Daisy Refraction by audreyjm529
As someone who’s been active with Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites on an almost daily basis since 2008 (to my wife’s sometime chagrin), I thought writing about what I’ve gotten out of my efforts would be a good blogging execise. (Tip of the hat to Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh as this post is my inspiration.)
First thing that comes to mind is social media has refined my “daily palate.” I notice more of the cool little details of life and have learned how to describe them in a way that’s (hopefully) interesting and helpful.
When people complain they don’t have anything to say online, I say aren’t paying much attention each day. Here are two simple examples that provide great fodder for social media updates if you take a second to think about how to talk about them:
- The last place you had lunch – I don’t give a #%!?! THAT you had lunch. What you had, whether it was tasty, the qualify of the service, if the specialty of the house is actually special, or a cool waiter to ask for are all things that could add value to my life the next time I’ve got to select a lunch time destination.
- The last movie you watched – Again, THAT you watched a movie is not helpful or terribly interesting. What you thought of the plot (without blowing the ending), which actor surprised you with their performance, or a recommendation of another cool film by the same director are all things I could use as I surf through my Netflix account looking for the next movie to add to my queue.
Thinking about the “mundane” experiences we all have each day with this mindset has made me more involved in the present and I appreciate more of the simple details of my life.