Emoticons in Motion
02/11/2009It’s funny how regular writing for this blog has put me into a reflective mood lately. And concentrating on my surroundings, what I like, and what I don’t like really gets the juices flowing.
As it directly applies to life in the technological world, it turns out that dealing with people online isn’t that much different than IRL (in real life). You still have to treat people with respect and this is even more important when you can’t see their faces to gauge a reaction or if you’re posting a Twitter item with a 140 character limit! When it comes right down to it, you have to be even more circumspect because an electronic message can be instantly forwarded to people you never intended as an audience
Armed with this realization, I decided to put down some thoughts that I could use as a daily guideline for my interactions with people:
Every day, be the best person that you can be for that day.
Devote yourself completely to what you do.
Good luck is made. Bad luck is just everyday life.
Don’t take anyone or anything for granted.
Every day, seek out one person and say or do something kind.
Don’t ever let your family down.
Never be afraid to admit mistakes. Apologize and move on.
Be aware of where you are and how you present yourself.
Try not to dwell on absolutes because they marginalize people.
Humor can make a grim situation easier and a happy occasion memorable.
Except on rare occasions, you are not the most important person in the room.
You don’t have to make a contribution to every conversation.
Speak clearly. It’s your job to make yourself understood.
In much the same way that writing this blog on a regular basis is sometimes difficult, I’ve found that applying these principles in my daily life is easier said than done. When you live in a world where communication is instant and many things are delivered to our door, remembering to utilize our own words often takes a back seat to more pressing issues. Maybe I should add this as my wallpaper or create a random email generator to send me one item each day.
Is anyone out there addressing this issue? If so, please drop a comment on what you are doing.
So That's Life? 
I like your list. I try to live with those perimeters every day.
That said, it is interesting to see where others fail to do the same. Not necessarily funny, but curious just the same.
Thanks John. I was hoping that more people would reply. I’m not looking for validation, but rather a broader perspective. I get about 30-40 hits per post these days but it’s hard to gauge my impact without comments!
You are an excellent writer and extremely eloquent. Perhaps you will convince me that what I say and think is important too. 30-40 hits? From people unknown? What are the implications..?