I Will Comment on One of Your Stories
And I will give it 50 claps if I really like it.
Before you judge me, I am not looking for more people to follow for the sole purpose of gaining followers. Because I am not that desperate for followers. Most people follow me back on the platform but most aren’t even reading my stories or articles.
I ask myself, “What is the point really?”
If all I wanted was to gain followers only, I should really stick to Instagram or Twitter.
I am not even active on social media like that.
What do I care?
Why did I join Medium?
I joined Medium because I really enjoyed reading the short articles here. People are very honest about their personal experiences and they even give you educational information that you did not know you needed. Sometimes they recommend you books, other times they direct you to another website where you can find out more on that information.
It is like YouTube but it is often shorter and you can just skim through the information if you really want to. It feels less of a waste of time. Often the title gives you exactly what you are looking to find.
Once you finish reading that 3–5 minute story, you find yourself parting with a new perspective or confirming your original thoughts. You feel happy to find others who think like you or are different from you. Maybe you end up learning something new from a stranger.
You can literally find any and every topic here on Medium. Some of these topics I follow include: Product Management, Leadership, JavaScript, Photography, Lifestyle, Software Engineering, Neuroscience, Economy, Venture Capital, Fitness… I mean how irrelevant are all these. But you find them all in here, all in one place.
Some of the people are experts in their fields. They had 15–20 years of experience. This is not just an app but a mentorship club of sorts. Sometimes you read an article or a story that you just want to save it to come back to again. Other times you are awed by the wisdom a 3-minute article can impart to you.
Instead of Instagram, you just want to scroll down on Medium.
You love it so much, you just keep coming back.
Why did I start writing?
One day, after all those readings, you realize you want to write as well. You want to share your own experiences. You always loved writing as a kid as much as you loved reading and learning. You remember you had it on your bucket list to start writing more.
Medium really inspires you to finally start making your dream come true.
You feel shy, you doubt your ideas. You question if you have enough knowledge to start writing about anything. In the past, you always highlighted things on the app but you barely even left any comments on any of the articles you read.
Now, you want to go out there and share your own thoughts with others. It feels scary.
That is when you decide to do it. You don’t want to live with any regrets. If it fails, it fails. Maybe nobody wants to read your ideas. You decide you’ll be fine either way. You want to have a constant hobby, something you enjoy doing while you focus on your other goals, other parts of your life.
Now What?
Then, you finally write your first article and something amazing happens.
You start feeling more productive.
You read articles on Medium about how to be a better writer.
You start writing everyday.
Your thoughts become more organized.
You add writing to your to-do list. You cross it off every morning.
You prepare your morning. You even read a couple articles ahead of time before producing your own work. You feel knowledgeable and ready to tackle the day.
Your writing starts improving.
Then, another amazing thing happens.
You start interacting with more and more writers. You find that there is something to learn from everyone.
You push yourself out of your comfort zone and start clapping another author’s work you wish more people to see.
You start leaving comments.
And the people respond back. Sometimes they say you make their day. Other times they simply say “Thank you!”.
You start feeling connected. I MEAN REALLY CONNECTED.
You find yourself catching a glimpse into another person’s thoughts and ideas.
You realize we are all very similar in so many ways.
AND THAT IS WHY
I will read at least one of your stories. I want to reach out to other new readers who might be shy or struggling to promote their work. Now, I can’t promise I will like every one of your ideas. I cannot promise I will even like any of your stories. But I’m sure I will find something, one thing in there that resonates with me or inspires me for a second.
That is when you will hear from me.
Please leave a comment if you like me to read one of your stories.
If you like to reach out or read one of my stories too, you could find me here.
