This article was published on January 25, 2010

Inspired Networking: What Children Can Teach Us


Inspired Networking: What Children Can Teach Us

Girl + Kitteh + Interweb

Kids say the darndest things, but they can teach us a few things that we should carry into our every day interactions.

We’d all like to think we know how to manage ourselves on — and off — the Internet, at least in our own way, but it’s nice to have a refreshed way to look at it all.

You’re not the boss of me!

That’s right. No one else is the boss of you. You’re responsible for what you put out there on the Internet, no matter the social network. Google is not your best friend when it comes to those rude tweets you made public and Facebook remembers those pictures of your drunken shenanigans.

The Internet does not forget. Be mindful of what you post.

With that in mind, just be real and interact. Your network will appreciate it.

Can I do it my way?

Yes. Breaking the rules can be OK — think outside the box. Sometimes the best way to do something is differently. As adults, we always seem to be engrossed in doing things a certain way, the way we always have, and we tend to forget that there are other ways to get things done.

Maybe step outside of your comfort zone to record a podcast instead of writing your usual blog post — you get the idea.

Are we there yet?

It can be one of the most irritating things to hear on a long road trip, but what drives children to ask? Their passion, desire and curiosity to know if something is different than last time.

You should be asking yourself this every once in a while.

What are your goals? It might be that new idea you had for a startup or even something as simple as cleaning up your Twitter spam followers. Whatever it is, you need to know how you’re going to get there, and only you have the answer.

What day is it?

It seems that kids either have a firm grip on what day it is exactly, or they need to know. Why? It’s a whole new day to explore — new energy and a clean slate.

Sometimes it seems that we’ve lost our luster, energy, and curiosity when we get into that daily routine. Get passionate about your new day and take advantage of what it brings.

Image via CNN

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