I was sitting in the kitchen reading my phone and I blurted out to my dear husband, “Omigosh, I won an iPad Mini!” He skeptically said, “Uh….. I don’t think so.” I don’t blame him for being wary, with so much spam, phishing, and other unpleasantness that can show up in our inboxes and social streams these days.

But in this case, I really did win, it is real! I’m happy and honored to be recognized as one of the top tweeters from the JiveWorld14 conference. 

The best part is, winning was totally unexpected. I wasn’t playing to win. I was just doing what I love to do:

• Attend a top-notch social business conference, packed with some of the smartest, most experienced, and passionate people on the planet
• Share the goodness by tweeting out as many gems and insights as my smartphone keyboard and 4G data plan could handle

Have you ever live-tweeted a conference or cool event that you’ve attended? It’s quite a rush and has lasting effects. I love doing it because:

• Note-taking: My online sharing has become my notebook. Instead of writing notes for myself, I post them online and can always refer back to them (and it’s easier to read than my atrocious handwriting)
• Sharing: Others can see what I post. Maybe the information will be helpful for someone else!
• Networking: I meet people this way. Speakers who I have tweeted, or people who reply, share, or ask questions about what I posted – these are connection touchpoints. I probably would not have a reason or chance to meet these folks otherwise
• Learning: When other people share, I get to read their goodness and meet them

For me, online sharing is its own reward. Putting my thoughts or observations out there, sparking ideas and possibly helping others – known or unknown to me – feels so satisfying. To be recognized and win a prize for an activity I already love to do – what a sweet surprise and icing on the cake! Thank you for the gift, Jive Software! And congratulations to all the JiveWorld14 Game Series winners.

Good things really do come when you share online. What goodness have you brought your way lately?