Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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

November 26, 2007

Positively Me

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 7:24 am

I've been thinking . . .

about those sentences in our heads.

They were useful once I’m sure — those sentences in our heads that tell us how to act and who we are. But some of them are woefully past their “sell by” date and still they play over and over. It’s time to stop paying attention.

Just because it made sense once to raise my hand before I spoke. . . .
Just because someone had a different idea of what’s beautiful . . .
Just because in the past some kids said I was too smart, too weird, too tall, too something they were not . . .

Do I have to keep listening to those ideas? Do I have to keep believing them?

rainbow flower

I see folks who let one sentence, one event, define their entire life while they sit with the power to set it iaside and chose a new path.

This once-shy child doesn’t have to be a shy adult. I’m not stuck with other folks’ thoughts. Any event is only something that happened. I can paint it, put it on a wall, and call it history.

It’s my life. They’re my thoughts. I’m tossing out the ones I don’t want. I don’t need negatives anymore. It’s the positives that move me forward.

How else will I become positively me?

Liz's Signature




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22 Comments to “Positively Me”

  1. November 26th, 2007 at 9:27 am
    Karin H. said

    Hi Liz

    Your post reminded me of the following quote I found recently:

    “If you keep looking back, you’re going to miss your whole life”

    So true and much more fin, but also an incentive - if one wants - to take responsibility over its own life.

    Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)

  2. November 26th, 2007 at 9:42 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Karen!
    That’s it exactly — looking back makes it awfully hard to move forward. That’s just what I was thinking. :)

  3. November 26th, 2007 at 9:55 am
    Karin H. said

    Hi Liz

    The sentence that is mostly in my head is:

    upwards and onwards ;-)

    Karin H.

  4. November 26th, 2007 at 10:09 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    . . . in my head too. :)

  5. November 26th, 2007 at 10:16 am
    SunnySchlenger said

    When I moved out west this past spring, I had to go through my belongings of 30 years. With every other move, I had carried my old report cards with me. This time I sat down and really looked at them, and had an a-ha moment. Why was I still caring what teachers had said about me 40 years ago?? Out they went. ;-)

  6. November 26th, 2007 at 11:27 am
    Steve Burris said

    Liz,

    You say “I see folks who let one sentence, one event, define their entire life while they sit with the power to set it aside and chose a new path.”

    Thanks for reminding me i have the power to set aside the bad and choose the good.

    Too often i forget.

    I’m learning to discard the worthless and keep the precious - you still inspire me - keep up the good work.

    Steve

  7. November 26th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Sunny!
    I’m smiling to think that you threw them away. What will it say on your “permanent record” now? [grin]

    We get to decide what we think of ourselves! What a freeing idea that is!

  8. November 26th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hey Steve,
    What a wonderful surprise to see you!

    Too often we all forget . . . the good is the part we should keep and dwell on, not the bad. :)

    I’m keeping that idea as close to me as I possibly can. :)

    Thanks for the encouragament.

  9. November 26th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
    Jeanne Dininni said

    Hi, Liz!

    Thanks for this post! It was a great inspiration for me to share a defining experience which helped to make me “Positively Me.” Here’s my post: http://www.writersnotes.net/my-journey-to-becoming-positively-me/.

    Thanks again for the inspiration!
    Jeanne

  10. November 26th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hey Jeanne!
    Your post is a beautiful expression of the ideas here. How wonderfully you’ve written them. Thank you for sharing the link with me.
    Liz

  11. November 26th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
    Aruni said

    Hi Liz - thank you for the post. Setting aside those old ideas, those old thoughts is what we (I) need to do. I have been clearing out some of them and some of them keep coming back. Too bad there isn’t a place like Good Will for old thoughts who could pass on the good ones that would help others and discard the bad ones. :-)

    I think I’ll work on a list of the positive thoughts I heard in childhood. Maybe I’ll write down the negative ones too and burn them!

    Aruni

  12. November 26th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Aruni!
    I think it’s a case of cycling through them . . . burning the negative ones. I like that. :)

  13. November 26th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
    Lidia said

    What you say is so true. Why do we let one sentence affect our whole mood or choices in life when we can choose not to let is affect us? I think it’s all about realising the power we have and using it…thanks for the post

  14. November 26th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Lidia!
    Welcome!
    I’m with you. Why do we limit ourselves by things that other folks say? Fear, I suppose. There’s a fine sun and a blue sky waiting for us to see and enjoy. I’m going to make the most of it. Sounds like you are too! :)

    Nice to meet you!

  15. November 27th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
    Loosely Speaking—A Virtual Assistant’s Blog » Love and Fear and the Road to Successful Blogging said

    [...] if what you have to say is even worthy? Maybe you just need a dose of Liz. Strauss, that is, at Successful Blog. Liz encourages conversation and buoys up sagging spirits with her gentle prose, like this post [...]

  16. December 3rd, 2007 at 6:56 pm
    LaurenMarie - Creative Curio said

    Liz, I often wonder what prompts a post like this. Obviously you are thinking these things, what makes you share them? Sometimes Most of the time, I think you have it all perfectly together. You are such a positive person, how can you not? Not to be mean by any measure, but I do like to see your human side; it makes me feel like I can relate to you. And I like that. Thanks for sharing yourself with us :)

  17. December 16th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi LaurenMarie,
    This comment came while I was in London, and I just found it now.

    I don’t mind folks knowing that I’m confused or frustrated. Often what I write here are observations and things I’ve been thinking about for the longest time. By the time they make it onto this blog, I’ve gained perspective and worked them out.

    Some folks say my writing blog Letting me be should be called “Liz unplugged.” You’ll find more of the human stuff there. :)

    I told my husband that people think I have it together . . . he said if I told my son that the two or them would both laugh. :)

    He would know. :)

  18. December 17th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
    LaurenMarie - Creative Curio said

    Oh that’s ok, Liz! You are one busy lady!

    I’m glad you share with us these things you have learned. It helps us learn, too. I think that no matter how often or how much prominent people (the ones who we hold in high esteem, like you, or a pastor or a political figure) try to tell us they are not perfect, we still see them as such. We aspire to be like these people who we think have it all together, not realizing, like mom always says, they put their pants on one leg at a time, too.

  19. December 17th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi LaurenMarie,
    Oh gosh! I not only put my pants on one leg at a time. I have a continuous bad hair day and am always about two hours behind on my sleep. :)

  20. December 17th, 2007 at 11:49 pm
    LaurenMarie - Creative Curio said

    Haha, well even if you don’t have it all together and you’re not perfect, you’re still the greatest, Liz! I’m so glad I’ve had the chance to get to know you in this wonderful place you’ve created :)

  21. December 18th, 2007 at 5:39 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi LaurenMarie!
    Thank you. All this time I’ve been thinking it’s you guys who created this. :)

  22. December 18th, 2007 at 8:14 am
    Heroes, Humans, and a Request About this Life I Own - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You are only a stranger once. said

    [...] Liz Strauss wrote this at 8:14 am Lauren Marie, and I had a conversation yesterday. In respect for what LaurenMarie said, and because I have felt the same way, I’ve [...]

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