Motivation And Encouragement Through Networking



It's good to network on the internet; invaluable today when so many people are online. As a campaigning tool (like the Hot Women Campaign ) it's essential.

It also means you can connect without meeting in person. In other words, you can befriend the guy in the lighthouse of communicate with someone the other side of the world. You can skype, IM or You Tube. It saves huge amounts of time.

However, despite the myriad of avenues offered by the internet to avoid it, a new era of networking and face to face meetings has evolved. As someone said to me the other day, 'you can't beat the old fashioned meeting when it comes to doing some kinds of business.'

The net is essential for campaigning on important issues

International speaker Molly Harvey uses in her five star presentations the fact that Richard Branson can apparently tell with sixty seconds of meeting new people whether there is any future in collaboration. Fascinating new research has now, Molly tells me (she refers to our inner sat nav) shas given this a scientific basis. Apparently our radiated energy field extends out to such a degree that we interconnect from quite some feet away, from behind, from the side, through a crowd. All this lends some lab tested evidence to support those ‘gut’ feelings we get about people. What's the chemistry? Can we motivate one another? So important.

So effective networking 2010 is no simple business, nor has it ever been. Connecting up the right people is a special skill now being developed to meet the new era of social entrepreneurs. Take 'special agent' Caroline Bosher, for example. A branding expert, bearing more than a trifle resemblance to Steig Larssen’s cult heroine Lisbeth Salander, she quite simply enjoys introducing powerful people to one another. A supernetworker.

Despite thousands of friends on Facebook or Twitter, nothing changes. Getting to the top field of influence is tough. Say you haven't got the right connections, don't go to the right places, wouldn't even know where to start? Well, you may be encouraged to hear there are good people like Robyn Scott, author of 'Twenty chickes for a Saddle', trying to help. Check out OneLeap. In fact, feeling a little weary and discouraged because your email has not been answered. (Everyone complains of email overload) 'Did it ever get there?' you wonder. Then check out her blog and it will instantly refresh you.

It’s always good to meet up with motivating women.

THE SUNSHINE OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Most of us benefit from encouragement in one way or another. Women in particular spend much of their waking hours doing just that, willing our children or our loved ones to do better, or be happier. Sometimes it requires that deep centred, intense 'make or break' motivation, but most of the time it is just gentle, regular, repeated expressions of approval. Whatever form it takes, that warm support is the essence of morale enhancement.

You never know quite from which direction that energy will arrive. It's all wrapped in that well known proverb ‘Things happen when you least expect them too.’ Which is so true, they do. And that's probably because there's a spiritual dimension involved in encouragement. Little mood lifting gestures to passing strangers like a knowing smile to a woman strugging with a querulous child or a friendly nod, believe it or not, act as a 'turning point' or lifesaving moment . That’s why I believe we all act as messengers of inspiration in our every day lives, sometimes without even knowing it.

However, it was very flattering to be featured in Jeni Barnett’s LBC Inspirational Women’s Week on Tuesday. The theme was to celebrate the release of Sandra Bullock’s film ‘the Blind Side’ which won her the Oscar. In the movie she plays a mum who stops at nothing to make a difference to a homeless teenager and is based on the true story of All-American football star Michael Oher.

An actress, comedienne and accomplished presenter Jeni’s day time conversation with the general public of London is quite a heroic feat in itself. To be able to sustain and challenge open expression on air requires great stamina as well as a special talent. So it was nice to be one of her guests.

To catch a copy of my interview with Jeni

Prince William and Prince Harry

Last week I was misquoted in the press for this story. I, in fact, when called up by a journalist I said that I did not consider the matter a bullying issue for several reasons. To make it one, I thought, would just trivialise other more serious cases of harassment. I was not enraged, quite the opposite.

Affectionate banter, sometimes promotes good feelings, a sense of camaraderie, relief from the tension of modern life, group think, and bullying.

How often have you said, or had said to you - in a soothing situation ‘We all know you’re crazy, but we love you anyway!’ Just to bring a smile to someone’s face, to reinforce a position of support. Just to be kind. Sometimes the nicest thing to communicate is also the most 'inappropriate' on paper.

Sometimes political correctness is to kindness what botox is to beauty. A false fix. A con - for the most part.

For those who have legitimately questioned the stance I took on the above story, my campaigning aims personally remain as follows:

I am against intentional hurt, which covers a multitude of offences. As an anti-bullying campaigner and founder of widely supported charity Act Against Bullying what that means to me is systematic deliberate cruelty for whatever reason, whether it be group interaction, ignorance, manipulation, calculated exclusion or just plain evil.

As a global warming campaigner my views are the same. To know that we are causing environmental suicide and not to act against it seems a crime against humanity as well as the planet. This is why my contribution is to produce the Global Warming Hotspot for the Global Warming Alliance and spearhead the Hot Women Campaign. I don’t think that the general public, women in particular, would deliberately sabotage the future of the planet. Much of the excesses in the Western world have been imposed through group think and commercial pressure, which amount to a far more dangerous form of manipulation than a few light hearted comments.

Life is complex, human beings equally so; and there are very few examples on earth of completely selfless individuals. Equally, there are countless examples of decent human beings who strive to motivate for the good of others. Thankfully.