200 Followers. What made me happy wasn't the number, but the warmth of people

To those who followed me, those who liked my posts, those who commented, and those who just happened to read my articles.

First of all, thank you so much.

It has been about 50 days since I started note.
On June 24th, my followers exceeded 200.

My first post on note was on May 9th.
I reached 100 followers on June 5th.
And I reached 200 followers on June 24th.

Of course, the number of followers isn't everything.
Even so, as an ordinary office worker with no track record, I was genuinely happy that the number of people reading the words I wrote started to grow little by little.

I'll post my current situation as a record for myself.

Articles with over 100 views have started to appear little by little.
There are articles that get likes.
The opportunities to receive comments have also increased.

However, what I want to write about this time is not
the achievement report itself of "I reached 200 followers in 50 days."

There are people reading on the other side of the numbers.

I have come to feel that more strongly than before.
And that was what made me the happiest.

At first, I was even afraid to press the publish button

Looking back, honestly, I was a little scared to press the publish button when I made my first post.

I hesitated to have such personal words and unpolished writing read by strangers.

I have no authority.
I just started a side job and have no significant track record.
I am chased by overtime every day and have no breathing room.

I thought that even if an ordinary office worker like me wrote an article, no one might be interested in reading it.

I don't care what others think.
I write articles for myself.

While saying that, wasn't I just setting up insurance so I wouldn't feel down if there was absolutely no reaction?

It would be a lie to say that I didn't have that kind of anxiety deep down in my heart.

Even so, I posted my first article partly on impulse.

It might be complete self-satisfaction.

Even so, I kept writing late at night while busy with my main job.
I managed to keep going without giving up after three days.
And, little by little, the number of people reading my work has increased.

That has become a small source of confidence for me.

What made me happy was seeing the people behind the numbers.

What truly made me happy wasn't just that my follower count increased.

There are people reading beyond those numbers.
And there are people who react, even a little, to the content of my articles.

That was what I felt.

The turning point was the comments.

When I had 100 followers, there were almost no comments.
Just getting 'likes' is happy enough, but I couldn't see the faces of the people behind them.

However, as I approached 200, I started receiving comments little by little.

"I understand this part."
"I was thinking the same thing."

Behind those short words, there is definitely someone there.

That response was many times happier than the numbers themselves.

It wasn't the number of followers itself, but the feeling that there were people reading behind it.

That is what remains in my heart the most from reaching 200 followers this time.

There are many people on note who write warm words.

There is something I felt when I started note.

There are many people on note who write warm words.
Their writing is also polite.

Some people don't just write about success, but also about their struggles.
Some people don't force their own answers on others, but speak from their own failures.
Some people properly put their small daily realizations into words and leave them behind.

And there are people who quietly listen to the words of others.

When I am in that kind of atmosphere, I don't want to leave careless words behind either.

I find myself wanting to re-select each sentence while picturing the person who will read it.

I've been feeling that way especially lately.

I realized that note is not just a place to write, but also a place where I can center myself by reading.

A third place, neither at work nor at home

I am an ordinary office worker.

At work, I work as an employee.
When I go home, I am a husband and a father.

Both are important.
Both are indispensable to my life.

But sometimes it becomes painful when my value is determined only by my home and my company.

There are days when things don't go well at work.
There are days when I lose my composure at home.
There are days when I feel pathetic as a father.
There are days when I feel I'm not doing well as a husband.

At times like those, I sometimes feel as if my entire value has disappeared.

What I realized after starting note was that I had created a place outside of those two where I could place my own words.

A third place, neither work nor home.

There, I can write not as someone's role, but simply as "me".

That was bigger than I had imagined.

You don't have to have just one place where you belong

In Adlerian psychology, there is a concept that when you hit a dead end in familiar communities like home, school, or work, you should look toward a larger community.

Before, I only understood that in my head.

But since starting note, I feel like I understand it a little bit.

When things don't go well in one place, people can sometimes feel as if their life itself has failed.

Something unpleasant happens at home.
Things don't go well at school.
I'm not appreciated at work.
I can't fulfill my role well.

When days like that continue, the world feels like it closes in on itself.

But in reality, the world is a little wider than that.

There is family.
There is work.
There are friends.
There is the community.
There is society.
There is nature.
I am here now, built upon the time of those who lived before me.

By looking toward a broader community, I can view the worries within a smaller community from a little more distance.

I can manage to get by without denying my own worth.
And I can start to have a little hope for tomorrow.

note is a place where we can connect through writing.

I have a place for myself here, too.

Just realizing this makes me glad I started using note.

Giving shape to the passing days, little by little

Until now, I have almost never had the habit of keeping a diary.

What was I thinking as the days went by?
What was I hurt by, what saved me, and what did I manage to overcome, even if just a little?

If I do nothing, those things just drift away.

Since I started note, those things that were supposed to drift away have begun to take shape, little by little.

That is also one of the reasons why I am glad I continued with note.

I want to continue writing with care

From now on, I want to not only write new articles but also review my past articles little by little.

If I change the title, it might reach more people.
If I fix the opening, it might become easier to read.
If I change the thumbnail, it might catch more eyes.
If I organize the conclusion, the impression left after reading might change.

However, that is not just to chase numbers.

It is because I want to gradually increase the number of articles that make those who took the time to read them feel,
"I'm glad I read this."
that it was worth their time.

To those who have followed me.
To those who have come to read my articles several times.
To those who happened to read them just once.

I want to continue to carefully leave my words for each and every one of them.

As an ordinary office worker, I will continue to write about work, money, time, family, and the heart in my own words.

I will write not only about what went well, but also about the things I struggled with.
I will leave behind not just the cool conclusions, but also the wavering along the way.

If that record can, for someone somewhere, even a little bit,

"I'll try a little more myself"

I would be happy if it could become a trigger for them to think that.

I'm glad I kept writing.

That is what I think now.

And to those who are reading, I am truly grateful once again.

Thank you, as always.

Thank you for reading until the end.
I am an ordinary office worker recording my own thoughts on the margins of money, time, work, family, and the heart.
If you would like to read more, I would be happy if you could like or follow me.

#note
#note_beginner
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#200_followers
#writing
#essay
#daily_life_of_an_office_worker
#daily_record
#Adlerian_psychology
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