In today's digital world, we have two things in common: we want to make friends, and we want to make money. The way to do both is easy: just be good to people and be nice to people.
The Golden Rule has never been more relevant today. We all find ourselves living in a digital small town with everyone a click away and you can't get away from anybody anymore. The days of hiding behind a screen and hoping to go unnoticed are gone, gone, gone.
Each one of us has a Google alert on our name, whether we set it up or not. Google knows everything, and whatever you say about someone, they're going to eventually hear about it. Your words will always come back to you, like a digital boomerang.
There are countless careers that have veered off course because someone thought they could get cheap shots by belittling them online. There are no hiding places on the internet anymore. The most clever strategy is simple - ignore your enemies. This is the most powerful way to destroy them in this digital landscape.
We frequently overlook the fact that we did not achieve our success on our own. Each of us had someone that helped us, encouraged us, or opened a pathway. The success we experience can make us forget those helping hands too easily.
Your network and your personal brand are your digital fingerprints - each one unique and irreplaceable. Your network is like your extended family and your personal brand is your life's purpose. When paired with your talents they are unique.
Most people will say they don't care about what others say, however, they want to be successful. Lets get clearly, if you create more enemies than friends in your work or actions - you are going down the wrong pathway.
Before sharing something online, who will it affect. When you use harsh words online are you just reaching you target? No, you are reaching their friends, family, business associates and so many others that could play vital roles in your future.
We might think of ourselves as anonymous online, but to no one's surprise, your name is not. If someone is looking to identify the real person behind the words you say, they can quickly connect the dots and do so. Leaving a digital footprint works like leaving fingerprints in the physical world! Being good to people is much more important than getting paid. We now live in a world of connectivity, and in this world, who you are is a quick judgment at the speed of light. I don't want to scare you, but everything you say and do creates a virtual reality of who you are, and that requires some awareness of the image you are creating.
Most people have a problem with criticism. But criticism can be your best teacher. Instead of going to war, receive the criticism as feedback for your development. It's called a consultation-when someone criticizes your work, think of it as a free consultation-not a criticism.
When we see someone doing something that can be better, don't undermine them. Build something better yourself. Action shows a way forward, not words of criticism. Writing, and most things in life, is not about us - it's about helping others accomplish their dreams.
The world truly has become a small village, and we really have a village boy or girl code. In this village, kindness is the form of money that increases in value, instead of physical money which decreases. Just be kind, its that simple.