Successful Blog

What We Have Is . . .

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A Successful-Blog Birthday Reflection

by Scot Herrick

maritalbliss– Scot and Kate

Today, Liz Strauss is celebrating the birthday of Successful Blog and she
has asked that we share with her and her community something that is both
successful and outstanding with us in our lives.

Well, it turns out that today is the wedding anniversary with my wife, Kate.

If I were to look at my life and figure out what is both successful and outstanding, the relationship with Kate would be number one on my list.

It was, of course, not easy getting to this point in our lives. There have been previous relationships that have not worked out. In both my wife’s and my life there have been the challenges, the falls, and the triumphs — everything that is wonderful, hard, and fleeting.

It simply prepared us for each other.

I have searched a long time for the right relationship. It has been said that I have been unwilling to settle and have been willing to start over with nothing to find the right relationship. I’ve always questioned — and admired — how people could really believe that they have found the
love of their life.

I don’t question that any more.

Tonight, Kate and I will enjoy a quiet anniversary dinner at a wonderful restaurant. In between the courses, we’ll again weave the story of our relationship — the triumphs, sorrows, and laughter — that continues to add to the foundation we have built together. We’ll wonder at how all of this came together; grateful and knowing how the past has shaped what we now have, knowing that we share the future.

We will have no regrets and great confidence in our relationship together.

Because what we have is successful and outstanding.

Scot. Cube Rules

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Thank you, Scot!
Liz's Signature
birthday balloon The party is Oct. 24th! Come for the surprises! Bring a link to your success!!!

What Is Success with Aloha?

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Happy Hawaiian Successful-Blog Birthday!

from Rosa Say

Ho’omaika’i ‘ana Liz, congratulations! Your blog has lived up to its name of ‘successful’ in so many ways, counted by all of us you mentor and lift with lightness and laughter.

In today’s common use in Hawai’i, Pono is a word often associated with being successful, for Pono means rightness and balance. It is significant to note that although the widely accepted Hawaiian word for success is the more literal holomua, Pono is the word chosen when complete success is acknowledged, because it is accomplishment born of a value, one of conviction and intention. To say “we succeeded” one would say “Ua pono kaua.” To say “we succeeded with our work” one would say “Ua pono ka kaua hana.” Holomua becomes the word of choice for improvement or progress, and the striving for more. Complete success is not true success unless it is Pono: there is rightness inherent in your achievement. It has not come at too high a price either; the personal truth of intellectual honesty triumphs. That is where balance comes into play, in the kaona, or hidden meaning of the word, and within personal integrity.

Liz, you have created a home here at Successful Blog for a passionate and provocative community of thoughtful people, and they aspire to their thoughtfulness in every comment left for you, because you are Mea Ho’okipa, the ever gracious hostess. Your success is indeed Pono, and one we all share with you in the spirit of aloha.

I have now established three different blog homes for the Ho’ohana Community of lifelong learners, and I think of my HC (of which you are part Liz, and all your readers invited) as one of the most meaningful, humbling and profound successes of my life. I know you feel that way about this community too, and I join you in savoring the wonder of this day. How blessed we are to know this feeling of outstanding success, that which is Pono.

~ Rosa Say, Managing with Aloha

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Wow, Rosa, Thank you! I couldn’t agree more.
Liz's Signature
birthday balloon The party is Oct. 24th! Come for the surprises! Bring a link to your success!!!

In the Annals of Mists of Blogospheric Pre-History

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A Successful-Blog Birthday Post!

by Robert Hruzek (posted from somewhere in The Middle Zone)

It’s a birthday party for Successful Blog, eh? Two years… wow, that’s practically ancient in blogging time! (Gee, it seems weird typing “Successful Blog” without adding a link. But then, presumably you’re, you know, already there, right?)

Hmmm… (sound of scratching head) how can I adequately express my appreciation to the kindest, most understanding, and wonderful person I know in the Blogging world today? (Sound of getting whacked on the forehead – which is why I have a flat forehead.) I know – I’ll tell you a story!

Once upon a time, far, far back in the annals of mists of blogospheric pre-history (which equates to about 10 months ago in real time), I first ran across a very special person on the Internet. Well er, no, I didn’t really, um, run over her (because, you know, that would be bad); I mean I discovered Liz Strauss and Successful Blog.

Now, not knowing that much at the time about blogs and blogging in general (I had been at it for about 7 months already, but hadn’t made much of an impact – but I was learning), I didn’t really understand what I had um, stumbled upon (and that was before somebody patented the idea!). But it didn’t take long to realize that here was someone really special.

Here’s just one example.

During one of the first few times I participated in Open Mic Night (Tuesday nights – be there!), I committed a big fat hairy flub (that’s a BFHF, for you acronym fans) – right there in front of everyone. And what’s worse, I didn’t even realize it at the time! (No, Silly, I’m not going to tell you what it was! Suffice it to say That Which Shall Not Be Named was an obvious and heinous breech of blog etiquette.)

Now, as you know, putting anything out there on the Internet is like engraving it in stone. It’s there for all to see – and pretty much forever…

So anyway, instead of slicing me off at the knees (so to speak), or flaming me (hey, I didn’t know Liz back then, and didn’t know that she would never) – no, the next day she sent me a private email and just came right out and asked me: “Hey, Robert, what’s with that?”

‘Course, yours truly here (nickname: ol’ “On the Ball Bob”) responded with my usual helpfulness; if I recall, it was something brilliant like “Er, duh, wha-?”

But when I went back and looked at the offending moment (preserved, as I said, for all eternity), it was pretty clearly something I wished I hadn’t said. (Oh, that my power of foresight was as good as my power of hindsight.)

Yikes! I felt about as tall as my F12 key, and my embarrassed response was immediate. “Oops! You’re right – it does come across badly! Please erase it, and thanks for letting me see what you see.” – or words to that effect (sorry; best I can recall, since some of the ol’ grey cells have taken early retirement…)

What impressed me the most was that it was such a kind way of responding! It truly brought home to me the importance of words and their meanings, along with lots of other great stuff, like clarity, honesty, authenticity, and (especially!) forgiveness on the Net.

In fact, besides the incredible support Mrs. MZM gives me (which is a LOT, bless her!), that one incident has meant more to my writing and personal growth than any other single lesson I can think of!

Having spent the last 10 months doing my best to keep up with Liz (do you really live in my computer?) I finally gave up and settled for just contributing when I can. The conversations, the Open Mic Nights, the support, the advice (and let’s not forget SOBCon!) – it all adds up to one very special lady, and one very special place!

Happy Birthday to Successful Blog! (And of course to you, Liz – a tip o’ the hat to you!)

Robert, Middle Zone Musings

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Thank you, Robert! This story is close to my heart and I so love THAT HAT!
Liz's Signature
birthday balloon The party is Oct. 24th! Come for the surprises! Bring a link to your success!!!

A Tale of Outstanding Smiles

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Smiles for a Successful-Blog Birthday!

from Karen Hanrahan

Smiles+ Smiles Back = successful

Not to mention it feels positively outstanding for all involved

Imagine me – sweet 16, in the swarming crowd at Disney. I was strutting my cute 16 year old stuff and decided to play a game. I smile at you, let’s see if you smile back. Better yet I smile at you and look you straight in the eye. Will you smile back in a more meaningful way? Odds showed if I smiled and looked at someone straight in the eye and waited for the reciprocal smile — it usually felt a zillion times better. Best part I was getting darn good at it.

My dad watching the spectacle from about 10 feet behind me, didn’t quite get the game I was playing. I didn’t realize that if I smiled at a guy that they looked at a lot more of me after they walked by. I was a real head turner. My smile got me in BIG trouble that day.

In recent times the smile has been a fake it until you make it strategy. The outside me can get through just about anything. The inside me is screaming. If I keep smiling who’s going to know. I discovered on my daily walks that a lot of people are not smiling these days. In my silly playful (am I still in here) kind of way I started to play the game again. I wanted to feel the smile again. I wanted to give it as a gift and when someone actually smiled back I would be successful and I would feel positively outstanding. So here’s the cool part. I am still darn good at the game and best of all no one is behind me, watching me play and not understanding the rules.

I can do whatever I want. (smile)

–Karen Hanrahan, Best of Mother Earth

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Thank you, Karen. We’re smiling back.
Liz's Signature
birthday balloon The party is Oct. 24th! Come for the surprises! Bring a link to your success!!!

Keep on Shining

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A Successful-Blog Birthday Wish!

from Mihaela Lica

And keep on shining! You colour our life each day, you give us strength to carry on, you make us believe that we have the power of the demiurges and we can change the world “just like that.” You inspire, encourage, persuade, influence, change, revolutionize, develop, unite and connect. The blogosphere would be poorer without you. Where are can we find such genuine dedication and love for the people? Where else such magic?

The words you send to our hearts, your questions and guidance, resonate with a power you are probably not even aware of. You touch peoples’ hearts in a way no words can really describe. You are not only special, you are beyond compare. And may God give you every day what you give.

Love,

Mig, Online Public Relations

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Thank you, Mihaela. You shine as much as anyone I know.
Liz's Signature
birthday balloon The party is Oct. 24th! Come for the surprises! Bring a link to your success!!!

Sailing with "Kirkness"

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Happy Successful-Blog Birthday!

from Kirk M.

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Sail On…

(written with “Kirkness”)

Happy Two Years and many more!

A ship sails through the sea, the wind fills her sails, she heels to starboard just a bit, her bow strongly cutting through the sea, dolphins leaping and playing aside both forward quarters and riding in her bow wave. The weather is fair this day with a following wind and gently rolling seas, the fates treat this small entity plying the waters in such a vast ocean with kindness and compassion as if acknowledging a kindred spirit.

Not all days have been as such on her journey. There have been storms where the she was tossed and turned about, all her sails but a very few reefed in tight in hopes of maintaining a semblance of control, she learned how to weather these storms to sail on and out into the clear warm skies once again. And then there were times when the winds and the waves were full of mischief and pushed her off course into unknown waters where she had to learn to find her way back. And she learned how to trust her instincts when the clouds took the sun and the stars away from her sight. And she sailed on.

Over the years she learned how to work as one with the sea and the winds, learning the ways of the vast world around her through which she sails and to sincerely appreciate the times when seas and the skies turned a fair face upon her ongoing journey. And she sails on because she has learned and is learning still. And through all her experiences good and bad she welcomes all aboard her decks with joy, kindness and compassion to share for a moment in the journey that’s carried her so far and so long. Appreciating each individual for who they are and taking them to all the wonderful places she encounters on her travels and telling tales of the places she’s been. And when these visitors leave it is almost sure that they will come aboard once again to share in the journey with her.

May the weather be warm and fair and may the winds fill her sails as she makes her way to her next experience and beyond. May she sail a following sea for all her days as she continues to take us with her on her most Successful and Outstanding journey.

Sail on…

–Kirk M., Just-Thinkin’

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Thank you, Kirk! We’ll keep sailing, even when we list just a little. 🙂
Liz's Signature
birthday balloon The party is Oct. 24th! Come for the surprises! Bring a link to your success!!!