Sandy Speaks…

Twitter celebrated it’s 5th birthday last week.  Several articles were written that chronicled their growth.  A great one, by Brian Solis (@BrianSolis on Twitter), can be found at http://www.briansolis.com/2011/03/happy-5th-birthday-twitter-a-look-at-twitters-growth-by-the-numbers/.

These are my personal thoughts on Twitter and how it’s positively affected my life.

I remember the first time I looked at the Twitter site.  I thought to myself, “What in the world is that all about?  How annoying!”  There were all these symbols and abbreviations that made absolutely no sense.

I had just gotten the hang of Facebook , even though I had resisted it, and was starting to see the power of social media.  Plus, everyone was talking about Twitter.  So, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and take the time to learn this new language.

My very first tweet was sent on March 6, 2009.  It said, “Just joined Twitter so I’m not sure what I’m doing.”  A few days later, after tweeting a few more times, I wrote, “I still have not come close to figuring out Twitter but I’m hanging in there!”

Boy, am I glad I did.  Somehow, I started following this group of guys who had just completed something called “The Go-Giver Tour.”  I’d never heard of The Go-Giver but it sure sounded right up my alley.

Come to find out, The Go-Giver is a great book written by Bob Burg and John David Mann.  The go-giver guys kept talking about and retweeting Bob Burg (@BobBurg on Twitter) so I started following him.  He was such a cool guy.  So, I connected with him on Facebook.  Bob is now my mentor and great friend.  I give thanks for him every day!

Two years after taking the plunge, I’m a full-fledged Twitterholic!  It has connected me with some amazing tweeps, brought twerrific opportunities, and is my news source.  I have laughed & cried all in the same day while on Twitter.

Among the many great things that have happened to me since joining Twitter, is the inclusion of my story in the new eBook, SXSW Pokes.  This eBook has just been released in conjunction with Seth Godin’s new book, Poke The Box.  I’m thrilled and honored to have been chosen.  You can download a FREE copy of SXSW Pokes and order Seth’s new book at http://tinyurl.com/4npxlhz.

If you’ve been resisting Twitter, I encourage you to come on board.  Who knows what thwilling events are waiting for you there?

Happy Tweeting,

@SandyHarper

I remember the day I screamed down the hall of my high school…  “Doesn’t anyone care any more?”

I was 16 and my Mom had died a few months before.  I was sitting in typing class and it unexpectedly and suddenly hit me how everyone was carrying on with their lives, as if nothing had happened.  I abruptly left the room in the middle of class, so no one would see the tears streaming down my face.  Mrs. Newsome followed and asked where I was going.  And, that’s when I hollered down the hall.

I left the school grounds, without permission, and spent the rest of the day sitting at my Mom’s grave.  That’s when I realized life does go on, even after a tragedy.  It doesn’t matter if it’s the personal tragedy of a young girl or one that affects millions of people.  Before you know it, everyone is laughing, shopping, sleeping, and talking about the latest celebrity gossip, as if nothing ever happened.

My Dad died three years after my Mom.  On Christmas Eve.  Yep… life went on!

It’s been over 30 years since I was that confused girl.  I now know that life needs to go on.  We can’t live in constant grief lest we miss out on the beauty of being alive.  I also know how much it means to me when someone expresses their support at the loss of my parents, even after all these years.

People will cease talking and tweeting about the disaster in Japan long before it’s citizens even start to recover.  The knowledge of that makes me feel a bit like that sad and confused 16 year old again.  So, I’m making a promise to stop and remember those affected, for years to come.

And, today I’m praying for the children who became orphans that day.  I’m praying for them to realize they will laugh, shop, sleep, and talk about trivial things again one day.  I did!

Image: worradmu / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I’ll admit I jumped over to Charlie Sheen’s Twitter page when I heard he’d started tweeting.  And, I confess to eagerly running out to my mailbox every Friday to grab the latest issue of People Magazine. My Friday night ritual has changed from dancing in the clubs to reading in my pajamas!

When I looked at Charlie’s Twitter page, it struck me how he’d already obtained almost 400,000 followers in the span of a few hours.  And, how he’d received almost 1,000 comments within two hours of posting his first tweet.  As I’m writing this, he has over 2,000,000 followers!

There was a part of me that thought, “Hey, wait a minute! I work hard to tweet positive, helpful, and informative things & spend time connecting with great leaders. Yet it’s taken me over a year to acquire 5,000 followers. Charlie Sheen comes along, after a wild tirade, and breaks a record in twenty-four hours? What’s up with that?”

Then, I thought, “Well, at least he’s got his millions of followers calling themselves winners now. That’s always a good thing!”

Though I wish him all the best, I chose not to follow Charlie. Other than my Friday night indulgence with People (and my occasional visit with The Bachelor and The Bachelorette), I don’t spend time keeping up with the antics of Celebrities Gone Wild!

Of course, we need to include entertainment in our life’s routine. In fact, Two And A Half Men is one of my favorite shows. It cracks me up and laughter really is the best medicine! Having said that, I strongly believe we need to be cognizant of who we spend our time following. My Mom used to say “You are who you hang around.” You also are who you spend your time learning from and from whom you emulate.

Do you spend the majority of your time watching and/or reading bad news? Do you hang around negative people? Do you follow those who make headlines by getting into trouble or who disrespect others? Or, do you choose to follow positive leaders who inspire you to be your best self, pursue your passions, and teach you how to live in peace, love, prosperity, and gratitude?

To achieve greatness in your life, make sure you surround yourself with greatness.  Who knows… maybe Charlie will hear how uplifting you are and start following YOU!

(picture of tweetie by Chris Wallace at www.Chris-Wallace.com)