Wisdom in Pieces: The Value of Twitter Conversations

I'm hosting guest bloggers who share a slice about things I love. Twitter is one of those affections.

Wade Kwon is a tweeter I follow. Possibly too closely.

Enjoy.
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I share something every day on my blogs. And I share a whole lot more on Twitter.

It is a natural fit for people with something to say, and I have something to say.

But Twitter is daunting. It has a reputation for superfluousness and confusion. Why would anyone want to share their lives, much less read about other people's lives, on this ethereal network?

For me and millions of users, it accommodates a hunger for learning. I learn so much from my tweeps: news, ideas, personal moments, witty observations, catty observations and more.

I asked my 2,000-plus followers at @WadeOnTweets for their words of wisdom to share with you.

Working on a guest post for @JamiesRabbits. @ reply me your 140-character words of wisdom. Best ones go in the post. [link]

The response was amazing. Allow me to share their tweets, along with my notes.

"It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice." My words of wisdom by someone unknown to me. [link]

Danielle, @DanielleBlevins, is a fellow Birminghamian. Being nice costs nothing, and Danielle was nice enough to share her thoughts. But it goes beyond that.

Jamie works in a meaningful job, helping children through a nonprofit organization. To me, her work is more important that what I do in my daily duties as a communications consultant. She is not only a nice person, but her career is an extension of her personality. She cares, and she cares enough to make it a career.

I like to pile on the nice, so even something as small as a guest post is my way to contribute.

Re: words of wisdom -- Get it in writing. [link]

My friend Chance, @crewless, is a talented filmmaker in Birmingham, Alabama, and a friend and neighbor. It's ironic that someone who works in video would tweet about writing, but he knows all too well the deals and promises and ideas that slip away without a piece of paper to document it.

Be the type of person that doesn't need to back it up with paper. Follow through on your promises.

Live fully by: spending less, earning more, being debt free and Investing for life. [link]

Eric, @Ewesban, is a financial planner in Birmingham. I don't think we've met, but he was kind enough to add something he knows very well: living within your means.

We all need help with something. Guest posts, electrical work, babysitting, money. Some of us struggle with breaking patterns of overspending and bad planning, or putting off how to save for the future. But that doesn't mean we have to fail. It doesn't mean we have to do it alone.

Getting help can be easy as contacting Eric and asking, "What should I do next?"

this, too, shall pass. #wisdomwords [link]

Kenn, @insomniactive, is a dear friend since we were lads knocking abo ut Hoover. He has a relaxed attitude about most things in life, as you can see in his tweet.

While I'd like to think niceness abounds, a few meanies seem to be intent on ruining our day. Don't let the meanies win. All the drama, the whining, the jabs mean little now and nothing in a day or two. Let it pass.

"Ideas don't work, unless you do." [link]

Trav, @tsutrav, is yet another Birmingham pal. He has some great ideas about books, technology and publishing, which he shares on his site, {head}:sub/head.

I know Trav is willing to put in the hours and hard work to make ideas fly. I know Jamie is willing to sacrifice other things to keep her blog up to date. Most people have ideas; few ever see them become reality because they don't try. Or they give in to fear. Or they try and give up too soon.

You may be the only one who believes in your idea. Are you willing to work to make it happen?

Bonus from Facebook: "When women go wrong, men go right after them." - Mae West -- wisest thing I have read this week! [link]

Amy, @amydormi, is another Alabama friend from the high school days. All I can add is, if women are wrong, I don't wanna be right!

If you started on Twitter today, what could you learn from your friends and followers? And what could you share with them to make their lives a little better?

Wisdom comes in surprising ways. Be open to them, and never stop learning.

Wade Kwon is a communications consultant and writer. He shares news and features about his hometown on his site, Wade on Birmingham.