Social Media Net-works in many ways

I'll be speaking tomorrow night about Social Media Networking for the Living Room Forum--a monthly special meeting for members and candidates of the Arizona chapter of the National Speakers Association. I'm honored that they asked me to do this. I've made a name for myself with the group as a leader of the topic. I'm one of the first to promote my blog with the group, to get on Twitter and LinkedIn, and I really got things started when I convinced more than a dozen of these speakers to join me in a Blogathon--twice.

We had great fun. And the members then started calling on me to answer questions about how to navigate the social media world. I helped some of them with Plug-ins, others with setting up blogrolls, and others just with encouragement. The blogathon got the ball rolling, and NSA-Arizona members started blogging on a regular basis. It was fun to watch.

Because of them, I have learned a lot as well. For business, social media is the way we all must move our marketing activities. It's cheap and relatively easy. So why not?

On the personal side, it's not a bad place to be, either. As many of you know, I've been dealing with several emotionally-trying issues of late. And where have I gone to find comfort? Aside from praying, I've reached out to the friends I've met on the Social Media Networks. Some I've known for years. But even for the ones I've known for just a short while, the relationships we've been building along the way have grown personal--and it felt natural to turn to many of you for comfort. Better still. I got it. I found exactly what I needed--a kind word, a virtual hug, a thought and a prayer. All of this helped pull me back up on my feet.

So I just wanted to report today that, because of you, I'm feeling much better about what lies ahead--a great example of how the mental BIKE works.

No one is immune to sadness or some kind of distress in life. What you don't want to be immune from, either, is the knowledge that you can move beyond it. For me, that's where my mental BIKE comes in. It reminds me of the resources available to do just that. Friends, either live or virtual, are a great resource to reach out to in times of trouble. And as one of my virtual friends told me over on Facebook, "...picturing you biking right through this, girlfriend." She's right. That's what I'm doing.

Will you be able to BIKE through your next challenge?

What's so great about grief?

As I deal with the death of my brother, mostly the sadness I can't seem to shake, I have looked to my BIKE work to find the opportunity in the obstacle. I asked myself this morning: what could that be?

Here's the simple answer: the realization that my support group is out there waiting for my call.

I only need to use that E, the Expressive voice, to find it. With my mental BIKE in place, I am reminded to reach out and ask for what I need. Whether it's a hug, a visit from a friend, a phone call, a pat on the back, a few words of comfort...whatever it is that I may need right here in the physical world, it is up to me to ask for it.

Thus, my question for you today is this: Do you know where to go to find your source of support? Make a list. Realize that your source of strength comes not only from the spiritual guide within but also from your friends, family and colleagues who are there, waiting for your call.

Trust that they are there for you.

Words to rely on

As I deal with my brother's death, I am thinking about a Bible verse I read this week from Matthew 18:3:

"To get into the Kingdom of Heaven, you have to become like a little child."

That verse is sustaining me as I think about what happened to my brother before he died. He had gone to the hospital in a comatose state. When he'd come out of the coma several days later, I'm told he experienced brain damage to the extent that his mind reverted to that of a 12-year-old.

As his life before the coma was filled with sadness and illness I am comforted in believing that he was transported by his Creator so that he could, at last, find peace. I find comfort in this Bible verse, and I am relying on it, particularly since the passage came to me unexpectedly and not even from the Bible itself, but rather from another book I've been reading to heal myself. These words arrived at the exact moment when I needed them. And I knew instantly what they meant. I immediately shared them with my sister, and she was comforted as well.

When you are hurting, what words comfort you? Have you ever experienced a moment where the words appeared at the exact moment when you needed them? This week, I challenge you to keep your eyes and ears open for that which might comfort you. Whether it be words or people or something you've seen, use your mental BIKE--your spiritual navigation tool--to hone in on what will lift you up. Then come back to BIKE WITH JACKIE and share your story.

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