Who knew that a list called21 Secrets for Your 20’s would change my life?

Last month, I went to my usual spot at Starbucks and compiled a mixture of “secrets” that I’ve learned over my twenties — some serious, some not, and then walked back to ask my wife what she thought. “Well, it’s a little long. But gosh, it’s all pretty good. You really wrote this?! (I tried not to take her surprise as too big an insult)

I posted 21 Secrets for Your 20’s on a Thursday and by Friday it began to pick up social-media-steam, mainly through Pinterest of all places. By Saturday it had 60 Pins on Pinterest and about 30 Facebook Likes. By Sunday it had 300 Pins.

Un-Pin-lievable!

“I think by the end of the week this could actually have 1,000 Pins,” my wife said as we went to bed.

“No way, a 1,000 Pins?! Her optimism appreciated, but a tad crazy. 

And she was wrong. By the end of the week it didn’t have 1,000.

It had 11,000 Pins.
And 3,000 Likes.
And crashed my website twice!

The sheer amount of traffic felt like the day I swam in the Pacific as a storm tore through — powerful waves flipping me head over heels, and heels over head, so that I didn’t know which way was right-side up. Exhilarating, and slightly terrifying.

 

Tipping Point

Today 21 Secrets for Your 20’s has 34,000 shares and counting. It’s officially changed the course of my site. And coming Thursday, I’ll share just how much it’s changed with some:

All Groan Up Big.Exciting.News!

Anyone who knows me knows the path to this tipping point has been anything but overnight. (more of that story Thursday) So if you’ve been writing and dreaming to the returning sound of crickets, believe me I know your pain and frustration. Last year I wrote an article for friend and writer Jeff Goins, called The Spark of a Writer below. When I read it now it’s amazing to see my own words of hope and belief become reality. So keep lighting that proverbial match!

The Spark of a Writer

Writing progress is not in pages.

It comes in sparks

Each match that burns. Each word that falls flat. Taking you closer to that sentence that smolders. To the paragraph that catches. The page people will gather around.

That piece changes the atmosphere. In you. And in those who see its light.

Because they’ve felt the same fire. They’ve had the same thirst.

As a writer you hold out a glass of water.

Your fingers burnt and blistered. Hiding in pockets. Only you will ever know.

Hundreds of used matches — useless.

But one catches fire.

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Thank you all for being a huge part of this story as it unfolds. More on Thursday. Pinky-Swear.