Encouragement!
I was chatting with my friend Nicole (from Frugal Chic Life) about this the other day.
She’s a personal finance blogger and YouTuber, and she had posted an encouraging email from a follower, telling Nicole how much she’d helped this follower with their finances.
Sometimes, the same type of thing happens to me; a reader will send me an email out of the blue, telling me how my blog has helped them through a rough time, or has inspired them to get their finances in order, or just has been a cheerful light for them.
Nicole and I both find these types of messages encouraging, and encouragment leads to motivation.
Hearing that what we do online is making a real difference in people’s lives? It’s like filling up a car’s gas tank with fuel.
This is a good thing for me to remember; I want to be a person who encourages other people too. I think particularly online, it’s really easy to forget to tell someone how helpful/entertaining/educational/etc. they are.
So. I’m going to make a point of trying to send some encouraging notes or messages to people that I appreciate online.
This is definitely true. One of the best things I can hear from people is that they spent hours reading the entirety of my posts–considering that’s 14 years’ worth, is definitely a commitment. Someone told me she did it while recovering from surgery. Another said she did it during the lockdowns to distract herself. Given that I don’t post about anything very important, I figure entertainment and distraction is a pretty good contribution to the online world. 🙂
I suspect there are waaaay more people out there who are affected by your posts than you will ever know. People very much respond to your knack for discussing interesting and sometimes difficult topics in a sensitive and non-judgmental way, even if they don’t always tell you. I do, anyway.
Oh yes, I felt the same way when people said my posts helped them cope with 2020 isolation and boredom. I felt so honored that the relatively inconsequential stuff I write had helped people through a hard time!
And thank you for your kind words.
Been sooooooo busy lately that I haven’t commented much, but am really grateful and read every chance I get! Another old favorite blogger seems to be disappearing, and while it’s understandable, I’m really thankful for you continuing what must be a lot of work!
Well, now I’m curious which one! There are so many blogs that have come and gone in my time writing The Frugal Girl.
It is a lot of work to maintain my blog, but even after all these years, I do still really enjoy almost all of the work (it’s the tech stuff that I have never cared for!)