I’m proud and surprised that I’ve recently surpassed a milestone of one-million readers on my online articles. I never thought I’d ever get near a million readers but it’s happened and I’m as pleased as could be. I’ve been writing for about six-years now, mainly contributing to three internet sites. On one site, I have about 427,000 hits, on another, about 127,000 and on a site that I haven’t contributed to in years, I have a little over 360,000. And in the last year, I’ve started writing my own two blogs which have taken me over the million mark.
Anyone who seriously writes on-line knows that the amount of hits that you get are a bit deceiving. Some people just click on your articles because of a catchy title or an on-line tag that brought them to it. So, sometimes people click away from articles before reading the entire piece. But I’m guessing that it’s safe to assume that most statistical numbers are relatively accurate. And for a regular guy like me, one-million, is fantastic!
I never had any inclination to write on-line but after I wrote my first book I got the bug and I haven’t stopped since. The main reason I write is that I enjoy it. I enjoy sharing. I enjoy communicating. Of course, there are other perks with writing on-line such as branding yourself or branding your business and if you have one, advertising that business. But the main reason that I write is that I have a passion for it and the day that I lose that passion, is the day that I’ll stop.
It’s amazing that more people have read my articles than the entire population of some major American cities such as San Francisco, Austin and Columbus! With the realization of all those people reading my work comes something else, at least for me, and that something is responsibility.
One of the major ways to influence people are with words. It’s not with intimidation, ridicule or even money. Those are shallow ways to move people and if they work at all, only work for the short term. Words are amazing tools that affect people and as the old saying goes, “The pen is mightier than the sword”. It certainly is.
When I write, I do my best to be forthright and simply tell it like it is. I also try to be respectful of others views and opinions while still stating mine. I’ve had people contemplating suicide tell me that something I had written changed their mind. I’ve had others who read my specialized blog on self-protection use the specifics of what I have recommended which makes me even surer that I’ll do my best to share truth and reality not simply anything that works to get glory, money or for some hidden agenda. Knowing that people are listening and “doing” because of what you write is remarkable and if you’re into power that may be intoxicating. I’m not into power and I look at it a bit differently. I look at it as an awesome responsibility. Writers touch minds and souls and neither should be taken lightly.
So, while the numbers game of reaching one-million readers is outstanding, what is even more outstanding is to be connected with so many men and women. All races, ages and religions. Now, that’s truly outstanding!
Thanks for reading folks! Here’s to the next million!
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