Facebook: Are you doing it right?

Are you doing Facebook "right?"

Well, that depends. What's right for you? And don't you get tired of articles that tell you what the best way to do anything is, anyway? I say we all have our own way of doing things. Facebook is like anything else we do. We all do life differently. And that's a beautiful thing.

People can be very judgmental on Facebook. They will tell you what to post, how to post it, when to post it and even how much you should be posting. They may even tell you how to live your life. I've written about that before too and my opinion hasn't changed. Don't listen to them. Post your little heart out if that's what makes you happy. Say what you want to say. Do Facebook as the individual you are.

In fact, even if you're using Facebook for business, you should always do it your way. Now, you may not hear that from the experts. It's just my opinion. But why would you want to work for/with someone who doesn't like the real you anyway? That only leads to trouble down the line. It's much better to be honest about yourself up front and on a daily basis than to spend a lifetime working for/with someone who thinks you're someone else, isn't it?

Now, the personal angle. What about me? I'm not just on Facebook to post cute pics of my grand-kids. Although, I do that from time to time. I'm on Facebook for a multitude of reasons. I'm not very social in person, for instance. So Facebook gives me an outlet to voice my opinions. I also use Facebook to promote my work, connect with like-minded individuals and as entertainment. Now, sometimes, those things get all mingled into one post. That's what I call the perfect storm post. LOL I enjoy those tremendously.

But make no mistake. I do not expect everyone to agree with me. Ever. On or off Facebook. And if I did, I would certainly be disappointed, wouldn't I? Because I'm pretty sure that there are no two individuals on the face of this earth that agree on absolutely everything.

Now, let's talk about you, shall we? You could very well (and likely do) have different reasons for being on Facebook than me. I'm OK with that. Do your thing. Be yourself. Post whatever tickles your funny bone, touches your heart or makes you think. Your page is about you. My page is about me. That's the way it should be. And only you know how to do life (or Facebook) your way. After all, you're the one living it. You know what works best for you.

Anyway, here's the thing. There is no right or wrong way to do Facebook or life or anything else. Different things work for different people. There are many, many types of Facebook users. Some just stop by from time to time. Some mostly play Facebook games. Others are politically oriented or work oriented. There are just too many kinds of Facebook users to list. And most people are like me. They just don't really fit into one category.

So, please, do Facebook your way. I'll do it my way. Bob down the street and Judy at work can do it their way as well. Everyone should do Facebook and life in their own way. Of course, you may not agree with me. You may feel there is a definite right and wrong way to do Facebook. And guess what? I'm cool with that too. Don't let me stand in your way. Preach it, sister. Let it flow! It's your page and your life. Go for it! Just as long as you don't expect me to tow your line, we'll get along fine.

Ecstatic about my path today!

You guys, I know that life is never perfect and we cannot all do everything we set out to be. I get it. But you know, what we can do? We can find the path we were intended to walk. And today, I am absolutely ecstatic over having found mine.

When I was a very little girl, my very first poem was about the birds and nature in general. My second poem, written at the age of ten or so, was about this plastic world we all have to live in. So, I guess that in a way, I've always known what my life should be about. But it's only recently that I've started seeing all the pieces of my hopes, dreams and beliefs come together.

It's only recently that I have come to see that all the little bits and pieces that define who I am as a person (the vegan thing, the hippie thing, the nature thing and the environmental thing, etc., just everything that speaks to me) are and always have been connected. They were just hanging around, waiting for me to wake up and figure out that it's really all about the same purpose.

And today folks, today, I am more awake than I ever have been in my life. I know the road that I'm destined to take is not an easy one. I know there are people out there who look down on people like me. But you know what? I just plain don't care if they do.

Because today, right now, I know that I am doing the right thing. I have found my center or my goal or my life's work or whatever you may call it. And no one is going to bring me down any more.

Oh, I'm sure they will try. People are like that. I'm also sure there will be numerous obstacles and setbacks. Because that's how life is, isn't it? It's not always perfect and I don't want it to be. Why? Because, as I have told you many times before, my readers, Struggles bring strength and conviction like nothing else can. You gotta appreciate those hard times. They're a tool for success.

Now, please, don't misunderstand me here. When I say success, it may not mean what you think. I don't see success the same way most people do. I see it as developing good character, not making tons of money or rocketing to fame.

Sure, it would be nice to have a little cash to spend helping others and making the world a better place. But my real goal is just to be a nice person. Someone people can rely on. Someone who stands for what they believe in. Someone who cares. There is much too little of that out there these days.

I'm also not looking to be anyone's hero but I'd sure like to be my own. I'd like to be proud of my actions. I'd like to do some things that benefit future generations. That may be as small as recycling my trash or as big as helping stop deforestation.

But it doesn't really matter, at least not for the sake of this post, just exactly what my path is all about. The point is that I'm on it. I'm walking up it with a smile on my face and happiness in my heart. No more regrets. No more unjustified pandering to the whims of others. No more worries about what anyone thinks of me. This is my path to walk and I'm sticking to it.

I'm absolutely ecstatic about my path today. Because I know in my heart that I'm doing exactly what I was meant to do.

Other animals are mere products now. Are we next?

Are we buying products or becoming products? There's a fine line.

We have successfully turned living beings into products/food/pets to serve our needs and we're next. By enslaving, possessing and using other animals, we have paved the way for others to do the same with us. Don't believe it? Think about our lives. It's already started, my friends.

People are consumption machines. Nearly everything we do/buy/produce turns a profit for someone. And when we turn a profit for ourselves, there is always someone wanting a piece of it. Not only that, we are being watched, monitored and manipulated to see that we consume and even behave in such a way to generate the most profit and thereby, give the most power to the powers that already be.

Cameras watch us just about everywhere we go. Our online presence and voice is carefully observed. (This has become evident in recent election tampering. If you were seen as liberally minded in some states, your party was electronically changed without your knowledge to prevent you from voting in the primaries in restricted states.)

Of course, it was said to be computer error. But someone has to tell those computers what to do, right? Surely they don't think we're that stupid. Or maybe they do, because there's so much more.

Our shopping habits are tracked through loyalty cards. Everything we buy goes into a data base, supposedly to better serve us. But isn't it really so stores can better see what makes us buy certain products? You bet it is. Because knowing our shopping habits helps them generate a larger profit.

When we “check in” with our phones, anyone can track us. In fact, if we have a cell phone at all, we can be tracked even without checking in. Not only that, most of our personal possessions are numbered and cataloged. We pretty much can't buy anything without it being assigned a number, observed, tracked and monitored.

We micro-chip our pets so that we can find them when they get lost and store pertinent medical information. Guess what? We're next in that respect too. There are already micro-chips in our credit cards. They tell us that it's for security purposes. That may very well be true. But we all know that it's also another way to track our purchases.

There are companies micro-chipping their employees for various purposes now. It's not a big step for our government to micro-chip us. They'll probably tote it as a convenient way to pay for goods and services or something of that nature. But of course, the “side benefit' would be better tracking and the elimination of the only untraceable commodity we have left, which is, of course, cash.

Plus, if we were all micro-chipped, then they could really see what we're doing, couldn't they?

But wait, there's more. Through mass media and government regulations, we are subliminally told what we should be eating, how we should dress and even how we should feel about everything in general. It's so obvious that many of us don't see it happening. We can't even trust conventional news media any more. It's full of lies and half truths. Not only that, it's clearly biased. And yet, many of us keep looking at the news as a credible source. And why is that? It's because that's what we've been groomed to do.

Our emotions are toyed with daily. We are told who to love, who to hate and what to be angry about. Worst of all, the media preys on our most powerful emotion; fear. People have been fear motivated since the days of the caveman. It's naturally ingrained in our psyche. Big banks/big business/big government and the media all know it. They use fear to their advantage. They even have the nerve to use our patriotism as a tool for hatred of other people. That way, they can wage highly profitable wars so as to steal the resources we need from other countries.

We are used to those creature comforts too, aren't we? And just why is that? Isn't it because someone makes a profit from them? Of course it is. The lazier we become, the more money big business makes. Heck, they even make money for being job creators, even though the jobs they create pay so little that people need government assistance just to survive. And once you're in that system, oh boy, is it ever easy for them to see exactly what you're doing. It's all checked monthly.

Even our medical history is up for grabs. And what a nice profit those pharmaceutical companies rake in by selling pills that cost a few cents to produce for hundreds of dollars. But we need them in order to live. They know that, thanks to our doctors who are reimbursed for prescribing them. And so, they make us pay dearly for them, don't they? Sometimes we pay with our lives too, although that's a subject for a whole other article.

Yes, people are already products, my friends. The powers that be have had plenty of practice through the subjection of other animals. We've bought into that as well and that makes a tidy profit for them too. So now that they know it works, they are taking on the manipulation of the human race. They are ready to use their fellow human beings as products for a profit, just as they have with other animals throughout the history of man.

And the saddest thing is, they'll likely get away with all of it. In fact, they already are. Why are we letting them? Because people like me (and I'm not seeing myself as special in any way, this is not about ego) but people like me who see this whole mess clearly and for what it is, are seen as conspiracy theorists. Plain and simple. Those profiting from all this know that we exist and they want you to think that we're crazy because it benefits them if you do.

But think on it folks. Is there a monetary benefit for me to tell you all this? No. None at all. But is there a monetary benefit for the powers that be to convince you that I'm some kind of whack job? Of course there is. Because if you don't listen to people like me, you'll keep right on being a profitable, compliant, subservient product. And that's exactly what big banks, big business, certain allied individuals and big government want you to do.

So, what is there that we can do to stop this? Not a lot. But there is one thing. It could work or it may be too late. We still have buying power and voting power, at least for now. They're the very things that they're trying to manipulate. That should tell you that those particular powers of ours are the key to stopping this madness.

If we stop buying into the false perception that wants are needs and stop putting people in office that pander to the powers that be, rather than standing up for all the people, we just might be able to stop this train. Might is the key word here, but don't lose faith. We have to try. Because, make no mistake, they want us to give up.

They want us to be submissive, ignorant, unaware and complacent. Because that's how they make the big bucks.

Life changes for a beautiful planet

Yesterday, Gary and I watched “A Beautiful Planet” at the IMAX theater. It was truly a life changing experience for me. The astronauts aboard the International Space Station have a unique opportunity to watch our beautiful planet's story unfold. Unfortunately, along with that, they also get to watch as we systematically destroy this wonderful, tailor made environment that keeps us alive.

They watch the rain-forests shrink. They watch pollution fill our skies and waterways. They watch the conflicts that tear our children from our arms. They also see very clearly what sincere effort does to improve our quality of life. And so, I watched all this with them and decided it's time for us to make a few changes in the way we live.

Now, granted, we were already headed in that direction. However, this short, but high impact film convinced us that we all need to do more than just pay environmentalism lip service if this planet and everything on it is going to be a viable future life support system.

And yes, it's true. One person's efforts to save the earth may not mean much in the grand scheme of things. That's why I'm sharing this and encouraging you to go see the film yourself and/or make your own positive changes. You know. There's the power in numbers factor and all that. Tickets were ten bucks each at our local IMAX. A small price to pay for enlightenment, don't you think?

Now, as I said before, Gary and I have been making small changes here and there in order to lessen our impact on the planet and more. And honestly, I have been researching this since the age of ten, so I pretty much know what I have to do here. But the film inspired me to try a little harder and do a lot more than we already are.

So we're reducing our consumption of goods and increasing recycling and reusing. We're repairing things instead of buying things new. And when we do find it necessary to buy new things, we're supporting sustainable businesses and purchasing sustainable products as much as we possibly can. We're using the car we're already paying for, but when it comes time to replace it, we'll be looking for something more environmentally considerate.

And then, there's the vegan thing. I know not everyone wants to hear this but that that doesn't change the fact that a vegan diet is the most sustainable, healthiest and compassionate diet there is. It's been proven over and over. The facts speak for themselves.

Now, there was one thing in that film that I disagreed with. The astronauts seem to have a fondness for nuclear energy. That probably comes from staring at the sun all day. No pun intended. But we all know the dangers of nuclear power plants, don't we? Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and the Japanese Tsunami disaster have certainly illustrated the irreparable damage that a power plant disaster can do to our planet.

Solar is my energy of choice, you guys. And that conviction is also inspired by staring at the sun all day. My independent research has revealed that it would take a comparably small area to power the entire U.S. by solar power. It's the most sustainable choice we have. And we've looked into it.

There are companies out there who will install solar panels on your roof that give power back to the grid so that your electric bill is actually lower than it is now, even though you're paying for the equipment along with your bill. Not only that, once the equipment is paid for, your bill gets even lower. Sweet! Now, for Gary and I, this means we'll also have to fix our multiple shingle layered roof first. But we were going to have to do that eventually anyway.

Now, our home may become a container sorting mess until we work the bugs out on this whole recycling thing. Our suburb doesn't have a free recycling pick up, so we'll have to do that ourselves or hire a service. And we'll have to figure out where to put saved containers and such, but we'll be making a lot of useful objects with that glass cutter I just bought.

Folks, I can't even begin to tell you all the great reduce/reuse/recycle ideas I have floating around in my head. We already have a bucket garden made from used kitty litter buckets and such. We are not without innovation around here as it is. But still, I'm so excited about this. I can't wait to get started on our revved up sustainable journey.

Wish me luck! And watch that film! It's a life changer!