Successful Blog

Can You Get The Balloons to Joanna Young?

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Just a Little Monday Creativity

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One of the most exciting things about teaching young children is the creativity they bring to problem solving. It’s almost contagious what they see when you throw out a question that might have an ordinary answer.

Some of it is plain physiology, the abstract-thinking frontal lobe of our brain develops last. So until age 9 or 10, we not adept at separating real from make-believe — our thinking can range wildly through, in, and out partially real, partially fantastic solutions.

After age 10 or so, we understand what can be and what cannot. Some of choose to leave the fantasy far behind at that moment.

That doesn’t mean we’re no longer creative. We still are. Like recapturing another language we used to know, creativity is a skill that we can regain. We can even become highly fluent with a little practice at stretching ideas into new solutions — changing the ordinary answer to something “extra,” extraordinary.

Let’s do that. See these balloons?

balloons

How would this solve problem: You need to get them from Chicago to Joanna Young in Edinburgh by tomorrow.

Can you invent, stretch, or devise an extraordinary solution to the problem?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Check out Models and Masterminds too

On Suzie's Beach — Will You Try on that Comfortable Beach Feeling?

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Beach Notes While Suzie’s Away

gday logo

This morning as about to write something, I came across Suzie’s Beach Notes photo. Soon, I was walking beaches I’ve walked in Oz. I was thinking thoughts of the people I know there.

A beach walk is like grand music that fills me with space, light, and meaning. The feel of the sand under my feet, the expanse of the sky over the water conspire against any need to control things. Even wild stormy beaches make the world seem far more in control than I’ll ever be. It’s a reassuring, peaceful freedom.

Space to breathe, no noise, even the sailboats are made for sea — not for the people who sail them.

Every beach I walk gives me hope and calmness in my soul. It’s hard not to think that the world will keep turning when the water keeps returning. Sky, water, land . . . build a beach fire.

Last week Suzie walked this beach thinking about getting out of your comfort zone.

This week, I’m asking, Will you try on that comfortable beach feeling?

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Image: Suzie Cheel

A New Day Thought

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I've been thinking . . .

a new day thought.

On a Friday morning, I’ve been thinking about the wonder of a new day.
Like the sun, we can open our eyes on hours filled with opportunity.
With a fire behind us, we move into the morning spreading light as we move.

We can use that light to repair what was once broken.
We can follow it to a path that’s more true and familiar than the one we’ve been following.

We can warm the lives of the people we love in a short moment.
We can put a glow where a cold heart has been a dark and lonely space.

A new day is a chance to make a new way for ourselves and the world.

On this typical new Friday morning, I’m letting the old days and old pains fall away from me.

I’m only keep the new ones.

Central America sunrise by etstrauss

Image: etstrauss

Will you do the same thing?

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Seth's Book and Reaching the Reachable

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Reaching You

The Living Web

During my trip to the UK, I was rereading “Meatball Sundae,” Seth’s book about the New Marketing. Certain pages have become thoughts that I like to share with folks who are new to the blogosphere. Seth’s book is one that folks helps bridge the gap to the blogosphere through a lens they understand.

Of course, I was rereading Seth’s book for me too. I find every time I revisit a favorite book with a new problem on my mind, something I hadn’t seen before shows itself to me there. Once again, that proved true. . . .

My thoughts were on how easy it is to have ideas and build products without knowing how to reach the customers those products will serve. My instinct kept pointing to the folks who sit right at our doors.

Do we overlook the customers we already know? Or do we surround ourselves with people doing the same things that we do?

My memory kept returning to Dave Bullock’s declaration at SOBCon08, “You have the community and the relationships . . . I want what you have.”

While reading, I stopped at a passage from Seth’s book (also on his blog)that shone brightly like it was brand new.

. . . start making products, services and stories that appeal to the reachable. Then do your best to build that group ever larger. Not by yelling at them, but by serving them.

Dave and Seth were saying the same thing. Recognize what you already have. Reach out to the folks you know. Make products and services for them.

In response to that idea, I started Models and Masterminds, and it’s getting a fine response. (woo!hoo!)

Glen Stansberry and Leo Babauta have launched an ebook publishing house for the folks they know best.

Reaching the reachable also means keeping fresh and keeping up with them . . .

Roger von Oech has published this generation’s

A Whack on the Side of the Head!

What new offer have you made to the reachable customers you already know? Go ahead. Promote it here.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Check out Models and Masterminds too

Shine Even Brighter

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Even the Humblest Star Still Shines

Shine!

Just a few words, a reminder, that we’re all meant to be brilliant.

It happened recently — to a friend, to me, and to another.

A dark voice tried to steal light by making false and nasty statements. It’s a tactic straight from the playground. He’s never got past that, but we’re adults. We turned the channel.

As far as we know, the world didn’t appoint that one voice with the right to make public judgments based on no information.

Loud, dark voices can’t take your attention. So don’t give it to them.

Shine even brighter. Say thank you, and leave those dark voices to their playground. Shine until you remember the kids you knew who were even tougher.

Shine with the things you’ve accomplished and those you still will. Shine knowing that you’ll never need to make someone feel smaller to shine as bright as you are.

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