For all of their young lives, my children (now 22 and 18) have heard me tell them that “You are what you surround yourself with.” and “You are what you fill your head with.”

The thought is not entirely mine. I assumed it (read stole) from Paul Harvey. But the idea rings perfectly true. You are certainly judge to be like the friends you surround yourself with and the music and books and games you fill your head with.

While that sentiment holds true for young people, it’s also one of the many driving forces in our current economic uncertainty. Self fulfilling prophecy.

Plan like we’re competing in the long jump in the Olympics. You wouldn’t just stand flat-footed at the line and suddenly make your jump. No! You would get a running start and then jump.

The Internet has become something like that long jump. You don’t just make a quick leap, you have to prepare first, before you reach for the sky.

When, exactly, was I asked if I wanted to be available 24/7/365? And where did this thing in my pocket that rings, buzzes, beeps, plays music, shows movies and surfs the web come from?

What’s the difference in an email about cheap pharmacy drugs and a salesperson who wants to be connected to you on Linkedin? Spam is still spam, whether it comes through email or a social network medium.

I give lots of speeches and talks each year and end each one with the quip, “Beware the artisan who claims 20 years of experience when, in fact, they have one year of experience 20 times.”

Now I’m adding a new line — “Beware the person who starts a sentence with “I’ve seen…” unless their next sentence begins with “I’ve done….”

Not search, not video, not even ads can muscle email out of the top spot in the hearts and minds of US marketing executives, according to a recent McKinsey survey.

It sounds preposterous during a time of expected excesses to even hint that the unstoppable Internet is actually receding. But shrinking it is!

In all the Web 2.0, Social Media buzz there are tons of facts, figures, news and opinions about blogs. Most are filled with large, impressive numbers. Most are about the personal sides of blogging. But few talk about blogs as business tools.

Those of us involved in the interactive business have known for years that retail was making a huge shift to online. But every time we mentioned it we came off selfserving and sounding like the typical “Chicken Little” news media.

Then came holiday shopping 2007.

It’s the New Year and time for each and every one of us to sit back and reflect on our shortcomings and resolve to do better in 2008. By the end of the first month most have broken, altered or totally forgotten what they promised under the glare of the New Year’s scrutiny.