T.S. Elliott

At some time in your life, you may have heard of The Golden Rule. It is because we are "social" creatures that The Golden Rule is so important. The Golden Rule is not tricky. It isn't a gimmick and you don't have to send me $19.99 for me to tell you what it is.

The Golden Rule is this:

Do unto others as you wish them to do unto you.

Here is a cute video if you have the time to learn some trivia:

What I like about this video is that it makes it perfectly obvious that being kind to others should be something that all people think about all the time.

So, now that I am sure you get what I am saying about The Golden Rule - I am going to take you in a different direction. I am going to introduce you to an unlikely expert in the "Effectiveness of Social Media" that my blog title suggested. I don't believe that we can find the answers for "Social Media" questions from "Social Media Experts and Gurus". I am going to take you in a different direction.

Meet Sharon Salzberg, www.sharonsalzberg.com. You can find her on twitter at www.twitter.com/sharonsalzberg. I have her book: "The Force of Kindness, change your life with love and compassion". The strange thing is that I don't remember where I got the book. It could have been a gift from my husband or someone could have recommended it to me at a bookstore one day. All I know is that while reading the book about mindfulness and lovingkindness, it came to me.

If we are social creatures, which we are. And if we are using social media to make connections to others, which we are. Then, we have to do so in a kind way. Sharon Salzberg says, "To explore kindness as that thread of meaning requires finding out if we can be strong and still be kind, be smart and still be kind, whether we can be profoundly kind to ourselves and at the same time strongly dedicated to kindness for those around us. We have to find the power in kindness, the confidence in kindness, the release in kindness; the type of kindness that transcends belief systems, allegiances, ideologies, cliques, and tribes. This is the trait that can transform our lives."

I know this may be a stretch for some people. But for me, it is the point of everything. I believe that the reason there are so many people online sharing, linking and talking to friends is because those friends are kind to them. I think that people are looking for other people to be kind to them because the world can be a dark and lonely place for so many. Even if you have a life with many loving family members and friends, the force of kindness is welcoming. The truth is that everyone likes it when other people are kind to them.

So, my point is this: If you are actively engaging in social media. Do the things that you want to have done to you. Ask yourself some of these questions:

1. Do you like it when people send you links to the same thing over and over again?
2. Do you like when people say things that are misleading or untrue?
3. Do you like it when someone makes a rude or unclear comment to you?
4. Do you like it when you read something hateful or negative?
5. Do you like it when someone judges you or someone you know unjustly?
6. Do you like it when someone ignores you?
7. Do you like it when you do your best and someone tells you that it isn't good enough?
8. Why do you talk to some people and not to others?
9. Would any of your friends, followers, subscribers say that you are kind?
10. How hard is it for you to show more kindness everyday?

"Kindness points to the core of what it means to be alive, which is to be connected. When someone looks at us with the concern of kindness, the sense of connection expressed in their eyes reflects our own value. When someone treats us with the benevolence of kindness, the sense of connection informing their actions confirms our own right to be happy. And when someone feels connected enough to reach out to us in kindness, we hear the unspoken message of their efforts - that we are worth the bother." Sharon Salzberg

So, if you are looking for a better way to connect with your followers or want more followers. Don't buy anyone elses "secrets". Just be kind to the people you come in contact with and help other people get to the place where you are. Lets all help each other get to the next level. To a world where we can be responsible for our own actions and make the changes that need to be made, together.