Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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

What are the benefits of being curious?

Filed Under Guest Writer, Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog, ZZZ-FUN | 4 Comments

Have you ever read the book, “Who Moved My Cheese”?  I use the premise of the four characters quite often when I consider the various sorts of folks who cross my path on a daily basis. For example, as much as I love my mother, I know that she is squarely in the “Hem” camp. She, among the four analogies outlined in the book, is the character who will continue to visit the empty cheese room, convinced that, surely, certainly, there will indeed be a new cheese shipment arriving any moment. Of course, alas, the cheese never arrives. :(

I’m going to assume that most of the people reading this are probably closer to the “Sniff” and “Scurry” sort. You are probably an early adopter, and know which way the wind blows. You probably sense trends and anticipate movement. You are probably curious.

You are probably either independent, or seeking to further your transition to that state. Curiosity is probably one of the best ways to get there, and I’m going to give you my $.02 as to why.

“Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.”  ~ James Stephens

Curiosity is the impetus for bravery in some instances. The curious are DRIVEN, compelled even, by the need to KNOW. As a result, we will take risks. We will shove our fear into our back pocket and “give it a shot.”

If you are still reading, I know that I have found a kindred spirit. You are familiar with that feeling in your gut that almost goads you into action. Your need to satisfy your curiosity is more powerful than your fear of failure. Good. That means that you are destined for great things. Because the curious keep trying.

“Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why.” ~ Bernard Baruch

If you are curious, you are also probably an innovator. Most folks walking this plane are content to go about their daily business without looking too far afield. They stay in their lane; color inside the lines and keep their eyes fixed on the stuff right in front of them. They are “safe,” and that’s perfectly oka-lee-dokalee.

Curious people, on the other hand, disembowel clocks. They rip apart business models. They disrupt stuff left and right. They probably spent a LOT of time in the corner as kids. We can be maddening to people who rather we just leave things alone. Status Quo People get really frustrated with the Curious.

“I keep six honest serving-men,

They taught me all I knew;

Their names are What and Why and When

And How and Where and Who.” ~ Rudyard Kipling

However, it is this seeking that leads to expansion and independence. The same curiosity that brought us Tang and the space program also brought us twitter, cleantech, Futurama and the cure for polio.

Speaking of social media, I also believe that the folks who are out here in the ether are a harbinger of a new paradigm (even the Bieberists). Social media has no boundaries and is populated by those who are Seekers.

Whether talking about the Kardashians or Tahir Square, this new frontier is peopled by the curious. We may not always be talking about the same thing from the same perspective, but we are talking. Which leads to …

“Be curious, not judgmental.” ~ Walt Whitman

In the pursuit of knowledge, it is vitally important to try very hard to uncover information without assigning specific value to it. For example, the earth is not the center of the universe, although at one point in human history, to state otherwise was cause for excommunication. In order to glean the most from our experiences as we pursue information, it is important to dispassionately observe what we find.

Through trial and error, consistent (and mindful) questioning and a willingness to grow our awareness, we will find ourselves on a glorious journey of wonder.

“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.” ~ Dorothy Parker

Thank goodness.

What led you here today? What would you like to learn? What questions drive you? What steps are you taking to grow your knowledge?

——-

Molly Cantrell-Kraig is a woman with drive. Possessing an innate sense of purpose and a pragmatic, solution-based approach to empowering people, she fused these two traits in order to establish Women With Drive Foundation. Based upon its founder’s personal history, Women With Drive Foundation is a means through which Cantrell-Kraig may effect change on both a micro and macro level. By providing women with something as essential as personal transportation in order to transition them from poverty to prosperity, she, through Women With Drive Foundation, seeks to empower women to help them help themselves. Through this action, the individual applicant benefits, as does society as a whole. Follow Molly on twitter as @mckra1g or @WWDr1ve (Women With Drive Foundation) or “Like” them on facebook.

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What do chaos and rocketship underpants have in common?

Filed Under Connecting Dots, Inside-Out Thinking, Motivation/Inspiration, Outside the Box, Successful Blog, Tips, ZZZ-FUN, leadership | 2 Comments

“From now on, I’ll connect the dots my own way.” – Calvin and Hobbes

In a rare allusion to the number, quantity, interactivity or any other reference to my followers on twitter, faithful followers will notice periodic tweets from me titled simply, “Why I miss Calvin & Hobbes,” including a link with a random panel from Bill Watterson’s masterwork.

I have loved the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip ever since I can remember. Not only is the humor therein wry, cynical-yet-laced-with-hopefulness and warped, but Watterson manages to convey elemental, essential lessons through the alchemy of ink and paper.

Calvin: – “I’ve been thinking Hobbes –”
Hobbes: – “On a weekend?”
Calvin: – “Well, it wasn’t on purpose…”

Calvin is bombastic, self-centered, short-sighted, delightful – an imaginative imp with a tenuous, but intact moral core. His stuffed tiger, Hobbes, serves as his foil, counsel and ballast. Calvin is NOT a literal six-year old, but rather, a composite of the human race, our collective Inner Child. He is a loner by nature, being an only child, but more than the familial construct into which he has been drawn, Calvin operates outside the norm in other ways.

He’s not a big “joiner,” preferring instead to create his own worlds within his own mind. Spaceman Spiff, Tracer Bullet and Stupendous Man (the arch enemy of Babysitter Girl/Rosalyn) are a few of the alter egos that help him escape the confines of his two-dimensional plane.

Calvin also thrives on mayhem and chaos, oftentimes oblivious to the fact that he himself has created most of it. He is also a big fan of “winging it” and improvises his solutions on the fly, with mixed results. His wagon and sled often provide the means for us to follow his “logic” as he ponders matters both large and small.

Calvinball is a great example of making things up as he goes along. The Rules always change; there is no predestined means of playing the game itself; no special equipment, and quite frankly, I don’t know that Watterson ever drew a panel explaining the terms of “winning.” I’m not sure when (or if) the game actually ends.

“Life is like topography, Hobbes. There are summits of happiness and success, flat stretches of boring routine, and valleys of frustration and failure.”- Calvin

And so, on this weekend of new beginnings, I ask you to join with me in taking stock of our choices. What can we do this year that brings us more independence? How can we chart our own course? When can we do to incorporate fun and “managed chaos” into our lives? How do we connect the dots in our own lives and what is the picture we hope to create?

We always have control over our choices. I hope you all have a wonderful, productive, satisfying and joyous New Year. I recommend buying a pair of rocketship underpants.

——-
Molly Cantrell-Kraig is a woman with drive. Possessing an innate sense of purpose and a pragmatic, solution-based approach to empowering people, she fused these two traits in order to establish the Women With Drive Foundation. Based upon its founder’s personal history, Women With Drive Foundation is a means through which Cantrell-Kraig may effect change on both a micro and macro level. By providing women with something as essential as personal transportation in order to transition them from poverty to prosperity, she, through the Women With Drive Foundation, seeks to empower women to help them help themselves. Through this action, the individual applicant benefits, as does society as a whole. Follow Molly on twitter as @mckra1g or @WWDr1ve (Women With Drive)

Buy the Insider’s Guide to Online Conversation.

Internet Click or Treating: Be Your Dog Dressed a Pirate

Filed Under Successful Blog, ZZZ-FUN | 8 Comments

Think of the Neighbors Who Might Want Children

The neatest part of Internet Halloween is that you can be virtually anything. Mix the theater of the mind with a little creativity and who knows what will develop? You could be the creator of spectacular click or treating innovation. I say, “Go for it!”

But before we do, let’s review a couple of disasters of Internet Halloween last year.

You might remember . . .

  • certain click or treaters . . . ahem . . . replaced their empty heads with jack-o-lanterns. A number of computer laptops melted on an equal a human lap tops. The folks whose laps they were haven’t been the same since. None of them will be having children.
  • one click or treater stood too close to his USB port. When a blogger sent out a 98 page FREE BUILD A BUSINESS ONLINE KIT, he was seriously injured by falling brick and mortar.
  • a dark costumed click or treater wandered into the DarkGravity WordPress theme and hasn’t been seen since.

The idea is to know what works for you and have fun without hurting your Internet neighbors who might one day want to have children of their own. Here are some ideas for this year.

Try on a new personality. Remember in a virtual world you can be anything.

image: i-pets.com

Or kick things to the highest level, be your pet dressed as your pet’s alterego.



Unfortunately the click or treaters above are no longer in the blogosphere. As they say . . .

These days on Internet even the dogs know if you’re a dog.

Happy Halloween. Safe click or treating.

What will you be for Halloween?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Get your best voice in the conversation. Buy my eBook.

Thousands of Ways to Play on the Web

Filed Under Successful Blog, ZZZ-FUN | 6 Comments

Worldwide Day of Play

Today is the Official Worldwide Day of Play. So I thought I might send along some things that would encourage you to take part.

Click each screenshot to explore what they’re about.


Button Generator

Button Generator

13,000 Free Fonts

Search Free Fonts

40 Places to Get Free Stock Photos

Free Stock Photo Sites

18 Best Color Tools

color-tools.Jpg

Draw Space — Nearly 200 Art Lessons

Draw Space

JibJab

JibJab

Hundreds of Kongregate Games

Kongregate Games

Deep Fun — Just read the whole blog

deep fun - drinking straw construction kit

Glogster — Create!

Glogster

Motivator: Create your own customized motivational poster

Motivational Poster

Hundreds of Painting Games

painting games

String Spin Toy

string spin toy

More and More Crafts for Kids

crafts

Enjoy this Worldwide Day of Play!
Hope this made it a little more fun!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Get your best voice in the conversation. Buy my eBook.

The WHOLE WORLD Is Playing Today!!

Filed Under Successful Blog, ZZZ-FUN | 5 Comments

Worldwide Day of Play

KaBOOM!

That’s right! Today is the day to get serious about playing. Yeah, I didn’t know either until I met up with Annie from KaBOOM! She let me in on the news that today is the Worldwide Day of Play. Here’s the news about it.

Now that you’re in the spirit, how’re you going to celebrate?

Don’t forget to play — at least a little!
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Get your best voice in the conversation. Buy my eBook.

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