Successful Blog

A Tale of Outstanding Smiles

by

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

————————————————–

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

by

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

————————————————–

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"

by

Happy Successful-Blog Birthday!

from Kirk M.

————————————————–

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’

————————————————–

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!!!

Success in the Middle Position

by

Happy Successful-Blog Birthday!

from Glenda Watson Hyatt

Excerpted from I’ll Do It Myself:

I was slightly nervous as I entered the ring and bowed to the judges. But soon it was Devil Boy, my music and me. Everything else disappeared. It was a great feeling, one of complete freedom and independence. I was in complete control of the horse, and he was listening to me. I simply did my thing, with Devil Boy as my partner. I rode my five-minute program without a flaw, matching the length of the song, which meant I had paced myself well.

At the end of my program, I halted in the middle of the ring to bow again to the judges. Protocol says you exit the ring by riding to the wall and along the perimeter to the gate. Well, Devil Boy took the opportunity of halting to stand in a perfect show stance, with his hind legs out behind him. No matter how I squeezed my legs, kicked or said “walk on”, he would not budge. I suppose he figured since I had five minutes, he deserved a moment to show off, too. Despite what Regan had drilled into me, I finally yanked on the left rein and did an 180o Western-style turn and exited the ring.

Once the two classes were done, the officials were wondering how to get the wheelchairs onto the small podium for the medal presentation; a question that obviously had not occurred to them prior to this moment. Dad suggested that, since we were still on our horses, we simply ride in and stand in front of the appropriate position at the podium. Great idea! We would maintain the same level of independence for the medal presentation as we had during the competition. And the wheelchairs wouldn’t distract from the abilities that had been demonstrated on that beautiful afternoon. Perfect!

They told Dad to direct me to the middle position. Isn’t the middle position gold? I had won gold! Oh, what a feeling! What a high! I instantly forgot that I was melting in my wool blazer in the hot, mid-afternoon sun. I beamed from ear to ear for the rest of the week!

Glenda Watson Hyatt, Do It Myself Blog

————————————————–

Thank you, Glenda! You take success to a new level — always did!
Liz's Signature
birthday balloon The party is Oct. 24th! Come for the surprises! Bring a link to your success!!!

Easton's Something Successful and Outstanding

by

Happy Successful-Blog Birthday!

from Easton Ellsworth

Hmm, something successful and outstanding that happened in my life. . . .

I was in the high school choir all four years. I always desperately wanted to sing a solo but never had the guts to audition. Little by little, I beat back the self-consciousness and fear that kept trying to hold me back. Near the end of my senior year, I finally got those guts and tried out in front of my peers for a big solo in the last show. I’ll never forget the rustling sound of a hundred students’ arms being raised to vote for me. I got the solo. What that successful and outstanding moment taught me was that super hard work, persistently following a dream and giving life your best effort can lead to unspeakably sublime experiences and memories. Success is reared in struggle.

–Easton Ellsworth, Business Blogwire

————————————————–

Thank you, Easton. You have always been that good.
Liz's Signature
birthday balloon The party is Oct. 24th! Come for the surprises! Bring a link to your success!!!

Birthday Poetry from the Successful-Blog Poet Laureate

by

friends

An Ode to Successful Blog (and Liz)

by Joe

With such wonder two years ago I found
A New Blog that was friendly and conversations abound
It was inviting and different in this new place
The Blogger wanted to know each and every new face

As each new comment and bit of banter grew
The conversation, it wandered around and started anew
A bright idea Liz had one Tuesday Night
“Open Comments!” she said to everyone’s delight

From there, as before, as time went on
Another idea Liz had, it was S.O.B.con!
The year was ’07 and all were invited
including me, and I was just so excited

All the new friends I made that weekend
Helped improve my Blogging to no end
And a nudge in business, referrals I guess
Came about from my new friends all, no less!

It depends on how you measure Success
But my new friends ’round here have given me
Happiness!

Happy Blog B-Day Successful Blog!

and Liz, Just Stay The Way You Are… (hear the song?)

————————————————–

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