Successful Blog

Plan Bs, Worse Case Scenarios and Positive Realities

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Can we Talk about

being prepared for the worst?

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I’m not sure what brought this up. Maybe it’s that life is so good.

I’ve been looking back at the things that haven’t worked out so well, and I realize what a contribution they’ve made to where I am now.

I made an accounting of every major diplomatic incident, dire catastrophe, and house that fell on me. I reviewed it twice, the same way that Santa Claus reviews his list. The conclusion I landed on is stunning.

When I look at what life has handed me, I don’t really need any more Plan Bs and Worse Case Scenarios. I can just pick from the ones in my history . . . I have plenty.

I’m free to concentrate on building the positive realities.

Liz's Signature

Dear Google, I'm the Relationship Blogger

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Dear Google,
It’s Liz.

I’m a little confused about our relationship. After two years, you dumped me from Page Rank 6 to a Page Rank 3.

I would have thought it was text-links I had — they’re gone now. I’m sorry. The world knows I’m not an SEO whiz, if I was one, I wouldn’t have 40-some categories in my sidebar. At least, that’s what folks tell me.

But you dumped my LizStrauss blog too, and it doesn’t have any ads and never did.

It’s disheartening when I think of how I advocate NOT GAMING the system.

You might remember when I said

Links and relationships are intertwined and inseparable to me. It’s about people and connections that last.

Did you misunderstand the SOB program after all of this time? Not all of these folks have all of the links you might expect, but they will, because they show the key traits of a successful blogger. I know they will because they write good content and they make good relationships.

Is it that I write creative entertainment sometimes? Isn’t that better than just regurgitating someone else’s content?

Everyone knows that a link exchange on this blog is out of the question.

I’m the kind of blogger who wants a relationship not a one link stand.

And then there was my personal stance on link trains and other valueless link posts.

Dear Emperor: A Test for Your Next Link Post

If the recent birthday party invitation to 646 blogs threw you, please know that it lived up to the “Dear Emperor” standard. So will the link posts like this first one that celebrate the links the party guests brought to show their most successful and outstanding experiences — a birthday only happens once a year. You can believe I’m checking them. I do that for you, for me, and for my readers.

So Google, that’s our history. I know you know me better. I’m the person behind the numbers. I don’t link promiscuously.

I’m the relationship blogger. I want folks to respect me in the morning.

Liz's Signature

Personal Integrity: Leadership and Taking Turns

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I've been thinking . . .

about taking turns.

It doesn’t take much experience to know that to be heard, you have to listen. Leaders know that. So do teammates and people who understand human nature. Relationships are an ebb and flow, a “give and get” kind of thing.

From childhood, I learned to take turns at being first, at choosing, at having the lead.

Now, I’m grown up and I’ve been thinking about that “taking turns” rule. It’s automatic. I take my turn and I step back for someone else to move forward. When I don’t I feel the world look at me. Is that best way?

I’ve been wondering for weeks now . . . should a leader stop leading because it’s supposed to be someone else’s turn?

Liz's Signature

Dots that Change the World

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On this very blog, Liz’s open invitation is for you to join her to Change the World. We often think we have to be presidents, rich or influential to do that. We somehow believe that often we’re too ordinary or too insignificant to be agents of changes.

Consider this… if the net effect of one man donating $5 million dollars is the same as 5 million people donating a single dollar, why should we feel our donation of a dollar be worth any less in thought or deed?

We can be everyday heroes.

All it takes is an act of kindness…

Is it a coincidence that two of Liz’s call to actions are together we can change the world and be nice? I think not!

Make it personal.

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Mary says it’s the little things that make a difference. Perhaps, in this hustle-bustle world filled with impersonal information, it is the personal attention, the personal contact, the personal encouragement that means the most.

Make time to acknowledge and encourage.

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Robyn relates an inspiring story of choice and explains why …naming specifics makes a difference when you recognize brilliance in action… and ..helps people to become more of who they’re meant to be.

The best place to start is within.

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Bob shares with us that any change, planned or random, involves a few key elements among them questions, fear and risk.. Those questions, fear and risk often leads to procrastination. I often have to remind myself, the question is not “what if I did”, but “what if I didn’t”… There is no change without action.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

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Matthew shared with us a speech from Queen Rania of Jordan. There is no better call to action for us to change the world. In a shrinking world, we cannot afford to ration our compassion. More than ever, our fates are intertwined – and our friendship must know no boundaries…we are the ones we have been waiting for

May the dots be with you!

Vern, The Idea Dude

It's About Real Life

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Yes, And He Had a Son

Russian and rainbow

So you’ve probably figured out. That my husband and I don’t live some high falutin’ city life style. I like to look out my window and see a lake that goes on forever. Yeah, that’s true enough. Whoa. But the rest, it’s about being alive, isn’t it?

The reason I love Chicago is because it’s all heart and soul. It’s all neighborhoods.

So last night when we went to dinner we met a young man, not young to you, young to us — ’cause we’re old. [I’m so smiling to think on it.]

Wow! It was real life. His son is three. He’s living to see his son grow.

How much more can there be?

Every color of the rainbow lives in the eyes of a father talking about his son, in the eyes of a mother talking about her daughter . . .

It reminds me of a song . . . the song is dated and old, the sentiments are timeless.

I hope the Russians love their children too. They do. I know. I know. Go ahead listen.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Thanks to Week 105 SOBs

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Successful and Outstanding Bloggers

Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,

and the right to call themselves
Successful Blog SOBs.

I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.

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They take the conversation to their readers,
contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.

I thank all of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on.
Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.

Should anyone question this SOB button’s validity, send him or her to me. Thie award carries a “Liz said so” guarantee, is endorsed by Kings of the Hemispheres, Martin and Michael, and is backed by my brothers, Angelo and Pasquale.

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Want to become an SOB?

If you’re an SO-Wanna-B, you can see the whole list of SOBs and learn how to be one by visiting the SOB Hall of Fame– A-Z Directory . Click the link or visit the What IS an SOB?! page in the sidebar.

–ME “Liz” Strauss