Unfriending Edward on Facebook and Being a Critical Independent Thinker!

I suppose there was an ‘Unfriend’ button on my old colleagues keyboard the other day. Moments like these always get me reflecting on my own thinking and how of course to take it that next level!

I had a very interesting experience that was slightly rattling and also very liberating at the same time.  An old probable not “Friend” anymore who I used to help out heaps, spend lots of time with and even send business too unfriended me on Facebook the other day.  It was a very strange experience I had with that person, we used to be quite close and then over time they backed off.

Which is cool, you get that and you can’t be out to please everyone.  Also, I have found that in life there are plenty of times where you try and help people – and some are quite strange with that.  Most are awesome and help you back – but you get someone that are more the takers and when they stop getting what they want they tend to disappear out of your life.

Of the people that have unfriended me (a few recently actually), who knows what they were thinking? Good luck to them I say! No heart feelings there and who knows what I stirred up in their minds to get such a reaction.  I am learning the importance of just letting these things go with a smile!

All good, it was distressing at first but I saw this brilliant quote from Socrates which I totally loved:

“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people” – Socrates

In full appreciation of that ancient wisdom and even for me at times being guilty of discussing people too much – I am so going to run with it.  From my experience of a “Person” using me and hurting me, it got me thinking about the “Idea” which I once heard from a trading friend of mine by the name of Vic Noble.  Once upon a time I tried Currency Trading and it wasn’t for me – and I hired Vic Noble as a Mentor to get me going in that space.  I didn’t work out for me, but not because of Vic – he was amazing and it was just my own natural skills not being aligned to that space (whereas I love Marketing and Articles of course!).

Vic Noble and also the amazing Jarratt Davis (who is another great UK Trader that I am hoping to meet when I go to the UK in a few weeks) always told me the importance of a:

“Being a critical and independent thinker” – Vic Noble & Jarratt Davis.

In the context of what happened to me with my old “Friend” severing our connection, it gave me a chance to reflect on the Socrates Wisdom and the side of being a critical independent thinker.

The person that “Unfriended” me I sometimes questioned their motives and they would always “Reassure” me that this wasn’t the case.  At the time of course I was promoting them heavily and sending them lots of business.  To my own detriment, I disabled my own “Critical” thinking and it ended up biting me.  Nothing big or all, but more of an emotional knock.  You get that in life and at least I was trying to help the person for better or worse.

Looking back on my life, whenever I have got into trouble (be it big or small things like this Facebook thing) – it has been because I have not been Critical in my thinking or I have been discussing and thinking about people too much and NOT ON THE IDEAS.

I love these experiences of the wisdom from the past and that person turning on me has been an amazing thing! That slight knock has helped me take my thinking to that next level and love it! So IDEAS, IDEAS and Creativity thinking rocks! As my lovely Jude keeps telling me with brilliant accuracy “Get over having to be you and focus on Process and Results!”.

It’s Easter Friday as I write this article – so if you read this now, God Bless you and have a great one! If you read this article thousands of years later, well God Bless you too.  Even if you don’t believe in God, Bless you kind Sir or Maam!

Edward Zia – Marketing Mentor, Guy who Gets Unfriended on Facebook and Enjoys Learning new things!