De-Lurk!

Sometimes when I'm feeling industrious (a once or twice a year occurrence!) I sit down at the computer and check out the numbers of people reading the blogs and visiting my sites.

Every time I'm blown away by the number of lurkers out there. From my own small sample group of sites (this PCP site, the Kung Fu Body, The Mindfulist, the Knowledge Workers Survival Guide, Yoga Garden, Wellness Begins Here) I estimate for every 1 comment or sale there are 150-200 eyeballs that pass over it.

There's nothing wrong with lurking. After all, if you tried to respond to every piece of content you read online you'd never make it past your morning cruise through your bookmarks. But I want to ask everyone to make a special effort to interact with the people now working hard towards their wellness goals on the Peak Condition Project and the new Kung Fu Body.

Here's why. If you take the time to respond to some random news story you might give the reporter something to think about and you'll further the discussion, but that's the end of it. However, if you take the time to leave a supportive comment on a PCP or KFB blog, you can really change someone's day. The people going for these fitness goals are just like you, they're not rich or famous, they don't have access to special equipment or trainers, they're just out there living their lives and trying to be as healthy as they can be.

It gets quite lonely doing this kind of work. You have to say no to a lot of delicious food. You have to move your tired groggy body through the daily workout, and you have to find something to blog about even when your inspiration ebbs.

But when someone takes the time to leave you a comment, even something like "You can do it! I'm supporting you!" it can unleash HUGE amounts of energy and positivity into the process. You can literally, with your comment, get someone thousands of miles away off the couch and into their workout. You can help them say no to that tempting dish that will derail their diet.

You know how on telethons they say stuff like "Your donation can make all the difference!" but deep down you know your 10 bucks doesn't really make much of a difference. Well, when someone's struggling through their 90 day project, one comment really can make all the difference.

I know you only have a certain amount of time "currency" each day to spend commenting on the web. If you want a lot of bang for your buck, consider spending that currency here, on people's blogs. It just takes a second, it's free, and you can brighten someone's day and help them to get the change they want for their bodies and their lives. And when you do something like that, you can't help but feel a little brighter yourself.

So click one of those names you see on the pages. They're real people and would love to hear that you've got their backs!