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Change the World: Social Media and Time

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Renewable Resources

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This morning I was writing the sentence, “Time is our truly unrenewable resource,” when a Twhirl update popped up in the corner of my screen. I was hard not think about the time so many people spend on Twitter, doing business, being social, letting off steam.

I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if we took a mere 1% of that total time to simply add a comment to this question about using social media?

What Advice Would You Give to Women in Africa About using Web2.0 Tools to Advance their Work?

Speaking as an educational publisher, I know that those of us who have time to live social media could contribute intuitive detail that those who teach don’t always have time to collect.

We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

Change the World: Be a Leader on Your Path

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March to Your Own Drummer

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When I was a child, people said I marched to a different drummer. It was said with a bit of love and a forgiving smile. The implication of such a condition was a sad prognosis. It meant that I would never get where folks were supposed to go or that it would take me a hard long road to arrive there.

I’m not sure that I really followed that different drummer. Seems I ended up in a life much like most others. I didn’t take nearly the risks that I might have, nor did I reach for the rings that dreamed of. Secretly I thought those dreams meant for other people.

I’ve come to realize that we’re all leaders who have been following someone else’s path. First in school we learn to lead inside their corridors and conventions. Then in the work world where a veer to the left will get a bad review or an escort to the door with no thought of returning.

We’ve been trained to change ourselves to make ourselves fit into the cars that drive us to the buildings where we work in the jobs that we study for so that we have the right skill sets. And we wonder every day if who we are is good enough to be there. It’s the dilemma of the square peg worrying that someone will find out it doesn’t belong in a round hole.

I guess I finally fell in step with that drummer, because now I show people how to live and work their passion. It’s an amazing thing to see the change when they realize they can be exceptional and make a living.

What if we all fit jobs to ourselves and best skills instead trying to fit us them? Wouldn’t we be outstanding performers? Couldn’t the world use some original thinkers who brought their best to solve the hardest problems? I’m thinking that we would see that sort of work as noble, invigorating, and productive.

What if we became leaders on our own paths following our own drummers?

How could bringing our best be anything less than outstanding?

We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Change the World: Be What You Need

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It Was a Decision

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My experience is that each of us has a time when someone has treated us unfairly. It’s what we do with those occasions, those stories, that make our lives and maybe change the world.

Not long ago, a friend told me about someone in his past who hurt him terribly. The person said my friend’s work, his life, and his being were worthless and cheap. I’ve never met a person who had no worth. If I do, I’m sure he or she would look nothing like the man who told me this.

At first, I wanted to help. Then I realized the story had happened over 20 years ago. Instead, I asked how that event had affected his life.

He said, “I decided I would be sure to show people their worth.”

Wow! Fix a hurt by being what you need.

We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

Change the World: Be a Bridge

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Head, Heart, and Meaning!

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I arrived home from nine day journey, thinking about all of the ways we move forward and around in our lives. Some ways are reflective, slow, and private.

horse and carriage by Andrew Dubber

Some take us to a crossroads that require a decision in due time.

Some transport us over calm or troubled waters.
Wacker Bridge by Wendy Piersall

But the best parts of the journey are when we have friends, offering their experiences and insights. They offer hope when we’re on the darkest ride. They’re like human bridges as we move through our careers and through our lives.

Bridges make roads seem more worth traveling. They can shorten a journey or offer a chance to think about where we’re going.

Bridge by xch.hu

Bridges can offer a lighted way to the other side.

After nine days traveling to see people I’ve met here and people who’ve never been to the blogosphere, I look at the Internet with new eyes. The interwoven content, context, and human relationships of the blogging Internet is network of bridges.

We were all new here once . . .

If we could offer an irresistible invitation, a sweet introduction, and a lighted bridge, people who never dreamed of talking might connect in a conversation that was more than meaningful and more than right.

We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

Image sources: Andrew Dubber, bjmccray, Wendy Piersall, xch.hu (see alt tags)

Change the World: Find Rock Bottom

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changetheworld8

I was on my way to a post by Cath Lawson I read yesterday. I Googled her name to get there. The post that came up first had a great headline.

Sometimes You Need to Hit Rock Bottom

I’ll wait while you read it.

I know few things about hitting rock bottom. Haven’t been there recently. Don’t plan to go there again ever, but I’m sure glad I made the trip. I was just turning thirty . . .

Losing everything isn’t the worst thing. It was the best thing that happened to me. With all of the “stuff” gone, I was left with me. That made it easy to see just who I was and who I was not. Even better than that, I learned a secret. People liked being around that person — broke, flaws, and all. Losing everything got me to build a new foundation on what I believed to replace the one I had built on other people’s voices. Why not? What were they going to do? Take all of my money? I had none.

I don’t wish you ever lose what you need to make your world function. But I do wish you the joy of security based in who you are not in what you own. It’s a new way of belonging. Rock bottom means that you’re standing on stable ground.

When we belong, we can make things better from just being a part.

We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

Change the World: Joy!

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See the Joy of Learning!

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Ah, how we’re all waiting for spring time. I remember how I used to wait to break out my bike for that first bike ride. Even before the streets were quite clean and ready, I’d be watching for just enough sunshine.

For some reason, I needed the sun to fuel my feet so that I could push the pedals.

When it finally came I’d be off exploring, learning, becoming — filled with the joy of living. I start asking whether I could help the neighbor lady pull dandelions or whether sweeping her walk might be a good thing.

Even as a children, we seem to know that the best way to learn is to jump in and participate. And good things would always happen, when I gave a little to a cool project. Thing was that I had to go out to find them after a long winter hibernation.

The payments were good feelings, learning, smiles, and joy.

Joy is still a word well worth sharing. Go get some by giving some away.

We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss