Step away from the statistics, a call to authentic community

Can we be honest for a sec? Like take a look at my closet of secrets that I don’t want to tell you about – honest? I’d like to think my vulnerability will help you recognize a truth you’ve recently wrestled with yourself.

I have this thing about numbers, an insecurity really. My life was so much better before I could use statistics as a guide to measure my popularity, my perceived self worth. The number of friends I have on facebook, the number of people who visit my blog, and how many posts they read during their visit. I sort of wish those numerical details had never been introduced into my thought process.

There’s nothing like staring at a small number to make you feel inadequate. Especially when your neighbor is flashing a big number. Because they’re better than you. Hello insecurity.

I consistently remind my insecure self that a small number of people who care is way better than a big number of people who just show up to be counted. How many twitter followers do I have who follow me because they think there’s something in it for them? I’ll like you, if you like me back. Ok, spammer, that’s not the game I’m here to play.

So here’s the deal I’d like to make with you, let’s forget numbers affect the way we interact, and care about each other. Lets invest in each other because we care. Let’s stop skimming each other’s blog posts and really read what each other has to say.

I don’t want you to comment on my blog because you want me to comment on yours. I don’t want you to be a fan of my facebook page so I’ll be a fan of yours. I want you to come here knowing that I’m interested in invested in a community, and I’d love for you to be a part of my circle. And I’d love to be a part of yours. Unless you write about auto mechanics or something I have no reason to invest in.

I can smell spam from a mile away, and so can you. Lets both admit that we’re better than that.

With those guidelines in place I would also like to point out that I have put a little widget in my sidebar to connect you to my facebook fan page. The logic behind the fan page is not to have access to one more way to quantify my perceived self worth with numbers, but a way to connect with people who aren’t in my inner circle of friends (yet).

I’m not about to ask you to feed my insecurity by making my small number bigger, but I am going to suggest that you be willing to invest in someone who doesn’t believe in spamming. To invest in authentic community with likeminded people.

Whether this is a place you’d like to invest or not is up to you. But if this is not a place you choose to invest, please find somewhere to invest for reals. No one wants your spam.

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