(380  words – 3 min read)

Welcome 2017!

Understanding the world around us and focusing on what we are looking for through networking creates a new level of connection between us and around us.
In the era of fast communication, Google has become my best buddy for brainstorming. It generously takes me to other likeminded or not-likeminded people and gives me the chance to read other people’s ideas.
I started following blogs and websites related to writing more seriously. I found it great, reading other people’s’ articles, but it became greater when I started writing comments on their articles. It made me think about the writer’s thoughts with more curiosity and helped me connect with the writer on a different level. It is amazing when we try to see the world from others’ standpoints. It certainly pushes us out of our comfort zone and gives us opportunities to become more open minded.
As I started following certain people and websites online (always open to new ones but have limited time), I found encouraging articles, ideas, and statements. Here are a couple of beautiful thoughts I found:
  – “Speak about it from the vantage point of ideas, rather than what you’ve accomplished.” by Brooke Warner from her Facebook page
  – “Do not underestimate the power of the Gift of Words.” By Michelle Gunnin
I have added a new page – Get Out There – to this blog to share some useful links I found for writers. It is mostly focused on memoir and nonfiction writing. The goal is keeping it organized as I add more links to it.
As much as I love browsing the web to get more interaction with others, I still long for face to face relationships. We all need it to some extent! So, I started joining writers’ clubs around where I live. I want to attend and connect with people through hearing their ideas while watching their body language. I’d like to feel the energy when they express their opinions about the stories. Face to face intellectual discussions can be very dynamic. The pressure of active listening and providing instant answers to keep the conversation going activates a lot of other parts of our brain and leads us to new explorations.
Networking can bring a lot of intellectual prosperity to our life when we step in it with integrity. Let’s get out there!

 

Celebrate life!

Shabnam

Editing Credit: M. Curtis

Picture Credit: https://pixabay.com