Be the lighthouse.

When Maggie started her blog, she had exactly zero readers.

OK, maybe one. Her devoted husband.

“You can do it, babe!” he said.

“I know I can!” she said.

Modern Married – Maggie’s website about falling in love, staying in love, and creating a marriage that feels like a true partnership – was born.

She started blogging and posting inspirational love-notes on Facebook – notes which, initially, were read by NO ONE.

I asked Maggie:

“How did you find the motivation to keep writing even though nobody was paying attention?”

She said:

“I would pretend that I was a lighthouse beaming light and love out into the world. I would pretend that thousands of people were listening. I wrote as if thousands of people were listening. I never missed a single post because I’d be letting thousands of people down! I imagined that I was changing thousands of people’s lives by sharing my ideas every day.”

“Finally,” she continued, with a giddy grin spreading across her cheeks, “A few people started seeing what I was doing. They started sharing it with their friends. Then a few more. And now, a few years later, I AM THAT LIGHTHOUSE!”

And so it is.

Modern Married has attracted a community of over 18,000 fanatical readers and Maggie was named one of THE relationship experts to watch by The Gottman Institute – an award-winning company that collects scientific data about marriage and divorce. She also runs a thriving practice as a life and relationship coach, where she gets paid to help couples stay in love and build even stronger, happier marriages. She is officially living her dream.

It all happened because Maggie wrote as if the world was already listening.

Moral of the story:

If you want to be “successful,” “respected,” “sought-after,” insert-desirable-quality-here… Operate like the world is already listening. Perform like a musician rocking out to a packed stadium, even if (in reality) you’re playing to an audience of one. Or… none.

Don’t hold back. Don’t be stingy. Give it your all.

Be the lighthouse.

Sooner or later, the people who need what you provide will arrive – gathering to bask in your light.