"Golf without bunkers and hazards would be tame and monotonous. So would life."
-B.C. Forbes
"The more I practice, the luckier I get."
-Gary Player
"I'm hitting the woods just great, but I'm having a terrible time getting out of there."
I love what Zig Ziglar said about quotes:
"Great quotes make the light bulb go off in my mind. If you're like me, you'll jump at the chance to bypass all the churning and scoop the cream right off the top - that is what quotes are...the cream of our learning!"
1. Faith is taking the first step evenwhen you don't see the whole staircase.~Martin Luther King
2. Each of us will one day be judged byour standard of life, not by our standard of goodness, not by our seeminggreatness.~William Arthur Ward
3. The message is clear: plan withattitude, prepare with aptitude, participate...with servitude, receive with gratitude, and this should be enough to separate you from the multitudes.~Krish Dhanam
4. A winner is big enough to admit hismistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.~JohnMaxwell
 What the heck is a wall of gratitude? If you don't know the answer to that, you aren't listening to enough Zig Ziglar. This is something I have become very fond of. As Zig explains, this is a place of honor for the people who have influenced you in your goals and dreams and accomplishments. In his seminars and books he names many of the people that have made it to his wall of gratitude. The count as of the publication of Better than Good is 26 people.Over the course of the next few months, I will be periodically slipping in the names of those people who have earned a place on my wall of gratitude. I will also explain why. I will be listing them in no particular order.The first person I want to recognize is Luisa Buehler. Luisa is an author with Echelon Press, but she has become a dear friend to me for so many reasons.First of all is her character. Luisa truly is a kind person. She is extremely giving of her time, both personally and professionally. She is what Zig would refer to as a beautifully passionate person. Luisa is passionate about her work at The Hire Solution, a temporary placement agency that she owns and operates. She is extremely passionate about her causes and civic organizations. I honestly don't know anyone who gives more freely of their time to others in the community. I recall something about the Kiwanis, an early morning traffic rush, and peanuts. You'll have to ask her about that, I can't remember the details.But the one thing that has impressed me the most is her passion for her writing and publishing career. In spite of all her other activities, Luisa has published five books, soon to be six, and two short stories with us. She tirelessly works to promote and sell those books, and she does every bit of it with a wide smile across her beautiful face.When I met Luisa several years ago, I knew, and I said to someone else, that I wanted to be just like Luisa when I grew up. For more than five years now, she has listened to me, she has guided me through a few business crisis', and she has held my hand through prsonal crisis (most recently, Luisa was there for me with Mary Welk when I had an "episode" at Love is Murder in 2008--that episode was soon discovered to be heart failure). She is unfailing in her support.Most importantly, Luisa has supported and encouraged me with total honesty. If I come up with something and she's not sure it is in my best interest, she tells me. When that something is a great thing, she is always there to cheer me on, and usually works with me to make it happen.There is no better role model or friend than Luisa Buehler. For that she will always have a place of honor on my wall of gratitude.
More about Luisa Buehler
Web Site
Deadly Duo Blog
Twitter
FaceBook
LinkedIn
Books by Luisa Buehler
The Rosary Bride
The Lion Tamer
The Station Master
The Scout Master
The Lighthouse Keeper
The Inn Keeper
Tuscan Tall and Too Close for Comfort
Missing: Harry's Fall from Grace (Short Story)
© Karen L. Syed
 A good Blog is a wonderful gift. And those of you who know me, know that I love to get gifts. You can see that it started at a young age. Some things never change. I just drove a thousand miles to FL during the holidays to get my gifts from the family. And quite a haul it was.
But that's not what this post is about. I'd like to share a few simple suggestions to those of you who are reading my Blog and have Blogs of your own. I'm not lecturing, and I am definitely not telling you that my way is the right way, but I will tell you what makes me keep going back to t a Blog.
1. Content is key. I know Blogs are basically personal or professional journals, but lets keep in mind who our audience is. If it's personal, okay, but don't overdo it on the "too personal." I went to an author's blog once and she was explaining a very intimate situation that led her to be able to write the best sex scene ever. If I were her spouse, I would have been two steps past irate. Keep in mind that most blogs are public and people of all ages can read them.
2. Ease of subscription. I have noticed that I am RSS challenged. I'd like to say that I am brilliant and can figure anything out, but this is still puzzling me. So I am a big fan of the "Follow me" link. This is a wonderful Blogger tool that allows me to click on a link and automatically be following a particular Blog. This is a gift to your more technically challenged readers and will encourage us to come back. It also allows us to add you to our Blog rolls with a simple click. If I don't have easy access, chances are you will be forgotten.
3. Information is a bonus. For me this is different than content. I love to scour through the Blog rolls and links of interest on other people's Blogs. I have found some of the greatest Blogs and web sites this way. Plus, it allows me the opportunity to netowrk on a much wider scale. Don't be shy about the Blogs and sites you visit. Your surfing habits can tell inquiring minds alot about you.
4. Network, network, network! The most important thing about your Blog is to let people know where to find it. I keep a pretty close eye on how many people visit my Blog and where they come from. If I get a referral from another Blog, I add it to my Blog roll. It's my way of showing my appreciation. Don't be afraid to tell people to stop by. You never know who you will meet or what you will find. Some people say it is rude to put a signature in a comment on someone else's Blog? Why? Who made that rule? You don't have to write a book, but I say, just do it. I always sign my comments with my name and blog address. Straight and to the point.
See, that wasn't too painful, was it?
The Blog gift I got today. Tom Ziglar, the son of Zig Ziglar is now following me on Twitter. I am assuming because he saw my blog link in a comment I posted on his Blog. Now several people from his Blog have visited my Blog. How dang cool is that?!
So if you have a mind to, hop on over and check out Ziglar Pure and Simple. It's a pretty cool place and you can't go wrong with those Ziglars. Feel free to tell him I sent you. heehee
©Karen L. Syed
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What a wonderful concept; you've to a nice start creating your wall here. Thanks for sharing this idea.
Malcolm
Beautifully put, Karen. It got me to thinking. I'll have to follow your lead.
At the risk of making Luisa blush, I second your comments, Karen.
I am not good at remembering names of people I meet. Early in my affiliation with MWA, I met Luisa at a conference. The next time our paths crossed, she not only remembered me - she treated me like an old friend, and introduced me to others. (Uh, yes, I did forget their names, too. But not Luisa's.)
What an excellent idea, Karen! Thank you for sharing it with us.
I agree. What a great idea. I want to add/start a Wall of Gratitude for my own blog.
Couldn't agree more. Although I have yet to meet her, Luisa was so supportive when I first signed on with Echelon and KNEW NOTHING about being published or how to market my books. She was one of the authors who generously and patiently answered this newbie's questions.
(Not to mention she's also a great author!)
She sounds like a wonderful friend, and your wall is a wonderful idea too.
Shari
Everyone needs at least one friend like that! Gosh, must go adopt her. LOL.
Thanks for sharing,
Dani
http://blogbooktours.blogspot.com
What a great idea. People we know. My wall would include the writer Laura Moriarty, whose first novel was The Center of Everything. She's helped me make some good connections, and is part of a writing group with me now.
Wall of gratitude. I like that. That's got some depth to it, some real good Karma building stuff in its essence.
What a pleasure reading about Luisa. How thoughtful of you to take on this lovely concept and share it with us. I have my own personal Wall which needs revisiting, too. You are on it.
Anne