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Social Networking: The Garden Analogy

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Guest Writer: Todd Jordan

Networking withPurpleConeflowers_by_Liz_Strauss

Do you take your network seriously? How do you keep it and treat it? Is it cared for like a well maintained garden, or is it overrun with half grown connections and weeds? When’s the last time you bothered to nurture and prune it?

Sounds funny at first, but the truth is our social networks are an extension of ourselves. They speak volumes about us and our attitude towards ourselves and others. Like flowers, your contacts can wither and drop off. A once vital connection, bringing you many interesting tidbits or even work, can stop bearing fruit if you don’t pay attention to it.

If the overrun garden sounds like it might be your network, then it’s time to get to work on it. It won’t be pleasant at first, but the work soon pays off.

  • drop everyone that’s not following you - this is the hardest but most productive of all the steps you can take. Yes, you love following that news anchor but when was the last time he chatted with you? Like removing the undergrowth.
  • stop following anyone whose stuff you bypass or ignore - this one often feels awkward. Chances are these are folks we actually cared about at one time or another. This one also greatly improves your network. Like removing those trees that never bear fruit.
  • eliminate the spammers - oh, you think you’ve removed all the weeds? What about Jack, that guy that sends out endless messages about his kids, but has never sent you a reply. Or Joan, the lady from work, who friended you, doesn’t reply, but manages to talk to a hundred other friends. This is the weeds of your garden. They too choke off what you really want in your network.
  • move contacts and reduce redundancy - huh? this means don’t follow the same person on half a dozen networks where they post the same thing over and over. If you follow Bud on Twitter and FriendFeed, drop him on Twitter. It’s like having two busy gardens next to one another. You’ll only really tend to one. This last one reduces the clutter, freeing up the rest of your network to breathe and be usable again.

Yes, the analogy seems silly but these simple steps are no joke. If you can implement these in your networks, you’ll see things begin to change. With the dead weight gone, the rest of your contacts will begin to stand out. Good growth will begin again. You might even find some old friends you’d forgotten. But once things start blooming, don’t forget to keep the pruning sheers handy. A good garden requires consistent tending.

How’s your garden?

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Does Your Blog Have It’s Own Personality?

Filed Under Guest Writer, Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | Leave a Comment

Beach Notes by Guest Writer Suzie Cheel

When I was walking on the beach last Friday, I asked Des if he thought blogs had their own personalities.

Because my blog was not happy. I had been for weeks talking about getting a theme that was less cantankerous, than the one I had been using. Blog heard this I think and went into total meltdown. I really must watch the words I use!

Des commented that he didn’t know why I had kept this theme for so long!

I can be stubborn and I was still searching for the perfect design. Well I am an artist and my NLP style is strongly visual so that was natural for me to focus on the look. I won’t be doing that again in the near future as this limits the amount of content that my blog receives. That doesn’t make blog too happy as the comments dwindle and subscriptions subside.

I then wondered what I had done to attract a very broken blog, just before Liz’s Blog Showcase too. The law of attraction was matching my not so positive vibes!

The personality of The Abundance Highway aka Law of Attraction in Action definitely is inspirational. I can see why it broke:( It wasn’t being fed it’s inspirational daily diet. Clearly what was needed was a theme was that was functional as well as looking good.

So does your blog have it’s own personality?

–Suzie Cheel, AbundanceHighway.com

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Don’t, Not, and No

Filed Under Guest Writer, Successful Blog | 6 Comments

Beach Notes by Guest Writer Suzie Cheel

This week’s Beach notes is a little different and will add to Liz’s 25 words group writing project. I wrote one yesterday that I was going to put here and then decided to put it over at The Abundance Highway


These 3 Words have the power to change how you feel, whether negative or the positive.

3 Small Words

Don’t, Not and No

Zap my energy

So when I catch

Myself saying

Don’t Not and No

I ask Myself

So what do I want?

Listen to your words today.
How often do you use these 3 small words?

–Suzie Cheel, AbundanceHighway.com

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Are You Staying on Track?

Filed Under Guest Writer, Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 3 Comments

Beach Notes by Guest Writer Suzie Cheel

Are you Staying on Track?

Compartments of My Life                         

Walking on the beach on Friday, I noticed the pattern made by a fisherman’s truck at sunrise. The close up looks like my life right now. Too many compartments! Spreading myself too thin.

Do you sometimes look at all the compartments in your life and wonder how they relate to one another. I have many exciting possibilities in my life right now. The challenge is to achieve simplicity, not be overwhelmed by complexity.

Getting on TrackI then looked  at the bigger picture the trucks tyres had made. So that was another challenging image.

Where am I heading? How well am I staying on track?

Beside the tyre tracks were a line of footprints.

To get on the pathway to freedom and success what I need to do each day is to set myself a simple daily path, put one foot in front of the other,celebrate each small win along the way and share that each day with my readers.

Then I will be living my purpose: Something I got clarity on back in May

Step By Step

I make a difference by inspiring others and empowering people to live lives full of joy, creativity and freedom.

I have this sitting on the computer screen. Today I will print this out and put this around the house, on the cover of my "imitation" Moleskin,and in the car. this will keep me focused and keep my vibes high.

Having a focus and a path mapped out each day, in line with my purpose will allow me to harmonize the compartments of my life and business.

 

Images: suzie cheel

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Catch the Moment

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Beach Notes by Guest Writer Suzie Cheel

gday logo

Catch the Moment

Sometimes an moment arises that can create joy, open up a business opportunity, sometimes even change our perception. We can take the moment and embrace it or we can say no not today.

Catching this amazing sunrise on Thursday morning was an instance of this.

Walking on the beach early that morning, I nearly missed the magic moment. We had gone to the beach early thinking we would see a sunrise. We were a little too early so we thought, next time, We walked away from Rainbow Bay  towards Greenmount. I turned around before we headed aroung the rocks and saw the golden light of the sun glistening on top of the clouds. Des said did I want to go back? yes I said. As I saw the red of the sun begin to peep above the horizon, I thought  ” Catch the Moment”, this will be my Beach Note this week. I took this photo and then a series which I am thinking I will turn into a slide show with words, maybe even an e-book.

This then became a positive story I used to illustrate positive vibes on Friday Morning. If  hadn’t turned around at that precise moment  would have missed the joy that seeing the sun rise brings, it warms my soul.

Sunrise


Can you think of time where you have caught the moment and it has been an inspiration or moment of change?

Images: suzie cheel

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