Social Media connections or overload? Which is it?

All we hear these days is Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and its so amusing watching anyone over 40 try to figure out how to fit in, on this wide world of internet media.  Tonight I had the priveledge of listening to expert Chris Brogan talk to people and students at Chapman University in Orange tonight about the value of Human Connection, he described through social media.  His website is http://www.chrisbrogan.com/ and he wrote a book called Trust Agents.  The term TRUST is crucial to my line of work and my mission in this human experience.  TRUST, integrity and human connection. He spoke about brands and companies that are trying to gain market share but have forgotten all about the human element, which of course I was super excited when he shared that because AQUAMANTRA was founded on a mission to raise consciousness in humanity! HUMAN is even in my tag line. We started this water to remind people about themselves, and how to re-connect with themselves so listening to him talk made me all warm and fuzzy inside.  He spoke more about the connection we have lost touch with and how social media can actually reconnect us, bringing us together to be more supportive of each other and while I agree, I also wonder how addicted we are to that connection and what mobile web casts are really doing for us?  Even as he spoke, there were some phones ringing in the audience and at least 10 people around me on the phone, typing or sending texts to their friends, posting reminders or even twittering during a twitter talk. That's just human rudeness in my opinion, seriously, is that twit or text so important we can't just focus on one person on stage? And can we really have the human connection through our phone? Or is more an addiction to connecting something other than reality? By always being on the phone or twittering are we really being present or are we looking for a high of ego? As I type this, know that I too am a blackberry junket, so this is not coming from a space of judgement or a point of view, merely an observational question of the human connection thru media.  And a lot of what Chris said was true, with people blogging such as myself, more and more people have the opportunity to be heard and for people to hear you, in a comfortable and welcomed way.  I've always made myself available to anyone who wants to talk about AQUAMANTRA, or quantum phsyics, water or biodegradability, I am always open. He commented on the importance of always making room for others to listen and I love to listen.  This weekend at the Abbot Kinney Festival a woman stopped me in the middle of 150K people festival to tell me how grateful she was I created this water... How does it get any better than that?  If someone twitted me the same message would I have the same profound reaction and joy in my heart? I would have to say yes! Daily I get phone messages of people saying how much they love our water and how can they help... and with that media, I get immense gratification knowing our purpose is being fulfilled.  Does my heart expand with each of those messages, in person, on the phone, in a tweet or on facebook? You bet.  So why can't it be as Chris says? I believe it can and am grateful for his talk this evening sharing the message of just that, the human connection.  Mother earth and all her inhabitants know, we all need more of it - human trust and human love.  What a great message in a digital Era, thanks Chris and I hope you enjoyed the bottle of I AM LUCKY, I certainly was lucky to hear you tonight.

If anyone wants to get tweets from me :-) I usually post a daily mantra, or a question that if you ask it to yourself ( through the universe, it will open up a world of consciousness and allow the universe to answer for you) for example:

What generative energy, space and consciousenss can I be that will allow the universe to contribute and support me, AQUAMANTRA and my bank account?

If that seems rewarding for you, sign up for my tweets! http://twitter.com/AQUAMANTRA

To be conscious and aware or not to be? Albertsons is!

AQUAMANTRA has gone green and is doing fantastically! The support in the community has been amazing. Just as it was important for us to change the way we produce our product - it seems as important to shoppers to support the planet. The trend towards being green is only a mask to a great league of support, moving us through the past of just consumerism into a future of conscious capitalism. Can you imagine that we now live in a soceity or partial society anyway, that is redefining how we make products, so that they support our planet instead of just consume it? And we don't need to change our ways so far that it will affect our lifestyle, just tweak it to support us and the planet we live on. Recently, I saw an episode of Wife Swap, where a 'fairy' lady swapped places with a dirt bike supporting mom. When they showed the lifestyle of the dirt bike mom, she was disgusted that the fairy family composted, and separated trash. She didn't understand why everything couldn't just go in the trash and take it out like normal people... I guess your POV about what's normal and what is not, and thank goodness for the route we're going... if you don't start separating at least your recyclables from trash, you are not normal. When you actually make the effort to do it, it becomes habbit just like anything else. I used to just put recyclables; paper, plastic and cardboard, which is 90% of our consumables we buy in the market, in a little garbage bag. It was always overflowing, so I went to the store and bought 3 plastic tall trash cans. Labeled one for bottles we recycle for cash back, the second as anything paper, plastic for the city recycling and one for trash. Most of you who recycle know that - more times my recycle trash is bigger than my regular trash, and consciously at trash day I feel great about me doing my part to support not littering the landfills with things that won't breakdown. It's all about awareness, and moving towards the light. Its time now for us to stop acting like we live in our personal caves with no responsibility towards our environment. We are 100% responsible for our environment and the more we own that and work towards solutions the quicker we'll be to creating that heaven on earth, clean, healthy and supportive for itself, not just us. Which is why AQUAMANTRA's goals are to be part of a clean solution. I will say it didn't come without it's questions from the public. Big company's question us, how come such a tiny little company with a small region of distribution can come up with the first 100% biodegradable and 100% recyclable plastic bottle? Why not Nestle? or Coke or Pepsi? That should matter to them too right? It should, it should matter to all of us. And I do believe it will turn into a mandatory at some point that all plastic should be made out of the eco-pure additive. We as a company just wanted it as part of our formula, our mission is to raise consciousness in humanity. Whether that's through our mantras or our green bottles, awareness is the key to it all... when you are aware you have the space to receive so much more. We said we wanted to be the first company to do this, and with the right contacts and intent we were able to make that happen. We had the ability to be flexible and adapt to the needs of the category. Plastic was becoming a toxic word and it didn't earn its fowl reputation because of what it does but because of what we do with it. Funny, we litter, we trash the planet, the landfills; we the people, then the poor bottle manufactures of great products and bottled water itself get trashed because of it. As I put my finger to my head and wait for the three dots to float up with a thought.... huh?! Backwards is right! It was Al Gore and the movement towards shifting the probability of global warming that brought the awareness to light in 2006, another thank goodness. It was through this awareness that we all got captured in the green dream, yeah, why not make products that support instead of thwart! I guess all solutions come out of a frustration, however, if we can be open to the awareness then have the ability to just observe this as an interesting fact, and move towards solutions without so much judgement, blame and anger. What I've learned through it all is to not align with the anger... find solutions that can appease everyone and you'll have a road to travel on. That is why we chose our ENSO bottles, because they can biodegrade and they can be recycled. People can keep recycling as usual, and continue to support the planet. However, in the case that they are uneducated about the pitfalls of littering or they are anti-consciousness and just don't give a damn, WE are not contributing to the pollution and that eases our conscious and those of the people who do care. It really all begins with us. We are the only person that matters, our choices, and the irony is our choices feed us and energetically fuel the planet. Leading the way with love and awareness, is the high road- and until we are all running around on a prestine mother earth, AQUAMANTRA will continue its pursuit of reminding people how awesome they are! So pick up your bottle of I AM LOVED or I AM GRATEFUL in Albertsons stores in CA, or one of each I AM LOVED, I AM GRATEFUL, I AM LUCKY or I AM HEALTHY in any Albertsons in AZ, NM, TX or CO.

Peace and blessings!