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25 Words of Work / Life Wisdom — Pass It On!

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Can 25 Words Change the World?

The Living Web

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 25 Words of Work / Life Wisdom Writing Project. Every selection was an example of the power of writing. When sat down to bring them all together, I wanted to make this one something special.

Thank you for your wisdom!

You shared thoughts about time, love, vacation, death, marriage, waiting, confidence, gathering, parenting, pain, contributing, adversity, beauty, customers, success, financial freedom, joy, open minds, blogging, fear, freedom, accomplishment, action, connection, balance, the past, the future, laughing, relationships, wishes, leadership, Twitter, writing, and changing the world.

Here’s what you wrote.

25 Words of Work / Life Wisdom

Click the single right arrow to move to the next slide. To embed this on your blog or share it with others, just click the “embed” tag on the viewer.

I checked twice to be sure I got everyone’s selection. But if I missed you please let me know and I’ll edit and add you in immediately. The 25-word authors are:

Karin H
Mark
Mark Goodyear
Lisa
stephenpreneurBhupesh Shah
Diana
DazzlinDonnaKaren Lynch
Courtney
RadiantWoman
EdKarl
Robert Hruzek
Ami
JP Rangaswami
Mark
Aaron Stroud
Terry Starbucker
spaceagesage
Claire Raikes Dennis Salazar
Brad Shorr
Mother Earth
Katie KonrathSuzie Cheel
Christine Taylor
Tom Volkar
Todd Jordan Stephen Smith
Peter Knight
Joe Hauckes
theFemGeek
Bobby Clark
Meryl333
Liz Williams
Lara Nieberding
David Taboada
Phil Baumann
Anant
John Cooper
Paul Downey
Paul WhitehouseLillie Ammann
Vicky H
Mark David Gerson
Eric Peterson
Jenny Mannion

Liz Strauss

Click here to view the full-size slide show on Picasa.

To embed the Picasa slideshow on your blog go to http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/getEmbed

Thanks to everyone who participated by writing or reading!

I’ll be updating this when enough new submissions come through.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Last Day of the 25 Words of Life / Work Wisdom Project

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Start with a Sentence End with a Thought

The Living Web

If you have tried to write something in exactly 25 words, you’ll find that the process is about reflection and changing.

Today is the last day to add your post to the 25 Words of Life and Wisdom Project. You’ll find the details and the submission at that link. What people written so far is truly inspiring and led me to these 25 words of my own.

A random twenty-five words
might not convey meaning or power.
Yet translating a thought
into precisely twenty-five words
can transform a thinker into a writer.

Some investment are valuable for the experience they bring.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Writing Project: 25 Words of Work / Life Wisdom

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Make an Observation

The Living Web

When I released my eBook, a dear friend told me what he would like to see is my inspirational writing. He’s a wise man, so I listened. Every day I find some time to go back through years of writing to find what of it still inspires me.

Yesterday, I found these thoughts — each expressed in 25 words.

pennies in a jar

I watch her
work tirelessly for others,
making withdrawals
from her emotional bank account.

No time for a deposit.
No wonder she feels without funds.

——

I watch myself
focusing intently,
giving my brain control
of my emotional bank account.

Time to stop and marvel
before my funds start running out.

I had this thought in 25 more words. . . .

Words measured carefully
tell how we use our life and our energy.

It took only 25 words to say
we need to love ourselves first.

Would you add 25 words of your own?

The 25 Words of Work / Life Wisdom Writing Project

Will you accept my invitation to put 25 words of advice or wisdom into a blog post? Here’s how you might go about it.

  1. Look for something you see too much or too little of.
  2. Write a sentence about it.
  3. Count the words you have written.
  4. Edit the sentence until you have 25 words exactly. Notice how your idea changes as you edit and how your feelings change with each rewrite.
  5. Add a picture if you can.
  6. Post your 25 words on your blog by July 19th.
  7. Link back to this post or leave a link to your post in the comments section.
    I don’t want to miss yours when I compile all of them.

It will be my challenge to a creative way to connect all of the ideas together. In a giant “25 words of wisdom” blog post, featuring what you wrote.

Are you in? Surely you have 25 words to spare for this one.

Click to see the SLIDES of what everyone wrote.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Generosity, Gratitude, Wisdom, and Fools

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Wise or Foolish . . . Which am I?

What a fool believes, the wise man has the power to reason away.
—Doobie Brothers

relationships button

My dad used to say, “A fool and his money are soon parted.” If time is money, I guess that counts for time too. So when generosity foolish?

Many are the occasions on which people ask, sometimes expect, us to help them. I’m speaking of naked requests from people we don’t know, asked as if we do volunteer work for them. I often wonder at this. I know we’re told it doesn’t hurt to ask. Yet, we’re also told to be generous first. I wonder why they haven’t heard that second part? It sure affects a first impression. Why don’t they see that a person’s time given to them is time that could be spent earning and enjoying family and friends?

Far fewer are the times when special individuals write to ask for help to accomplish a goal. They reach out with gratitude. Yes, the gratitude comes with the request. It’s only natural to respond with generosity. The fairness of this, I understand.

Some folks who call us a friend, love us like they “love” their favorite doctor. They value us while they’re feeling in need or unwell. Later they forget to say “thanks” in the way cured patients forget to pay hospital bills.

Other folks go out of their way to make sure that we know our generosity didn’t go unnoticed. These friends are always here with a smile and a kind word, even when they’re gone.

The fool in me believes that all generosity finds a way back eventually.
The wise person I am knows that could be a foolish view.

This week my son asked for advice. At the end of the call, he said a quiet, “thank you.”

The fool in me was grateful.
Gratitude is wise.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

What Makes Us Wise?

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I've been thinking . . .

about wisdom. What does it mean to be wise?

Liz-Strauss-September-2007-Sunrise-Lake-Michigan

Am I wise because I’ve known me for a long time? I know what knocked me down and what it took to get back up again. I can’t fool me. I’d have to do some serious choreography to avoid seeing the part I play in each. When I rise it’s because other people help me and when I fall it’s because I ignore them.

Is that wisdom or learning?

Am I wise because I’ll always reaching for my prime? I keep it out there on the horizon with the morning sunrise on the lake. It grounds me. I’ve realized that I’ve got one life to mold into a decent human being. It’s a big job to attend to with a universe of possibilities.

Is that wisdom or learning?

Am I wise because I know that incredible people are the only kind that I meet? Every person is wonder. Everyone brings something I can learn or make my own. It’s amazing — We are a university of humanity.

Is that wisdom or learning?

What makes us wise? Is wisdom something we only see in other people?

Does wisdom fade when we get closer?

Liz's Signature