out that there aren't really any feasible alternatives, and the entire political system has effectively evolved to rely on the input of lobbyists to operate. 

Notably, crypto lobbying efforts began after the crypto bull market in 2018 in response to the lack of legislation around crypto taxation and initial coin offerings. By 2019, over 40 companies and organizations were lobbying for crypto interests, spending over 40 million dollars in the first quarter alone. 

In 2020, the interests of all these different entities lobbying for crypto started to diverge, which makes sense, considering that not all of them were crypto companies. Unfortunately, even the crypto-specific lobbying groups began to splinter into their factions. Adding to the chaos was the infamous infrastructure bill the current US administration put forward, containing a series of anti-crypto provisions. 

The most important of which is arguably the poorly defined definition of a broker, a clause in the infrastructure bill worded so that cryptocurrency miners, validators, and even developers could potentially be required to collect KYC from users for tax purposes and practically impossible to do. 

For the first time, all the different crypto lobby groups came together. They worked with pro-crypto politicians to draft an amendment to the infrastructure bill that would change the wording of these anti-crypto clauses so that the crypto industry doesn't get turned upside down in 2023. The amendments to the infrastructure bill didn't pass, and it turns out that the treasury secretary Janet Yellen was actively lobbying against these amendments while they were being considered. 


Image source: Twitter

Crypto lobbying was ramped up after the infrastructure bill fiasco, with asset managers lobbying the SEC to approve a spot Bitcoin ETF and DAOs lobbying for reasonable Defi regulations. The existing crypto lobbying groups turned their focus to stable coins, as they were a point of interest for politicians. 

By the end of 2021, some political experts started claiming that crypto entities were “dictating terms in Washington” through their lobbying efforts. A recent report found that over 300 people in Washington are lobbying exclusively for crypto interests, with crypto companies and lobbying groups spending three times more on lobbying in 2021 than in 2020. 

 

Three Prominent Cryptocurrency Lobby Groups

1. The Blockchain Association 

The best-known and most influential crypto lobbying group is arguably the Blockchain Association. The Blockchain Association was founded in September 2018 by a series of crypto companies and VCs, including Circle, Polychain Capital, Digital Currency Group, and Protocol Labs. 

Leading the charge is Kristen Smith, a well-connected and experienced policy professional with senior-level experience in both House and Senate offices. She also has private sector experience, advocating for companies in the telecommunications, Internet, and other tech-focused industries. Kristin holds an MBA in Finance from NYU’s Stern School of Business and a graduate degree from Georgetown University.

The Blockchain Association boasts over 80 members and includes cryptocurrency's creme de la creme, like Defi Protocol, AAVE, Etherium Company Consensus, Crypto Custodian Fire Blocks, Solana, Avalanche, and eToro trading platform. 

Coinbase, headed by CEO Brian Armstrong, was one of the founding members before it withdrew from the lobby group in August 2020 under protest due to a disagreement with unspecified decisions made by the association. 


Image source: Blockchain Association 

In a recent interview hosted by Unchained, the Executive Director at Blockchain Association, Kristen Smith, explained that 2021 was a very tough year for crypto lobbying groups primarily because of all the anti-crypto regulations, proposals, and comments coming from the current administration. 

Kristen said that the blockchain association was even on the brink of suing the treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, over her midnight rulemaking and anti-crypto shenanigans, such as her previous lobbying efforts against the amendments to the infrastructure bill.

Despite the backlash, the Blockchain Association has made serious progress, particularly in educating politicians and regulators about cryptocurrency. This is important because most politicians have been learning about crypto through the mainstream media only and arguably not getting an objective or accurate view on it from there. 


Image source: New York Post

Notably, the blockchain association has been pushing back against releasing a Central Bank Digital Currency in the United States and has also set the record straight for Russia using cryptocurrency to evade sanctions. 

 

2. Crypto Council for Innovation

The second biggest and best-known lobbying group is the Crypto Councill for Innovation, founded in April 2021. An alliance among some significant leaders in the cryptocurrency industry was formed to educate policymakers, regulators, institutions, and individual investors on the benefits of digital assets. 

It came on the back of Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong’s visit to Washington D.C. to meet with politicians. His experience there seemed to be one of the inspirations behind the formation of the lobby group. Other supporters are Paradigm, Ribbit Capital, Block, Andreessen, Horowitz, Fidelity, Digital Assets, and Gemini.


Image source: Twitter

Whereas the Blockchain Association is headed by someone who's politically connected, the Crypto Council for Innovation is led by someone connected on a different level. Sheila Warren is a Harvard Law School graduate and a former heavyweight at the World Economic Forum. 

She worked as the head of Blockchain, data, and digital assets and served on the center's executive committee for the fourth Industrial Revolution. I think it’s fair to say she will have some clout in Washington. 

 

3. Lobby 3

The third lobby group is not that well known as it’s pretty new. It is a decentralized autonomous organization called Lobby 3, launched in February this year by American politician and 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Andrew is an Entrepreneur, a champion of a human-centered economy, and famous for favoring universal basic income saying automation will soon phase out most unskilled jobs. 

Although Andrew spent most of his political career as a member of the democratic party, he became an independent politician in October 2021. Subsequently, he founded a new political party called the Forward Party with the slogan “Not Left. Not Right. FORWARD.” As part of his political pivot, Andrew doubled down on cryptocurrency and claims that he wants to make the Forward Party the “Crypto party of the United States.”


Image source: Twitter & AndrewYang.com

 

As explained on the Lobby 3 website, the DAO will crowdfund crypto lobbying in Washington, D.C, and aims to make it possible for the average person to have their voice heard on the issues that are only currently being discussed by an exclusive group of well-funded crypto personalities. 

The advocate membership is accessible to everyone as Lobby 3 offers three membership tiers starting at 0.07 ETH. Each membership tier comes with its own NFT, which gives its holder a series of perks like access to exclusive events and voting power for what crypto issues are lobbied for in true democratic fashion. 

All proceeds from membership NFT sales will fund “issue-based advocacy organizations” in D.C to build the core advocacy infrastructure, which is the first of the four steps on the Lobby 3 road map. 


Image: Markethive

 

What Will Crypto Lobbyists Do For The Emerging Industry?

So, how exactly will these crypto lobby groups save the crypto industry? First, they'll make sure that politicians know what they're talking about before voting on any crypto-related legislation. When blockchain Association executive director Kristen Smith said, most politicians get their crypto education from the mainstream media, she wasn't joking. 

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong became aware of the crypto knowledge deficit when he traveled to Washington and that about 50% of US politicians see crypto as risky because they think it's only being used for illicit activity. 

The silver lining to this statistic is that most US politicians don’t care about crypto, and it's just the same group of politicians on both sides of the extreme and mainly cited in crypto headlines and MSM. It’s no surprise that the big banks and the like are lobbying most anti-crypto politicians. In contrast, the pro-crypto politicians are almost certainly being lobbied by crypto companies.

The question is, which of these positions is easier to lobby for?  The answer may well be found in the fact that for many politicians, the ultimate goal is to be re-elected. The bottom line for banks is that next-generation financial technologies are replacing them, which means they don't have much to offer besides money. 
 
A politician can get boatloads of donations from big banks. Still, if accepting the contribution doesn't result in additional jobs for their jurisdiction, for example, then they may eventually lose the popular vote in their electorate.

The prospect of capitalizing on the crypto industry is a seriously appealing value proposition for a politician. Because even if the donations they receive from the crypto industry aren’t as lucrative, the jobs, tourism, and investment that the crypto industry will generate will almost guarantee they will get elected.


Image source: Tech Crunch

We are already seeing this effect in full force in States like Texas, now touted as the newest Bitcoin mining capital. LinkedIn reported that job listings for crypto increased by 395% in 2021 within the San Francisco Bay area, Austin in Texas, New York City, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, and Denver. Even counties in select States are signaling their support for cryptocurrency through legal tender bills and the like.

With digital mediums and platforms on the rise and preparing for Web 3.0, some have integrated cryptocurrency as a means to reward users, encourage and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit and support a redistribution of wealth. Blockchain and Cryptocurrency have opened up tremendous possibilities and opportunities for people struggling in the current financial climate.

Apart from an increase in employment in the crypto industry, there is remarkable growth in sovereign social media and marketing platforms that give the average person the ability to generate an income and provide businesses the resources to promote and facilitate their brand to a worldwide audience. 

We welcome all influential groups to educate the powers-that-be and society in general on the benefits of decentralization and cryptocurrency.  The crypto Lobbyists will make waves in Washington in the second half of this year, and it's going to make for a fascinating midterm election. 

 

References: coinbureau.com

 

Also published @ BeforeIt’sNews.com: https://beforeitsnews.com/politics/2022/05/how-effective-are-crypto-lobby-groups-in-d-c-3262760.html

 

 

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Opportunity in darkness

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Opportunity in the darkness

When it is at its worst, everything can suddenly get better

Many of us are today facing dark period of life and experiencing what it's like to be at rock bottom. And we have to consider how we can emerge victorious from this pain. Even when it is sometimes cloudy, dark and the sun is not shining, it gives us a lot of opportunities.

Famous writer J. K. Rowling says: "the bottom became for me a solid foundation on which I built my whole further life.“

In the dark, the light can shine most strongly. Darkness, fatigue and suffering are disguised opportunities.

People who are going through something psychologically very painful often describe a similar principle: that the pain (darkness) allows them to go into greater depth. A Czech psychologist Dušan Kadlec writes in his book From the bottom to the stars, "obstacles are put in people's way to make them extraordinary people.“ 

If you are really very tired, but you are still able to at least walk and move gently, it is highly recommended, for example, go to practice yoga. It is my repeatedly experienced experience: when we are most tired or most stressed that any relaxation has the strongest effect for us. You don't even think about it, and everything can be different. You can feel the most tired in the world, and after sixty or ninety minutes of exercise, you feel, on the contrary, like the most refreshed people. In general, it is also true: when we go through great suffering and great darkness, we are much more grateful for any small light.

Pain can be the biggest teacher
Pain reminds us that somewhere there is a mistake. That we forgot something. Not that we are bad, but that the pain is meant to remind us of something.

Finally here some breathing exercise: The royal way to cleanse the nervous system is slow breathing

Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Slow breathing should be pleasant  for you, without any pressure.
Controlled breathing (in yoga "pranayama") occupies a privileged place among ancient medical practices. Modern research has shown that the advantages of controlled breathing are quite real.

Controlled breathing relieves symptoms:
• insomnia
• anxiety
• post-traumatic stress disorder
• depression

You can start with relatively quick breathing – count to 4 inhaling and then again to 4 exhaling. Slowly you can change it to 4 = inhaling, 2 = stopping, 8 = exhaling. Repeat this procedure for at least several minutes. Later when you are already trained you can prolong the intervals . There should be no overstrain of the will.  People with high blood pressure and pregnant women should keep their own pace and, above all, avoid pressure when holding their breath.

Thanks to practice, this whole process will become very simple and pleasant. It is thanks to the peace and tranquility that come with the unfolding of the breath, when the mind and body open up and receive the healing light. This breath cleanses the lungs and other organs. It brings more oxygen to the brain, leads to greater calmness and clarity of thinking. It is the breath that allows us to maintain a balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic system.

The Persian poet Saadi Shirazi (1210-1291) says:

"Deep in the sea lie hidden treasures of immeasurable value. You'll find safety on the shore.“

Our world, from the laws of physics to social relations, is based on polarity. Life develops in a world of opposites between two poles. Each system and organism strives to achieve completeness and unity, which means the unification of polarity. Knowledge of good and evil. Who wants to remove only one pole from the world, unconsciously strengthens it. 

 

           Hope is never lost, thanks for reading

                                                                    Margaret
 

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World Bank outlook for 3 years

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World Bank outlook for 3 years

From Wiki:

The World Bank (WB) is an association of two specialized United Nations (UN) organizations that provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries to reduce poverty and improve living conditions around the world.

Already more than two years ago WB warned that the number of people in poverty could increase by as much as 11 million.
It was supposed the financial shock caused by the pandemic will also have serious effects on poverty, which is defined as an income of less than $ 5.5  per day. The World Bank initially expected the region to lift almost 35 million people out of poverty this year, including more than 25 million in China. 
Five years ago in 2017 there was much more optimism, the overall economical growth was supposed 2,9%. In june 2020 the optimism was away: " World Bank announced: World economy down 5.2% this year due to coronavirus"

In April 2022 the World Bank, based in Washington, has lowered its global growth forecast for 2022 from 4.1% to 3.2%. He points to several problems that have a negative impact on the global economic situation. In addition to the aforementioned inflation and war in Ukraine, the World Bank also sees problems in the progressive isolation of the Chinese market from global trade and the creation of the "Eastern Economic Pact" between China and Russia.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), part of the World Bank, has cut the UK's economic growth outlook from 4.7% to 3.7%. The global growth forecast was also reduced from 6.1% to 3.6%. The IMF sees the main problem as an inefficient approach to raising interest rates, which on the one hand may slow inflation, but on the other hand will slow down economic growth even more.

NEW WARNINGS
The war in Ukraine will cause high food and energy prices, which will last three years, the World Bank warned on Tuesday last week. Her statement raises fears that the situation will return during the oil crisis in the mid-1970s, when economic growth was weak and inflation was high at the same time.
According to the World Bank's dark outlook, persistently high commodity prices lasting until the end of 2024 could lead to so-called stagflation, a dangerous combination of high inflation coupled with meager economic growth.

This year, the bank expects energy prices to rise by 50 percent, with the price of North Sea Brent crude being around $ 100 a barrel, the highest since 2013. Compared to 2021, it has risen by 40 percent. In 2023, Brent oil prices are expected to fall to $ 92 a barrel, but that is still more than the five-year average of $ 60.

According to the World Bank, the price of gas will double this year compared to 2021, and the price of coal will be 80 percent higher.

The price of wheat will rise by more than 40 percent this year, which will have a severe impact on developing countries that are dependent on grain exports from Ukraine and Russia.
The World Bank's economic outlook for commodities shows that energy prices have risen the most in the last two years since the oil crisis erupted in 1973. Fertilizer prices have risen the most since 2008. Although the bank says energy and other commodity prices will fall from current highs, they are expected to remain above the current average. They will be above average until the end of 2024, including the previous two years, ie a total of five years.

The question remains to what extent these predictions are reliable. Many experts are more pessimistic and the development of some prices in the first months of this year is alarming.

We can only hope that there will be no significant deterioration and that we will recover from this situation strengthened.

                         Thanks for reading

                                                                     Margaret

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HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

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HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

 

Since the dawn of social media marketing, it’s been purported that email marketing will cease to be of any value as a marketing strategy. On the contrary, email continues to be one of the most popular digital channels that marketers can use to communicate with customers and subscribers, bringing in significant ROI for businesses worldwide. 

According to Statista, daily email users will climb to 4.6 billion by 2025. Despite the growth and prominence of mobile messengers and chat apps, e-mail is an integral part of everyday online life. Email is a great way to connect with busy clients on the move, eating breakfast, commuting, at work, in bed, or just about anywhere with billions of users per day.

Furthermore, the number of emails sent and received globally has increased since 2017. While roughly 319.6 billion emails were estimated to have been sent and received each day in 2021, this figure is expected to increase to over 376.4 billion daily emails by 2025.

Email Marketing

Email marketing has managed to defy its predicted demise and remain central to digital communication, and continues to grow in acceptance. Notably, email has seen higher click-through rates than social media regarding online advertising.

Past studies and marketing statistics have found that 4.24% of visitors from email marketing will make a purchase compared to only 2.49% of visitors from search engines and 0.59% from social media. 

The email has been around for decades, and the concept of email autoresponders as a strategic marketing tool was invented by the Founder and CEO of Markethive, Thomas Prendergast. He subsequently refined and established the system and the concept of Automated Marketing which we now call Inbound Marketing.

 

Optimize Your Email Campaigns

As the number of emails sent and received each day increases globally, data experts agree that more than 120 business and consumer emails are sent and received by the average person. It would be fair to say not all those emails are read or even opened. 

Given the statistics above, it's crucial to reevaluate your email marketing campaigns periodically and look for ways to make your emails stand out. To capture your recipient’s attention, you need to craft an intriguing subject line, purposeful salutation, and opening sentence.

Almost two-thirds (59%) of B2B marketers say email is the most effective channel, and marketing through email is the most effective tactic. The same group of B2B marketers surveyed claimed there are some dynamic tactics they can take to make their emails even more effective. 

For example, according to Experian, 56% of email marketers who use emojis in their subject lines have a higher open rate. When used in subject lines, emojis stand out and separate your email from the mountains of other emails. 

 

 

Adding emojis to headlines started in 2015 and has become more prevalent in subsequent years. Studies have shown that emotional content can increase the effectiveness of a marketing campaign by as much as 70%. Emojis show a facial expression related to the message conveyed or an icon related to the product or brand.

Emojis help break the language barrier as they generally hold the same meanings. They also create a more visual element and can retain your customer's attention. They can generate urgency or trigger emotions when used in a subject line, particularly for B2C.

Be sure to keep it relevant to your email subject and not overdo the number of emojis. More than two will look spammy and can put people off. You will need to discern what works for your brand and audience. In some cases, emojis might not be the best option. 

Industries considered serious like law, accounting, and B2B may see it as unprofessional. However, your industry shouldn’t dictate what may work for your emails. Many emojis could be suitable, like calculators, clip boards, stop signs or dollar symbols, etc. There are many options to find the right emojis for your company.  

Appboy conducted a poll and found that people enjoy emojis in general. More than 64% like or love emojis, compared to only 6% who dislike them. Consumers are exposed to emojis regularly in their everyday life: 87% use them in their texting and messaging, and 68% receive a message with emojis from friends or family once a day or more.

The good news for marketers is that 39% of participants thought the emoji touch in emails from brands was fun. Although there has been a steady rise in emoji-focused email campaigns, 60% said they received emails from brands only once a month, and 35% have never received an emoji campaign. 

 


Image source Optinmonster

 

Tips For Using Emojis In Your Email Marketing

  • Use sites such as Emojispedia to find emojis. Simply copy and paste the emojis you want to use in your email subject line.
  • Don’t use emojis just for the sake of using them. Make sure the emojis are relevant to your audience.
  • When using emojis, tone and context do matter. Use emojis that complement your message.
  • Ensure your audience responds well to emojis before sending them in emails to all your subscribers. A/B test emails with and without emojis allow the difference in open rate to help you determine what is working.
  • Finally, don’t go overboard. While emojis are fun to use, it’s easy to overdo them. Maybe just reserve them for special occasions.

By using emojis in the correct context, you could create the top email subject lines in your industry. Not only do emojis capture interest, but they can boost your email's response rate, too.

 

Why Are Engaging Email Introductions Important?

Now that we’ve caught the recipient's attention with a fetching and novel subject line, a robust email introduction encourages your reader to continue scanning the body of your message. 

The best emails have an engaging greeting and opening sentence that secures the recipient’s interest and buy-in. Ideally, a captivating introduction ultimately leads readers to take action. 

A thoughtful email opening sentence is helpful when asking recipients to:  

  • Click on a link
  • Respond to a question
  • Participate in a survey
  • Provide additional clarity
  • Review a document or other information
  • Provide business-related support
  • RSVP

A compelling opener sets the tone for your message, and it can also entice recipients to spend more of their time with the message and help your email sidestep the terrible “trash bin.”

 

Six Strong Ways To Start An Email

Below is a list of email greetings and opening sentences that keep recipients and their time a priority.

Appropriate Salutations

1. Dear %%Name%%
This email greeting is an appropriate salutation for formal email correspondence. It’s typically used in cover letters, official business letters, and other communication when you want to convey respect for the recipient. Personalization can improve open rates by up to 26%

Although honorifics like “Mr.” and “Mrs.” were once accepted, they risk misgendering or erroneously assuming the reader’s marital status. So, just use either first name or full name to be on the safe side.

2. Hi or Hello
As far as email greetings go, an informal “Hi” followed by a comma is acceptable in most work-related messages. If a slightly more formal tone is preferred, consider the salutation “Hello.” 

Although this is considered an informal greeting, it also conveys a straightforward and friendly tone.

3. Greeting A Group Of People
When writing an email message to two or more people, you have a few options. “Hi everyone,” “Hi team,” or “Hi %%department name%% team” are informal yet professional ways to greet a group of people.

They also avoid gender-specific addresses to a group, like “Hi guys,” “Hi ladies,” or “Gentlemen,” which might not accurately describe the recipients.

Engaging Email Opening Sentences

4. I hope your week is going well, or I hope you had a lovely weekend
These are effective email opening sentences because they acknowledge your reader first and help build rapport with a colleague you already know or with whom you want to develop a friendly working relationship. 

5. I’m reaching out about . . . 
Beginning an email with “I’m reaching out about . . . ” is polite and direct and clarifies the purpose of the email. With hundreds of email correspondences transmitted in a single business day, this approach shows you’re being conscientious about the recipient’s time by getting straight to the point.

Stating your intent also avoids miscommunication or confusion about what you need from the reader. 

6. Thanks for . . . 
Expressing gratitude is another way to put the reader first. If the email you’re writing is in response to an email or action by the recipient, acknowledging that at the start builds on workplace companionship.

 

Six Ways Not To Begin An Email

The salutations and opening sentences below carry a stiff tone and, in some cases, suggest a careless approach. If your goal is to come across as genuine and thoughtful, it’s best to avoid these phrases. 

Salutations To Avoid

1. To whom it may concern
Although “To whom it may concern” seems like a professional salutation, it’s impersonal and overused. It suggests that you didn’t care to confirm who your recipient is or whether your message pertains to them.
This also applies to the email greeting, “Dear Sir or Madam.” In this case, the gender-binary greeting is dated and could be considered noninclusive.

2. Hi %%Misspelled Name%%
Confirm that you've used the correct spelling when using the recipient’s name in an email salutation. Typos happen, but misspelling a person’s name sends a red flag that you didn’t write your message with care or attention to detail. 

3. Dear %%ENTER NAME HERE%%
Misspelling a recipient’s name in an email greeting should be avoided, as should another salutation blunder: entirely forgetting to enter their name into a prewritten template.

Using an email template without any personalization in the hope of captivating your reader will likely be ineffective. If you must use a templated message for efficiency, always double-check that you’ve changed any placeholders in the salutation with the recipient’s correctly spelled name. 

Opening Sentences To Avoid

4. Can you do me a favor?
When you don’t know the recipient and email them for the first time, an opening sentence like “Can you do me a favor?” can feel abrupt and has a self-serving tone. 

Instead, consider an email opening sentence that concisely explains the problem you’re hoping to solve with their assistance, like “I’m reaching out about . . . ”

5. I know you’re busy, but . . . 
This email introduction, at best, assumes the reader’s time is precious. At worst, it suggests that you’re aware of that fact, but you deserve their attention nonetheless. 

Regardless of your relationship with the reader, avoid this introductory sentence and briefly explain why you’re messaging them.

6. Let me introduce myself
This email opener is typically used for email recipients for the first time. Beginning an email with “Let me introduce myself” is like narrating your introduction, and it sounds declarative but wastes time. Instead, cut to the chase. 

Additional tips for an engaging email introduction

  • Know your audience. The email salutation and opening sentence for your message should reflect your relationship with the audience. Consider whether you’re writing for a client, a professional acquaintance, or a close colleague. 
  • Make your purpose clear. When the purpose of your email is unclear, it can leave the reader confused or frustrated. To avoid missing this critical factor, try incorporating the intention of your email into the opening sentence.

It’s essential to realize what you need to do to get the attention of your customers when their inboxes are already saturated with messages. Take the time to think about improving your email marketing strategy to ensure your emails rise above the clutter.

Markethive – The Holistic Approach

Email marketing is the undisputed leader in terms of ROI. From a marketing perspective, the statistics on reach and engagement show email open rates are generally 20-30%, unlike the organic reach on Facebook at only 2-6%. (i.e., the number of your fans who see your posts in their Newsfeed)

Likewise, click-through rates (CTR) from email are generally in the 3% range, while CTR on LinkedIn is in the 0.6% range. However, email marketing is not in competition with social media, nor are they separate entities. Combined, they offer a more holistic approach and provide a seamless experience for customers. 

Markethive offers a comprehensive, inclusive platform integrating a social interface, remote broadcasting to other social media and digital sites, and inbound marketing mechanisms that bring brands and customers together. 

Email delivery is a top priority at Markethive and a powerful aspect of our inbound marketing system. It has earned the reputation of producing an emailing system that delivers your messages to 97% of your recipients’ accounts with 100% delivery to their INBOX.

The Markethive email autoresponder system is free when you join Markethive and is built for beginners through to Entrepreneurs and Business Owners at any level. There are no limitations on the amount or size of your list of subscribers and no upcharges. 

Email reaches your customers one-on-one, and the social aspect of Markethive is ideal for driving customers as communities. Markethive has paired them together for the most effective and dynamic marketing strategy.

 

What’s Coming To Markethive? 

The current email autoresponder in Markethive sends a series of emails out linearly. Segments are sequenced to be delivered every day, alternate day, or whatever day you choose when configuring your email campaign. 

The great news is that we have an alternative new email system being developed, consisting of more in-depth programming that will make the delivery of your emails more dynamic and intuitive. The program will identify what emails were opened and send out the following email aligned with the first email. 

The recipient's actions within that email will determine which type of email will subsequently be delivered to them. If the email is not opened, it will not follow up with a second email. So the system will fork off the original email depending on any given outcome. 

The report on your email delivery will have more concise data displaying how many overall emails went out, how many were delivered, how many were opened, and how many bounced back as rejected due to errors in the address or full inbox issues. 

The whole purpose behind this is not to spam people or hit them with messages they don’t want but to produce quality material that helps educate people and those looking for answers to their particular problems through systems like this.  By using these methods, you establish authority, and the credibility that your sphere of influence you create will appreciate what you are doing.

You will be able to keep using Markethive’s original autoresponder; you will now just have a choice.

For all the latest updates on what’s happening in Markethive, come to our weekly meetings on Sundays at 10 am Mountain time. The link to the meeting room is in the Markethive calendar. 

See you there and God Bless You