Have you ever felt useless? You want to make a difference in the world, but you’re only one person – so why even try? You don’t have a platform or a following, so you feel insignificant – like you have nothing to offer.
You’re not alone. Henry David Thoreau said, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Without a sense of purpose, it’s easy to spiral downward into a feeling of mediocrity. Your energy disappears because there’s nothing to reach for.
That’s probably why Rick Warren’s book The Purpose-Driven Life became one of the best-selling nonfiction books in history – selling well over 34 million copies. It speaks directly to people’s “pain point” – the lack of a sense of purpose.
A few people have a big audience. Most people have a small one. That’s why any public speaking event has one person on the stage, while there are hundreds or thousands in the audience. Books are written by one person but read by an audience of many.
It might seem like the people with a big audience can make more of an impact on the world. Does that mean people with a small audience can’t make that impact?
Absolutely not. There are two ways the small-audience person can make an impact:
- They can focus intentionally on the audience they do have, making an impact on a personal level (which multiplies and spreads).
- They can directly encourage the people with the big audience. That provides the motivation for them to make an even bigger difference. It provides fuel for their fire.
It’s simple: They can hug a writer today.
Why Writers Need a Boost
Writers are an interesting bunch.
We picture them as confident and polished, because their writing is confident and polished. They’re clear in expressing their ideas, and they craft words that amaze us in their simplicity and connection. We think, “Wow! I wish I could write like that! It must be so easy to write when you’re that gifted.”
But most real writers aren’t like that at all.
Writers tend to be introverts, rather than extroverts. Extroverts shape their ideas by talking about them, so writing isn’t worth the effort. Introverts often shape their ideas by writing about them. In fact, when they begin a post, an article or a chapter, they often don’t know how it’s going to end until they get to the last page.
Good writers tend to be more sensitive than most people (in a good way). That means they take time to think and rethink ideas before launching them to the public. They sense what readers are thinking and feeling, so they write to give those readers tools for the journey. They think deeply. They’re reflective. They’re paying attention.
That sensitivity also makes them more insecure. No matter how good their last book, post or article was, they think, “So that turned out OK. But what if I can’t do it again? What if my creative well is empty?
When I wrote my first book, I remember the moment I hit the “send” button to forward my completed manuscript to my editor. I had spent months writing, crafting and shaping my ideas and putting them on paper. Now it was complete. But I was too close to it. All I could think of was having my editor say, “Who told you that you could write? This was a big mistake.”
I told her it was like showing off your newborn child and hoping people don’t say, “Wow – rough time in labor, huh?”
So, why do writers do it? Why do they put it out there at the risk of rejection?
To make a difference.
If writers weren’t interested in making a difference, they could write a diary (which isn’t a bad thing). No one would see it, and no one could criticize it. There’s no risk.
But most writers care deeply about their readers. They don’t just want people to say, “You’re a great writer.” They want people to think differently, live differently or be able to handle life differently because of what they’ve written.
It’s their sensitivity that makes them so aware of what other people need, and they care enough to risk criticism to meet those needs. They don’t have to, but they choose to.
In a corporate office, employees get critiqued formally once or twice a year during an annual review. But when a writer puts their words in front of others, they can get feedback almost instantly.
When the feedback is positive, they’re thinking of applying for the Pulitzer Prize. When the feedback is negative, they want to move to the back of the desert and start an earthworm farm.
Most good writing we read wasn’t done casually, and it’s published at great risk. It’s usually the result of a painstaking effort to link words together in the exact pattern that makes the greatest impact. That takes work, and can be exhausting.
That’s what makes it so good, and why we think the authors are confident.
They’re usually not confident. They just care enough to take the risk.
It’s risky to make a difference. Writers know the risk, but take it anyway. They’re giving us a gift that they’re not required to give.
If they don’t feel like they’re making a difference, they might eventually quit taking those risks.
With a few encouraging words, they’ll keep risking and writing. And their writing will improve. And they’ll make a bigger difference.
The Gift of Encouragement
Mark Twain said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” Those can be few and far between. I know a number of authors who keep a file of positive notes they receive over the years. When they’re feeling like they don’t really make a difference, they pull out the file and read through the notes to get the encouragement they need.
And in most cases, those files are pretty thin.
You might not have a huge audience yourself. But you have the power to encourage individuals, including family, friends and associates. Your encouragement can help them make more of an impact than they can on their own.
At the same time, you can expand your impact by sending an honest, thoughtful, caring note to your favorite writer. Don’t just say, “I like your stuff.” Tell them exactly how their writing has made your life better, how it’s impacted you, and how you’ve grown because of their words.
It’s surprising how few emails writers get like that. If you do, they’ll read your words – multiple times – and grow in their ability to influence others because you reached out.
Know someone who writes to make a difference? Reach out, and you’ll make a difference for them.
Hug a writer today. It won’t go unnoticed.