Is Your Life Really So Terrible?

What the hell is wrong with you people?

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By you, I mean us. Who is reading all this self-help? Why do we feel the need to read AND write all the advice about how to live long and prosper?

When I started down the Medium rabbit hole, I had no idea how deep it really went. So, like any curious reader/writer, I checked out some “how-to” and “what happened when” kind of posts. This led to a few self-help pieces, and now the Medium algorithm thinks I’m a depressed, unhappy, lazy piece of shit.

It sucked me down into the whirlpool of advice on Medium, and here’s what I’ve learned from the thousands of articles on how to be a successful writer:

I really don’t care. It’s true. I don’t care if anyone reads this at all, and here’s why.

I just want to do my weird little thing. Most of my pieces have ups and downs and weirdness and nuance and quirky but endearing elements, and not all have a concrete “takeaway” for the reader. They may not provide enough “added value.” My opinion is that the sharing of the story itself is the takeaway and the added value.

I’m tired of having to have a “takeaway” from things I write.

Maybe it’s enough to share a story. Or to share a passing thought.