Bill said it best yesterday when I asked the question about why so many of us are pouring our hearts out for no obvious reward. He said basically, “We go off all day to hunt the mammoths, but at the end of the day, we gather round the fire to tell stories.”
One pays the bills (we eat the mammoth); the other feeds our hearts (storytelling). It’s a reasonable thought. And Forbes agrees that we’re not lazy.
I was talking with my wife about this last night. I said, “I’m questioning why I’m throwing so much effort into my own website, the three others I’m providing content for, the podcasts, the video, and all the various projects I’m doing. It’s not like I’m being paid.”
But the truth is, I’m getting value. I get value in talking with you. I’ve met so many engaging people, and every time one of you risks delurking and sending me an email, I meet a new friend. I’ve met people who’ve helped me build websites, people who’ve joined with me on Advisory Board discussions about what we should do with our careers. I’ve met fascinating people with passions for their own projects, and whose sites I read religiously now.
I feel that every day I post something new is another micro resume. I’m telling people out there what I stand for, how I think, what matters most to me. Some days, that’s probably not going to land me a job. Other days, it’s something that people might relate to.
You might not consider this when reading a bloggy website like this, but I consider this every bit the same as having an “audience,” and the responsibility I feel towards you as readers is great. I feel that I owe you something worth reading, something to consider. It’s a bit of work (that I love) putting this all together in a way that I think will be useful to others. Were I just catblogging, then I wouldn’t have 130 RSS subscribers (please subscribe if you haven’t).
So for now, I think I agree with Bill. I think this is a Cavemen at the Fire moment. I will continue to search for some way that I can quit my day job and try and be helpful full time. But for now, I’m not seeing how a blog will do that. Nor any of my current projects. Time will tell.
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tag: career, business, entrepreneur