Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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

Change the World: Put Yourself in Your Work

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 6 Comments

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.

Change the World: Talk and Move

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 2 Comments

People Only Do Two Things

Change the World!

A week or so ago, I was talking to a brilliant man, David Bullock. I’ve worked with Dave and know him as a friend. He’s a positive force who makes things happen and shines a light on people while he does — which, of course, makes him an attractive person in so many ways. Dave is a brilliant guy — the sort I like to share with my friends.

In fact, that’s what we were talking about . . . I was inviting David to speak at SOBCon08 in the Spring. During that call, Dave made the most profound observation. He said something like this

I woke up this morning, and I realized that people — even the high and mighty — only do two things . . . talk and move. I looked in the mirror and said, “I can do that!”

Boy, did I like that thought!

Boyhowdy, did I like the smile in his voice when I heard that!

He got me smiling and standing taller too. I still am.

So as I head off to BlogWorld Expo, I’m going to talk and move . . . and I’m going to watch what other talkers and movers say and do.

Go ahead talk and move yourself. You already know how.

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

Change the World: Decide

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 15 Comments

The Universe Will Not Be Thwarted

Change the World!

Once upon a time, I had the coolest job in the world. I worked with the most incredible people. They were smart and their hearts were in it. No one was looking for the negative. We were building a special little company. The little company was soaring. It’s customers were smiling. Then the owners decided to sell it.

The new owners were playing Monopoly. Our little company was one more property on a board game. The new owners couldn’t see what made the little special. They made decisions that hurt the little company. They starved the goose and the golden eggs stopped.

When I realized that the little company would never be again, I recognized the feeling. I told a friend, “I don’t want a new puppy. I want the puppy that died.”

He said, “Mourn if you like, but not forever. I’ve been to the mountain, and I know this: The universe will not be thwarted. Commit to a new path and it will take you where you want to be. ”

Well, that poor universe, for the longest time, it didn’t get any help from me. I went off in some direction, but my heart wasn’t fully with me. think I was still wishing for that poor long-gone situation.

But my friend’s sentence never left me. “The universe will not be thwarted.”

Himalayan explorer W.H. Murray said the same thing.

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.

I decided to change the world. I quit hedging my bets to protect myself.

Things happened that same week — happy accidents and offers. The universe opened a road to my dream.

They’re still happening.

Living in the past is not the way to a future.

Commitment is.

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

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If you’re ready to change the world, send me your thoughts in a guest post. Feel free to take the gorgeous Change the World image up there that Sandy designed back to your blog. Or help yourself to this one.

Change the World!.

Email me about what you’re doing or what we might do. Let’s change the world one bit at a time together. Together it can’t take forever.

Change the World: Find Forgiveness

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 10 Comments

The Past Is Gone

Change the World!

WE charge in . . .

We come into life screaming for air and, we fight to prove we belong here. Along the way, little and sometimes big hurts happen. Some were intentional. Some were accidental. Probably a number were entirely in our imagination. Yet, our need to stay meaningful almost leads us to find something meant to belittle where something else entirely might have been going on.

. . . armed with protection . . .

We go to the negative as a defense. A grandmother doesn’t to speak to a fully grown son. Her anger is about times before he was born. We lay the deeds of a villain who escaped at the door of a hero who stayed. The first wife lied. . . . The last boss was a fraud. . . . Deep inside we’re not just protecting, we’re waiting for the bad guys to return with the answer to Why?

. . . unconsciously waiting . . . deaf and unseeing.

And that unconscious waiting is a sort of self-harm.

What if we changed our ways? What if we changed how we see who we are?

from Find Forgiveness by Tommy Henriksen, Selected Songs For A New Beginning

. . .
Can you look into my eyes and tell me why?

Find forgiveness. The past is gone today.
Are you willing to learn and change?
I see myself changing all my ways.

Forgiveness

And the tears that fell are from you
Waters from my soul

Can you look into your eyes and tell yourself why?

Find forgiveness. The past is gone today.
Are you willing to learn and change?
Can you see yourself changing all your ways?

Forgiveness

I was wrong in your eyes.
You know God and I see.

Can we give it one last chance . . . for all of us?
. . .

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

______________
If you’re ready to change the world, send me your thoughts in a guest post. Feel free to take the gorgeous Change the World image up there that Sandy designed back to your blog. Or help yourself to this one.

Change the World!.

Email me about what you’re doing or what we might do. Let’s change the world one bit at a time together. Together it can’t take forever.

Change the World: Choose the Ending

Filed Under Community, Guest Writer, Successful Blog | 29 Comments

Hey, Robert, How Can We Change the World?

Change the World!

Yesterday, Robert Hruzek’s email arrived in my inbox with a question. Do you think this might make a Change the World story? I read it though and wrote back immediately. It’s obvious that my answer was to the affirmative.

So I’m passing along this actual event from the lives of our own, Mr. Middle Zone Musings and his dear lady. The narrative offers a twist for the ending. It carries Mr. Musing’s thoughts on how the world might be.

Choose the Ending

by Robert Hruzek

You know, it’s easy to say what one would do in a certain situation, isn’t it? To paint a rosy picture that “surely” would have been, had it really happened (yes, I know – don’t call you Shirley).

C’mon, admit it; we all like to think the best of ourselves. And you know what? We should have a positive self-talk and self-image; that’s just good mental health. But what’s the reality?

Allow me to paint a scene for you.

The other day Mrs. MZM and I had lunch at one of our favorite beaneries, Café Express. It’s one of those (relatively) new kinds of restaurants where you place your order, wait for your pager to buzz, and then pick the food up yourself. Condiments are over here, drinks are over there; help yourself, and thank you very much. (Hey, I’m not complaining; I happen to like it.)

We decided to eat outside on the patio so we could enjoy the beautiful weather we were having; a nice little umbrella-covered table in the corner was perfect. We had just barely gotten settled when the little flat wireless-radio-controlled-butt-massage-thingy (I always put it in a back pocket – it provides a cheap thrill!) went off, so off I went to collect our food.

And finally, to complete the scene, there was a bus boy cleaning the table next to ours.

OK, got the picture? So here we go…

As I returned and approached our table, I was still a few feet away when we heard a medium-loud “pop” (sort of like a “quiet” firecracker). We both looked around to see what made the unusual noise, but nothing was obvious – no cars passing by (there was a street right next to us), no pedestrians within reasonable distance, and no one sitting nearby seemed to notice – there was nothin’.

Oh, well. I sat down and we prepared to eat – and then I noticed a tiny white dot on Mrs. MZM’s left cheek! I looked again, and there were more white dots on her face – along with several in her hair, on her blouse, the pants she had on… Finally, as our eyes followed the trail of white dots down to the ground, we saw what had made the sound.

It was a mayonnaise packet.

Yep, that’s right, ladies and gentlemen; yours truly had sprayed mayonnaise (and with explosive force, no less) all over Mrs. MZM when I had stepped on a packet inadvertently dropped by the bus boy. In fact, we found even more of the white stuff all over my shoe, the table, the chair I had already sat in, and judging from the spray pattern, no doubt the buildings across the street!

Sheesh! Now what?

Possible Ending #1

Mrs. MZM jumped up with an angry exclamation and attempted to dab the offending condiment off her clothes, her hair, and her glasses. Her frustration was obvious to the neighboring tables as she did her best to recover with some sort of dignity. Alas, it was a losing proposition.

There was nothing that could be done about the prominent stains on her clothes, though. Well *sigh* at least it had started out as a beautiful day…

Possible Ending #2

Once we realized what had happened – Mrs. MZM burst out laughing!

We then spent a hilarious few minutes checking each other over for tiny white dots (the folks at the table next to us probably thought we were inventing a new dance step), just to make sure we got them all.

Finally, we sat down again and munched happily on our burgers, enjoying the rest of the beautiful day.

The Power to Choose

So lemme ask ya…

If you had the power to choose, then which one of these endings would you have picked?

OK, got it? All those who chose # 1, raise your hand. Fine, now all those who went for #2? Hmmm… seems kinda lopsided to me. Amazing how we all seemed to choose the happy ending.

But here’s the real money question:
If this had happened to you, which ending would have ACTUALLY happened?

Extra Special Super Duper Bonus Points:
To make it really fun, ask a friend to answer the question for you!
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So what really happened, you ask? Well, it was exactly as presented above, with ending #2, of course! Ah, Mrs. MZM – ya gotta love her!

Lucky for me it didn’t spray all over some big bruiser suffering from hemorrhoids and bristling with a bad attitude because his favorite team had just lost a key game – I might have been hurt!
–Robert Hruzek, Middle Zone Musings

We can change the world — just like that. Thank you, Robert!
–ME “Liz” Strauss

______________
If you’re ready to change the world, send me your thoughts in a guest post. Feel free to take the gorgeous Change the World image up there that Sandy designed back to your blog. Or help yourself to this one.

Change the World!.

Email me about what you’re doing or what we might do. Let’s change the world one bit at a time together. Together it can’t take forever.

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