Substack writer John Pavlovitz sums up what some of us may be feeling – Does anything I do really matter? “… stopping is the only way to ensure that what I do doesn’t matter. Because as long as I show up and give something back to the world, there is a chance it will alter the outcome, even in ways I can’t perceive.”

The Beautiful Mess, 5/6/25 – Am I the only one who has that question hovering in the background operating system of their minds most of the time? (Please tell me I’m not, because I don’t think I can add that to my growing list of neuroses.)

There are many days when I pour my heart into words here, hoping they will help people feel less alone, remind them of the stakes of the fight we’re in, and encourage them to keep going—but end up feeling like I’m just shouting to the void; as if it’s all for nothing.

On an intellectual level, I know that’s not true. I mean, I can see that people like you are reading the writing, but emotionally the story in my head is that it doesn’t make a damn bit of difference.

So, why do I keep doing it?

Because stopping is the only way to ensure that what I do doesn’t matter. Because as long as I show up and give something back to the world, there is a chance it will alter the outcome, even in ways I can’t perceive.

The stories we tell ourselves matter a great deal right now.

It’s tempting to feel as though our efforts are wasted, that the fight is fruitless, that defeat is a foregone conclusion.

That kind of hopelessness can lead us to an apathy that prevents us from staying connected to people and to the collective good that is taking place.

You may feel like what you’re doing doesn’t matter, but it does. No act of goodness is ever wasted. Just keep showing up, give what you have to give, and know that you’re co-writing the story we’re in together.

Thanks for sharing this beautiful mess with me.

John

The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz, 5/6/25