What Do You Want To Say To The World?

“Life is a leaf of paper white, wheron each one of us may write his word or two, and then comes night.”…..James Russell Lowell

You can shout out anything you want into the universe – what will it be?

Will it be something positive, uplifting, creative, educational, encouraging and hopeful – or, whining, complaining, degrading and hopeless? It’s up to you.

We live in an amazing time where most individuals have access to a public platform like never before. One hundred years ago the only way someone’s opinions, thoughts and comments reached a large audience on a regular basis would have been in newspapers, or for some folks like Politicians or Preachers, public speaking. It was nearly impossible for the average mother of 3 that lived in rural South Dakota to ever even think of having her thoughts heard by anyone other than family and friends that lived nearby, or on occasion the local shop keeper on Saturdays when she went to town.

However that is no longer the case. Now anyone with any kind of access to the internet via a computer or even cel phone can share all of their thoughts, dreams, ideas, opinions, convictions, wisdom, humor and creativity. Literally ALL of it. Through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Blogs, Forums, Websites, and a Zillion other platforms – any voice can now be heard.

Yet with this individual personal power comes choice. You must “choose” what to say with your new found “world voice”.

If we break it down to its most basic – you can use your time broadcasting to the universe in a positive way, or in a negative way. It really is up to you. Those words from Mr. Lowell that he wrote so many years ago are still relevant today! Our lives are short. We only have so many posts, comments, and blogs that will go out into the ether and then we will no longer be here. As Mr. Lowell waxed,  “And then comes night”. Have you considered what the total of your output will say? If someone had to read all of your comments, go through all of your tweets and posts and come up with one sentence to sum it all up – what would that sentence say about you and who you are in the world?

Writers and artists often look at all they do as their “body of work”. If someone were to step back and take a look at an author’s body of work they would see an overarching theme – a view from above as it were, and get a feel for what that author was all about. But have you ever considered that all of your Facebook posts, comments, blogs, emails and social media activities add up to a sort of online “body of work” that tells your story? They really do. What does your body of work say to others about who you are, and what you stand for? Are you a positive influence in the world – are you someone who others would love to be around and hang out with – or are you a “Debbie Downer”, always on the defensive or just generally miserable? Your overall output will usually paint one of these pictures to others as to who you are. Which one will you choose?

It is your choice. You can constantly share those complaining posts about being stuck in traffic, how miserable your workplace is, how this or that politician is ruining the world, or how you are fed up with “fill in the blank”. Remember it is your “body of work” to do with what you want. A negative expression here and there is no big deal, and everyone can be excused for an occasional rant. However, if you look at the sum of what you say and put out there; what are you contributing to the world’s vibe?

Here are 3 steps to ensure you are contributing your voice to the world in the direction you want:

1. Think before you post. Ask yourself: Will what I am about to put out there into the world be helpful, positive or informative to anyone? Is it just negative or pointless?
2. Pre-determine some positive things you would like to contribute to the world’s “cloud” – and then say it with conviction, clarity, and regularity. Soon that will become a habit.
3. Go out of your way to share something with someone who needs a little encouragement. It will not only help them, but will keep you focused on good output. Give continuously.

Spend some time “steering your ship” and directing your body of work to a positive place. You may find that the change you seek in the world is actually possible.

So before your night comes… what will you write on your leaf of paper white?