Imperfect

pay shoutouts forward

It's always nice getting emails from readers who enjoy being shouted out in my posts. You might be surprised at how rarely that occurs. I'm grateful for receiving any emails at all. You know who you all are. Thank you for helping me to keep going. I not only wish for you to continue writing pieces that inspire your future self and others, but also to consider paying a shoutout forward.

A single post can give rise to many responses. For example, take David's I want to comment on your blog post and its many community echoes, which includes my stance to interact beyond comments. Branching off conversations from a sturdy trunk gives tree leaves that much more room to capture resources. Let the photosynthesized energy return to the trunk such that the tree fuels up and grows stronger.

The same source can also spin many responses together into a single yarn. Poignant examples of mine include my blog discovery thoughts and echo chamber thoughts. Sometimes, reeling in the big catch of the day takes time. Scrutinize enough creative output and you will eventually find one or more hooks to latch onto. Frequent discovery and dense linking can synergize toward fueling an almost self-perpetuating thought ecosystem.

Whether divergent, convergent, or both, examples like the above share how enriching links within and beyond your virtual ecology can be. You can have your blog and your digital garden too. With enough perseverance toward connection, people who value your presence and adore your work can seize the opportunity to tell you just that. Create opportunities where they can not only thank you, but can repeat the gift of response outward from their part of the world. Accrue even more bonus points the longer the chain grows without breaking. Do whatever you can within reason to extend that throughline.

A recent television stint gifted me this one-liner:

Sustainability is just relationships.

How can we make our Internet activity, whether via blogs or other virtual spaces, less like screaming to the void and more like sustainable relationships?

Want to reach out? Connect with me however you prefer: