In honor of Liz Strauss, the fabulously sticky writer and queen of relationship blogging, Lisa Gates of Design Your Writing Life and Phil Gerbyshak of Make it Great team up to offer this first-time-ever interview to talk about Liz’s impact on the Relationsheep factor and what it’s like to have Liz inside your computer.
Liz asked: “sent something about a successful and outstanding thing that happened in YOUR life.â€
There is a well-known biblical parable about Talents (an old currency), which still is true. (I’m sure you know the story, otherwise, read it here)
The one servant who didn’t use his talent angered his master. Moral of the story – in the most simplest way: if you have a talent you have to put it to good use.
But in order to do just that you have to know, realise, recognise what your talents, strengths are. And that’s the most outstanding single fact that happened to me this year.
Beginning this year, through a publication of the Gallup Organisation, recommended to me by Kent Blumberg in a mind-blowing way I recognised those characteristic of myself others had already discovered as my strengths. Mind-blowing in a way that I first didn’t believe the results of the test.
the talents/strengths I have to put to good use to the best of my ability.
What’s funny though is as soon as you realise and recognise those unique personal traits everything seems to shift into place.
You suddenly realise why those tasks/jobs where you can work to your ‘strengths’ are the ones you can never get enough of, those are the ones that almost always seem to give the best result, the most success. You feel, become more complete as if everything fits together – at least that’s my experience.
But there is more. Relationships start to shift too, for the better. Specially with those persons who had long before you even had the slightest inkling realised and recognised your talents and strengths. They almost let out a ‘sigh of relieve’ – finally!
As soon as you realise and recognise that what they had already noticed, the relationship changes. It becomes a two-way-traffic of unconditional trust and belief. Traffic in combined efforts, supplementary talents where 1 + 1 makes 5. Isn’t that a great ‘return of investment’ on the currency Talent?
The best examples I can give are the (increasing amounts of) projects I’m working on/for together with those very special persons.
And my circle of special persons is growing.
Sometimes the more I ponder about it and the more I reap and share the fruits of it, the more mystical it feels.
I’m fine with that.
Mystical has its own place between heaven and earth.
Karin H. (keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)
Start Stop
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The party is Oct. 24th! Come for the surprises! Bring a link to your success!!! 
This week marks the 2nd birthday of Successful Blog. So this post is about one very special dot, Liz. You can always tell if something is said from heart, like a fundamental truth, it usually stands the test of time. So I went on a time travel. Two years ago as she took over successful-blog, Liz asked, What do you think I should know about you? It was her way of making space for a conversation. Today, the tagline may have changed a little, You’re only a stranger once, but the fundamental nature of Liz remains the same… her perpetual curiosity about the world and all of us who live within it.
It’s no wonder, one of her all-time favorite posts would be her invitation to all of us to please take the keys. Ask her why?because the conversation in the comments is a naked education in blogging and the beauty of community. In her own inimitable way, Liz has forever changed the way we blog and the way we read and interact with blogs.
Pam tells us it’s important to celebrate, just take some time to celebrate you and all the wonderful things you bring to the table. Oh, and the nice thing, celebrating does not have to cost money, it does not have to take up too much time…. I think Liz would view this celebration as a celebration not of just Liz, nor just you, nor just me but of US. We should all celebrate successful-blog because we all helped define it in some small way. We were all part of the conversation and continue to be.
Gidge received the most beautiful birthday note ever. It said I just can’t wait to see what you are going to look like tomorrow, next week, next year, in 50 years. But I’m pretty sure I already know. I can’t wait to see what this blog will look like tomorrow, next week and next year. I’d bet the farm that many of you feel the same way too.
Gidge also shared a wonderful quote from a silly ole bear
If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you – Winnie the Pooh
May the dots be with you!
It has very little to do with intelligence and everything to do with humanity…
Liz said this when she was wondering a week ago about what it meant to be wise. I thought about how I viewed others as wise. It wasn’t because they knew 1+1=2. That’s because they were smart. It was when they took my problem and helped me look at it in a different way and in so doing showed me the path that was obscured because of me. They didn’t have to have a solution already or have lived that problem before. They simply knew how to look at things a little differently and in doing so taught me more than I could learn alone. They were wise. Liz also said…
Maybe wisdom defined is unconditional love and understanding. . . .
Chris talked about trust and seeking advice. Mike nailed it in his comment to Chris …to lead us either out of our current situation, or into a better one – they must first come to where we are and take our hand.
Perhaps wisdom is seeking the unknown rather than the known. . . .
Phil reminds us that wise men ask great questions. The conversations I’ve had with great friends/mentors/advisors were always those where they never stopped asking me questions even though they were uncomfortable ones but always done with heart. They somehow knew that until they understood how I got to where I was and where I wanted to go, they could not help me. But in doing so, we travelled down the path together.
Wisdom comes from unexpected quarters. . . .
Mathew has been a long-time proponent for comments on blogs. He says, . . . I think the “conversation†is part of what makes blogs so powerful (even if it’s more of an argument!) . . . Just as no meal is complete without dessert, no blog entry should be read without the accompanying comments. They add dimension, flavor and dare I say, wisdom.
Wisdom is accumulated over time. . . .
Jules said it best when she reminisced on when we believed we could fly and we grow wiser over the years. I don’t remember changing, it must have happened when I was asleep.
Since Liz inspired this post, it’s fitting she has the last words. . . .
We can change the world — just like that!
May the dots be with you!
Tomorrow will be Thanksgiving Day in Canada. Thanksgiving conjures up words like harvest, community, celebration, thanks . . . and giving.
Have you ever thought of your blog that way?
Every time we post, it is a gift. We determine what kind of gift we will be giving.
Gifts are meant to be free.
Free means no expectation that people will comment or link.
Gifts are voluntary.
We have no obligation to blog. Voluntary means when a blogger feels like giving.
Not everyone will like your gift.
A gift is not a contract to please. Voluntary means no obligation to receive.
While the act is immediate, the intent is timeless.
A gift posted now, could be read today, tomorrow, or 6 years from now.
That gift is a transfer of something from us to others.
What was it you were trying to say?
Gifts are given, not shared.
I used to think that blogs are moments and knowledge we share. Sharing somehow means we haven’t let go. Perhaps we should rethink. Are our words best shared or given without reserve?
A gift, no matter how big or small, is still a gift.
Appreciate the act of giving and the giver first, then enjoy the gift for its heart not for its value.
The best gifts are unexpected.
Perhaps it is why we continue to write and read. We find that story that inspires us, makes us laugh or, just as often, makes us cry. Little do we realize that those moments, in some intangible way, change our lives forever. Imagine you could erase every blog you read from your memory. Would you feel empty? Surely I would . . .
Then there is the reciprocity . . .
What is the harvest? the conversation, of course!
Blog posts are created in response to ours. Comments are left because we started a conversation.
This thankful dot went looking for dots to connect this week. Instead, of 1 or 2, I found the blogosphere. So rather than name a few,
This post is really for YOU!
You made me think . . . why isn’t every day a Thanksgiving Day?
May the dots be with you! . . . and thank you.
This cross-blog conversation that I’m having with Dawud is taking some windy turns and travels. Have you been riding with us? My last question to him was Do you see a difference between your online relationships and those offline — beyond the obvious physical differences?
Dawud didn’t take a breath before he answered. “Without a doubt!” He remarked on how easily he’s been getting to know virtual strangers in this virtual land. . . .
Then he asked me, What’s the oddest beginning to a relationship that you’ve developed through your blog?
I guess it would have to be the odd start to how I met Chris Brogan. I knew about Chris from the wonderful and insightful, people-person Ms. Becky McCray. One day, I read a post in which Chris talked about how we should extend the conversation to people outside our circle.
That struck a chord.
I picked up the phone to tell him . . . punched his number and waited. I got a message that said something like, “Hi, I often don’t get these messages. If you want to be sure to reach me, send a text message.” I thought it was ironic. The guy who said, “Reach out.” Was out of reach.
I didn’t realize that, he was at a conference at the time.
I figured I should be doing my real work and got back to it. It was April 26. SOBCon 07 was only 16 days away.
In June, Jeff Pulver came to town for a conference and a party. We met in the afternoon for a conversation. He graciously invited me to join his group for dinner. I waited at the restaurant. Jeff came in with another man. The man turned and smiled across the room It was a sharp, clever smile filled with playful mischief.
While Jeff checked on the reservation, the man came over to introduce himself.
“I’m Chris Brogan. You must be Liz.”
“Ah! Chris Brogan! You don’t pick up your voice mail.”
I’m not sure that I ever said a proper “hello.” [blush]
I’ll blame the smile . . . it’s killer.
Who’s the person that you’d like to meet?
Since this is a conversation, if you’re reading this, I’m not just asking Dawud the question, I’d love to hear your answer too, in the comment box below.
PS To Chris Brogan and to everyone, I’ll offer this song, “Hello, I love you. Won’t you tell me your name?”
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
One2One is a cross-blog conversation. Find the answer at dawud miracle on Monday. You can see the entire One-2-One Conversation series on the Successful Series page.
In Case You Missed It: Writing 06-13-07
