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?