The year is 1950 and John Q. Social just walked into Nails & Things Hardware Store. The shopkeeper and associates all greet Mr. Social by name and inquire about his family and work. The staff makes sure John finds what he is looking for and that the products are appropriate to meet his needs. Anytime John ever had an issue with material he purchased at the store, he was sure to bring it to the staff’s attention and they always remedied the situation right away; thereby keeping Mr. Social a satisfied customer. They also insured that John remained a loyal customer. John always felt like he was a friend of the store’s staff and not simply another customer. John could not even imagine shopping anywhere else for his nails and things. Advertising was even simpler back then and was mostly limited to the bigger companies.

Things were smaller and less complicated back then. Brand loyalty existed because people felt attached to and comfortable with the companies they came in contact. Now with franchises, chain stores, and huge conglomerates people will shun a brand like a pariah at the first sign of dissatisfaction. Customers are no longer people, they are dollar signs. They are beings meant to be turned into helpless drones to serve their masters – the makers of the products they need. If you go into a neighborhood store in 2010, it is much less likely that anyone working there will know who you are or that they will give you personal attention. If you have an issue with a purchased product, hopefully there is a competent customer service department available, otherwise who knows what hoops you will have to jump through to remain a happy customer. Advertising is much more in your face and geared to evoke feelings of desire, but not necessarily any kind of kinship.

Then one day, a few years ago, some geeks created a way for John Q. Social to become loyal to the businesses he frequented again. They invented Social Media. I am quite certain that angels of some sort sang when this happened. Why would angels sing, do you ask? Well, social media helps turn back the clock to a time when people cared more about one another and were able to interact and evoke feelings of friendship and belonging to one another. Basically, Social Media made the world a much smaller and less fractured place. Mr. Social can have friends all over the world. He can befriend his favorite charities, celebrities, and even brands. As a customer he can now feel like more of a friend to the brands he enjoys. This is of course assuming that the brand is properly using Social Media to engage and not just using it as a boring, mindless stream of self-promotion. The uses and potential for Social Media are almost endless, especially when the focus is more on the “social” and less on the “media”.

John now has contacts to turn to when he has questions or issues with a product. John does not have to call a customer service number and sit on hold and try to get help from someone who knows nothing about him. John gets to know the companies he likes through platforms such as: Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Companies get to know him as well and treat him as a friend and person of more intrinsic value. John can even interact and share with other people who have the same interests. Mr. Social can get a piece of the friendliness businesses possessed in the past and have good reasons for sticking with the brands he likes. Social Media is just retro like that.

Please share your interactions with brands on Social Media and how it may have changed the way you feel about a company.

Online dating is not for me. Yes, I admit, I have tried it, I just do not like it. I prefer meeting someone in more conventional ways. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with someone dating online, but there are people who either need a clue or should not be on a dating site. There are also some people who should not be dating at all, but that is another story. The three main elements of an Internet dating ad are, photograph, title, and description. I will go through these elements and show why online dating may not be for you.

When meeting someone in person, your looks are often the first impression you give. The same holds true with web dating. Your photos, especially the main one, are your first chance to make a good impression. Surprisingly, many people miss this chance. First and foremost, put a picture of you smiling. I do not care what you look like, but if you are not smiling you are missing an opportunity. This does not mean that you cannot have any of those sultry images with the serious, pouty lips look, but try to include portraits of your brilliant smile as well. Your potential mate is hoping to make you happy and may want to know what you look like when you are happy. If they do not care what you look like when you are happy, you probably do not want to date them. A smile also shows confidence, which goes a long way in enhancing looks. Confident people are generally more attractive. I have also seen an amazing number of sideways photos. People need to learn how to rotate a photo before they upload it. Your potential mate does not want to engage in a solo game of Twister in order to get a glimpse of your beautiful visage. Then there are those who post photographs of themselves in lingerie. This generally sends the wrong message, especially if you are a guy. If you want to send that kind of message, then by all means, post the underwear pictures… just do not be surprised by the responses you receive. Then there are those people who post pictures of themselves together with other people. This can be okay, but try remembering to include a caption that tells people which one is you. Your future date does not log on to a dating site to play “Where’s Waldo?“. This may sound silly, but including pictures of you with other people may be hurting you more than helping. True, depicting yourself with other people can be photographic proof that you are actually permitted to be around other humans and know how to have a good time, but it can also detract from the point of your online dating ad. What is this point of which I speak? YOU! The focus of the ad should be on you, not your friends. If you cannot post good photos, then online dating is not for you.

After your picture, the title of your online dating ad is most important. The title gives your fellow online daters a quick idea of what you are looking for. It also is an opportunity to show some of your personality and creativity. A simple one is fine though too, especially if you are not creative or do not posses a personality. Many online daters seem to not actually take the time to read an ad, so a good headline is very useful. This means you need to remember that spelling is your friend. Unfortunately when many of us were young, we struggled with spelling in school and it became something we hate. I am fortunate that spelling always came easily to me and we have a healthy relationship. Those of you online daters who do not have at least a cordial relationship with spelling, need to cultivate one prior to attempting to find a date on the Internet. A heading which says, “Hopping to find someone to conversate with” makes me want to commit a homicide. I believe the word for which they were searching is, hoping. Perhaps they were excited and really were hopping, however there is another issue with this heading. Conversate is not a word. Learn this. When you say conversate, you appear stupid and ignorant. NBC needs to make a PSA sharing this with the public, along with encouraging reading and all the other good causes they promote, followed by that jingle and the words, “The more you know”. Knowledge is power, the power to not look like a moron. Having a good grasp on grammar and proper word usage is helpful as well. Having a heading that says, “Looking for interesting constipation” may be an eye catcher, but will probably portray you as an idiot. You may in fact be an idiot, in which case you should keep that title as it is and Darwin will take care of the rest. I saw an ad headline that said, “Want a man who enjoys LIFE”. Yes, life is an important word, I still do not see the point of putting it in all caps. Maybe she encountered several people who enjoy death and she felt the need to bring life to the attention of her fellow daters. Maybe LIFE is an acronym. I came up with, Losers Into Farting Everywhere. This must be correct. Feel free to come up with your own. See? Online dating can be fun. If you do not know how to spell or use basic grammar, then online dating is not for you.

Finally you want to make good use of the description section. This is where you get to share a little bit about yourself and what you are looking for. First of all, be consistent. Do not say you are only looking for a friend, but your title says, “Treat me like a queen”. Maybe you are accustomed to your friends treating you like royalty, feel free to introduce these friends to me. Also, when telling about yourself, try not to tell so much, that you then have nothing for your date to get to know about you. Divulge enough that your date will know a little about you and then can ask you questions so that you can conversate… oops, I mean converse further. This does not mean that you disclose your blood type and social security number, but mentioning what you like to do and some of your interests might be nice. This is also a prime place to show your personality and wit. You want someone who gets you. Try to give some clear idea of what you are seeking, so that if someone actually takes a minute to read your ad, they will know if they should try to connect with you or not. Just saying that you are looking for a woman, or man, or some other variety of being, really does not help anyone. Dating is not always enjoyable and you certainly do not want to waste your time dating someone who is not what you really want or who cannot truly relate to you. This section also requires those spelling and grammar skills again. Online daters have not met you yet and do not know just how wonderful you are, so the only impression they get is what you present to them. You need to find a balance between being real and making a positive impression. If you cannot convey a favorable impression, then perhaps online dating is not for you.

I alway say dating can be like a job interview, but it does not need to be. Job interviews are not pleasant, dating can be. Attitude plays a big role in one’s dating experience, the problem with dating is it involves two people and just like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get. If you are not prepared to do what it takes, then online dating is not for you.

We are all good people and we strive to do the right thing, right? One thing we learned at a very young age is how important it is to tell someone that we are sorry. We know what forgiveness is, but how often do we avoid it when perhaps we should not? Granted, there are some things that we call unforgivable, which should probably remain so, but what about those times when we simply choose not to forgive? Or what about those instances where we do not accept someone’s apology? Have there been occurrences for which you have not forgiven yourself? Consider how cathartic letting go of a grudge can be for both yourself and others.

Its important to be objective and honest with yourself and admit that it is possible to forgive anything, but you have to want to. Mom and Dad told us, “you need to apologize”, but do we always have the desire to do so? Forgiveness is a powerful thing, both for the one granting it and for the one seeking. Power should never be wielded lightly and requires consideration when utilizing it. So when someone wrongs you or hurts you, before you even think about true forgiveness you should take the time to gather your thoughts. Think about why and how you are going to forgive the offender. It is impossible to feel hurt by someone without allowing those feelings in. You control your feelings, no one else does; you know this. There is power just in knowing that. Once you realize that you yourself have a hand in the pain you feel, you will sooner embrace the desire to forgive. Next, one may wish to consider the factors that may have led to the other party’s actions. Stepping into another person’s shoes will get you far on the path to forgiveness.

Here comes the tough part. We tend to expect the other person to approach us and offer an apology. If you accept responsibility for your part in controlling your own feelings, then overcoming this self-imposed objection should be easier. This is where the innate power of forgiveness comes into play. Reach out to the other person and grant them a reprieve before they even have to ask. You have the gift of forgiveness and you can bestow it upon another. Forget about how great that can feel for you; imagine how wonderful the other person is feeling. Savor that moment.

Now think back to a time when you mistreated someone. How quickly did you want to go back and smooth things over with an apology? Again, take some time to contemplate the circumstances. Think about what you did and how the other person may be feeling. You owe it to yourself and the other person to truly ponder your actions, so that your apology is sincere. Once you have sorted this out, you can then stifle your pride and deliver a heartfelt apology. This will not only uplift you, but will infuse the other person with peace and gratitude.

Conversely, if you withhold the gift of forgiveness, you create a detriment to the other person and even more so to yourself. Forgiveness is an act that requires a partnership between two people. In order for it to be given, it must be accepted. It sounds a lot like love because it is an act of love. Love for your fellow human being. You can continue to cling to negative feelings, which will burden you over time, or you can switch your mindset to that which is positive, and free yourself while freeing your fellow man or woman. Few simple acts on this earth carry with them such a capacity for profound impact. You have it, so use it.

Many of us have encountered junctures in our lives where we did something we regret. Rather than allow that regret to become a part of our past, we hold on to it and refuse to forgive ourselves. This is a useless act of self-flagellation. We try to take the easy road by not dealing with the underlying issue head-on, but end up on a hard road by avoiding the problem. The hard road is when we trek along with a burden that, if dropped, would lighten our spirits and allow us to resume the level of fulfillment in life we previously enjoyed. Deal with the issue, move on, and forgive yourself. We are human, we make mistakes and as long as we move on from them, they will become life-enhancing experiences. Life is truly lived when embraced and learned from as a whole. It is stifled when we hold onto the pieces. Forgive, forget, and live.

Thank you to @SuuperG for helping me edit this post!

As we all know Twitter crashed for several hours today. And as a certified Twitter-holic I remembered a lot of everyday stuff that was supposed to be done! Then I had this beautifully insane talk via Skype with my buddy Michael Sarles (which by the way has an incredible Blog you should Visit here) and went on discussing about what a twitter-holic’s day would look like when twitter crashes. Here is an exhaustive list of 50 Facts. And believe me, It’s certified!

• Pays his bills

• Meets his kids

• Remembers his wife

• Finally attends that funeral he missed

• Feeds his dying dog

• Dusts off his car

• Does laundry

• Takes a shower

• Eats a real meal

• Gets dressed

• Remembers Family

• Goes on Facebook

• Gets decaffeinated

• Sleeps!!!

• He still wonders where in the world @GuyKawasaki is

• Learns how to tie his shoes again

• Re-enters society

• Finally finds out he had neighbors

• Tries to remember which side of the road to drive on

• Wonders what season it is

• He checks his MySpace

• He forgets what a hash tag means

• Turns on the TV

• Watch news

• Finds out he/she is still on the Cable

• Buys a newspaper

• Realizes birds can’t carry a whale in a net

• Figures out that all birds are NOT blue!

• Is surprised when everyone he meets is not brilliant or inspiring.

• Tries to remember how to sign his name

• Gets in a bad mood because nobody wants to ((hug)) in the street

• Is disappointed that no one thanks him when he repeats what they say

• Is upset that no one thinks he’s awesome when he does the simplest things

• Is surprised when no one asks him if he wants his teeth whitened

• Wonders if his boss is an annoying bot

• Wonders what his job used to be

• He is amazed that no one is sending photos of what they ate

• Asks his wife and buddies to tell him some inspirational quotes

• Thinks his friends suck for having normal jobs and lives

• Helps every old person to cross the street

• Keeps refreshing the twitter page

• He has tons of information, but no one cares

• He calls all his friends wanting their latest updates

• He keeps following people in the street just because they said something brilliant

• He says thank you and I love you to everyone looking at him

• He is frustrated that he can’t find any celebrities

• He finds out that he only needs his mouth to talk and to engage conversations

• Is surprised when people look like their pictures

• Still gets frustrated when people are too busy to talk to him

• Finds out that he doesn’t need more than one body to represent himself

If you have any facts, why not share them with us in the comments section below?! Oh and hey don’t forget to Follow Michael Sarles on Twitter (hoping it works again).