Tag: Writing

The day when nobody reads

Published on by Kieran Johnson - The Generosity GuyLeave a comment

“There will be a day when nobody listens, when nobody reads, when nobody calls, when nobody responds and who will I be then?” – Carey Nieuwhof

Watching numbers can be intoxicating. Seeing that more people are reading, responding, attending, subscribing to things that I do is a nice dopamine hit. At one level it gives me a sense of value in this world. It’s nice.

Don’t get me wrong, my ‘numbers’ are not large, I am grateful for the days when I can put the ‘s’ on the end of ‘number’. But I often find myself drawn to the metrics page of whatever I am currently working on. Most days, at least one person reads something that I have written.

There has been the occasional day when no one does. There is a big fat zero in the metrics for that day. There is nothing unusual about that day from my perspective. I’m still producing the same amount of content, I am still as active as always, but for whatever reason, nobody reads, watches, calls or comments.

It’s quiet.

It can be lonely.

I think I’ve come to a place where that is okay. Great even. Because who I am that day, when no one is watching or consuming, is who I truly am. That’s the real me.

I find myself thinking on those days, “If this is how it will be forever, if no one ever reads what I have written, would I still write?”

“Yes” is the answer.

I write because it is the overflow of what is happening within me. Sure, some of it is a little weird, hard to understand and sometimes without a point, but that’s okay. That’s what is going on in my head.

Who am I when nobody reads? I hope that I am someone who is generous to himself.

There is no competition

Published on by Kieran Johnson - The Generosity GuyLeave a comment

Ryan Holiday, an author, says that “Authors are not in competition with each other. They are in competition with people not reading.”

He is not busy trying to promote his books at the cost of other authors and their books, bad-mouthing them and discouraging people from buying them. In fact, he owns a bookstore and actively promotes other authors and their work.

In his mind, the more people who read, the better, regardless of the book. I whole heartedly agree.

In the same way, charities are not in competition with other charities. They are in competition with people not giving. So, I don’t try to promote Opportunity International Australia at the cost of other charities, bad-mouthing them and discouraging people from giving to them. There have been times when I’ve notice that Opportunity is not a fit for a particular supporter – their passion does not align with the work that Opportunity does, and I have suggested other organisations they can give to. I also encourage people have a portfolio of organisations that they support through their giving so that their impact can be spread across a few different areas because we are more than just ‘single-issue’ people.

In my mind, the more people who give to charity, the better, regardless of the organisation. I hope you whole heartedly agree.