Successful Blog

The Mic Is On: Let’s Talk About the Weather!

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It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

The Mic Is On

Here’s how it works.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

Weather Montage

Let’s Share Weather Stories. . .

We might talk about

  • Weird weather stories
  • Weather we love to experience
  • Weather that’s beautiful
  • How weather got in our way
  • How weather saved the day

And, whatever else comes up, including THE EVER POPULAR, Basil the code-writing donkey.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Open Mic 7pm Chgo Time: It’s About the Weather . . .

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Yes the Mic Will Be on Tonight

Join Us Tonight for Tues. Open Comments

The Topic is Weather!

It’s always a good topic – ever changing. We’re talking about weird weather stories. What about the time we sat in the car waiting for the rain to stop? And the time we were on a road trip and… Do you remember when we were camping and…

Oh, and bring a link to share.

The rules are simple — be nice.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Change the World: Don’t Hesitate to Ask or Offer

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The Power of Offering

Change the World!

We are all aggregators of what we bring into the world and what we experience once we get here. Some context:

I’m the only girl and the baby of the family. I have an older, older brother and a younger, older brother. They were 8 and 9 years old when I was a baby. . . . Yeah, I’m fiercely independent.

Besides that I’m second-generation American. My grandparents were all born in another country. . . . All around me, as I grew up, were messages that said, “Hard work never hurt anybody.”

I was shy and perceptive. . . . My social skills were a cross between a monkey and a Weimaraner puppy — intrusive, cute, and clumsy.

When I went to college, I was the only one who had carried my suitcase. That was the way the world worked. That world had worked pretty well for me.

That explains a lot; doesn’t it?

This morning a man I just met, Fred Zelders, reminded me of all of that with one sentence in his comment..

P.S. Don’t hesitate to ask for help.

Wow! Hit my head. What the heck had I been thinking? I love to help people. Why shouldn’t they get a turn too?

What Fred sent me when we talked minutes later was simpler and more elegant than what I had been planning.

That simple offer — one sentence — changed my world. It saved me hours and gave me something so much better. AND Fred is no longer a stranger.

One sentence.

Thank you, Fred Zelders, for offering. Thank you for your generosity.

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.

13.2 Glenda Watson Hyatt, published author

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A Life Changed by a Book

I'll Do It Myself Book Cover

Yesterday, Glenda gave us glimpse into the business she began as a web accessibility specialist, Soaring Eagle Communications, and she shared her feelings about a future filled with possibilities.

Our conversation, at that point, had turned to the how the act of writing a book had an effect on Glenda’s life.

Glenda, as a publisher, I know that the book we start is hardly ever the book that gets written.

What was the most unexpected thing you found while writing your book? How did the book change? How did the book change you?

When I first began writing the book several years ago, I envisioned a collection of short stories and memories from my life. I then found myself filling in the gaps between the memories. The book evolved into my autobiography, or, at least, the first installment! The book cover also changed, thanks to Nancy Cleary of Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing. I had designed a simplistic cover, which she turned into something amazingly beautiful. I was emotional the first time I saw it.

Once I started telling people that I was writing a book, I was surprised by the support and encouragement that I received, even from people I did not know. One such person is Debbie Fierst, of Logical Imagination . who generously volunteered to edit my manuscript. I was also surprised by the number of people who would like to write a book, but haven’t made it happen for a variety of reasons.

My book I’ll Do It Myself confirmed to me that I am a bona fide writer and that writing is my gift, which I am meant to use and to share with others. I sense my book will continue to change me by opening new doors for me, and by taking my business/career and my life in a whole new direction.

I remember the feeling of seeing my words in print for the first time. How did you experience that feeling? Where were you when you opened the first copy of your book? What was the feeling and thoughts you had at that time? Have you captured them to call them up later?

Since I self-published, the boxes of books were delivered to my home on December 5th. I anxiously awaited their delivery until they finally arrived mid-afternoon. I was trembling with excitement and anticipation while the delivery man wheeled in the boxes in two loads. When I opened the first box and saw my book for the first time, a wave of emotions came over me. Thirty years of dreaming, preparing, researching, visualizing and writing became real in that moment. I had done it! My dream became reality in that moment. I had written and self-published my book. And they were beautiful! There were a few happy tears. I can only imagine that it is similar to giving birth and holding your baby for the first time. I captured the moment on my other blog.

Thank you, Glenda! I can identify with those moments. You made them real for everyone. That’s a writer’s gift.

See you tomorrow with another question.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
13.1 Meet Glenda Watson Hyatt
A 4-Part Series: An Interview with the Amazing Glenda Watson.Hyatt

How Many Truly Unique Blogs Can We Find?

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Only One — The Rest Are Imitators

Finding Ideas Outside of the Box logo 2

You are the only you. No one can be you better. Once you get you to your best form, no one can knock you off. They can only be a bad facsimile. What folks say is not approval — it’s only opinion.

Each of us is a unique and wonderful individual. That is the key to our personal branding.

I’m Looking for Unique Blogs

I’m looking for truly unique and wonderful blogs. The blogs I am thinking of are one-of-a kind, stand-out, nothing-like-it, wow-will-you-look-at-that. only-one, wish-I-had-that-idea blogs. Every blog in the bunch will be outstanding in its own way. Some might be

  • outstanding in content.
  • outstanding in thought leadership.
  • outstanding in concept and execution.
  • outstanding in design and production.
  • outstanding in style.
  • outstanding for a blog in their category.

You get the idea.

When you see a outstanding blog, you’ll know it because you want to tell other people about it. You really like the idea of going back with them to show them around. It’s a category of one.

My goal is to find 200 of them.

So Many Possible Responses

I have so many questions that could bring so many possible responses, I’ve made a numbered list for you to use in the comments If you use the number and the bold keyword that will help everyone reading along.

  1. If you know a blog like that — here’s your chance to show it off. Leave its link and yours in the comment box below this post. Let us know why you choose it.

  2. What you think my chances are of finding 200 of what I have described right here. If you hold no hope for me, tell me why you think I won’t succeed at this challenge.

  3. What qualities should I be looking for? What is a unique and outstanding blog? What does it take for a blog to be a category of one?

  4. What if I offered resources to work with you to turn your blog into a unique and outstanding blog? Do you think we could make one happen?

Your turn.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

13.1 Meet Glenda Watson Hyatt

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Glenda Watson Hyatt’s Virtual Book Tour

Glenda Watson Hyatt's photo

It was the photo, Glenda’s photo, that led me to write to her.

After Wendy suggested that Glenda would be someone Successful Blog readers would love to read about, I went over to Glenda’s blog. I poked around a bit. I read some posts about Glenda and her book. Then I did a Google search, and I read a few other interviews from her Virtual Book Tour.

But I kept coming back to the photo at the top of Glenda’s blog. It was what I saw and what I felt in that photo. I’m right there when it comes to meeting someone who knows the feeling of joy.

Joy that’s what I saw.

Glenda Watson Hyatt has achieved incredible things. She made a life as an author with cerebral palsy, typing with only her left thumb — hey, becoming an author is no small feat for us with two hands to type. But that’s not why I introduce you to Glenda Watson Hyatt.

I want you to meet her, because she is a woman who has felt joy.

Hi Glenda! First let me tell you, one reason that drew me to write was your photo. I take photos of people very seriously. I look in their eyes. In yours I saw intelligence, but more than that I saw joy to match the smile on you face.

So, darn it, how are you? and who are you?

Hi Liz, thanks for the warm welcome and for conversing with me in this manner. This is great because the written word is my best means of communication. I’m awesome, and extremely busy with my virtual book tour, promoting my autobiography I’ll Do It Myself.

To introduce myself, I am Glenda Watson Hyatt from Surrey, British Columbia, on the westcoast of Canada. I’m married to a wonderful, supportive man Darrell. Faith is my four-legged feline baby. I am forty and am excited to have reached that milestone.

I have been self-employed for eight years; initially, it was out of necessity because job prospects for someone with a significant physical disability weren’t plentiful. I began my business Soaring Eagle Communications as a web accessibility specialist and several interesting projects in the field but the work was sporadic. Right now the Eagle is undergoing a transition and finding a new direction. I am seeing new opportunities everywhere and I sense the Eagle will soon catch an updraft and soar to heights unimaginable.

Despite my cerebral palsy, I have lived a fairly full life. I focus on what I can do and what I do have; so many have much less than I do. I believe in possibility thinking and making things happen for myself. I am in a point in my life where life is good and I truly believe the future is mine.

Thank you, Glenda! You are awesome! See you tomorrow. I can’t wait to hear more.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
A 4-Part Series: An Interview with the Amazing Glenda Watson.Hyatt