Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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

Change the World: It’s Millionaire Day!

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 6 Comments

Feel Rich and Appreciated

Change the World!

When I lived in Austin, I worked for a company that had a strict matrix for how merit performance increases were allowed. To say that in plain English, in an effort to be fair — or was it to control the budget? — the company had a chart showing how monetary increases would be “done fairly.”

I don’t remember the exact merit increase chart, but the matrix looked something like this.

Salary chart


This chart was problem.

Editors had a lot to say about the words chosen to describe performance. Even more, though, was the problem of an entire team that was performing in an outstanding fashion all being limited to a raise of about 4-5%, when inflation was at least half of that.

So I did what I could to provide other incentives. . . . tweaked the atmosphere, found days they might take off . . . to pay them in other ways.

About a mile from our office was a small store with a glass counter. Behind the glass, the shelves displayed expensive Belgian chocolates. If you’ve a taste for chocolate, if you’re a connoisseur — read that as a chocolate snob — as I am, this 6 foot counter could entertain and amaze for well into an hour. One chocolate, in particular, became a favorite with my team.

This delicacy was made both in milk chocolate and dark chocolate versions, each filled with praline. One piece was 1.25 x .5 x .5 in size and was shaped like a US Dollar sign — $ . That was the hit! A single chocolate dollar sign sold at an exchange rate equivalent to that of the Australian dollar at the time.

I would buy those chocolate dollar signs, and we’d have an emergerency team meeting. An official announcement would state that we had once again become millionaires in the chocolate lottery. Then we’d spend 30 minutes or so eating one luxury chocolate a piece.

It was a ritual. It was a game. It was the best time and a way of saying what needed saying.

And our moods and minds changed. We stood taller, smiled more, and were more generous toward each other We also laughed. We were millionaires for the day. One piece of chocolate made that difference.

I can’t give you the chocolate. So I told you the story.

I hope you can imagine it, because I’m declaring, “We’re All Millionaires Today!”

We have a million in the bank and a few million invested. Millions of friends love each of us, and millions of readers and customers love what we do.

A little millionaire thinking really can make a difference. . . . Will you be a millionaire today?

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

Change the World: Decide

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 12 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 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

______________
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.

« go back