Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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September 15, 2006

No Doubt — A Positively Great Day . . . for One Reason

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 9:15 am

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I've been thinking . . .

I had the pleasure of spending yesterday with SOB, Relationship Geek, and “10 Ways to Make It Great!”man, Phil Gerbyshak.

It was — no doubt — a positively, great day.

All things considered, that’s saying something. Some folks I know could have, would have — no doubt — made that same day into a positively awful drama.

Tiny facts might have thrown folks off track for a moment . . .

You get the picture . . .

Phil’s comments were acknowledgments of help. “You’re the best,” and “Cool.” I heard no negative comment all day.

He said, “I”ll wear the shirt to work tomorrow.”

We had a great lunch, great conversation, and made some great plans. None of which would have happened if those mishaps had become the way we saw the day.

That’s why I started this by saying . . .

I had the pleasure of spending yesterday with Phil Gerbyshak.

It was — no doubt — a positively great day . . . for one reason.

Today, I want to be someone’s reason for having a positively, great day..

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28 Comments to “No Doubt — A Positively Great Day . . . for One Reason”

  1. September 15th, 2006 at 9:28 am
    Scorpia said

    Some people are too positive for words ;) I could probably have managed any one of those “tiny facts”, though being late would have been the worst (I’ve always been obssessed about being on time for anything important). ALL of those (and likely some you didn’t mention) would have been too much for me. Phil must be a very laid-back guy.

    Glad it worked out into a good day for you nonetheless.

  2. September 15th, 2006 at 9:31 am
    ME Strauss said

    It was amazing to see. At the end of Phil’s speech they apologized for his problems driving down . . . I kept thinking it’s usually the other way around. :)

  3. September 15th, 2006 at 9:41 am
    Tony D. Clark said

    Don’t you find that positive people can be so wonderfully infective? It’s easy to see when negative people start bringing down a room. But when a person with a great outlook does the opposite, the place just feels lighter. Not a “Pollyanna” who tries to cover-up bad mojo, but someone who notices the inconvenient things that come up and reacts (or doesn’t react) is such a mellow way.

  4. September 15th, 2006 at 9:44 am
    ME Strauss said

    That’s it, Tony! There was no Pollyanna . . . there was no drama either. So much room was left for useful and fun thuoghts and conversation. More days and more people should enjoy that kind of feeling.

  5. September 15th, 2006 at 11:52 am
    katiebird said

    Hi, Liz, Scorpia & Tony -

    That ability to acknowledge reality without getting bent out of shape and in fact maybe enjoying it is quite a trick.

    My dad is that sort of person to the point that I didn’t even realize that he had a rather horrible childhood until I was in my 30s. He talked about his childhood all the time (when I was growing up) and I just loved hearing the stories, they were so exciting and interesting.

    He made it sound so.

    It took adulthood for me to play them back and realize how grim things must have been.

  6. September 15th, 2006 at 11:57 am
    ME Strauss said

    Being able to lieve in reality and not take yourself more seriously than the rest of the world is an art form. Knowing that the whole world is part illusion is priceless indeed. :)

    The example you give, Katie, is telling of a soul who understood what was important. My dad had a lot of that same thing . . .

  7. September 15th, 2006 at 12:44 pm
    Tony D. Clark said

    @Liz – Great point. I agree

    @Katie – It’s amazing to me how much our reality can change based on perception and the lens we choose to view the world through. I find that humor helps a lot… and fun work, a loving family… oh, and chicken wings and pizza. Let’s not forget chicken wings and pizza!

  8. September 15th, 2006 at 12:54 pm
    katiebird said

    Liz - aren’t we lucky for our dads?

    Tony, I love your priorities!

    And Liz,

    Today, I want to be someone’s reason for having a positively, great day..

    You are, believe me. You are!

  9. September 15th, 2006 at 2:09 pm
    Timothy Johnson said

    Liz, being able to talk to you and to Phil last night has made my day … all day… you both have positive influences on people… day in and day out.

  10. September 15th, 2006 at 2:21 pm
    Ellen Weber said

    Liz, you are a lastuing reason for positive day! Did you know that we can learn how to generate the chemical serotonin in the brain to spark positive events in a day:-) You are a serotonin friend! Thanks Liz!

  11. September 15th, 2006 at 2:32 pm
    katiebird said

    Ellen, That is a very good word for her! That’s great!

  12. September 15th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
    Sasha Manuel said

    That’s a good thought, Liz. =) I’d also want to be someone’s reason for a positively, great day — EVERYDAY! Is that even possible? I do hope so… =)

  13. September 15th, 2006 at 6:32 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Katie, Hi Tony!
    Sorry, it took me so long to get back to you . . . I had a meeting run over this afternoon.

    Glad you both got your chicken wings and pizza!

    Thanks for your nice words, Tony, about the post.

    Yeah, Katie,we’re lucky we had such great dads.
    Thank you for that extra part at the end too. What a smile maker that is. :)

  14. September 15th, 2006 at 6:34 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Timothy,
    It’s amazing, I think, how we make each other’s day all of the time and just never had a clue . . . good times are where you find them I think.

    Being able to call you was a fun part of our day too.

  15. September 15th, 2006 at 6:36 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Ellen,
    I’m a bit of a knowledge freak, as you’ve probably guessed, and I do know a few things about serotonin — but I had no idea that we could actually do that for each other!

    You should write a blog post, teaching us all how to do that!

    Thanks for thinking I already know how . . . :)

  16. September 15th, 2006 at 6:38 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Sasha!
    Hey baby! It’s a fund thing to think that we could make a positive difference. It’s an even better thing to know we can. I bet that there are people who do it every day . . . Gosh what a goal to become someone who could do that!

    Every goal is a one day at a time thing, isn’t it? :)

  17. September 15th, 2006 at 10:28 pm
    katiebird said

    Hi Liz — I got stuck not long after you it seems and Just got unstuck a few minutes ago. And what treats! A nice pingback for one! I’m off to take a look….

  18. September 15th, 2006 at 10:31 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Katie,
    A very special lady by the name of Christina figured out what was gluing Successful Blog shut. Now we’re pinging all over the blogosphere!!!

    Folks in the 301 links story are just finding out . . .

  19. September 16th, 2006 at 8:51 am
    ann michael said

    Well - this seems to be the week for stories about Dad’s! I agree that perspective is everything.

    My Dad was tired and cranky when he worked in Manhattan (a 1.5 hour communte from Long Island - where I grew up). He retired at 59 and he was a whole new guy - positive, flexible, and very much a “make it great” kind of person.

    It occurred to me that was really who he was all along - he was just in this horrible little “commuting cage” that made him nuts. I’ve been trying to avoid that cage ever since!!!

    You’re blog always brings a smile to my face - Ellen is so right about you!!!

  20. September 16th, 2006 at 8:59 am
    ME Strauss said

    Gosh, Ann. I know your dad’s situation. I had similar things make me cranky and ornery too. I think now that maybe people like your dad and I might even get crankier and ornerier,s because we really don’t like ourselves and want to be positive, flexible, and very much “make it great” positive peoplee but get stuck.

    I hope that in the same situation . . . response would be different now.

    Look at all of you. Phil started the positive thing rolling and you guys ran with it . . . all I did was put up a blog so that you had a place to put all of your great comments. :)

  21. September 16th, 2006 at 9:06 am
    Kirsten Harrell, Psy.D. said

    Liz, what a great story about Phil! I have not met either of you in person, but I am sure the positive vibes were flowing around the two of you! :) You both are so kind, generous and positive with your blogs! And… I love that!
    Tony - I agree… positive attitude is very contagious. I like to say that I am on a mission to spread it everywhere.

  22. September 16th, 2006 at 9:24 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Kirsten,
    That’s what was so cool. I don’t know that we were so visibly positive, as that we were just obviously, noticeably, completely NOT negative. It was as if we had made a tacit agreement that we’ll take exactly what life hands us and go with it.

    It was kind of like being on a carnival ride with a good friend.

  23. September 16th, 2006 at 10:18 am
    Kirsten Harrell, Psy.D. said

    How cool is that? While it may not have been visible… I imagine the energy was felt by those around you. The thing I love about the story is that it is such a great example of the fact that we can’t always control what happens to us, but we CAN always control how we respond to what happens to us!

  24. September 16th, 2006 at 10:30 am
    ME Strauss said

    Can’t say it much better than that, Kirsten, You’re so right!

  25. September 17th, 2006 at 5:18 pm
    Phil Gerbyshak said

    Liz (and everyone reading) The time we spent was great fun. I think the key to staying positive is as Liz said, being NOT negative. And everyone, your comments make me smile a TON. Thanks for sharing you with me and the world. It’s why I love blogs. Meeting people you may never meet is wonderful fun, though actually meeting them is even better ;)

  26. September 17th, 2006 at 6:28 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Phil,
    You are the man. There is no question about that!

  27. September 18th, 2006 at 9:54 am
    Successful Blog - 7 Great Ways to Connect with Other Bloggers While You’re Out Reading Blogs said

    [...] Related articles No Doubt — A Positively Great Day . . . for One Reason Great Find:21 Tactics to Increase Blog Traffic Finding Your Frequency in Business and in Life [...]

  28. February 8th, 2007 at 5:32 am
    Everyone Knows Phil − He’s a Relationship Geek at The Blog Herald said

    [...] During lunch we called a blogger who reads my blog . He was someone I had never met, but Phil and I thought it might be fun. A new relationship started between me and Tim Johnson on Phil’s telephone. After that lunch, Phil and I began planning a business as we moved ourselves and the car about 30 blocks north to the Starbucks in my neighborhood. We talked a couple of hours more. Picture were taken to mark the occasion. And the next day, I blogged about it. So did Phil. [...]

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