Friday Favourites from Mick Sharpe

Friday Favourites from Mick Sharpe 
This week a focus on thought-provoking posts.
Read on!

#fridayfavourites  

Originally shared by Mick Sharpe

Clinkies

Happy New Year! I hope you have been enjoying the celebrations and the time away from working. If 2015 is half as good as 2014 I’ll be a happy camper but I suspect that it will be even better - such is the positivity I’ve been seeing here recently.

It has been a very quiet week in terms of HOAs (as it should) so I’m taking the opportunity to share some of the review, prediction and reflection posts that caught my eye. It is the time of year for it after all ;-)

2015 Promise (http://goo.gl/uppP14) from David Amerland is one those posts that should be shared widely and often. David gives us his three promises that will engender stronger and deeper connections, foster more meaningful discussions and reduce the friction that can often be experienced in our online interactions. I know at times stepping back from a charged situation can be difficult but it really does become key to moving things forward. If I was to throw out a clarion call for 2015 it would be to apply these three principles in all that we do online.

I took the opportunity to revisit some of the older posts contained in Gina Fiedel’s The Fat Eyes Web Development Blog ~ 2014 in Review (http://goo.gl/p4PU0j). What a treasure trove of great reading! Some you will remember immediately, others you may have missed the first time around as I did. My favourite line so far: Yet something big is happening, taking shape right now. It may be delicate enough that we need to whisper. Gotta love those #Gina-isms. Dig deep and enjoy this treat.

For those of you that have started getting back to work or maybe feel that you should then you could do worse than to take a look at Strategy Digital’s Boost Your Business With Google+ series. Tip 4/21: Semantic Search and Google Plus (http://goo.gl/yKOt2K) and Tip 5/21: Get a Plush Knowledge Graph & Social Proof With Plus (http://goo.gl/Mrcu12) will help you ease back into the swing of things or make you feel better about having a few more days relaxing. If these pique your interest then do follow the link to the ebook included at the bottom of each post.

One of my aims (I won’t call them resolutions) for this year is to reach out and discover new people on the Plus (to me at least) and share the best through Friday Favourites. I’m not sure that it will be a weekly event but we’ll see how it goes. In any case I’ll kick it off with the first. Everyday is the beginning of your new year (http://goo.gl/TVFEme) from Peter Noah Thomas is exactly the kind of storytelling I relish here on the Plus. Immersive with a sound message - you just can’t get better than that. Do take the time to visit Peter’s stream - you’ll find a few more good reads as well as a good few memes that had me chuckling. Many thanks to Lady Deidre HufflePillowFightStarter for surfacing the post :-)

Five Years in the Shadow of the Big C (http://goo.gl/8ru8QR) is another post that everyone should read as, at one point or another, we’ll all be touched by cancer in some way. Randy Milanovic recounts his own battle with Lymphoma as he reaches the five year all clear mark. Randy’s resolve and character shine through this post and his inspirational never give up message is admirable. The second part of the post will undoubtedly help those being affected by cancer now. I’m certainly glad Randy never gave up and have the utmost respect for him sharing this post. My hat’s off to you, Sir.

Improving your Google+ knowledge

A golden opportunity for anyone looking to do more with Google+ in 2015. The next level 2 course of the The PYB Google+ Academy starts later this month and for those who have the ability to give back to the PYB Community there is skill swap option available. I’ve already completed the level 2 course and I can thoroughly recommend it - you will get a lot from it. martin shervington provides the details in this post (http://goo.gl/oiYn5p).

Thinkers corner

todd l lebeauc shares his thoughts Going into 2015… (http://goo.gl/WgNPbk). I value introspective pieces like this as it reveals not only a little more about the inner workings of the author but also forces us to look at ourselves (as we should at least every now and then). It is all too easy to get embroiled in a topic or discussion to such a degree that it can become counter-productive and I can only agree with Todd’s conclusion that stepping back to consider all the views is a good thing. I’ve really enjoyed Todd’s posts last year and relish those to come now the cat is out of the cage ;-)

Did I mention that posts such as Todd’s force us to look at ourselves? Well here you go - Colin Walker’s Goodbye yellow brick road (http://goo.gl/hGZhmC) reminds us that it is not the environment (social media) that causes our disappointments but our own actions and expectations. ‘nuff said.

And finally…

You’ll be giggling alongside Quentin Sommerville in this short clip of outtakes shared by David Amerland (http://goo.gl/pwMlD5). Always upwind!

A big thank you

I would like to express my gratitude for all the support you have shown through this last year. It really has been the most informative, entertaining, thought-provoking time and I am all the richer for it. Long may it continue :-)

Have a great weekend wherever you are

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Created by Mick Sharpe of Bitingedge