Blogging can be a solitary pursuit sometimes. You create the posts, the podcasts, the videos and then you wait to hear something back. Sure, you see page views, views on the videos and such, but it is the comments and shares that really give you a feeling that there is a person on the other end of this tenuous digital connection. I can tell you from personal experience that most bloggers would live to hear from you. Share your experiences. Share your opinions. Just give a quick thumbs up — or thumbs down — if you feel like it. Interaction helps us to keep going, keep writing and keep sharing.
Thankfully, every so often, I get a great letter from a blog reader or — as in the most recent case — a podcast listener. He wrote to say how he just made a big change in his career and part of the reason he was able to do it was that he heard my voice in his head urging him on.I am always floored by such letters, as I don’t get a lot of feedback on the work I do. It is always amazing to hear that it directly helped someone make their life better. That is exactly the result I am trying to achieve with all the work I do and it is great to get a little validation.
Recording my Career Opportunities Podcast — Click to see a time-lapse.
While we should all carry our own sense of internal validation inside of is, a little but of external validation can feel very good and is, I think, very important to your overall mental health. Hammering away at a big project, only to be met with silence is disheartening at beast and can even cause some people to stop trying anything. The truth is, if you feel in a certain way, have certain doubts, want to make certain changes, I can almost guarantee there are others out there that feel the same way. Even if t hey don’t write, post on Facebook or give you a call, you can reasonably assume that they are out there. While this knowledge isn’t really a replacement for hearing feedback from people, it can be a salve that gets you through this project and on to the next.
How much external validation do you need in your life and work? Have you ever stopped doing something because no one else seemed to be interested — or at least said they were? Have you send a little validation to your favorite writers, bloggers, YouTuber’s, TV writers, actors, etc? If not, why not? Hearing from you could very well make their day and spur them on to even greater things. You never know!
Previously on End of the Day:
- Sunday Night Dread and a Place of Self Preservation – End of the Day for April 13, 2014
- Summer is galloping down upon us! – End of the Day for April 12, 2014
- The Art of Fine Conversation – End of the Day for April 11, 2014
- Time to get out of town again – End of the Day for April 10, 2014
- Tech support needs an overhaul – End of the Day for April 9, 2014
- It’s hot in Topeka! – End of the Day for April 8. 2014
- Pushing through the rough parts — End of the Day for April 7, 2014
- Tired, tired, tired — End of the Day for April 6, 2014
- Popcorn – The secret to a happy relationship – End of the Day for April 5, 2014
- Another closing. Another Show – End if the Day for April 5, 2004
- Common Courtesy – End of the Day for April 3, 2014
- Attention must be paid – End of the Day for April 2, 2014
- “The torch has been passed to a new generation” – End of the Day for April 1, 2014
- End of the Day for March 2014
- End of the Day for February 2014
- End of the Day for January 2014