If you follow me Twitter, you know that I used to be  a great fan of #FollowFriday.(If you want to know more about  #FollowFriday , read The Anatomy of a Twitter Trend.)

This Friday morning, however, I just can’t do it anymore.

Does this tweet resonate with you?

Thank you, Zoe!

Zoe is someone I met completely incidentally, once upon a time on twitter while discussing Charming Princes with adorable and passionate women friends. We  always have a lot of fun together, similar interests in Life, travels and learning. We both wish we could meet soon and share laughters and stories!

What I like about #FollowFriday

• It’s a great way to discover people on Twitter

You come across trusted recommended people and build your network and community. (Although I must admit I’d rather spend time musing and wandering on the twitterverse, than follow a list…even if that list has been approved by my best friends on twitter.)

I believe that once you have built your basis of favorite followers, the pleasure comes from serendipity and intuitive discoveries. I ‘m not looking for rationalization on Twitter. I love being surprised, discovering and spontaneous encounters.

• It ‘s a great way of expressing gratitude

This a major point.

That’s really what I enjoy most on this social media.Witnessing brilliant and smart people sending each other passionate messages full of love and gratitude is filling my heart with Joy.Human beings can be the Worst or the Best, and #FollowFriday tradition fosters generosity, kindness and gratitude. Amen!

During the summer, a wonderful friend of mine, Monica Diaz, innovated with a different hashtag(#).

Monica suggested a #OtherEsteem day, where we would each express what we value most in others.

It was an immediate huge success.You could almost sense the powerful positive energy spreading like fire on the web vibes…Plus it was a hot summer day…Fantastic!

Thank YOU, Monica! I must say, though, that I didn’t work much that day.

• It’s wonderful to receive such powerful positive energy

Hahaha! From someone like me striving for recognition and validation, #FollowFriday is a pure bliss! I used to get high while reading (and sending) all these LOVE messages.At the end of the day, my own self-esteem would be ranking at sky rocketing heights…

Hélas, you surely know, that in order to be solid and trustful, our self-esteem requires to rely only on OURSELF and not on other’s opinions and compliments.

Or it’s like building castles in the air…

Self-esteem comes from within.

It’s like motivation.

You have extrinsic and intrinsic factors. (I just watched Dan Pink ‘s last talk on TED, about why Carrot and Stick don’t work anymore in the 21st Century).

Self-esteem comes from within your deepest self.Some people happen to radiate and shine.They warm you when you get close to them.They’re not aware of it.It just happens.

The person who is now giving me the most incredible energy ,everytime I see her in my stream, and not on #FollowFriday, is Elise Weiland.

What I don’t like about #FollowFriday anymore

• It has become « a bit of a chore » and a routine.

Just like Zoe, when I open my laptop and so many #FollowFridays flood my screen,friday after friday,reminding me that it’s my turn, I simply can’t.And I feel sorry to « admit » it.I apologize for not being part of the happyshiningpeople stream.It’s one more thing on my « ToDo » List. And I hate it.

• It requires a lot of time and energy (there is a hundred of people I would like to acknowledge, personally, really!)

Some fridays during this summer, I have literally spent hours carving affectionate and heart-felt tweets to recommend, individually, the maximum of people I could.It drained my energy and left me frustrated, because I never could achieve this Sisyphus goal.

• I tend to #FollowFriday people who happen to be in my stream that day

This encourages « mainstream » system and also TwitterStars, instead of recommending valuable but more discreet tweeples.Of course, I could, if I wanted, swim up the river,against the current, like a courageous salmon!

But I’m so vain!:))… I follow the twitter Mermaids whose songs are delicious to my ears…

So What?

Today, I have explained why I value #FollowFriday and why I won’t do it anymore in this way.

How could it be done?

@SarahRobinson , The Chief of the Hooligans Tribe, showed me a couple of weeks ago, a great way to do it.It’s called My FollowFriday Tweeps

Sarah is writing delicious tweets, most of the time funny and tender, sometimes seriously hilarious.She introduced me to her Tribe and it feels warm to be around her campfire.

@unmarketing is doing it with fantastic videos.Check his FollowFive…Hmmm…maybe a little too sophisticated for me.

So I decided to create a Mind Map of the wonderful people I follow on Twitter and share it with you on my blog.

The idea is to have an interactive Mindmap, which will evolve in time. I may add branches and categories.

I may also take away some branches, « prune » my map along the seasons.

It will be flexible, creative, intuitive, global and fun!

It will be illustrated (with snapshots, pictures and why not short videos or Mp3 recordings, …?)

It will be a great way to test MindMap Presentation Assets and practice for my next conference.

Some weeks, I will be so busy with my training and coaching business ,I tell you, 2010 is going to be the YEAR when Geronimo takes off!!!, that I won’t be able to recommend anybody. There will still be my map. Hop! A little tweet with a link, and blink! You get my hundred of beautiful people!

My concern is that I’m not sure still I can insert it on my blog.I am using MindManager for Mac, version 7, and waiting for version 8 impatiently…

Next Friday: The Map!!! Meanwhile, I’ve recommended 5 tweeples today!