Have you ever thought about how important Twitter was in your life?

I had a chance to ponder that question when I found out my Twitter account had been suspended last Sunday, “for suspicious activities.”

A river of emotions ran through me:

1. Indignation: “What suspicious activities? I’m hardly ever on Twitter!”

It’s true, I haven’t been on Twitter as much as I used to . And I hadn’t even participated in Follow Friday for several weeks already. So I was upset that Twitter accused me of doing something “suspicious.” I read the Terms of Use (ok, I admit it, I never read it before) and then felt…

2. Guilt: “Well, I did promote my product pretty aggressively last week…”

Just last week, I used Tweetlater to schedule Tweets to go out to my followers, offering a 50% Twitter-only discount on my special report. I scheduled the same Tweet to be posted about 3-4 times a day, from June 29 to July 4. I guess some people would consider that spamming.

I see tons of people doing the same thing on Twitter – including people who sell infoproducts about how to make money on Twitter – and wondered why their accounts were still active.

3. Sadness: “I really wish I could Tweet about something. Wonder what I’m missing on Twitter right now.”

I missed the interaction on Twitter. A couple of times that night, I would have wanted to put out a couple of Tweets but then realized I couldn’t. Or I’d feel the compulsion to look at my Twitter stream and see what people were up to – but then it would dawn on me that I couldn’t. I had been cut off from my online community. I couldn’t communicate with them, and they couldn’t reach me, either.

4. Relief. “There’s always Facebook.”

I was aching to connect with my Twitter friends and let them know my predicament. Then I remembered that a lot of them were also my friends on Facebook. So I logged in and posted an update about my Twitter account being suspended.

That’s when I discovered that the social media maven @MariSmith’s Twitter account had been suspended as well. I was part of a mass suspension of Twitter accounts. Ah, at least I could go to bed knowing that it wasn’t personal. It was probably not something I had done but rather some bug or error that the Twitter technies had done.

I read about people panicking because a significant percentage of their profits were coming from Twitter. Poor unfortunate souls! Glad I wasn’t relying on Twitter to find clients, sell stuff or get people to read my blog. I just wanted my Tweeps back.

I went to bed that night knowing that everything would be all right. If necessary, I would create a new Twitter account, follow the people whose Twitter names I could remember, and let them know what had happened to me. I would Email @MariaAndros because her Twitter account was suspended a few months ago and she got it reactivated. This time, I would have a clearer Twitter strategy and maybe even have separate accounts for my different online interests. You know, actually use Twitter as a marketing tool.

But as it turned out, I didn’t have to do any of those things. When I woke up Monday morning, I was back on Twitter.

I still have only one account, with followers and followees being a mish-mash of all my passions, interests, business goals and everything else that’s important in my life. No, I won’t be creating a Twitter course any time soon.

How about you? How important is Twitter to you? Is it a significant source of traffic, leads and profits for you?

What would you do if Twitter suddenly died?

photo credit: helloyiying

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My Life Shift is for anyone who wants to work at home — whether to take care of kids, escape the corporate rat race, pursue an art or craft, or any other reason. By documenting my own transition from office employee to work at home Mom, I hope to motivate other people to do the same and share whatever tools, tips and resources I discover along the way.

While researching my options for working at home, I discovered many scams for those looking for home businesses. I assure you that all the resources I share in this blog are those that I myself have tried. I will never promote a product or home business that I do not personally know to be a legitimate way to earn money at home. I believe in getting honest pay for honest work. You will not find any get-rich-quick schemes here.

I am a wife and mother of three ages 13, 7 and 1. After 19 years of employment, I now feel ready to stay home, become my own boss, and be a mother first and income earner second.

I have a degree in communication and completed the academic requirements and comprehensive exam for a master’s degree in communication research. Alas, I was busy having babies and didn’t complete my MA. I have 19 years of experience in strategic communication, advocacy, media relations and project management. I have worked in government information, children’s television, and UNICEF. I am also a Childbirth Educator. For two years, I wrote a monthly column in Good Housekeeping Philippines about work-life balance.

Here I am in my (former) UNICEF office with Anton, my youngest child, before he got his first haircut. It took me three children to finally realize my dream to stay home….

Alexis Rodrigo

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