You are what you tweet

Many of you know that I am all about social media. I blog (clearly), I facebook, My instagram, pinterest and linked in are always maintained. I care about online interaction. You get it.

I am not able to feel good about this month (National Bullying Prevention Month) coming to a close without dedicating a blog post to the issue and connection between social media and social responsibility. In the last month I have used my online platforms to build new relationships, to share about my family, my business and my own personal thoughts about life in general. I also (unfortunately) have had interactions that could be labeled as negative and offensive. I have been called names, I have been disrespected and I have been messaged with undesirable content. I share this because I talk to parents and young people on a regular basis about cyber responsibility. What we put out there leaves a lasting impact. What we say to others does not dissolve or disappear. Even if it does not stay on screen it stays in the mind of others. Our words are valuable and everlasting. My goal and mission is not to preach but to prepare our community to think before we tweet. Bullying is typically associated with consistent offenses but it starts with one offense. This means that even one negative and hateful message adds to the atmosphere of relational aggression. In no way am I asking to censor, edit or control the emotions and thoughts that we put into the digital climate but I am asking for careful thought and understanding before pushing send. A few questions to consider: Would I say this in person to someone? If this message was a screen shot would I be okay with it being shared? Even though October is almost gone-our motives and desire to eradicate the harm of cyber-bullying has to be a year-round effort. -Read something great

So you think you can network??

Readers,
Over the last 24 hours I have been on a true challenge. I committed myself to social networking for a whole day. I tweeted, facebooked used Linked In, emails and of course my blog for more hours than I ever have in one day consistently. I decided to take this feat on because I realized that our global economy allows us to connect directly with our readers...all of the time! I figured I would take some time from my schedule and truly stay plugged in to give 24 hours around the clock attention to you my readers!
Okay I had a few breaks...which were needed tremendously but I think this may have been a harder challenge than my 1/2 marathon that I ran this year. My tenacity rsulted in more facebook friends, twitter followers and Linked In users and I'm impressed to say that even more people are following my blog after my adventure.
It's not all about the numbers though...I was able to chat with people that I have never met but who love my books and the message that they bring. I received inquiries to meet up in person and collaborate with more people. I was able to remind many people that I don't always have access to to come and see me on Saturday at Great Lakes Crossings Mall at Borders Express from 12-2. I enjoyed listening as well. The other perk that few realize is that our global communications allow us to listen to our base. I read other blogs, tweets and statuses that I would normally miss. I was inspired by quotes, informed by articles and humored by jokes.
The challenge is complete and I'm glad that I did it! We should always push ourselves past our limits from time to time.
Read something great!