By Jennifer S. Wilkov
Survivor – Author – Collaborator
Celebrating Humanity Gracefully
“Fanning the Flames of the Human Spirit”
www.jenniferwilkov.wpengine.com
Trends are topics of interest that come and go. They are popular in the moment and then fade to make room for new ones.
There are two trends I’ve seen that I believe deserve more attention than just a passing fancy.
The first one comes from Twitter. Hashtags on Twitter indicate trends of topics that people are tweeting about and on Thursday last week the following hashtag was one of the top trends:
While this simple trend could be considered a passing phase, is it really?
My two tweets on this subject included “Write your book” and “Celebrate Humanity Gracefully.” For me, these two short thoughts are not at all a passing fancy – they reflect deep beliefs I have that are not likely to change.
Even though this topic is no longer trending on Twitter, I would encourage you to come up with your own “three words to live by” … for your own satisfaction and growth. If you choose to share them, tweet them out anyway and remember to use the hashtag in your post: #threewordstoliveby.
A second trend that I first saw in a group post on LinkedIn is referred to simply as:
Describe your life in 6 words.
I have since seen this challenge appear in other places and I’m a big proponent of this one. In fact, I bring this challenge to writers in my workshops when they work on their bios and hooks in an effort to have them prioritize the words they choose to use.
This is a challenge I took on personally and it was a great exercise in looking at my own life and what I felt was essential about me. It took me an entire day to come up with mine. All day I had moments of frustration when I wanted to use just one or two more words. I finally tweaked it so I had exactly six words – no more, no less.
Here is my life in 6 words:
Survivor – Author – Collaborator Celebrating Humanity Gracefully
That’s me – at my core – in exactly 6 words.
Like others, I posted my response out in the group thread in my LinkedIn group and I enjoyed reading those posted by others. Some used six single words. Others used a single sentence or phrase, and still others used a combination like I did.
While this was a fun exercise for me, it was by no means a “trend.” It’s something I use in my writing byline, in the introductions used for my speeches, and during networking events when I have to introduce myself to others. It’s short, clear, to the point and easily said quickly – with a lot of intrigue built in for others.
Survivor? – What did you survive?
Author? – What have you written?
Collaborator? – What have you created and with whom?
Celebrating Humanity Gracefully? – How do you do that?
For something so short, it has the power to engage interest and open up a multitude of conversations with the people I meet.
So this is not a trend – it’s a tool. So are your #threewordstoliveby. These are tools you can use to communicate who you are and your beliefs simply, quickly, clearly and by using just a few words.
So…buck the trends and adopt these two as tools for you to communicate with others about you. Use them in your social media posts and tweets. Tell people who you are without giving them a full dissertation.
Trends are super tools to get you into the conversations that are popular. They can also lead you to great opportunities to continue to communicate and stay in the conversation.
So pick up your pen and grab your clean sheet of paper. Craft your contributions to these two great trends today!
When you do, you’ll have your own great tools to talk about yourself.
You can do it!
Tell me about your #threewordstoliveby and provide your 6 words to describe you as a bio for them. I’d love hear how you have answered these two challenges and trends about you.
© 2011 Jennifer S. Wilkov. All Rights Reserved.
Jennifer S. Wilkov
Jennifer’s passion for communication has led to her being a # 1 radio show host, a best-selling award-winning author, a dynamic speaker, an award-winning freelance writer, a successful book business consultant and an enthusiastic entrepreneur. She survived being incarcerated in Riker’s Island, one of New York’s and the nation’s most violent prisons, after inappropriately being told to plead guilty to a crime she didn’t commit by an attorney who mishandled her case. Jennifer continued to succeed as an author, entrepreneur and speaker after enduring this devastating, unimaginable experience. She knows what it takes to live the life you love in the face of any challenge. She loves to inspire audiences everywhere with the insights, knowledge and wisdom she has gained so participants take action. Jennifer fans the flames of the Human Spirit in each audience member and empowers them to tell their story, express it transparently, leap powerfully into their lives and at last live the life they’ve imagined. For more information, www.jenniferwilkov.wpengine.com.