We can't be sure if a tree falling in the woods makes a noise if no one is around to hear it, but do words matter if they're never read by more than the writer?
It's a thought that's been burning a hole in the back of my head lately and I didn't even know it. The whole purpose of self-expression, of putting words together is to shout out to the world for it to receive you. It is not just to stand on a soapbox and project through a megaphone, it should be to connect and move people. And so why do I not make it easier for the conversation to lift off?
My buddy Tom made it clear after he read last week's newsletter and sent me a text. We hadn't talked in a while, which made his text all the more appreciated, and he dropped a great note on me. He said that people like himself might want to add their own thoughts every week and it's not always clear how to do that. In other words, why not make it easier to start the conversation? And somehow I oversaw that major detail.
It was easy to assume that if someone really wanted to say something they would hunt down the right avenue or find me. While there was plenty of very appreciated feedback, it's not always fair and safe to assume people will jump on their end to connect with you. It's easy in this world and it's not.
There is no denying that we all consider ourselves, first and foremost, the top priority. Our experience starts with us, why wouldn't we? From sadomasochists to Gandhi, we establish the choices of our days by how they sprout up in our brains. We think about what we want, whether it helps others around us or just ourselves. But as we become more and more connected, it is high time for us to consider the audience, however we define it, not as a threat of judgment but a point of influence and interest. What are we if we're not interested in one another?
We crave the unnatural, essential connection of someone else being interested in us. It's not an attention-grabbing addiction, it's a life-affirming need. We want to know we exist beyond the scope of our own minds. And if we all want that, why don't we all give more of it?
With that being said, by all means, please share your thoughts in the comments section here - anything and everything at all. Just click the little speech bubble below.
I'm going to do my best from now on to make this conversation much more open and interesting.
Until next time...
I explode into space.
-dan