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The edge or the flow in life is always working for you or against you. Before I proceed take note of that previous statement; it’s true and the more you look at your life objectively you’ll sense which direction you’re going.

Essentially we are just living organisms and on a purely simplified biological level not that much different then a plant; we have 2 states in life; growing and wilting. Unlike a pond or swamp life does not stagnate; it’s like an ever flowing river of energy, emotions and events. You are either moving forward upstream and growing or being pushed downstream and wilting.

People talk about “your edge” meaning what do you do differently which gives you an advantage over others doing something similar? I’m not here to talk about YOUR edge; I’m here to talk about THE EDGE. The edge is nothing personal such as personality or writing style; the edge is whether you’re in flow with your emotions and ultimate purpose or not.

Take inventory of your emotions; daily routine, thought patterns and ultimately outcomes in your life of late. Are you moving forward or slipping behind? Every moment of every day you are oscillating between these two states. You’re either acting and thinking in ways that will enrich your life through all facets or you’re trapped in a state of deprivation.

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What did you do today? Did you do things that gave you energy or things that stole energy? Are you being all you can be and taking the high road or are you being lethargic and lazy letting your energy run down to the path of least resistance? Some succeed in life but ultimately many fail because to fail you don’t need to do anything difficult.

The path of least resistance has always lead to misery and poverty and it always will. It attracts the mind which is not occupied attracting the object of it’s desire. Wealth and happiness on the flipside are elusive and shy; they must voluntarily be attracted to you through deliberate thought and action. One could even say it must be courted.

Think about this as you go about your day; are you acting in ways which will benefit you today; tomorrow and into the future or are you chipping away at your vitality and just going with the flow? “only a dead fish flows with the current” is an old trite saying but it’s true. Why is society like a pyramid where some have lot’s but most have very little if anything?

In life you are either having the edge work for you or against you. It’s black and white and the beauty is as soon as you are aware of this you have the power to change your thoughts, actions and ultimately destiny.

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Basic example could be did you eat something that your body was like “awesome” as needed nutrients and proteins flow to the parts of your body lubricating, strengthening and making you feel full of vitality? Or did you eat something which made your body scream NO that saps your energy, makes you feel bloated, gives you no nutrition and rots you from the inside?

Another great saying is “your life goes where your energy flows”; what aspects of your life are getting the most energy; are these aspects things that will enrich you or merely hold you back? Perfect example is of say an alcoholic; they spend so much time thinking about and going about obtaining and drinking that if they didn’t have that intense drive for liquor but put that same intensity towards something productive where would they be?

Once you realize that your current reality which is everything around you and the thoughts inside you are the perfect result of every moment you’ve spent on this planet to date it empowers you to change some of the inputs to change the result. Nothing happens over night; remember that! You are where you are now from years and years of experiences albeit positive and negative. Where would you be next year if you capitalized; sought after and made the effort to align as much as your life as possible in activities and thoughts that help you grow and minimized the ones that cause you to wilt?

When the edge is working you feel empowered like you can do anything; when you’re on the flip side of the stream everything is a challenge and feels impossible; often even the smallest things! Take note of your energy levels they are the number one indicator as to which stream you’re traveling in. Your body subconsciously knows when you’re on the right path and consequently when you’re not.

Before worrying about your edge in life; be sure you have the edge working for you. Get into the positive energy stream and stay there. Like things attract; the longer you stay in the positive flow the more positive things and people will appear. Maybe that’s why you’re reading this right now?

Keep working from home and for yourself,

Rob

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This is just another quick bloggery I’m putting together. If you’ve been anywhere on Twitter lately I’m sure you’ve seen the trending topic “We Can Do Anything“. This uproar is about Facebook’s new terms of service (tos) that basically states that whatever you upload to the site is theirs to do as the please for eternity. Creepy stuff.

 The Consumerist is the blog that broke the news and got everyone talking.  Realistically though people what did you think? It’s a massive social media site that is struggling for revenue and holds all your personal data. I don’t like it but I can’t say I’m surprised. That said when I did sign up for Facebook I put in a name that my friends would recognize me by but not my real name. This was mainly so Bosses or future co-workers couldn’t snoop but now has a whole new meaning.

What I’m taking from this is: Use Facebook to stay in touch with friends but don’t be overly reliant on it. Once you’ve made contact go straight to email. I’m sure this TOS applies to “all content” including private communication. I’ve long been suspicious of Facebook and now I have  all the more reason to be.

Just be careful people and watch what you add to facebook because once you add it; it’s theirs for life! Also this makes me increasingly weary  of “Facebook Connect”. I’m not a big fan of connecting all these networks together. Just watch yourself and don’t be too enthusiastic to share everything. You may end up sharing more than you’d like.

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Twitter is hot right now, everyone is talking about it and now is the time to build your network. I’m writing this as too many “how to … ” on twitter are missing the point. They focus on the packaging of your account: background, avatar etc… Why focus on the cover when it’s the book we’re going to read?

Typically people who have large followings are people who are well known to the general public. If you aren’t a well known personality but want to make waves YOU have to make it happen. It also has very little to do with what you write about, what your background looks like, how many tweets you have etc… It has everything to do with how many people’s hands you’ve shaken virtually. Let me elaborate.

I’m not really known online. I run a blog directory / forum and I blog here sometimes. My twitter feed is about my sites but mainly just my stream of “what I’m thinking” etc… Sure there are those who knew me before twitter but 20,000? Ha no way. If no one knows you exist what is the best way to get their attention? How about you give them some attention?

At Blog World Expo (first industry event ever attended) I knew basically no one but I left with over 250 business cards. Of those 250 I probably initiated 225 of them. Everyone I met was really nice except for maybe a handful who stood out as being the type I don’t care for. If I had not initiated those conversations I would of met no one and just left with 250 of my own cards. I would of been at the party but not in the party.

I think that is what is happening to a lot of people on twitter. If you’re waiting for others to engage you… Don’t hold your breath; why would they? We’re all the same with similar wants and needs. We’re in a busy crowd looking to get noticed, looking to listen and be listened to.

3 Solid Tips to Explode Your Twitter Network

1) Don’t stress out about what/when/why/where/how you’re tweeting just don’t be OVERLY negative. No one likes a downer but the flip side is no one likes someone that is totally fake saying they live in a world of gum drops and candy canes. Extremes are an account that exclusively discusses lunch and coffee or one that is purely an update from a blogs rss feed.

2) Add people everyday. Make it part of your daily routine. How many times do you check stats? Why not spend part of that time “meeting people”? Curious how to find new followers? Here are some great methods.

- If you are TOTALLY new and don’t fall under any strict niche… Go to search.twitter.com and type in “new followers” and follow those people being mentioned. These are people actively following others; good chance they’ll be willing to listen to you as well. Once you’ve done this figure out other terms people use to introduce new followers and away you go.

- This is hands down the easiest way to explode your network… Find someone who is LIKE YOU. They don’t have to be a perfect compliment; just similar. Just look at their profile and say… If someone followed this person would they probably want to hear what I have to say as well? If the answer is yes add a few pages from their followers and check the results. If you notice your numbers flying… KEEP GOING.

- Search the keywords related to your niche / interests. Nothing new here and I found this technique to be particularly useless. Just because someone mentioned “blogging” doesn’t mean you have much else in common or that they want to befriend you.

- Warning: If you’re new to twitter don’t go overboard. For some reason everyone is insanely critical of new users like they weren’t new at one point. If you follow way more than following you you’ll be looked down upon and labeled a spammer in some circles. Do I think it’s fair? No. Look at the top 1000 many of the “climbers” are following 2-4,000 more then are following them. Don’t kid yourself it’s not followers who stopped following it’s them actively trying to build their network.

3) Whether twitter is a conversation tool or a broadcasting station is another debate altogether. Just be cognizant that the LAST tweet you make may be the ONLY one a new visitor / potential friend will read so make it good. Your last tweet before leaving for a while is basically your tool for making a first impression. Make it something you feel represents what you’re all about. This can be anything from a quote to a link to what you’re reading.

When it comes to social networks or life in general don’t take rejection personally. I mentioned the Blog World Expo example earlier to demonstrate that not everyone will be receptive to you initiating conversations but there is nothing you can do about that. Also that the majority of people will be glad you did engage them.

Twitter asks you “What are you doing”? Before you start on this mission ask yourself… “Why am I doing this?” Twitter can be an amazing tool but that’s what it is… It’s a tool to meet people / share ideas. Some businesses and websites are better suited for twitter than others. Understand what you want to get out of it before you get into it. Is it a massive waste of time? It can be; but it can also be arguably the best networking tool I’ve ever found.

Figure out what you’re trying to do with Twitter and go from there. If you’re trying expand your network by increasing your reach, presence and branding then following some of the suggestions listed above may be in your best interest.

Have any thoughts on this? We’d love to hear from you!

Keep working for yourself,

Rob

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