In the Company of Trees While Walking in the Forest . . .

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november_in_szczecin

There’s something about being an artist or a choreographer that’s akin being a writer. It’s the experience of doing the work and the learning that comes from it. A person gets to understand how parts together work differently than they do alone. It’s learning that the spaces and the empty bits add importance to the message.

There’s something about being a person that’s akin to being all of them. It’s the experience of learning that being with people is different than being alone. It’s learning that the spaces when we remove ourselves can add vibrancy and color to the times when we return.

This time of year many folks see the trees filled with color and don’t bother to see the leaves. Some folks see the leaves and never look at the trees they fall from.

To feel whole, we really need both to use our whole mind, to see the whole picture, to get the full meaning.

Spend time in the company of trees as well as walking through the forest.

How do make sure you’re putting all of the meaning in and getting all of the meaning out of what you’re doing?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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Money or Principles: Do We Have to Pick One?

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Are We Better than That?

Tonight AiraBongco said “. . . it’s an issue on what a person values: principles or money.”

I know. But it’s not like it’s been all honey up until now. I don’t know anyone who’s been living easy. I can’t imagine you’ve had it much differently. Do you know anyone who’s life hasn’t been hard won?

We use easy to describe some other guy’s life not our own.

Yeah, I worry about how things came this bad and where they’re going. The story is complicated, on the other hand, nothing new happens where humans are concerned. The good keep being good and the bad, well you know. People keep doing the same people stuff again and again.

Didn’t we see misbehavior like this on the playground and survive it then? We’ve made it out with self-respect in tact and our feet on the ground before.

money grabber


Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world, didn’t gain the confidence of million dollar handshakes by being untrustworthy. His businesses were built on his principles.

I guess I look at it this way, principles will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no principles.

Maybe we should write that on a wall.

Do we have to pick one — money or principles?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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An Extravagant Cure for Disappointment That’s Totally Free

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 18 Comments

Yesterday won’t be remembered as the best day in this life. Color it blue or call it Mars in retrograde. Nothing about it felt real and right.

No disaster occurred. The server didn’t eat my blog. My favorite social site was up all day. No one flamed my friends, and my traffic didn’t go on vacation all at once.

People acted like people. Two avoided the truth when they didn’t need to. That was disappointing.

Words don’t explain the way that disappointment can hang and pull at a person. It does that from the inside out. It can make you older than when you got up that same morning. It can make you sorry you are a grown up. It can bring a good day down. Sometimes all of the social media can’t do a thing for that.

crocus

Lucky for me, last night I had a meeting — face-to-face with a man who wanted to learn about what people do on the Internet. We spent a hours talking about tools, frontiers, and possibilities. I told him about what we do and the conversations we have. Finally we dropped by a site and I asked some friends to say a word.

People acted like people. They were encouragment. That was inspiring.

In those few hours, we both caught that extravagant feeling of learning — the one that everyone gets when discovering is the priority. It’s the feeling that happens when we chance to wonder not just look. The feeling showed in how we sat. The more we felt the learning, the more we leaned toward the computer. We were plants leaning toward the light.

Walking home I realized that extravagant learning feeling is the best cure for disappointment. It’s easy to create, and it’s totally free.

Have you experienced that extravagant feeling of learning lately?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Image: sxc.hu

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Generosity Is a State of Mind

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 10 Comments

a_daisy

When I was 12, my six cousins moved one state south of Illinois. They didn’t want to leave the town where we were all growing up, as they prepared to go we started saying they were moving to the State of Misery (the fair state of Missouri). Then they settled in, made a new life, and I found myself in a new state — the State of Miss-ery.

Since that time, I’ve always been curious about “states of mind.”

This week, generosity has been the theme. People have given their time and their words to help bring attention to folks living in poverty.

Ever seen generosity?

It’s a child offering a flower because flowers make people smile. It’s grandfather picking up a granddaughter because holding her high is good for who she will be. It’s a teenager helping a stranger.

It’s giving unconditionally. It’s an offer of humanity with no strings inside. Generosity looks the same as doing our duty, but it feels like living up to who we are.

Generosity is a state of mind. It’s an open heart answering an unsent call.

Generosity doesn’t have to be an overt action.

It’s listening. It’s accepting. It’s taking time . . . giving time . . . taking time to give. Generosity is part of connection with any other human being. It’s valuing ourselves by valuing everyone around us.

Can you see how it’s generous to connect?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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Three Keys to Finding New Ideas

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 26 Comments

I've been thinking . . .

about traffic on the road of progress.

Better eat now, because I might not have time later.
Better write this now, because I might get caught up and lose track of this idea. Better do this work for this client . . . schedule that meeting . . . write that list . . . keep things moving forward down the road . . . or else.

It’s a way of always living in the future.

Lots of days work like this because, well, who knows what tomorrow will bring?

We keep moving forward because it’s better . . . better than standing still.
Better than standing still? I’m not so sure about that.

Standing brings us back to the present. Suddenly the road of progress is only one degree of 360 we might consider. A quick look around and options seem to be everywhere.

Reflection, introspection. How else do we find out what we know?
It’s good leave the traffic and see where we are.

Even better than standing still . . . is a good wander off the road.

Curiosity, experimentation. recreation. They’re three keys to finding new ideas.
Have you looked at that word lately?
re-creation
. . . think about it.

Consider re-creating a few minutes this morning.
Give yourself a chance at discovering a new idea or two.

New ideas get run over by traffic.
They thrive, sparkle, and shine by the side of the road.

curiosity_by_the_side_of_the_road


What were you doing when you got your last fabulous idea?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Image: sxc.hu

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