All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Blogging

You may have heard the same thing about Kindergarten, but blogging can teach you many things also. Here is how Robert Fulghum’s “All I Really Need to Know I learned from Kindergarten”1 applies to bloggers and things I’ve learned while blogging:

Share everything.
As bloggers, this is something we should do. Seriously. Stumble, Digg, etc. Those are ways of sharing the great posts you come across on other blogs, right? Or even sharing your own post if it’s something you truly believe in.
Play fair.
There are tons of sites out there that do “black hat” stuff. Well, guess what? Your readers aren’t as stupid as you may believe they are anymore. Most people are becoming cynics. In a way, that’s bad. But in another way it’s also good because people do research and think before they fall for scams nowadays.
Don’t hit people.
Another term for this could be “Don’t flame people.” Don’t go to other blogs and start yelling at people. That’s just wrong.
Put things back where you found them.
Be organized in your blogging life. Make a schedule so you don’t feel overworked. Keep your notes all in one place. Do whatever it takes so you’re not stressing out over what to do next. To-do lists are your friends.
Clean up your own mess.
I don’t think this one really needs a description, but basically, own up to your mistakes.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Ever found your blog post reprinted elsewhere without any kind of credit to you? That’s where it fits. If you use someone else’s material, ask first and give them credit. Normally it’s better to just put a link. That’ll make them happy and might gain you a loyal reader.
Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
This one relates to a few above, but if you do make a mistake or flame someone, tell them you’re sorry and, here’s the kicker, mean it.
Wash your hands before you eat.
That also goes for washing your brain before you make a post. Think first. If you’re mad, clear your head and think first.
Flush.
If it’s a bad post but took you a long time to create it, don’t be scared to scrap it.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
It’s good to do something for yourself every once in a while. Take a break from blogging if you need to. Or as I’ve learned in dieting, treat yourself when you’ve followed your diet. It actually does shock the body into causing you to lose even more weight. Sounds silly, but it’s true.
Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
This one is fine just like it is.
Take a nap every afternoon.
This goes along with the milk and cookies. Take a break. Enjoy life. Then blog about it.
When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
Make friends with other bloggers. It’ll benefit both of you.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
There’s wonder found everywhere in the blogging world too. It’s easy to stumble upon jewels and see new things happening every day. Ever made a post that got huge traffic but you couldn’t recreate it on purpose?
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we.
So do blogs and ideas for posts. Sometimes there’s just an end to things.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all – LOOK.
READ too.