Change the World: Make the Sky a New Color

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 6 Comments

Suddenly Crayons Found Her

Change the World!

A friend and I have an ongoing conversation about crayons and their powers. We’ve noticed how a mere mention of the waxy “creatures” gets people talking about positive experiences and ideas. On Mondays last year when the sky or events seems gray and without color, our early morning email conversation about crayons would get a little longer.

One night while we were talking, a miscue happened. I’m sure I don’t remember the story as well as I remember the fallout. Messages were sent and received. Feelings were misunderstood and confused. Even after it was sorted, things didn’t feel back to normal.

In a cold, gray next morning, I was still bothered. I went to a convenience store, bought a box of crayons, and walked down the street to a florist. I asked for a small bunch of flowers, and Would they include the crayons in the arrangement?

Okay, so the flower lady looked at me a little funny, but she did what I asked.

Sunset at Semaphore

I wrote in the card something like, When the gray Chicago sky sucks, color a new one. and signed it with love.

She called laughing saying that was the best idea.

The most amazing thing happened. One a week, near the train station, my friend found a crayon waiting for her — yellow, blue, green, blue again. I think that was the order.

Suddenly crayons found her. Now my friend has a whole collection of crayons.

Amazing things happen when you make the sky a new color.

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.

Taking Out My Crayons . . .

Filed Under Business Life, Successful Blog | 22 Comments

I've been thinking . . .
Winter days make me tired and less likely to smile even at the end of a Friday.

It’s a battle to keep my smile when my body is stiffened to fight the cold. Inside where it’s warm, I’m aware that the heat is unnatural, I want to hibernate like the bears. I know when I venture out I’ll have to fight the weather to keep my body and my temperament warm.

The coats, the boots, the bundling up, the time — the time to get ready, the time to clean off the car, the time to get there — the discomfort of trying to be comfortable in the uncomfortable clothing . . . all of these are exactly what wear me during the winter weeks. By Friday I’m not feeling cordial. I’m looking for space, some natural warmth. Actually, I’m dreaming of a rock in the desert, of digging the caliche clay in my old Austin backyard in 100 degree weather with 90 percent humidity.

We’re coming up on Jan. 24th. This morning, someone told me that Jan. 24th is the day the most people in the northern hemisphere are down in the dumps.

I won’t go there. Nu-uh, no way, not me. Even if you can’t smell, dumps are stinky places to go.

I’m taking out my crayons this weekend. I’m not kidding about that. I’m going to get the biggest sheet of paper that I can find.

I’m coloring a new sky with a huge, hot yellow sun. It will probably look like the pictures I drew when I was five years old. That will work just fine. In fact, it might be better . . . Five year olds have magic that we forget about.

When the sky is gray, and the air is cold, my crayons will make the sky a bright beautiful blue with a screaming comic-book yellow sun!

That will make my weekend and my mood luminescently brighter.

Heck, I even might put my sunglasses on and sit beside it.

If I do that, I know everyone I meet will be in a much better mood.

Liz's Signature