How Can We Really Trust Facebook With Our Online Identity

Do you remember when the internet didn’t own your identity? Before Facebook. Before Twitter. The most it had on you was an article from the local newspaper telling your neighbors about how you won the soap box derby back in 3rd grade. Your identity was decisively off-line.

Now it’s not.

For most of us, our online identity is owned by Facebook. That’s where we go to learn about others, check out their pictures and their "status updates". We're nosey by nature so we'll take a peak into people's lives even further - where did go to school, who did they marry, etc.

Then there’s inevitably that awkward moment when you meet someone for the first time and they happen to already know your favorite movie and where you went on vacation last July. They know your cat can jump to the top of the fridge. Weird.
Is Facebook creepy? Yup. Stalkerish? You bet. But it was always inevitable. With or without Facebook the internet was going to eventually heavily influence the way we are presented to the world. The question is should we trust a seven year old website with telling the rest of the world who we are?

If we shouldn’t, what can we do about it? Here’s seven steps to reclaiming some of your online identity from Facebook.

• Step 1 – Finally Fix Your Privacy Settings
  Facebook’s goal is to put everyone’s life online. That’s not an exaggeration, that really is their vision. That’s why your profile errs on the side of sharing with others by default. That’s why it’s not immediately obvious how to change stuff.
  
  Set your settings however you feel comfortable, but it’s probably not a bad idea to limit everything to just your friends. (You don’t need to give stalkers a leg up...)
• Step 2 – Clean Up Your Account
  Most of us have embarrassing stuff on our Facebook account. Maybe we're tagged in some goofy, drunken picture. Maybe, our status updates are disgustingly uncensored. Most of us don’t think about it enough to go through and clean up the bad stuff.
  
  Like it or not, if you have a Facebook account it is a huge component of your online and offline identity so it’s best to control it. Ask yourself how you want to be seen by the world. Then, comb through your pictures, your info, and your updates and take out and de-tag everything that doesn’t help your cause.
  
  This also goes for your friends. We’ve all accepted people we didn’t quite know. Admit it. De-friend some of those people or at least throw them in a group that doesn’t get to see your phone number.
• Step 3 – Add Some Good Stuff
  Is your information page screaming “this dude is awesome”? No? Add something that helps you out. Without being weird, mention your strengths. Tactfully reference achievements you’ve had. Go ahead and add a link to that charity you love (every online identity benefits from being noble).
  
  Remember, this is your identity we’re talking about. Look at it like you would a job interview. Without lying you want to show up as the best possible you.
• Step 4 – Minimize Facebook’s Importance
  Your online identity is an investment, so you should diversify. Let the internet find other awesome things about you.
  
  Write a smart blog post for a popular blog. Start up a Twitter account and share your wisdom. Set up a LinkedIn account. If you have a job you’re proud of, make sure the company’s website has a page talking about how awesome you are. Snag a leadership position in a club or organization you support and work your way into the leadership page on their site.
  
  Just don’t let Facebook own all of you.
• Step 5 – Own Your Own Online Real Estate
  You can only do so much about your online identity when you’re playing with online properties you don’t own. No matter how you clean up your Facebook profile, there’s no telling what they’ll decide to do in a year or two.
  
  Worse, there are other people that share your name. What if one your clones starts a website devoted to people who love Pauly Shore? Google your name, get Pauly Shore love. Want to be associated with that?
  
  Hedge your bets by buying a domain name for your name. For example, if your name is Bubba Jenkins, you should buy www.bubbajenkins.com (or if that’s not available, buy the .net, or .org versions), That way, even if you never use that domain name to create a website, at least you have the option down the line if necessary. (It’s well worth the $10 investment).
• Step 6 – Create a Portfolio Site
  The ultimate step in owning your online identity is to create your own website. Now don’t get hung up whether or not you’re capable of creating a website – websites are easier and cheaper to create than ever – you definitely can. Your website can function as an expanded resume, where you present yourself how you’d like to be seen. Or you can create a blog where you put your knowledge and expertise on full display.
  
  The goal is to present yourself to the world how you see fit and to showcase your strengths.
  
  Which Google search is best for your online identity? Drunken pictures of you in a McDonald’s play place ball pit or your personal website about your wisdom and generosity?

Free Incredibly Simple Steps to Living a Truly Great Life

Living a truly great life seems impossible. Days and weeks go by and is just feels like we're stuck in this never ending world of mediocrity. I don't know. Maybe we're all defining 'great life' the wrong way. What does it mean to live a truly great life?

I can tell you one thing. It’s different for every person, and each one of us has to come up with our own definition. It’s not up to society, our friends, or our family. And - it's certainly not up to me or some guy on the internet. I can list 40,000 things that make ME happy, and perhaps we'll have a few in common, however, it’s up to you to decide how you live.

With that, I can surely give you a handful of ideas that may help in your quest. Let me know what you think.

1. Go After Your Dreams
   Go after your dreams and follow your passion. It's easier said than done but no matter what, if you put off your dreams, you will regret it.
   
   It may feel hard, or scary to do what you love, but in the end, isn’t it one of the most important things in life? It doesn’t have to be radical. You don’t have to quit your job, but you do have to get started, and get creative.
   
   Do not succumb to excuses.
2. Be Lazy
   I love being lazy, but I have many ingrained beliefs that say that I have to keep pushing myself; I have to keep working. I’m still very young, but throughout the years I’ve learned to relax. I’ve discovered that being in a hurry, accomplishing goals, and being successful isn’t the #1 priority for me, although it is still up there.
   
   This isn’t about being lazy all the time and never getting anything done. This is about being strategically lazy and allowing yourself to relax.
   
   Besides, if you’re passionate about what you’re doing, you will feel too inspired to stay still for long periods of time.
3. Be Kind
   Being kind infuses my soul with happiness. Sounds cheesy, but it’s true. I am often kind for selfish reasons; it makes me feel great to imagine other people being happy because of me.
   
   It’s easy to put off making other people’s days better when we have so many problems to worry about. But in the end, we will always have more problems, so why not help others with theirs?
4. Cherish Relationships
   Being connected, being in love, and having people around us is what makes us human, and it’s something we all value more than we know. Making money is nice, but in the end we want money because we think it will improve our social status.
   
   Instead of going after money, go after relationships directly. Happiness is possible now, so why use money as the middle-man?
5. Take Risks
   Have you ever just gone after something you initially thought was scary and later been happy that you did it?
   
   Our minds have an uncanny ability to stop us from doing anything that isn’t safe or secure. We avoid risks. We avoid being bold, and we do our best to avoid anything new.
   
   Now, I’m not advocating being stupid and jumping off a cliff. Use common-sense, and take risks that have a high chance of having a positive impact on your life.
6. Fail
   Failing is another obstacle we have to overcome. We’re taught in school that failure is bad. They use red-markers and those that never fail are endlessly praised.
   
   But in the real world failure is what teaches us what works and what does not. Failure is a stepping stone to success, not a death sentence like so many believe.
7. Be Aware of Your Thoughts
   Be an observer of what is going on in your mind, and remember that you are not your thoughts, but the observer of them.
   
   Notice what your patterns are. If you’re like me, you’re a worrier. I want to plan, make things perfect, and avoid any surprises in the future. But in reality, there’s no way I can control my future. Even with all the money in the world, something unexpected could happen to knock my world upside down.
8. Kill Your TV
   Don’t waste away in front of the TV. Occasional TV watching is cool; in fact, I like to watch TV from time to time, but I don’t have a TV at home. The best way to cut down on your watching is to get rid of your TV.
   
   When you sit in front of that hypnotic box, it’s easy to get stuck there like you’ve accidentally sat on a pool of superglue. You get passive, and your mind shuts off.
9. Face Your Fears
   Our fears are there for a reason. Overcoming fear is a skill anyone can learn, and facing your fears helps you grow. Look at your fears as challenges. Each one you face you receive experience points, and when you’ve got enough of them, you level up.
   
   The scarier the fear, the greater the reward.
10. Say Yes!
    Say yes more. Simple, yet very powerful. You cannot know what will happen. We try to predict what will occur if we say yes to a trip, to an invitation, or to a meal with a friend, but it’s impossible.