Successful Blog

My Relationship with My Computer and Myself

by

relationships button

Last night, my computer got tired, spent, and packed it long before I even had such a thought. It misbehaved in a way that let me know that it wasn’t going to cooperate one second more.

I suppose I’ve been pushing it over the limit. So many things these days are resouces sinks.

I don’t multitask anymore, but I often ask my computer to keep an extreme number of processes running.

Am I fooling myself? After all someone has to check in on what’s going on . . .

Today while my IT husband replaces what we think is a blown video card, I think I might spend some time offline working on my relationship with myself.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

The Top 7 Ways to Celebrate a Life Worth Living

by

Flowers_by_the_river_by_Liz_Strauss

On a Friday, I usually make sure I’m through my list, but this Friday I’m planning a new list. I’m making a celebration scheme — a way to hold my life close. I want to gather up this summer time to carry as clear memories to pull out when the weekends aren’t so welcoming or warm.

It’s easy to forget when I’m working that I’m working for a living. We only get 52 weekends and I plan to make this one a celebration.

I’m out to celebrate being alive.

The Top 7 Ways to Celebrate a Life Worth Living

Life. We either make every minute meaningful or it ticks by as a meaningless moment. Here are ten ways to see the meaning of living and hold to it long after summer gone by.

  1. Aspire! Aspire means to breathe. to breathe toward. Pull out those buried hopes and dreams. Plan and do something that makes you feel alive.

  2. Inspire! Inspire means to move by the spirit! Find a friend or two who see life as you do. Invite them to come along.

  3. Conspire! Conspire means to act in harmony toward a common goal. Plot a quiet celebration!

  4. Experience! Invite your senses. Bring favorites — foods and music — and go somewhere you can’t take your eyes off the view.

  5. Discover. Listen to how your friends have grown and as you talk listen to how you have changed in ways you haven’t had a chance to notice.

  6. Recover. Regain your balance by laughing, dancing, resting, playing, talking, singing, sharing stories, solving problems, being noisy, being silent, being human.

  7. Uncover! Look for what you value that you’ve been missing. See what you’re not seeing around you and in each other. Find a way to never forget.

What might that add up to?

I can imagine a great friend with our favorite tunes, wine, apples, cheese, and conversation by the north river where the flowers seem to float over the water on a lazy afternoon. Think I’ll call her now.

flowers_floating_over_the_river_by_liz_strauss.jpg

What will you be doing?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Related
The Top 10 Ways to Start Living Your Life
How to Be Alive and 10 Ways to Celebrate It!
Top 10 Ways to Become a Miserable Blogger
Desperado: The 7 Payoffs of Making Your Blogging Relationships Suck

Keep Listening

by

I've been thinking . . .

about talking and listening.

Ostrich_from_Geek_Philosopher

I like to watch people talking — people networking, people starting meetings, people in conversation. Last night, I was with a group of people who didn’t know each other, or who didn’t know each other well. I got to see how people said “hello,” and how they responded when that “hello” was answered. Some people seem to hear the response. Some people don’t.

During the evening a project was discussed with the group. Questions were asked. Some were answered. Some were not. Conversation continued in twos, threes, and fours. I was fascinated by who was listening and who was only pretending to keep track.

I was part of several conversations myself. Most were exciting exchanges. Passionate ideas were shared and possible plans were drawn.

But one man and I just couldn’t find conversational common ground. Whenever I tried to add to what he was saying, he came back with something that, to me, made my words sound out of place and wrong. I started focusing on my ideas and explaining more — losing track of him and myself.

Pushing my words didn’t inspire him to listen. Did I think it would? Had I been thinking about such things at all? It was 10 minutes gone wrong. This kind of miscommunication doesn’t happen often, but it’s same every time it does.

I can’t force someone to hear me, . . . especially if I stop listening myself.

Does this happen in your life too?

Liz's Signature

Image: GeekPhilosopher

Inspiration When You’re Not Inspiring

by

Be Productive

Puppy

In a perfect world, I might find every day motivating. I might wake up inspired and inspiring, filled with energy and energizing those around me.

It’s hard to do some days, especially on Mondays.

But I’m learning. . . .

I don’t think I’ll ever hit the ground running when my uninspired self is in the building. I’m learning not to force things. When I push myself to be more than I’ve got with me, I somehow start pushing other people and pushing over things.

When I’m uninspired I walk slowly, make room for big thinking, and do something to improve while I wait for the idea machine. Accomplishing one thing — a clean space a new blog post — can be incredibly inspiring.

How do you get inspiration when you’re not feeling inspiring?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Image: GeekPhilospher – free photo

Watching the River . . .

by

They Were Just Watching

The taxi driver had left me off two blocks away from where I was going. No matter. I had the luck of a beautiful day and the good fortune of being early. The walk gave me a chance to take random pictures of a neighborhood I never visit. My destination was a blogger meetup at a small restaurant on the north river.

I got some sweet pictures of flowers that brought me back to gardens I tended. I took a few shots of skies and fences, and one or two of the river through the iron railing.

When I checked at the restaurant, no one was there yet. Minutes later I got a text message saying the group would be late — by about an hour. Time for more pictures.

The light was soft. The nearby fountain was showy. The gray day meant the riverwalk was peacefully free of too many people. I stopped to sit on a stone walk while I checked my email and my blog.

When I looked up I saw a couple at the rail watching the river. They weren’t talking. They had the companionable sweet silence of two people who know each other well.

Watching_the_river_go_by–by_Liz_Strauss

At the time, I didn’t find that particularly worth noting.

I didn’t compare their moment with where I was going.

They were watching a slow-moving river in complete relaxation — I was about to meet up with folks from the rapid river of online conversation.

Watching the rivers is as important as swimming.

Doesn’t seem we can find sweet companionable silence online.

Remember to find some time to just let the river go by.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!