It always amazes me how every day is different, each starts roughly the same way but as the seconds, minutes and hours tick by a new sense of something, no matter how small is realised.  Is this what getting old is all about, is there an age where time seems to fly by or do we simply not have the time to stop and be “free” in the busy world we live in. Oh to have time to sit and enjoy the garden or the sun rising or setting, listening to the birds happily chirping in the cool onset of Winter, at what age does freedom really set in and become a part of us so that we able to be one?

Freedom, what does it mean, is it just a word that people use to dream up a satisfactory state of mind, or is it real with some living a totally free life, enjoying each second with relish?

Freedom to me is simply being, happy to be alone or laugh in company.  Comfortable at work, enjoying the banter and happily working alongside others in a creative and innovative team.  Being able to enjoy the countryside, happy in the knowledge that freedom is all around us, we only have to embrace it.

Freedom by Nan Witcomb

FREE,  as the wind upon the ocean,
free, as a bird about to fly,
free, as a tiger in a jungle, -
freedom, that’s the universal cry
but do we cry
for freedom without thinking -
like a child wants everything he sees -
do we know that freedom can be lonely ………..
do we really have the courage
to be free ?
Free, as a gypsey in the winter,
free, as a bird without a sky,
free, as a dolphin without water, freedom -
that’s the universal cry …….

Nan Witcombe, Thoughts of Nanushka

Is it that when we go through change we experience all these things or is it that change instills a feeling of fear even when it is leading to freedom and a new life to live?

Thoughts of a Monday, in a sunny Newcastle!

Sometimes, on a beautiful day
in early summer,
when the sun warms my body
and the rich, green grass
feels cool beneath my feet,
I watch the bees
go visiting the blossoms
on a peach tree and wonder if,
like people,
busy gathering honey for the winter,
they often miss the spring……

From Thoughts of Nanushka

What can I give
this beautiful new generation?
the unwanted gift
of my experience?
I don’t think so -
perhaps only the right
to make the same mistakes
and afterward
not saying
“I told you so!”

Nan Witcomb – Loving and Living

I have been told to stay away from other people until my symptoms have gone so my laptop has become my best friend and the link to the outside world.

Once I’m feeling better I will get down to some work that needs catching up on but in the meantime I needed to get back into Social Networking and get my sites updated.  I had forgotton how much fun this was and the amazing people that I met through it.

My question is how do you get the time to do it properly and show return on investment.  I do monitor and evaluate all our marketing activities (well I should as that’s what I tell others to do) so am fairly sure of the ROI we achieve from all our activities, but how does the busy business person manage this and build a business case for Social Networking.

There are many companies who put a block on it.  This is understandable when it is abused, but how do we change the way we think , or do you believe it will just happen and everyone will see it as the way forward with marketing?

Websites and other traditional marketing activities have their place, yet I fear they will dwindle away or be carried on as marketing activities only by those who do not understand the power of the cyberspace we are all fast becoming a part of.  I am intersted to know how other marketing specialists are educating their clients and the benefits they are getting for them. 

I spent yesterday updating our business blog and set up this new personal blog.  Now I need to drive traffic, but blogging is new to me and I’m not sure where to start.  I have asked myself is it to do with Tags and Categories and I guess it is, but is there something else that I can do to drive people to it and make my own blog much more interactive and interesting.

I love quotes and things and post some on Twitter each day, and I have found software that will send your Tweets at certain times and Blog posts when you want them to.  Is this something that everyone does and if so which are the best?

There you go – I’ve been caught out, but you can’t be a master of everything and this I am not.!! – can anybody give me some guidance which I can then pass on to others and share the knowledge.

I am lucky I have a great guy working with me (Simon Hamer) to help build our business Taylored Assessments, through social networking,  however, marketing is something I love and as a marketing consultant need to know everything that is available to my clients and how they should use it.

The consultancy I do is very practical and hands on, getting to know each client and their business so that I can recommend a range of activities that will work for them and let’s not hide from the fact that Social Networking is very quickly (if it is not already) the new wave of marketing.

If you’ve any advice to share, tips to use or tools that you would recommend please share them here, perhaps we could build a small knowledge base for people to tap into.

Cheers and happy networking.

Wendy Taylor

I am a lover of quotes and inspirational sayings, if you enjoy these too please share them with me.   I have a number of books that I refer to at certain times, and it seems that whenever I open a page it gives me what I am looking for.

My favourite at the moment is “Thoughts of Nanushka” by Nan Witcombe, its about Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow and has some lovely verses in it.

The people in my life who have made me who I am now are my Gran, my Mum and my Dad.  All are very different and have added something special to who I am in one way or another.

My Gran was the kindest, gentlest person you could ever meet but she didn’t tolerate fools gladly.  She was never rude and had this amazing way of just avoiding those people without offending.  She died 22 years ago, yet I still remember the things she said to me and the lessons I learnt through her.

I think everyone has been influenced and inspired by certain people in their lives and when we are able to appreciate who those people are and what they have given us life becomes much more about sharing and living.

People come in and out of our lives for different reasons, each one of them bringing some special thing to our lives or lessons to be learnt.

People have asked me if I believe friendships are forever.  I think some are, but others are for the here and now to either bring something to you or for you to give something to them.  Each has to be savoured for what it is, whether good or bad, and remembered for how it makes you feel.

I love the differences in each of us and learning what makes us tick.  Some people are purely motivated by money and status and I feel sorry for them as they miss so much in life, whereas others are pure givers and get so much more from life.

In January this year I became disallusioned by all the doom and gloom that was being thrown at us from all directions.  After all we should be able to make our own destiny and I believe where there are problems there are also opportunities if you look hard enough.

I decided to see what others felt and posted a discussion in a number of groups on Linkedin asking people to highlight a saying or verse that summed 2009 up for them and was amazed by the response – over 100 in total – all of which were insightful and inspirational.

Following on from this I set a group up on Linkedin called 3I’s to Share – Inspiration, Ideas and Innovation.  We now have over 550 members, all of whom are inspirational in themselves and are actively sharing some really good stuff.

I met Simon Hamer through Linkedin and he is now actively helping to build the group.  As said earlier people come into your lifes for a reason and very quickly Simon has become a good friend and is not only helping with the group but is working with me to build Taylored Assessments.

We would love to see you in the group and get to know you, so if you are interested click on this link http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1762237 and register – you will be accepted!

If you like what you see here please visit my quotes and poem pages and leave a comment and share some of your favourites with others.