Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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

What Is He Talking About? Chris Cree on Facing Our Hidden Prejudices

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“No matter how horrid a person may appear on the surface, if you dig deeper, you will find some nice, unexpected little quality.” –Brooke Astor

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One of the biggest causes of conflict in this world is the snap judgments we make about people based on ridiculously limited information.

As we go through life, it is only natural to lump people into categories instead of treating them as the unique individuals they really are. And, when left unchecked, that mental lumping together creates a fertile ground for prejudice to blossom.

It is especially easy when someone rubs us the wrong way. The next time we see people who seem to fit into a category as the one who ruffled our feathers, we are much more likely to ride in with shields up and guns blazing. But all that does is further their stereotype of people like you.

Snap judgments only add fuel to the fire which can have a tendency to flare up from time to time.

I can be guilty of it myself. Interestingly my one big prejudice that I’ve had to work to overcome doesn’t have anything to do with skin color, nationality, religious alignment, gender, sexual orientation, political affiliation, economic status, or any of the other major categories that we tend to lump people in.

As a result, for many years I deluded myself into thinking that I wasn’t prejudiced at all. But my prejudice was more subtle and as a result much, much more insidious. Read more

The Mic Is On: Do you Remember the Time When. . .? What’s Your Favorite Family Story?

Filed Under Content, Customer Think, Motivation/Inspiration, One Way to CC It, Productivity, Successful Blog | 96 Comments

It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

Here’s how it works.

open mike night

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

What’s your favorite family story? You have several, don’t you? They are each as different as a snowflake.

We might also talk about

AND THE EVER POPULAR,
Basil the code-writing donkey, and Milton the Skinny Moose.

Snowflake


–ME “Liz” Strauss

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The Mic Is On: What’s Your Favorite Food?

What is He Talking About? Chris Cree on Equality

Filed Under Guest Writer, One Way to CC It, Successful Blog | 7 Comments


“Once the game is over, the King and the pawn go back in the same box.”
–Italian Proverb

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Today’s quote is a great commentary on status and that final equalizer, death. It doesn’t matter whether we’re rich or poor, female or male, lazy or hard working, successful or bumbling, Donald Trump or Rosie O’Donnell, eventually all of us will breath our last breath.

You see in spite of Thomas Jefferson’s lovely sentiment we are not all created equal. It’s an empowering idea, to be sure. It’s the kind of thing that inspires a nation to seek it’s independence.

But it is simply not true.

In fact we are hardly equal at all. I’m taller than many folks and at the same time shorter than others. So we aren’t equal in height. Really most of us aren’t even close to equal physically.

Me, I’m not a very fast runner. Nor am I particularly handy when it comes to fixing things.

We all have differences in education, work ethic, economic resources, ethical understanding, and family size. We’ve all heard different messages when we were growing up, were given different amounts of encouragement to pursue our passions, and had different options presented to us along the way.

And that’s not to say that folks can’t overcome some serious handicaps in any or all of these areas to accomplish tremendous things. Or that folks of great privilege never experience big falls.

That old investment disclaimer always applies. “Past performance does not guarantee future returns.”

However, in spite of all of our immense inequalities that proverb above is true. When it’s all said and done, each of us will end up effectively in the same box. The probability of each of us dying is exactly 1. It is one way each and every one of us is created equal.

Think about that the next time you pass someone on the highway with a much nicer car than yours. Or one that is nowhere nearly as nice. Or someone who doesn’t even have a car.

Think about what really is important when it’s all said and done.

–Chris Cree, SuccessCREEations

A Sad Year for Our Solar System – Pluto Is No Longer a Planet

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A Sad Year

As 2006 draws to a close, I’m reminded what a sad year it was for our solar system. This was the year that the International Astronomical Union (slogan: we gaze when it pays) voted down Pluto’s membership on the Planetary Committee.

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I suppose we should have seen the writing on the wall for Pluto back in 1999 when the IAU last took up the issue of Pluto’s position. Back then the union caved to outside pressure at the last minute when the public got wind of their impending action.

However this time around Pluto just couldn’t muster the votes and was sent packing, a planet no more. But rather than go straight at the issue and risk a public outcry, the Union leadership chose a more effective indirect approach to oust Pluto. Instead of voting on Pluto’s status directly they redefined the requirements for office in such a way that Pluto couldn’t possibly remain.

Under the new Union rules Pluto has been relegated to “Dwarf Planet” status and no longer has the influence it enjoyed previously. Rumor has it the EEOC is investigating allegations of discrimination in the case.
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What is He Talking About? Chris Cree on the Center of the Universe

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“When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it.” - Bernard Bailey

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In our increasingly self absorbed, instant gratification, microwave, victimhood, no consequences society it seems there is an ever growing number of folks who are in for a shocker whenever whatever branch of science actually does discover the center of the universe.

Since I’ve got it so much together I thought I’d share a partial list of folks who are especially in danger of this disappointment. If you are any of these people you might want to consider your “Me-centric” view of the universe.

Are you someone who

If so, please wake up! Bernard’s warning is just for you.

–Chris Cree, SuccessCREEations.

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