While doing my morning browse of Facebook, I saw this gem posted by a friend of mine. It's a quote by world-famous author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar. It stuck in my head as I continued my journey through all that is Social Media. His words are simple:
"Don’t do something permanently stupid just because you are temporarily upset."
Makes sense, right? As most of Ziglar's teachings do, this makes you think about your choices. I've always been impressed with his ability to simplify big things in our daily lives. As I kept going post to post, I realized that his words could be a mantra for thousands (maybe millions) of Facebook posters worldwide.
Stupid? We see stupid in all shapes, sizes and colors of postings. Every day we see things that can easily be classified as stupid, dumb, nuts, etc. I don't know about you, but that's partly what I enjoy about going to Facebook throughout the day. It's got some really funny stuff, and some of it could easily be called stupid, but we sometimes forget that not everything we see on the internet is a fact.
Social Media isn't the News Hour with some famous host; it's a potpourri of things that people we've identified as friends post because they think we might enjoy it. It's a forum for anything and everything, and shouldn't be mislabeled as anything more. It's there for our entertainment!
Who hasn't done stupid things? Put your hand down - you know that's not true! We all have at some point; it's a part of growing up. If you haven't grown up yet, like some of us, the chances are high that you're still doing stupid things on a regular basis.
I'm here to tell you that you can instantly join the ranks of posters doing stupid things. It's easy! Take a "selfie," the ultimate opportunity to make yourself look bad. Make sure you're doing something you probably shouldn't be doing, and there you go; instant memories! For thousands!
I disagree with Mr. Ziglar about the "temporarily upset" part; you don't have to be upset about anything to go crazy online and make a fool of yourself; it's there for the taking. Just put your photo or message up, and you're a celebrity!
But here's the real truth; anything you do online is permanent, as he says in the quote. People find out everyday that the Tweet they sent, or the photo they posted when they were drunk, or stoned, or both, will be there for all to see, as in "Forever." Ouch!
I spend a lot of time on Facebook; certainly much more than I probably should. I work at home, and have my computer in my face all day, so I keep FB open all the time. Here's a few tips I'd like to pass along to anyone still reading that might help with your posts:
1) If you're looking for a job, don't put photos of you and your friends out partying. They look terrible in your "Job Application" folder.
2) If you're a dog lover (and why aren't you?) don't put photos of your dog lapping your face if you've just joined a dating service. Some people just don't like to share!
3) Similar to Number One, don't keep posting photos of you in bars like those are the only places you go.
4) Don't be a narcissist; that's what mirrors were invented for!
5) Don't just post a photo and expect the world to know what the hell it is you're showing them; tell them.
6) Not everyone wants to play "Candy Crush" or some other FB game; don't keep sending requests if there's no response the first time!
7) Avoid putting every piece of your "dirty laundry" out to dry on FB; not too many people want to share your drama as much as you might think.
8) When commenting, be careful what you say. Not everyone who reads your posts wants to see your "F-bombs" and other obscenities; you may lose friends that way.
9) If you hesitate to post something because you think it might be a little over the top, then don't post it. It probably is!
10) Don't keep posting the same things over and over; you'll turn into "the little boy who cried wolf." Everyone will skip right over your stuff, thinking you have nothing new to say. Show them you do!
I've been editing a friend's book for the past couple of weeks. It's about a trip back to Costa Rica an older man makes with his granddaughter. The book is filled with surfing stories that take place along the west coast of Costa Rica, and it really brings you into the water with them.
The closest I ever got to surfing was one attempt I made back in the Sixties at Nauset Beach on Cape Cod, where I wiped out on my first attempt and got hit in the head with my friend's longboard. But after living in Florida for so many years, I've come to enjoy watching the surfers who seem to always be at the beaches nearby.
So, when I saw this video this morning, I clicked on it right away. If you're a surfer, or not, check out this link for a quick dose of the surfing lifestyle. It's pretty cool!
http://youtu.be/em9psPJuZkw
As our old friend George Carlin once said:
"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific."
Have a great weekend everybody!
Mark T. Bradbury, Author
For information on my book, "Serpent's Curse," please follow the link:
http://littlepondpublishing.com/book-titles/serpents-curse-by-mark-t-bradbury/
It's now available as a paperback at Amazon.com.
For those of you who would like to try the first seven chapters of my book "Serpent's Curse" FREE, please click on the link below:
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/1456c9f6ce6cc2b2
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