Our lives are measured by the things we do, the places we go, the people we meet, and how we make others feel.
Yet life happens every time we take a breath.

I discovered something chaotic in my life.
The first time I sat at Wizard Academy, I heard Roy Williams say, “Chaos is a pattern yet to be discovered.”
I liked that. I had no clue what he meant.

I am 49 years old.
There is one day on the calendar that keeps raising its hand.
September 6.

I’m writing this on September 6.
Once again, it has earned my attention.

2011 we bought our latest home.
At the time, it was our dream home.
We were so excited to buy it that we made an offer before we put our other house on the market.
No one told me the real estate market was driving on a dirt road with two flats.
For two years, we paid two mortgages, mowed two lawns, and paid more property tax than I want to think about.
We finally sold the old house on September 6, 2013.

I looked back at the records and discovered it took 2 years to the day to sell the house.
Funny right?

Then I got to thinkin’.
My first kiss with Aline was in the late summer of 1996.
Her mom keeps a diary.
I asked her if she still had the diary from that year.
She rummaged through her chest and found it.
September 7, 1996, was the day she spoke to her daughter about a new boyfriend – the day after our first kiss – 9/6/96.

There were three important events from September 6.
My son was interviewed on national news radio with The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC for short) regarding bullying in schools.
Guess the date. Yup. September 6, 2014.

Back in 2013, I decided to mark the date on my calendar to remind me of patterns that happen in its vortex.

But every year, the date blends away with the others until it pops up on my calendar.
Last night, I was looking at what was on the schedule for the week.
I’m in a hotel room with my wife, 1500 miles from home.
We just dropped off our 15-year-old son with a billet family.
His first day at a new school starts tomorrow, September 6, 2022.
He’s pursuing his dream of becoming a pro baseball player.
We cried. But I cried more when the date begged for my attention again.

I’m uncertain of any other date that has had as much of an impact on my life.

I’ve heard, “What you focus on, expands.”
Google credits Esther Jno-Charles for that one.
Never heard of her until now.

What grabs your attention?

Well-written ads tug on your pant leg like a 4-year-old wanting ice cream.
Poorly-written ones sift through the airwaves like just another ho-hum day.

Think about what I just said.
A four-year-old wants ice cream.
What words come to mind: Innocent, Playful, Annoying, Honest.

Write ads with innocence, playfulness, annoyance, and honesty.

The chaos of advertising is a repeatable success formula when you know how to identify the patterns.

Most marketing people want you to throw more money at the problem.
Often, the problem isn’t the need for more money.
The real issue is what is said.
Is your message connecting to the audience or sifting through the sands of time?

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