Notes on Losing People (And Not Minding)
Why Writing Truthfully Matters More Than Numbers
The Numbers Game
Funny thing happens as I write more often here on Substack. The free subscriber number? It's been shrinking.
You'd think writing more would mean more people sticking around, right? More visibility. More chances to connect.
Apparently not always.
The Expected Sting (That Didn't Come)
My logical brain says, "Hey, pay attention! People are leaving!" There should be a sting. A worry. Am I messing up?
But the feeling just... isn't there. I've noticed I don't really mind. And that feels important to explore.
What Matters Most
Why no worry? Because what I'm doing here, in these notes, in these articles, is deeply valuable to me.
The act of writing. Sorting through thoughts. Making sense of things on the page. Connecting ideas. It is its own reward. Its own process.
If what comes out resonates with you, truly resonates, that is wonderful. That is the hope.
Not For Everyone
But if it doesn't? If these particular words, these specific explorations, aren't for you right now? That is cool. Truly.
Not everything is meant for everyone. We change. Our interests change. What we need changes.
People unsubscribing when I write more just feels like the process working. The words are finding their specific frequency. And if someone is on a different frequency, that is okay. No hard feelings.
Trusting the Path
My hope is simple: that these words, these notes to selves that I share, find their way to the people who need them. Those who are on a similar path, grappling with similar questions, or who find a flicker of recognition or comfort here.
Focusing on the numbers feels like chasing something external and ultimately less important. Focusing on the writing, on the truth in the words, and trusting they will find their home, feels like coming back to what actually matters.
Note to Self
I’d like to remember this feeling. The quiet acceptance when the numbers dip.
It is a sign I am writing for the right reasons.
Not for external validation, but for the internal work, for the clarity it brings, and for the genuine connection it might spark with the right people.
I need to keep writing what is true for me.
I need to trust that the words will find their way.
My value is not in the list size.
It is in the honest expression.
Keep going.