What is Facebook Good For?

I cautiously joined Facebook about four-and-a-half years ago after receiving numerous invites, but in the beginning I was too afraid to drink the social media Kool-Aid. In fact, after opening my account, I wound up not using it for eight months. It was pretty intimidating and I didn’t feel a need to rush into this new-fangled form of communication. Besides, I’m a fairly private person and pushing myself into learning social media networking skills was pretty daunting... And most important, what if I looked dumb?

So, to make my entry into cyber networking doable, I decided I needed a goal, something to make Facebook a means to an end...a reason to give it my time and energy.

In my line of work, I’m in constant contact with clients and colleagues via the phone and / or e-mail; my question was: Could I use Facebook to help build up my communication skills and present my thoughts in a clearer, more concise manner?

I’ve found that over the past few years my answer to this question is: “Yes!”

I have both a “personal friends” account and a “professional friends” account. You might wonder, what’s the purpose of two accounts? And I’ll tell you; this is my solution to the different types of people I communicate with on a regular basis. I don’t want to bore my family and friends with posts around leadership development, hiring, HR and other areas they would have absolutely no interest in and vice versa.

For me, Facebook has met my original goal of upping my communication skills and stretching myself out of my comfort zone. I think I have made almost every dumb Facebook mistake a person can make, and you know what? I survived!

Facebook serves me now as a wonderful connection to friends, family, clients, and colleagues all around the world.

How are you managing Facebook or the other social media sites?

Comments

Focus on Beauty

There will be days when we must force ourselves to focus. There are so many distractions, and it's easy to be pulled this way or that. And as we're pulled, it's easy to get more and more uptight. I've found one way to heighten one's focus throughout the day is to be aware of the sometimes-small details, and the beauty around us. I typically use my early morning walks to make myself look past the obvious and focus on the details. Examples: the morning sun streaming through the window and creating shadows across the room the richness of evening light a clear reflection of a building in a street puddle the colors of the sky, the clouds, etc. a mother walking hand in hand with her child Then in the evening, I write down five of the things that stood out to me during the day. Some days, my list may include more obvious objects of beauty. Other days, the list might include small glimpses of something in passing, sights I may have previously walked right on ...

The Benefits of Lemon

About six months ago, I started a new daily habit - first thing in the morning I drink a cup of warm water with a slice of fresh lemon in it. I'd heard rumors that this was supposed to be good for you, and because I wanted to cut back on my tea with cream and sugar habit, it seemed like a good fit. I'm kind of amazed to admit, I've noticed a big difference in how I feel. Instead of my normal somewhat sluggish/bloated feeling after my morning cup of tea - I now feel energized and ready to face the day. "Lighter" would probably be a good way to describe it... and lighter is always good! Below is a bit more information... Here are a few reasons for adding morning lemon water to your daily routine. *List originally published by the Edison Institute of Nutrition here As a rich source of vitamin C, lemon juice protects the body from Immune system deficiencies. Drinking lemon juice with warm water every morning helps in maintaining the pH balance...

Friday's Gratitude - Saying Yes

"Saying yes is a way to be open to ourselves and others. It is a way to be open to the beauty of nature. It is a way to be open to life’s small gifts – the fuchsia flower blooming in the window, the Jack Russell puppy who tears down the beach after his owner, the fancily hand-decorated cupcakes in the bakery display case.... There are gifts for us at every turn – gifts of beauty, of humor, of love – if we are willing to accept them." Julia Cameron What are you saying “yes” to today? Taken from Julia's book The Prosperous Heart - Creating a Life of "Enough" Photo credit: istockphoto

Windridge Reflections

Search This Blog