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Are Google+ Communities A Thing Of The Past?

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English: Google+ wordmark

English: Google+ wordmark (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today is the day I pull the plug on Bloggers Unite, the Google+ community I so eagerly and quickly established to build a place for we bloggers to qvetch, klatch, and ‘raderie.

It worked. For a bit.

In the beginning, as with most things new on the Interwebz, the sharing and energy around Google+ was #RockHot. Everyone wanted in on the action, and my community became a friendly place for peeps to read new material and cascade a few plusses around the sphere.

After that, the invasion of the non-English bloggers happened overnight. One day, we all knew one another, and the next folks from Latin America, Europe, and South America joined and posted blogs in their native tongues.

As owner of this community, it became challenging to support and share blogs I couldn’t read. Yes, someone did inform me to use Google Translation; however, my time is limited.

Segue.

It’s All About Time

What did Google+ communities offer beyond a Facebook group or LinkedIn group? The chatter wasn’t different (in my community, at least). We who jumped in together were already connected on other social channels.

Although I did try to jump start the conversation, it seemed bloggers posted something and took off to greater confines where the engagement was more robust. I get it, so did I!

Amber-Lee Dibble, kindly accepted the role as co-manager of the community, and then she got swamped on a wild horse adventure (no kidding, she lives in the Alaska interior).

Are Other Google+ Communities Thriving?

Like you, I joined some really robust communities back in the day. When I was publishing my first book a year ago, Writing With Verve on the Blogging Journey, (if anyone wants a free copy in exchange for jumping onto my list, let me know!), I joined APE The Book managed by Peggy Fitzpatrick for Guy Kawasaki and Shawn Welch. With 3,400 members, it’s easy to get lost and lurk.

After I gleaned all I could (it was crazy with information), I had to turn off notifications as it became too much sensory overload.

Viveka von Rosen owns a community of 600 members about LinkedIn, her specialty, and I still see those notices rolling in my in box.

Maybe that’s the ticket to success for a G+ community? Specialty topics everyone wants to learn about?

Could be! And, what do you think? Are you still involved in any #RockHot Google+ communities?

Please list them here and tell us why as I’m now seeking a new home to visit!

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The Happy Friday Series: Positively Peggy

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Peg-Fitzpatrick.jpgWhen I launched this series on Jan. 11, 2013 quite by happenstance, I had no idea where it would go, what it would become, or how I would write on happiness every Friday. I instinctively invited the very happiest person I know online and with whom I’ve never spoken or met, to kick off the first official guest post for the series.

She accepted my invitation with relish, and did me and us justice; The Happy Friday Series was official and rolling.

Every Friday since January, I’ve been jazzed with a cadre of #RockHot guest authors. People who have shared their most personal thoughts and feelings, and people who have shared their passions about what puts smiles in their hearts. The series hasn’t been off the hook giggles; it’s been about life and the pursuit of happiness. Sometimes we find that happy in odd ways, with one little bit of graciousness and generosity.

As the series has continued and my invitations to many to author here have become more sparse and peoples’ time has become less to commit, I’m turning the tables to you.

This series is taking a turn; it’s my turn to thank each and every one of you for your generosity of sharing and caring right here.

And, so, today, I thank Peg Fitzpatrick for her spirit and generosity for kicking off this series right here.

Peg, Positively Peggy, writes a blog that is always generous. She’s a teacher extraordinaire, she shares happiness for real with her community, and if you don’t follow her, you’re truly lacking.

Peggy is one of those sincerely genuine nurturers and givers. She puts herself last, she puts her community first.

She’s a managing partner at 12Most.com, she manages the Google+ community for APE, The Book by Guy Kawasaki and Shawn Welch, she is on all social channels, and she’s writing her own book. If you link to that blog post of hers, you’ll get a positive sense of this woman’s creativity and how she teaches you with relentless giving.

May I say, she’s forever in smiles, too?

Please give Peggy a nod your way; she will imbue positivity and inspire creativity — promise.

Peg Fitzpatrick, thank your for your Happy Friday. You are #RockHot!

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The Happy Friday Series: Glass Half Empty & Happy

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A woman I designated as  Social Media Woman of the Year 2012 graces us today with her always unique perspective on life, topics and happenstance. I encourage your read today as we continue The Happy Friday Series with awesome guest appearances thus far by Peg Fitzpatrick, Susan Silver and Paula Kiger. Jenn Whinnem is our guest today, and you may want to read her “coming out” story that debuted on this blog in 2010 before you read what’s below.

Jenn Whinnem Says:

credit: sodahead.com

credit: sodahead.com

The Glass is Half Empty and I Couldn’t be Happier.

Come here. Want to hear a secret? Here’s how I survived public humiliation and other fallout from:

  • Having to leave my dream college, one year in
  • Unemployment
  • Canceling my own wedding two months beforehand
  • The slow ratcheting up of an ultimately fatal illness
  • Several romances gone south (like all the way to the south pole, hanging out with the penguins south)

Until age nine, I drank a lot of Mylanta, because I was a really nervous kid and my stomach hurt from being so nervous. The short version was that I was terrified at all times that I would embarrass myself in public.

But then I got philosophy!

At age nine or so, I read Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You. “What are you so afraid of?” someone asks the protagonist. “The worst it can do is kill you.”

The light bulb went off. I was so relieved, I cried. Public humiliation would hurt, but not kill me.

Yeah, at age nine, I accepted my death, and put down the Mylanta. If I did in fact die, okay, I’d be dead, so it wouldn’t matter. But nobody was going to kill me if I said the wrong thing to a relative at my birthday party or accidentally farted in the grocery store.

Some people this is really weird, or even dark, that a nine year old thought about death like this. But I never was an optimist. I’m also not a pessimist. I consider myself more of an absurdist.

Here is the resiliency I developed as a result of my philosophy:

  • Any time I found myself in a rotten situation, I would determine the worst case scenario
  • It wouldn’t be death
  • So then I’d figure out how to deal with the other inevitable losses
  • And I’d FIND the humor in it (this is the absurd part).

See, if it doesn’t kill you, it’s just going to be inconvenient. Don’t sweat inconvenient. Take a day to sulk, then suck it up and be done with it.

Someone sues you? Hire a lawyer. Can’t afford one? Whatever, you can make it work. Clients haven’t paid you, and you are going to miss your mortgage payment? Be late on your payment. Take charge of what you can control.

It’s not that I think that any of this is ideal. I’d rather not be sued or default on my mortgage. But here’s what you’ll find:

  • You don’t feel powerless anymore. You have an ACTION PLAN.
  • Since you’re focused on action and not victimhood, people will crawl out of the woodwork to help you. Emotional drowning scares good helpers away. (it is okay to feel blech, but not to drown).
  • At least one person you know has been in your situation and knows how to navigate it.

Optimism didn’t really work for me. What did work was embracing reality, having a good laugh, and getting ON with it.

What’s your strategy for minimizing freak-outs when life hands you a lemon tree?

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The Happy Friday Series: Power Of A Smile

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Smile fasdfdsfoiueire

Smile fasdfdsfoiueire (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Thrilled to launch our first in The Happy Friday Series post kick off with none other than Peg Fitzpatrick, the most smilingist 12 Moster, blogger, Facebooker, and Twitter peep I have the privilege of knowing. You hang around her and there’s nothing you can do but smile; she imbues positive. See what I mean?

Peggy Fitzpatrick Says:

Which came first the smile or the positive attitude? Did you know that it can go either way? If you’re feeling stressed putting on a smile can actually reduce your heart rate and some studies also suggest that “smiling could reduce levels of cortisol, a stress-related hormone.” (from Simply Smiling link below) This is a case where “fake it ‘til you make it” is relevant.

“Lots of smiling can actually make you healthier. Smiling can help reduce the level of stress-enhancing hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and dopamine; increase the level of mood-enhancing hormones like endorphin; and reduce overall blood pressure.” –Ron Gutman

TED Talk Ron Gutman – The Hidden Power of Smiling

The best thing about a smile is that if you share one with someone else, it almost always comes back to you.  When someone smiles at you, your mind makes subtle judgments: they are happy, they like me, they are confident, and things along these lines. Take the opportunity to  make a positive impression on others.

“If you want to make a good first impression, smile at people. What does it cost to smile? Nothing. What does it cost not to smile? Everything, if not smiling prevents you from enchanting people.”
? Guy Kawasaki from Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions

“Children smile almost 400 times per day.” This explains why people love to spend time at the park or other places where children run free. Smiling, laughing, and having fun come naturally to children and they look for ways to enhance or repeat things that they enjoy. Sure, kids have much less stress than adults but I defy you not to smile if you go to the park and get on the swing set. It’s still fun but it also probably brings back happy memories of recess and playing with your friends.

Three things that you can do today to bring a smile to your face:

  1. Watch something positive like Jessica’s Daily Affirmation.
  2. Listen to happy music, I wrote an article called 12 Most Must-Be Happy Songs  if you need some suggestions
  3. Smile at someone else

So, there you have it, many reasons why you should and can have a smile on your face.  What are your favorite ways to make someone else smile?

Resources:

Simply Smiling can Actually Reduce Stress via Smithsonian.com

 

 

 

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The Happy Friday Series: Everyone’s Happy!

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kidsfaceHappiness is pervasive; everywhere you look and listen, someone is talking about studies on happiness at academic levels, about books they’re reading, about happiness jars they’re creating, and the love they have for their fellow man.

I applaud them all. We need more positive spirit and positive mental attitude and smiles and giggles and belly laughs to endure the constant stream of negativity, backlash and strife in this entire world.

Peggy Fitzpatrick is one of the happiest women I know; every day, her avatar greets us with that infectious wide grin complete with a sprinkling of stars in various colors behind her head. Her posts are always positive, always supportive, always full of love, and generosity. Her spirit is so alive, and she leads the 12Most.Com community with Paul Biedermann. Run to her blog and Facebook community or Twitter to see what I mean.

Happiness jars are being crafted all over and posted online. Do you know why? Because we need to share the good things we’re thankful for and recognize what makes us laugh and smile every day.

Did you know laughter is the best medicine? Not kidding; that tired old cliché is tried and true – laughter indeed makes the heart healthier. And, it releases the negative acids and endorphins and hormones into the sky leaving you with a rosy feeling and a spritely step.

On Fridays, please hold me to it, we’re going to find GOOD news that brings a smile to your psyche. Maybe it will make you happy, or maybe it will send away a negative thought, or two.

And, to make this really work, I’d like your help…here’s how:

  1. Guest Post here on a Friday about happiness, good mental energy, spiritual positiveness (yep, word coin), laughs, or whatever tickles you. I don’t mind if you have no blog of your own and want to get your feet wet. Send me 400 words if you don’t know what to write; we’ll get a story going.
  2. Share in comments something you saw or read that makes you or made you happy. I’ll cover it here.
  3. Send me links to happy stuff, and I’ll sprinkle them in the channels.
  4. Join my Bloggers Unite! Community on Google+ — we’re nearing 90 members and growing. It’s where we lend some levity to our seriousness with banter, XO and LOL. Knowing that Alaska Chick Blog of Pioneer Outfitters (yes, it’s Amber-Lee Dibble) is my co-moderator should bring a smile right off.

What think? Join me in our collective pursuit of happiness, would you? All writers and stories welcome. You will smile; that’s the goal.

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