Why write? Why do any of this at all?

Be a link in the chain

Why write?

Sometimes I doubt that sharing my stories can achieve anything at all. I've had similar doubts when it comes to growing my business, posting on Twitter, and anything that involves consistent effort for intangible rewards.

As writers, artists, and storytellers, the overbearing reality is that we can hardly convince anyone to see the world our way.

All we can do is show someone the bright night sky, point them to clear water, or turn over a stone and reveal the dark earth underneath.

No matter how hard we try to have an impact, each person remains their own. And rightly so.

So what's the point of doing it all? If it's that hard to have an effect, why try?

The more I write, the more I realize that what I think doesn't matter all that much. My point of view is just one of billions. My stories are one tiny dot in a universe of stars.

But what writers can do is add one small data point to our collective understanding of what the world truly is. You express what you believe to be true about the world, and like a signal, your perspective is broadcast and recorded. 

Some may already see it your way and believe it. Others may not. But in any case, as long as you speak to what is true — your reality, you create a pin on a map that others can use to triangulate their own position.

We are all beacons to each other. The greatest service we can be to humanity is simply to share our experiences honestly. When you can speak with honest self-awareness and a realistic understanding of your relationship to your environment, your voice becomes a clear and accurate signal for someone trying to navigate storms like the ones you've survived.

Perhaps your beacon will never be discovered in your lifetime. But even though your life may fade, your signal will continue to blink on. You become a vital part of a chain of knowledge that extends far past civilization as you will ever know it.

And eventually, for someone further down that chain, the conditions may become right for them to take your progress in a new direction. That person may even be an older you, or someone completely unlike you who has happened to pick up your trail 50 years after your death.

So if you find yourself wondering what the point of creating anything is, remember this:

We can create, without needing to change the world or anyone at all. We can share what we know with those who are willing to listen. We can become beacons that signal the truth of our experiences. 

We are links in a chain of human knowledge, dormant until we are called upon.