Motivation Archives - Page 101 of 146

Are You Convinced or Persuaded?

November 6, 2007 by Liz

Taking on New Information

When I was younger, it worked like this . . .

Someone would pose an idea or concept that was foreign to my thinking or my experience. I would have to be convinced.

I would mentally sit back and make the other person prove the validity of what he or she had to say. While I listened, I would analyze and evaluate. It was all clever thinking, helping by shooting holes in an argument.

These days, I go for this . . .

Someone poses an idea or concept that is foreign to my thinking or my experience. I ask him or her to persuade me.

Mentally I move back and forth both trying on and looking at the new idea. Even when I’m not qualified with experience or context, I can evaluate the strength of solid thinking well enough to know who is.

Which method do you use? Are you convinced or persuaded?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Change the World: Talk and Move

November 5, 2007 by Liz

People Only Do Two Things

A week or so ago, I was talking to a brilliant man, David Bullock. I’ve worked with Dave and know him as a friend. He’s a positive force who makes things happen and shines a light on people while he does — which, of course, makes him an attractive person in so many ways. Dave is a brilliant guy — the sort I like to share with my friends.

In fact, that’s what we were talking about . . . I was inviting David to speak at SOBCon08 in the Spring. During that call, Dave made the most profound observation. He said something like this

I woke up this morning, and I realized that people — even the high and mighty — only do two things . . . talk and move. I looked in the mirror and said, “I can do that!”

Boy, did I like that thought!

Boyhowdy, did I like the smile in his voice when I heard that!

He got me smiling and standing taller too. I still am.

So as I head off to BlogWorld Expo, I’m going to talk and move . . . and I’m going to watch what other talkers and movers say and do.

Go ahead talk and move yourself. You already know how.

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

Dots that Dream

November 4, 2007 by Liz

Connecting dots with The Idea Dude

My intent this week was to talk about thinking and finding new thinkers. I asked myself what do thinkers do when they think? Sure, they assimilate a lot of new information from around them and they come up with new ideas. But how do they do that?

I believe a lot starts with a keen sense of possibility. They ask themselves what if? and why not? and in the process a new thought is born. That idea emerges from imagining, not the impossible, but the possible. Watch a child play with Lego blocks and see how things are built as they see it. No-one told them it was impossible so they did it.

To dream is to imagine our own possibilities

So what is dream but an imagination of our future sparked by our sense of possibility. Yet so often, we are stereotyped by those around us, telling us it is foolish to dream and to survive in the real world it is all about execution. But without the dream, there is no vision and without vision, how will your execution get you there?

Dreaming other people’s dreams

Liz asks Why is it so hard for us to believe?We can believe that the other guy will win, but not us. He will be the President, the rock star, the artist. She will be the CEO, the actor, the international lawyer. But it never crosses our mind to aspire to that path.

Are you afraid to dream?

Joel says…what if we started to dream our own dreams? You and I might change beyond all recognition.

Empowered by our imagination

Jennifer asks us if we have a dream within and reminds us that Everything that was ever created by humans was first imagined. What can we imagine?

Keeping the strength to dream

Terry was inspired by a line from an Elvis song. But as long as a man has the strength to dream, he can redeem his soul and fly

Need I say more?

Dream on.

May the dots be with you!

Vern, The Idea Dude

Click here to see more dots we connected

TOO Busy? Find Out in Less Than a Minute

November 4, 2007 by Liz

Got Less Than a Minute?

Sara asked, “Are We Really That Busy?”

Are we?

We seem to have so much to do and so little time.
We don’t even have time to think about the time we don’t have.
It feels dangerous, but if we stop, we’ll never catch up. . . .

Are we TOO busy? Are we squandering the time of our lives?

It’s easy to find out for yourself. Let’s have an experience. It won’t take long, I promise. After all, it’s about being busy. This simple test will only take as long as you’re willing to invest in yourself. You can do it in less than a minute.

Take the Test

Ready? Will you try this? I’ll give you two links. For each link, follow these quick, simple steps.

Read the word that is the link anchor text as you click the link.

Put your dominant hand on your forehead as you look at the site you land on and say the link anchor text word 3 more times.

Leave the site you land on when you feel you’ve gotten what you need from it.

Ready? Here are the links.

Link 1 anchor text: time poor

Link 2 anchor text: time rich

Decide for Yourself

Well, what do you think? Really. After all, as we think, so we are. [that concept predates our calendar The words we choose affect how we think and the way we perceive our lives.

Were you too busy to even click the links? What does that say about how you value your time?

If you did click the links, which made you feel in control of your life?

Are we really that busy?

OR do we only think we are?

Coffee Cups, People, and Magic

November 2, 2007 by Liz

about magic.

Last November I found journal on a bookshelf in my hallway. It was 10 years old.

In a short passage, I’d remarked on how I overlook my coffee cup, though I interact with it daily. I thought about the people I overlook in the same way.

I wrote about that last year, about what happens when I remember not to do that.

I listen now. I listen. I’ve learned that magic happens when I listen. That people show me, tell me wonderful things about themselves. It’s as if they wait for someone who values what they say and then, they bring out their gifts and give them freely.

I look at my coffee cup. I used to think it was tool. Now I know it holds what I decide — a magic sweet as life.

This weekend I intend to listen with all my might.

Because I was right. Magic is sweet as life.

Seriously: Why NOT to Be a Thought Leader

November 1, 2007 by Liz

Before You Begin, Know This

Three thoughts collided in my head this morning. The first was the start of my third year on this blog. The second was that the Google algorithm change returned this blog to where it was ranked when I started two years ago. The third thought was a statement by a woman I’ve been friends with for almost a decade. . . . She started blogging about a month ago. This week she said,

I had no idea what you’ve accomplished. You’re considered a thought leader by so many.

I can’t see what she sees. I can’t be where I am and be where she is too. I sit at my keyboard, looking back at all of the words — typed and spoken — between then and now. I think about all of the people I’ve talked to . . . in the comment box, on the telephone, at conferences and meetups, in coffee shops.

I think of their lives, their time, my life, my time, and I realize that content has been important, no question, but it hasn’t been king. Conversation with real people always will be.

Now this morning, I realize . . .

Real conversation uncovering new thoughts isn’t about keywords or searchable content. How could it be? . . . folks can’t search for truly new ideas.

Seems a good reason NOT to be a thought leader . . . new thoughts aren’t searchable.

If search is what you value . . . like I said, it’s about the conversation to me.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!