Why Blog? . . . “Follow Your Calling” She Said

Filed Under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 80 Comments

A Calling

When I was 7 years old, my teacher told me to listen for my calling. She said if I listened to my heart and my mind, I would find the future that was right.

Liz Strauss as a child

My teacher said “You’ll know because you’ll be making a difference in people’s lives.” I remember exactly where I sat when I let her words into my head. That’s when I started thinking about the possibilities.

I grew up with more curiosity than wisdom. I traveled with my feet on the ground, my head in the sky. I needed 23 lives to follow the callings I heard. . . . be a teacher, be speaker, be a writer. I wanted to build things and fix things, and of course, to be smart, wealthy, and rich. I wanted the life of a freelancer and the community of a company at the same time.

I tried them all — even tried a few more that came along.

Still that thought hung with me, You’ll be making a difference in people’s lives.

I ended up an educational publisher. For a while, I felt it might be my calling, but I wondered was I really making a difference or just making books? I worked freelance. I worked company jobs. I worked on projects of so many kinds. I not only loved publishing; I knew, for sure, that I’d never get bored.

Then I did.

I went off on my own again.

Was I Called?

A friend did call to ask me, if I would write a blog for a science education company. I thought I’d better find out what was involved before I answered. So I started a blog.

Early on I met the most excellent people — so many of them — and found IT changed MY life! Though I went down some windy roads, when I thought of giving up, one of those first friends, Jeremy, said, “Why don’t you join b5media instead?” Though the network was plenty busy with the work of being born, they didn’t blink before they took me in. Suddenly I was a freelancer in a thriving community.

Later that year, Darren set a challenge to write blog goals. I wasn’t going to participate, but I did. That’s when I found that my blog is my home. That’s when I realized how much I am like my dad.

If you read what I wrote, it says,

You see, my father didn’t work at the saloon. He lived it. He also earned enough to feed a family and send three kids to school. Somehow in doing that, he managed to make a difference in people’s lives by sharing what he knew and who he was.

My blogging goal is to do the same thing
with my blog that my father did with his saloon.

and that’s why I blog.

As for why I keep blogging, well it’s because every now and then I’ll get an email that says

Aside from business, people desire answers, they are hoping that someone believes that there [are] answers, and that just maybe, they can have hope too. — Steve

and it makes me think I might be making a difference.

“Follow your calling” she said.
Thank you for helping me know what my calling is.

Now will you tell me? Is it a calling, a hobby, a quest?
Please tell me. Why do you blog?

Liz's Signature
The question, “Why Do You Blog?” is final week’s challenge of the b5media Apprentice Challenge. Over 30 blogs on the b5 Business Channel started the quest, only four are left: Accounting Solver . . .Home Biz Notes . . . Greener Assets . . . Successful Blog.

The winner will be chosen from one of these four.

Will you join in deciding who becomes the b5media Apprentice? Every comment you leave on a final challenge post counts as a vote! The voting is open until January 7th. So c’mon tell me why you do you blog!

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My Top 5 Successful Bloggers Who Made a Difference

Filed Under Writing | 52 Comments

Gosh, I’ve Been Lucky

Top 5 Writing Project Logo

If you look in the sidebar of my blog, you’ll see something someone named the “Liz Manifesto.” It says that I want to make one person’s life better.

It’s my experience as a blogger that so many people do that every chance they get. I learn so much from every one of you. I value every relationship. Guess that makes me . . . a relationship blogger.

Bloggers help each other in little and big ways, head on and sideways. It’s what we do. No argument about that.

But five highly successful bloggers made an outstanding difference in my life. I’d like to thank them.

My Top 5 Successful Bloggers Who Made a Difference

When I started blogging two years ago, I was a newbie who knew how to write and who cared a lot. Like the rest of us, I didn’t expect to find a world of communities and people who would become so important to me. I didn’t expect to learn so much in such a short time. I’d like to introduce five people who have taught me the most important things. (They’re in no particular order.)

  • Darren Rowse I can hardly remember a time that I didn’t know Darren and yet each day I feel I get to know a little more about him. He gave me my first link at Successful Blog. He is a man of his word, who goes deep. More importantly, it was his Blogging Goals writing project that got me to write My Blogging Goal. That document made me think through my future. I jumped with both feet that day. Thank you, Darren.
  • Paul Scrivens When I first started at Successful Blog I was writer working for Scrivs. He is a busy man, and always has been one. Successful Blog was part of a small network of his called “Fine Fools.” At one point, a blogger wasn’t very nice to me. Paul Scrivens stood up and publicly defended me in what was, then, the Wild, Wild West of Blogging. Paul Scrivens won my heart and my respect that day. A few months later, he gave Successful Blog to me. He also won my gratitude. Scrivs changed my life with his generosity. I’ll never forget where and how I got my start. Thank you, Paul.
  • Jeremy Wright At time when I didn’t know whether I should keep blogging. I called Jeremy to ask him about my option. We talked a while. He called me back later that Saturday and invited me to be a member of b5 media. Jeremy also became my channel editor. A busy guy, he always had time for me. He gave me perspective and straight talk about how I might handle the business of my uniquely Liz style of blogging. Jeremy changed my life by making a place for me and sharing his experience and his humanity. Thank you, Jeremy.
  • Seth Godin Last June I went to a Seth Godin seminar with Ann Michael. I usually find plenty of reason not to attend such events. But the combination of those two — Ann and Seth — was unbeatable. I learned so much by going. To this day, I’m still quoting Seth, his clear view of the world got me to see that I had left part of my skillset behind when I decided to leave educational publishing. I went back and got it. Thank you, Seth.
  • Doc Searls Until this week, I had never talked to Doc Searls, I had only read what he had written. But I long ago called him my Walter Cronkite. He is the blogger I look to for clear thinking on the issues about the Internet. He cares about it for the right reasons. Now that I’ve had a conversation, I can only confirm what I already knew. He has improved my thinking. Thank you, Doc.

Five remarkable bloggers have made a difference in my life — not just my blogging. In their own ways, each one has made me a better person. How could not I take advantage of this chance to tell you about them?

Who are the bloggers who have made a difference in your life?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
My Blogging Goal

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The Value of Life: According to Douglas Adams and Jeremy Wright

Filed Under Successful Blog, ZZZ-FUN | 16 Comments

Do the Math

I’ve been meaning to share this, because it explained a whole lot to in a single blog post.

You might be familiar with Douglas Adams’ book, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, or the radio show, television series or film that was made from it. You might also know about the ultimate question regarding life, the universe, and everything to which the answer is revealed to be 42.

A conversation started on the b5media forum about the value of life. Jeremy Wright answered the question with the number 42 from Adams’ book. Another blogger pointed out that Jeremy had not considered the universe and everything in his response. At that point, professor Wright got serious and did the math. You can find his calculations and proofs in a post called What’s the Value of Life?

It is one exquisite, brilliant explanation of why the value of life is actually just more than 10, which higher than the value of the universe, but less than half of the value of everything.

Go on. I don’t call just anything brilliant.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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301 Links in a Story — Chapter 10 The Lost 18 Hours, The Prep, and the Final Round

Filed Under Community, Links, Marketing, Successful Blog, Writing | 20 Comments

Finding Ideas Outside of the Box logo 2

[For those of you just tuning in, this is based on the 301 Lists that Darren Rowse's List Group Writing Project brought together. You'll find Chapter 1 here --> A List Becomes 301 Links in Story — Chapter 1 ]

When We Left the . . . Studio

You might remember that at last look, our famed uncontrollable force and unpredictable influence, Lizzie and Amanda Congdon, leaving the studio of the International Blogging List Challenge! for parts unknown. The studio was in chaos after the Blogging 7th Heaven CanCan Dancers had roused the blogging audience into such a tizzy — blogging and applauding at the same time. (Which we have already established isn’t easy, if not completely impossible.)

Robert Scoble videoblogged the entire escapade.

The scoreboard read Arianna 600 Jeremy, Jeremy 200 Dave 200.

Rumor has it that the bloggers and the Blogging 7th Heaven People enjoyed a night of debauchery at 10 Rue Dante — an irony that I’d love to write about, but for once not a single blogger blogged the following 18 hours. They claimed a complete system failure — power, DS, and wireless — all out. Some spoke of eerie MySql errors written on the bathroom walls.

That lost 18 hours has gone down in blogging history as Blog Silence, Dead Feeds, and Dante’s New Level. Even Scoble’s video crew would only say, “We’re glad that MaryAm took you back to the hotel.”

Meanwhile Back at the Hotel . . .

The sun rose on a new day and gave hope to our contestants, the nationally syndicated columnist, author of ten books, international speaker and blogger, Arianna Huffington; the self-described serial entreprenuer, CEO and founder of Blog index Technorati, nationally known programmer, blogger, and blog sociologist, and friend of Janice Myint, David L. Sifry; and author, co-founder and president of b5 media, international blogger, traveler, speaker, and sometimes spy Jeremy, Jeremy Wright.

All three contestants were eating a quiet breakfast in the hotel dining room as they prepared for the show. Each was hoping not to embarrass his or her family, nation, planet, or galaxy — thereby causing an international incident of some sort. One was reading Ten Ways to Build Moats to Hold Back the Competition. Another was studying 5 Ways MyMoneyBlog Can Make You $100. The third trying to find the horoscope in the National Enquirer.

Our uncontrollable force and unpredictable influence were upstairs having their usual room service — a pizza with fresh tomato, a dozen chocolate-covered strawberries, and two bottles of Perrier-Jouet. This time they sat on the balcony discussing what to wear.

“I’ve done the black and white,” said Lizzie. “I think I might live dangerously and do deep, deep purple with a hint of pale pink.”

“That’s it,” said Amanda, laughing. “Blow that Alice-in-Wonderland image! Go for Purple Haze Jimi Hendrix. I’m wearing popurls Pearls from head to toe.”

Finally the Show Was Back On

That one day seemed to take forever. Each group had reasons why it took so long, but finally the lights, the cameras, the music, the announcements had happened and again the International Blogging List Challenge! was on.

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301 Links in a Story — Chapter 9 The Lists of 10 and the CanCan

Filed Under Community, Links, Marketing, Successful Blog, Writing | 10 Comments

Finding Ideas Outside of the Box logo 2

[For those of you just tuning in, this is based on the 301 Lists that Darren Rowse's List Group Writing Project brought together. You'll find Chapter 1 here --> A List Becomes 301 Links in Story — Chapter 1 ]

The Show Goes On

Backstage, Lizzie, who wore white satin and sequins, and Amanda Congdon, in beautiful blue, discussed the traits that Jeremy. Jeremy Wright had in common with James Bond and Jack Bauer.

“J”

“Too bad his last name isn’t Bright.”

That’s as far as they got when it was time for them to walk out together.

“Welcome back, everyone,” Amanda called to the audience. Then, walking past each contestant, she clicked each contestant’s button to say hello as she went by. They all smiled back.

“Hi Arianna, Dave, and Jeremy, Jeremy! Shall we start?” Lizzie said, grateful that our two VIDSTARS got to come out after the music, lights, introductions, and rules had all been taken care of.

“Tonight the Blog Board starts with the category Lists of 10. We’ll move from contestant to contestant under a time limit. Each person will be asked to blog one item on a list of 10. Each answer that is actually on the list will be worth 100 points. Scores when we left last night were Arianna — 500, Jeremy — 100, and Dave — 0.”

“Dave, we’ll begin with you.”

“I was up all night, studying every blog at Technorati.”

Top 10 Ways to Get a Technorati Top 100 Blogger to Link to Your Blog or Website

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