Thankfulness is an important ingredient to add new friendships and to strengthen our existing relationships along the way. We are days away from the season of Thanksgiving here in America and typically is a time when friends and family gather around the table for a meal.

Thankfulness can be expressed in many ways. I remember a time when my Father and I went to a grocery store to pick up a few things – ‘The Honey-Do List’.  While in the checkout line I noticed the clerk had a look on her face expressing to all, this was not a good day.  It was our turn in the checkout when my dad spoke up and said, ‘Your hair looks very nice today.’ She immediately began to shine and said, ‘Thank You.’ After saying that, she turned to the clerk next to her and said, ‘You know you look very nice today.’ I stood there and watched this happen, when all of a sudden the next clerk turned to the third clerk and commented on her appearance! I was amazed how I was able to witness how one compliment began to have a ‘Chain reaction’ from one to another.

Showing thankfulness to each other can take someone from a place of feeling low to a feeling of elation.  Try this on for size.  What if you were feeling low and instead of groveling over your misfortune, you turned and thought of the people or things you were thankful for and then acted upon it.  Give action to your feelings.  Maybe the clerk noticed that the other one looked nice but she was too focused on her own pain to actually say something.

Zig Ziglar once said, ‘To deny your talents, is to deny your friends and family the fruit of those talents.’ Expressing thankfulness is a talent and is not to be denied but expressed.

One night my lovely wife, whom I have written about, was fast asleep from a long day.  I realized that she does a lot that I am thankful for, so I left ‘I Love You’ notes everywhere on things that I knew she did everyday.  I left one on the mirror when she gets ready in the morning, on the toys for the boys at bath time, on the door when she lets the dog out – you get my point.  Over the next few days she would stumble upon an ‘I Love You’. Everything she does means so much to me that I wanted her to know I am thankful for her and all the things she does.

Now it’s your turn to put action to your thankfulness. Leave your comments of whom or what you’re thankful for on this post and then forward this post (Share This) to them to put action to your thankfulness. They will read your comments and then comment and pay it forward as well.

www.FutureVisionFinancial.com

Well if you haven’t heard of Twitter, you will.  It is the city that never sleeps!  ”Twitterville” is a social networking platform where you follow and subscribe to, other peoples “tweets” or “twits” (my slang).

What is a “tweet” or “twit”?

Well it’s not what you called your little brother when he snuck into your room to rummage through your things.  A ‘Tweet’ is comprised of little snippets of information and statements limited to 140 characters. So be unique. You choose to follow people and when you do, you subscribe to their statements. If they choose, they may extend the courtesy of following you as well.

As more people follow you, you may actually have people look into your websites and blogs.  If they like you, they will want to learn more about what you have to offer.  You will begin to grow your social network at a very rapid pace if executed properly.  Before you know it you may have thousands of people subscribing to your thoughts and your blogs.

Addictive!!!

Before you know it you will find who most people are following and you will learn a great deal along the way.  These are your “Tweets”. If you wonder about the big game, just post a question, ‘Hey Twitterville? Are the Giants winning?’  O.K. – I am a Giants fan… but please don’t hold it against me and stop reading.

I believe once you begin using Twitter you will see how other people will add value to your knowledge and success.

My suggestions in starting a free Twitter account is to register and then start following people that you find interesting.  Click on profiles and see what they have to say and if you like them follow them.  I would encourage you not to click on your max of 2000 people to just get people to follow you.  The reason is you will be following 2000 people and only have 34 following you.  Then you would become the next star on “Desperate House Twitter.” This would be your “Twit.”

How do you build a network with the people you follow?  If you like what someone posted on a blog, let them know by an @reply.  This will tell all of the people following you that you liked someone’s blog and it lets the blogger know you are promoting them and like what they have to say.  “Give and it shall be given to you.”

You can Direct Message someone to thank them for following you or privately encourage them or connect.  You will definitely enjoy the experience and who knows; maybe you will become the mayor of “Twitterville.”

Follow me www.Twitter.com/michaelbristol

This is what Social Networking will do to you… suck you in and take you on an expedition into a never ending environment of information.  This can leave you wondering, ‘What to focus on to gain the best results’.  If you have A.D.D. (or are a coffee addict) you’re in for a wild ride. 

So where do you start? Of which you, the reader, will complete…

1.       Find your passion. (This Starts with Desire)

What keeps you awake at night?  When you sit down in your favorite chair, in a noiseless environment, and let out a sigh as you hit the chair.  What do you think about when you let out that single sigh? That sigh is your passion.  It’s what you want to change or add to this world.  Find what is in the sigh.

2.       Find those with like passion. (This Starts with Community)

Find those, that resonate the same sigh, that when sighed together sounds like a concert.  (Interesting thought) In that concert community, occasionally you will have a solo that trumpets the theme of what you are promoting to their network.  They will begin to pass along your passion because it resonates with them.  ‘Birds of a feather flock together.’ Find the birds.

3.       Establish yourself in that community. (This Starts with Honest Contribution)

If you barge into a community expecting to blast your product, you will fall flat and be labeled as a user and not a contributor. ‘Give and it will be given unto you.’ This is why it’s called ‘Social Networking’. Social Networking is a dialogue not a monologue. Find your voice.

4.       Grow Roots in Your Establishment.  (This is Where You Focus)

A mistake that can be made in the beginning steps of Social Networking is to take on too much at once in the attempt to make your voice heard.  Once you find your community, establish yourself, build relationships and allow the solo artist to trumpet about you. Once that happens, your cross networking will begin to take place.  If you spread yourself out too much initially you will be an ‘Expert of many, but a master of none.’  Let your relational network get established in the beginning and it will grow as you go.  If you spread out too much initially you will get many invites for friendships but establish zero relationships. Find your roots.

Now the rest is up to you… What are your thoughts?  You add 5, 6, 7 and beyond with your comments and contributions to this post. Begin the Social Networking process by joining this discussion and grow roots.

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Michael Bristol

http://www.FutureVisionFinancial.com/