Jan 16, 2021
Why Are You Here on Medium?
Knowing your intentions is the key to success and happiness…
When a lion rips open a gazelle, it’s probably because he’s hungry. It’s hard to see any deeper meaning behind it. It’s pretty easy with animals that way. Their motives are simple and transparent. Eat, move, sleep & repeat.
If only it was that easy with us humans — to know why we do what we do straight away… We are quite complex creatures. Our motives can be anything from generous and altruistic to crooked and mean. It’s a broad spectrum.
Self-reflection might be the only way to really find out. Therefore, I ask you: Why are you here on Medium? Are you here to be entertained? Educated? Inspired? Do you hope to build an audience or make money from your writing? Take a moment to become really clear on this…
Are Your Tricking Yourself?
Besides being a self-awareness practice, this is an exercise in self-honesty. If you can’t tell yourself the truth about why you do something, then you can’t really trust yourself. You are only tricking yourself. Don’t try to make your motives more noble or honorable than they really are.
To find the real motive, ask yourself: “What brought me here today? And what brought me here for the first time?”
If you haven’t realized yet, this applies far beyond your presence on Medium. It applies everywhere. We like to sugar-coat our motives, but until we can be really honest with ourselves, we are doomed to fail. We might believe the lies we tell ourselves. We might even fool others — but it’s all for nothing. It’s a house of cards that will fall apart with the first puff of wind.
Instead, build integrity through honest, genuine self-exploration. Notice that once you know the root of your actions, you become truly free. The decision to act on your motives (or not) is only a real decision once you’re aware of it.
Until then, you’re like a horse with blinders, chasing an apple on a stick…
Further Questions
Once you’ve clarified your motive for being on Medium, you are free to reassess the situation from a more objective viewpoint. You can see if it aligns with your values and your life goals.
You can also ask other insightful questions like:
- How well are you fulfilling that goal?
- What might you do differently to get better results?
- How does it compare to other things you could be doing for that purpose?
I really believe the world would be a better place if more of us spent time in genuine self-reflection. After all, when we do something hurtful, it’s usually because we lack clarity of mind. Strive to act consciously and watch as the world becomes a brighter place for all of us.
