Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas … You're only a stranger once.

November 14, 2007

Change the World: Put Yourself in Your Work

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 6:59 am

It Makes a Difference to Know

Change the World!

Yesterday I was in a business meeting with some spectacular human beings who own a digital animation company. We had reached that point at which our conversation turned to contracts and a formal relationship about the work that we would do together.

As we spoke of who, how, what, and how much, one young man excused him and left. He’d gone to find a single sheet of paper and copied it several times. Upon his return, he handed a copy to each of us still in the room, including members of his own team. This is an excerpt from the letter be brought.

bacteria, illustrated by hybrid medical animation

My 71 year old father has stage IV pancreatic cancer . . . He is in his third week of taking part in a clinical trial using Rexin G.

Viewing your animation helped me understand his cancer treatment. . . . I’ve been praying for cures for the many types of cancer for years. I never imagined that my own father would develop the terrible disease. My Dad is hopeful and so am I . . .

Thank you for your part in helping us to understand this complicated treatment.

The letter made us all stop. I think I heard every voice in the room whisper, “Wow!” Each person handled the page with reverence and care for the person who wrote. I’m sure it slightly changed our perspective on what we already knew was a good and right relationship to something more.

The writer had sent a piece of herself in the spaces between her words. She said, “You made a difference in my life.”

That page was proof. One man had put heart in his work and that gift had changed a stranger’s life.

Just the thought is stunning.

We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

JJ, I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed your art. It seemed only right that a piece of you should be here.





Filed under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 6 Comments »




C'mon. Let's talk!

6 Comments to “Change the World: Put Yourself in Your Work”

  1. November 14th, 2007 at 9:11 am
    Kusani said

    What a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing that.

    I’ve been a quiet voice around here, simply because work has picked up immensely. But I’m still reading, even if I don’t often have time to comment. =) Your blog always brightens my day.

  2. November 14th, 2007 at 9:52 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Kusani!
    Thank you for taking a minute to say that you’re still there. Yeah, this one is a special story I agree. :)

  3. November 14th, 2007 at 10:42 am
    Mother Earth said

    I love this – thank you for sharing it – in contrast to a business meeting I too would have had the same reverence and pause

    often in my work we have these amazing healing changes that occur – it humbles us and reminds us how miraculous it is to be human – and that the wisdom of the human body knows what to do

    given the right tools of course

    Mother Earth aka Karen Hanrahan
    http://www.bestwellnessconsultant

  4. November 14th, 2007 at 10:55 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Mother Earth!
    I so agree!

    Humanity can be something that draws us together in an almost miraculous way. That’s the part that I like to keep in front of my eyes.

    We slowly become what we look at most. :)

  5. November 15th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
    LaurenMarie - Creative Curio said

    That is a pretty amazing story and I think the man who made the copies of the letter brought them in at the right time, when things were starting to get formal. It helps to realize that behind business and the reason for business, are people. And how exciting for the animation company employees! To think that computer animation could touch someone’s life like that! Must have been an extremely satisfying feeling :)

  6. November 16th, 2007 at 12:05 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi LaurenMarie!
    It is amazing story isn’t it. I don’t think I realized how lovely until I’d “slept on it.”

    I was most impressed to look back to see that the man’s heart was about the people too.

    We touch each other in so many ways.

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

C'mon Let's Talk!