How Being Active Online Has Changed My Life

I know many people who see being visible and active on the internet as not worth the risk. They don't want people to be able to figure out anything about them by doing a google search. And a lot of them are doing very well, even better than me. So their being not visible and active online probably hasn't put them at any disadvantage.

image: auctigo.com

Well, as you already know, my whole life is laid out and spread across the internet. There's almost nothing about me that I haven't disclosed online. If you do a google search of my name -- Michael Olafusi -- you will see search results that point to me up till page 25. I remember when it used to be less than 10 search result pages. Somehow, I took to the online world as a day old lamb takes to walking: instinctively. As active and everywhere as I am online, none of my online accounts has ever been hacked. My MasterCard details is on over 20 websites and I have never been charged for what I didn't plan buy. I use a lot of free offers that require you input your card details with the hope that you'll forget to cancel your subscription before the offer expires. I'm yet to forget to cancel any such subscription since I have been typing my card details on websites since 2009 (when you had to get a Dollar MasterCard to make online payments). 

There are so many unwritten rules about the online world, and I have managed to figure them out for myself without any unpleasant experience. And beyond that I have greatly benefited from being active and visible online. 

In today's post I'm going to share with you some of the ways being active online has changed my life.

1. I got more help from my online contacts than offline contacts when I wasn't sure quitting my job to start an Excel based business was what the risk. I emailed several people who were full-time Microsoft Excel consultants and they gave me the best business advice I got: they shared the story of how they started their own Excel consultancy business and gave me practical tips of what to do and what the market is like. Even my MVP award that came just after I had put in my resignation letter at work was totally a result of my online activity. 90% of my clients find and contact me because of my online visibility. I get daily calls. I don't have to do any marketing or advertising, the internet is sending business my way.
2. One of the GMs of MTN Nigeria, the CEO of Chams, the MD of an oil servicing firm and a couple more high profile people contacted me first, special thanks to my online activity. 
3. I now have a warm relationship with the MD of Pearson Nigeria and founder of Kachifo/Farafina (publisher of Chimamanda Adichie's novels), and the MD of VConnect. Special thanks to my online activity.
4. My grammar has greatly improved and I'm now a better creative writer. Special thanks to my daily blogging.
5. I owe most of my personal growth to the readings I do online and the invaluable opportunity to clear my mind everyday via my blog. I start each day with a clear mind having already written everything on my mind out on my blog. I am able to face each day with renewed vigor and a clear mind. Also, knowing that I have to write an article everyday has forced me to be more observant and more creative.
6. There have been long periods of time that the only thing going right in my life was my blog. I even used to read my blog posts just to motivate myself. There are comments and emails I have received from my blog readers that never fail to pull me out of despair. The "Thank you" and "God bless you" I regularly get will permanently change for good anyone's life. 
7. I'm no longer ashamed of being different. I now have as much friends as anyone should have, just by being myself. Being active online helped me embrace the true me. 

And these are some of the ways being active online as changed my life. I thank God for the internet; if not for it I probably never would have found my voice and discovered myself.