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Change the World: Talk and Move

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People Only Do Two Things

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A week or so ago, I was talking to a brilliant man, David Bullock. I’ve worked with Dave and know him as a friend. He’s a positive force who makes things happen and shines a light on people while he does — which, of course, makes him an attractive person in so many ways. Dave is a brilliant guy — the sort I like to share with my friends.

In fact, that’s what we were talking about . . . I was inviting David to speak at SOBCon08 in the Spring. During that call, Dave made the most profound observation. He said something like this

I woke up this morning, and I realized that people — even the high and mighty — only do two things . . . talk and move. I looked in the mirror and said, “I can do that!”

Boy, did I like that thought!

Boyhowdy, did I like the smile in his voice when I heard that!

He got me smiling and standing taller too. I still am.

So as I head off to BlogWorld Expo, I’m going to talk and move . . . and I’m going to watch what other talkers and movers say and do.

Go ahead talk and move yourself. You already know how.

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

Change the World: Decide

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The Universe Will Not Be Thwarted

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Once upon a time, I had the coolest job in the world. I worked with the most incredible people. They were smart and their hearts were in it. No one was looking for the negative. We were building a special little company. The little company was soaring. It’s customers were smiling. Then the owners decided to sell it.

The new owners were playing Monopoly. Our little company was one more property on a board game. The new owners couldn’t see what made the little special. They made decisions that hurt the little company. They starved the goose and the golden eggs stopped.

When I realized that the little company would never be again, I recognized the feeling. I told a friend, “I don’t want a new puppy. I want the puppy that died.”

He said, “Mourn if you like, but not forever. I’ve been to the mountain, and I know this: The universe will not be thwarted. Commit to a new path and it will take you where you want to be. ”

Well, that poor universe, for the longest time, it didn’t get any help from me. I went off in some direction, but my heart wasn’t fully with me. think I was still wishing for that poor long-gone situation.

But my friend’s sentence never left me. “The universe will not be thwarted.”

Himalayan explorer W.H. Murray said the same thing.

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.

I decided to change the world. I quit hedging my bets to protect myself.

Things happened that same week — happy accidents and offers. The universe opened a road to my dream.

They’re still happening.

Living in the past is not the way to a future.

Commitment is.

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

Change the World: Find Forgiveness

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The Past Is Gone

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WE charge in . . .

We come into life screaming for air and, we fight to prove we belong here. Along the way, little and sometimes big hurts happen. Some were intentional. Some were accidental. Probably a number were entirely in our imagination. Yet, our need to stay meaningful almost leads us to find something meant to belittle where something else entirely might have been going on.

. . . armed with protection . . .

We go to the negative as a defense. A grandmother doesn’t to speak to a fully grown son. Her anger is about times before he was born. We lay the deeds of a villain who escaped at the door of a hero who stayed. The first wife lied. . . . The last boss was a fraud. . . . Deep inside we’re not just protecting, we’re waiting for the bad guys to return with the answer to Why?

. . . unconsciously waiting . . . deaf and unseeing.

And that unconscious waiting is a sort of self-harm.

What if we changed our ways? What if we changed how we see who we are?

from Find Forgiveness by Tommy Henriksen, Selected Songs For A New Beginning

. . .
Can you look into my eyes and tell me why?

Find forgiveness. The past is gone today.
Are you willing to learn and change?
I see myself changing all my ways.

Forgiveness

And the tears that fell are from you
Waters from my soul

Can you look into your eyes and tell yourself why?

Find forgiveness. The past is gone today.
Are you willing to learn and change?
Can you see yourself changing all your ways?

Forgiveness

I was wrong in your eyes.
You know God and I see.

Can we give it one last chance . . . for all of us?
. . .

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

Change the World: Be Wisdom Defined

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Begin

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Yesterday I wondered about What it means to be wise? I’m still wondering. . . . I’ve been wondering about that most of my life.

“I came to this city a brave and broken girl,
determined to search the world
for some kind of wisdom. . . .” –Christine Kane

Christine searched the world. So did I.

Pamir quoted that the “Tao that can be spoken of is not the Tao.”  Wisdom lives deeper than words. I try the idea on for size. Every cell of me agrees.

Aruni said, “Wisdom is a never ending journey fraught with joys, pains, ups and downs because without those experiences they cannot connect and share with others.” How loudly this resonates. When folks have called me wise, it has been when our spirits have met around an experience — our minds merely translated for us.

So it seems, when people use the word wisdom, it has had little to do with intelligence and everything to do with humanity.

Wise folks I know are intelligent hearts. They are not part-time wise. They never forget the people involved when they look at the bottom line. I feel wide open trust when I think about them. It’s a soft smile to recall their faces.

I searched for another words to describe what I meant — acumen, astuteness, balance, brains*, caution, circumspection, clear thinking, common sense, comprehension, discernment, discrimination, enlightenment, erudition, experience, foresight, good judgment, gumption*, horse sense*, information, intelligence, judgment, judiciousness, knowledge, learning, pansophy, penetration, perspicacity, poise, practicality, prudence, reason, sagacity, sageness, sanity, sapience, savoir faire, savvy*, shrewdness, solidity, sophistication, stability, understanding –Thesaurus. com

Not a one is worthy of the people I call wise.

Maybe wisdom defined is unconditional love and understanding.

Imagine if we aspired to be wisdom defined.

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

Change the World: Think Unthinkably

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Life-long learner — we no longer have a choice about that.

I came to write, I had learn to code a link. I bought a phone. I had to learn to program it. Every thing has learning expectations built right in.

At times those new things, that learning, can seem an overwhelming burden. How can we learn it all and still keep going forward with what we’re supposed to be doing? Has reality become one of super-human exceptations?

I can’t walk on water or move the sun. I can’t be in two places at once. I don’t know anyone who can.

Do you?

Once I felt that way and wrote it down. An angel named, Kelley Bell, helped me out. She thoughtfully rearranged my burden.

“I wanted to ask everyone, What do you want from me? I can’t walk on water.”

LOL

And over on my bloggy, I just posted a thing about atoms. They are not solid. Just energy and empty space.

So what is holding us all in place? What is solid?

If a chair is just atoms, which are just energy and empty space, like water, then why can one hold us while the other can not?

Quantum Physics teaches that energy is not a thing, but rather, just the probability of ideas.

Therefore, Ideas Create Reality.

and if all this is true, then why is it so unthinkable that someone who BELIEVES she can walk on water

actually can.

Think unthinkably.

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

Change the World: Solve a Problem about Problems

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It’s a Problem

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I’ve been looking at the problems I’ve faced down, moved around, and crawled over. Something stands out as more interesting than their causes or how they were solved.

Every time a problem arose, I argued for it. I had to prove it was a problem.

In my effort to define what was going on I would tell someone about what a problem it was.

People would talk about solutions. I would think, “You need to know why this REALLY IS A PROBLEM.” I needed the listener to see that before I could move on.

Now it dawns on me that I’m the one who wasn’t seeing. What useful reason could I give for convincing someone (and myself) that what I faced was a problem? Isn’t that just a way to make the situation look and feel worse before I take it on? I can’t imagine how such a habit must have colored my response.

I want future irritations, change of plans, and issues to be on notice. I’m no longer advocating for you to be promoted to problems. You’ll be staying little things from this moment on.

I quit arguing on behalf of problems. I’m getting on to the solving part instead.

More time, clearer mind, less stress . . .

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