Successful Blog

Fair and Just — Do They Mean the Same Thing?

by

We Didn’t Do that for Her Brother

My father retold this story shortly after my college graduation party. . . .

When I graduated from college, my dad suggested that my parents have a party. He wanted to take his best friends from the saloon out to dinner to celebrate with us. My mom pointed out that they didn’t do that when my oldest brother graduated from college 9 years before. My dad said his reply was, “When we first got married, we could only afford hamburger. Does that mean we shouldn’t eat steak now?”

Throughout my life, this was a recurring theme. My mother believed in giving the same. My father believed in adjusting for changing circumstances.

I grew to think of one as fair and one as just — both as noble and loving.

What do you think? Are fair and just the same thing?

My husband says this story is about something else entirely. See my comment.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Behind every successful business is an outstanding manager –The Perfect Virtual Manager.

Related
Change the World: Truth and Humility
Personal Identity: What Is Humility?

A Walk in the Zen Moonlight

by

The Moon and the Lake in My Mind

the moonlight

In a week of too many things to do, it’s easy to get lost. It’s even easier not to want to be found. I see lots of folks feeling like that. Not me, no never, never me. Wouldn’t cross my mind. Wouldn’t happen like that.

I don’t get pulled. I don’t get stretched. I can handle the rush. I can handle the push. What else is strength of purpose about? It’s tied up in my need to show up, to find out, to be alive.

Does living mean we need to be strong, noble, and inspired every minute? Sometimes I do my work and think What do I do next? What do I expect of myself?

Then when I’m lucky, I hear music playing in my head. It’s an original melody. I know its movements by now. It’s a full orchestra — brilliant and breathtaking. It also means I’ll soon be going on a Zen walk.

I mentally grab my jacket. I put my wallet and keys in my jeans. It’s a quick good-bye. “Hey, I’m going outside. . . . Yeah, I know it’s raining. That’s okay, I’ve been wet before.”

I’ve no destination beyond the elevator going down. Soon enough, I’m out the glass front doors.

I walk south three city blocks. Three people jog by me on the sidewalk. Two more stroll. An old lady in a walker chair sits in the doorway of a stately building waiting for a ride, maybe her son, to pick her up. There’s a 30-something guy with a shaved head walking his big black dog with the caramel eyes. Lots of cars pass on Lakeshore Drive.

A neighborhood is where I live. I cross under the drive and come out by the lake. All civilization is left behind. Vast space, water and sky refresh my eyes. What a relief.

Sometimes I only need to change what I see.

I lay down my stress and look up at the sky.

The Zen moon in my mind enhances the symphony playing there.

Some folks say they can tell when I write at night. I bet they can.

People get more emotional when the sun has moved on.

I don’t have research to prove that it’s a fact of life.

I don’t need proof.

I have the Zen moon shining in the night sky.

Liz's Signature

SOB Business Cafe 06-01-07

by

SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking–articles on the business of blogging written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Seth’s Blog recommends that we choose a game plan to suit the game we’re playing.

Problogger discusses donations as an income stream.

Vaspers the Grate reviews the newest specialized search engine.

Alister Cameron, Blogologist shares his dreams.

All Things Workplace wonders if 9-5 is archaic.

Good Word Editing does the math, with Einstein looking it over.

Related ala carte selections include

Design Your Writing Life is suggesting we fess up.

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like. No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Successful Blog Meets Problogger! Join Us if You Can!

by

The Ann-iversary

On May 4, 2006, Ann Michael, left her first comment here. In a bit of fun, two weeks later, we started planning a trip together. The first place mentioned was Australia. As it turned out, we actually took a trip — to NYC to the Seth Godin seminar. We met outside our hotel, checked in and had dinner. We walked the city at night talking about life, and the next day went to Seth’s Seminar. That was last June.

Ann Michael was the first blogger I met in person.

So when Darren said, “I’m in NYC. Are you coming?”

I called Ann and said, “It’s been a year. We have to.” Then we laughed and started plotting.

ProBlogger New York Readers Meetup

On June 9th in beautiful New York City, Ann Michael and I are meeting Darren Rowse (and, oh probably, over 100 of his best friends) in a saloon called “Speakeasy.”

One year since we met to go to Seth’s Seminar and we’re going to a meetup to enjoy the famous Australian hospitality of Darren Rowse. Talk about kicking it up a notch! Is that cool or what?

It’s the official Problogger Meetup. Are you going to be there? The folks who went last time said it was incredible.

Here are the details.

ProBlogger New York Readers Meetup
Date – Saturday 9th June
Time – 7pm – 10pm (we might go on somewhere afterwards)
Venue – The Speakeasy (a party room at 442 Amsterdam Ave between 81st and 82nd St)
Cost – Free – thanks to the generous sponsors Chitika (they are providing some finger food snacks and a free drink to the first 100 people to arrive – don’t be late). All we ask is that you tip the bar staff and ‘be merry’!

If you’re planning on attending it’d be great if you could drop by the page to RSVP. While it’s not compulsory to RSVP it’ll certainly help Darren with planning for prizes and such.

Too fun! I get to be with the first blogger I met and meet the friend — legend, star, super human being — who’s always been there for me. To think I once believed blogging was only about writing.

Rowse and Strauss — they rhyme.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

The First Submissions: Your Blogging Metaphors

by

The Metaphor Project: What’s Your Blogging Metaphor?

When a nonblogger asks, “What is a blog?’ How do you answer? Have you tried using a metaphor? Would you mind sharing yours? A few bloggers have.

The first submissions are in. Like the blogs they come from, each metaphor is a unique representation of the writer. We see blogs almost everywhere. They are a County Fair. They’re underwater. They’re a line of koalas. Like life, blogging seems to lend itself to metaphorical explanation — maybe more easily than it does to a straightforward definition.

These are the first submissions to The “What’s Your Blogging Metaphor?” Group Writing Project. I’ve discovered some great new blog writers and fun ways to talk about blogs. Just look at the titles! Check them out and pass them along to your readers. The more ways we look at blogging the better we’ll be able to explain it when we need to.

Let’s find some more.

Because this project spread so quickly and not all links are making their way to me, if you’ve written a metaphor and you’re not on the list, please email me a link. If you’ve already done that before noon on May 31, please forgive me and send it again. (I had dental surgery yesterday . . .)

Be a Part of the Project

So, what’s your blogging metaphor? Join the project. There’s still time to be a part – I’ll keep adding to this list until June 5th at Midnight Chicago time (GMT-6hrs.) Here’s the original post for the background — the whats and the hows.

C’mon tell us. How would you explain blogging to someone who knew nothing about it? What’s your blogging metaphor?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

Questions to Get Closer to You: Question 2

by

Get Closer to You

This is a series of questions, I don’t know how many. They are the ones I ask when I help folks get closer to their personal identity.

Imagine it’s an ideal world three years from now. You don’t need money, only job satisfaction. What are you doing for a living?

I’ll answer first to get things started.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

Related
The Finest Way to Introduce Your Brand or Live a Life
Branding: 5 Ways to Help You Find Out Who You Are
Questions to Get Closer to Your Brand: Question 1
How to Be Alive and 10 Ways to Celebrate It!