Thoughts of an Unpopular Blogger

Why do we want to be famous?

I have been blogging since 2010, a decade of sharing the things that I do, unsure if people have been reading them. I have never reached the same level of popularity that a few of my contemporaries enjoy. I have never authored a viral post, doesn’t earn a lot from my affiliate links, never get recognized in public, never gained fans. I am a person who only matters to myself and to a few people who know me or care about me. It used to bother me a lot, because as everyone else, I had a dream of becoming famous. I wanted to be adored, have a fan base, be told how amazing I am. Of course, this is all the works of ego, because if somebody asks why I want these things, I know that I don’t possess a good enough why.

There are perks to being popular in the blogging world. In the niche where I belong, brands would come to you offering sponsorships in exchange for a promotion. You could be invited to all-expense paid trips where you will be fed like you’d never eat again. You could go on staycations in expensive hotels for free, receive cool products related to your niche. In some cases, you could even get monetary compensation.

Then fans come to you and tell you how amazing you are, and how you’ve inspired them to change their lives. They would tell other people about you, share your posts, which will help you reach more people. More people mean more traffic to your blog, and if you have affiliate links this translates to earnings.

So, popularity can bring in the money, really who doesn’t want that? I am not going to lie and say that I don’t want to earn more, but if money is all I ever wanted, then why was I not doing everything in my power to be among the most revered bloggers? There are techniques to becoming relevant, methods to gain clout, yet despite having the desire I always find myself not having the obsession. And so, I remain average, an unknown blogger amidst the sea of other bloggers who could never be anything more.

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But popularity with all the perks that it has also comes with great responsibility, something that I am not sure I’d be willing to carry. Being a prominent figure is its own kind of brave, to act like you could never do wrong to please people, or to be human and have the stomach to face the awful words people may tell you. No matter how much we want to be famous, nobody wants to receive hate. Yet hatred is thrown randomly nowadays, by people who take offense at every little thing, hiding behind the comforts of the digital screen.

Perhaps people chase at it blindly, only thinking about the benefits of being known. We romanticize the idea and then we become famous and realize that it is not all rainbows and sunshines.

But I am not sad about this, don’t get me wrong. There are billions of people in this world, we can’t be all famous. The reason I am at peace with this is because I truly believe becoming well-known doesn’t equate to a fulfilled life. Many think that being ordinary is a state we should all escape from. Although I agree that we should endeavor to realize our full potential and to continuously evolve as humans, I don’t think that people who lead ordinary lives are necessarily unhappy.

People can live simply and be happy and find their life’s purpose. It really depends on a person’s definition of happiness or success and this definition does not lie on another person’s but that of oneself. We alone, dictate the meaning to the fucks that we give. We are allowed to choose how we want to live. If in the eyes of others you are ordinary, but you are living the best way you know how, then their opinion doesn’t really matter.

Until I know for sure my why, I would never chase it with the intensity required to make it. I think I am happy where I am now. I thrive in my space and in other areas of life, and I’m continuously learning. Maybe I will never be a famous blogger, but I am a blogger just the same. I have stories to tell and I’m willing to share it to those who would care enough to listen.