Does My Writing Make a Difference?
...Or am I just shooting my thoughts off into a word-cluttered cyberspace?
An off-beat, quirky, and often irreverent creator,
, returned to publishing regularly on Substack last November. I owe Scott the credit for my discovery of Substack. It was his original Substack posts that showed up one day in my email inbox (after he was booted from LinkedIn) that made me aware of this writer-focused platform.When Scott started publishing regularly here again last November, he committed to writing every day, sharing his journal of thoughts with the world—which he has done. My hat is off to him for his tenacity in his writing as well as his business and family pursuits.
I’ve met Scott a few times in person. He’s an adult-sized kid who doesn’t let others’ opinions—of him, his views, or anything else—slow him down. Some may frown on his choice or treatment of topics at times. Others may flat-out dismiss him as incredible.
His wig-of-the-day (and sometimes more than one in a given day) and unique fashion style—along with his views, which he unabashedly shares everywhere he goes—will likely either instantly endear you to him or drive you away. I appreciate his focus on his family, genuine love for people, and his willingness to discover by doing.
In his kickoff message last November for his daily-post journey, he shared a question he posed to himself: “Could I write words each day that could be valuable for even just one other person?”
That's a meaningful concept. Self-doubt about this issue has kept me from sharing literally hundreds of thousands of words I have written over the past decades. Surely, someone—even just one person—can benefit from each thoughtful question, quest-in-progress report, or conclusion of another who is brave enough to share it openly.
While no one person will agree with or appreciate everything we choose to share, we rob ourselves—and others—of opportunities when our self-doubting prejudices keep us from sharing at all.
I have been a hit-and-miss Substack publisher (admittedly more “miss” than “hit”). I decided recently to start this new publication as a place to share my experiences and musings that don’t fit under the umbrellas of my other publications, UNSTOPPABLE CULTURE, Harnessing Peace, and well-versed.
As I perused my extensive digital archive of writing, I was surprised at the literally thousands of files I have that have never been shared with another human—mostly out of fear that they were incomplete or wouldn’t be seen as valuable by others.
I’m changing that.
After all, when is an artwork finished? There is always one more stroke of the brush, swipe of the knife, tweak of a color, or replacement of a word that can take place to an otherwise complete work of art to “finish” it. Just think of the inspiration we would be without if artists of every kind over the centuries had suffered from the paralysis I have felt. I am grateful to them for their bravery.
While you may not be (or want to be) a writer, you have meaningful experiences and views to share with others. If you don’t want to write them, find a way to share them with others in a way that works for you. A podcast, videos, or public speaking may be the vehicle to carry your message. Maybe personal notes—delivered by email, text message, or good old-fashioned handwriting—are your thing. And, of course, there’s the standby delivery method we’ve all used since we were just a couple of years old: personal conversations.
What’s on your mind? Who can you share it with today who may benefit from it? As Scott suggested, it’s not the size of your audience that matters. If something you can share today is valuable for just one other person, it’s worth sharing.
That’s what’s on my mind. I hope someone finds it valuable.