Substack: Why are we here?

Better yet, is it even worth it?

Life takes us to the most unlikely places.

Over three years ago my life took me on a different path, one I didn’t see coming. Part of my new journey was to exclude social media. I viewed social media as a big part of what plagues our society.

Three years later I find myself with you doing what I don’t want to do, spending time not just on Facebook or Instagram, but now Substack.

So, why are we here?

Unfortunately, I have found there is no way of getting around it. Social media is a necessary evil when it comes to self-promotion. And then there’s self-promotion, drawing attention to ourselves. It goes against the grain of what I write about.

Be free from pride-filled opinions, for they will only harm your cherished unity. Don’t allow self-promotion to hide in your hearts, but in authentic humility put others first and view others as more important than yourselves.

Philippians 2:3 TPT

It’s all about our perspective, finding the good in the bad.

What does Substack offer us?

It’s a place to share our messages of hope.

Substack is an amazing place to get our message out and be heard. For many of us, we live in a shitty world, filled with daily struggles. I find writing helps me to work through those struggles.

Not only do I get to share my struggles, but read inspirational post from others and how they are conquering their struggles.

It’s a place to hone in the craft of our writing.

Substack is a place where writers and readers unite. I get to do what I enjoy most, write! A few years ago my hobby of writing took off and through my weekly writing I am noticing the growth.

Not only is my writing becoming more fluid, but I am exposed to others I can learn from, like Veronica with The Lemon Tree Mindset.

It’s a place to find our community.

Substack offers networking opportunities. At first I dove in and subscribed to any and all suggestions from Substack. Slowly, I am unsubscribing and focusing on my followers and subscribers.

I am learning to be discriminate so I can find my authentic community.

Shout out and thank you to

Thaissa Lara

Caroline

DERICK AMUSTRONG

Melanie J Wilson

Sue

for ❤️ing Communicating Compassion: What not to do.

Why Substack is a challenge for me?

I am an introverted-extrovert.

Substack is a place where writers can hide behind their words. I am not looking to draw attention to myself, just my writing. By nature I don’t need to be the center of attention, however, I do take pride in my work.

Pride is always sneaking into my life.

I like intimate relationships.

Substack is a good place to grow a subscribership, if that is your goal. I am more interested in building intimate relationships. Weekly, I spend time with a group of women. We sit in a circle, one person shares and the others just listen.

I don’t want to view my subscribers as a number, but realize successful marketing is measured in numbers.

I don’t have enough of myself to give.

To be successful on Substack there is a time investment required. My current struggle is making time to read and being intentional with the other writers I meet on Substack. I need to offer myself grace when I fall short and continue to write from a grateful heart.

I need to make more room in my heart for God.

Meet my family. This week my daughters are visiting which means less time for Substacking!

What are the challenges you face on Substack?

Do I think it’s worth it?

You bet your bottom dollar! God has a plan and purpose for my life. All that is expected of me is that I show up and not just for myself, but others. I need to passionately continue to write and wait patiently for everything else to fall into place.

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9 ESV

Writing out my daily struggles and sharing them with others works for me. This past week I fell behind on staying active on my Substack.

The reward for staying active on Substack is the noticeable growth. For some it’s explosive, for me it’s steady. I like steady growth, because I can take note of who is Subscribing and following me.

If you are new and struggling please know that Substack is worth persevering through the growing pains.

What do we need to do to persevere?

We need to remind myself of our goals.

Writing, sharing and networking on Substack is only a fraction of what will help me to achieve my overall goal. I wrote a book, Swallow Your Pride, and am currently devising a plan to publish. The connections I am making on Substack are invaluable and staying active will get me closer to meeting my goals.

We need to accept our limitations.

At times I take on more than I can chew. It is important to continuously reevaluate and be realistic about my capabilities. With intention I will block out the time needed to maintain my relationships on Substack.

We need to offer ourselves grace.

Consistency is important, but I need to give myself flexibility. I am just a simple woman with a message that needs to be heard. Please accept my apologies if you see me slacking.

Sometimes I just need to take a breath.

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:3 ESV