The Most Popular Articles on Medium

And which ones we should write

There seem to be two driving forces behind this amazing Medium platform. One is to create relatable content, and two, to make money. But what kind of content should you write or want to write?

What is your end goal? How does your content make you feel? Why do you write?

As I’m sure many of you have done, I googled the most popular topics on Medium. At the top of the list was Finance, then Technology, followed by Health, Software Development, and Blogging. At some point down the list were Personal Stories that were deep and personal with a self-improvement theme.

Thank goodness for that last one. It fits me just fine.

Which led me to this question.

Which topics will outlast the others in the long run? Are we here for the sprint or the marathon? Do we want our topics to become irrelevant and outdated in time, or live on as unique and time resistant to the human spirit?

I suppose those writers who are here primarily for income will write articles that are valid for the moment, planning to update them as their knowledge increases. And that’s fine.

But to me, that’s a flash-in-the-pan style. An article that’s even a year old could be already obsolete for those topics.

I’m here for the marathon. I want my articles to carry meaning well into the coming years. I plan to write about universal themes that relate to today, tomorrow, and beyond.

I want to give long-lasting value and provide stories with universal themes that cause us to question our world, our relationships, and ourselves. I love the idea of someone reading them ten years from now and still finding meaning in them.

That’s an incredible payoff!

So I’m going to continue following my own little path here and write what comes to mind. The comments I receive will validate whether I’m on the right path or not.

So far I am.

I’m still at the beginning of that path, but I love following the sunlight. It beckons me to keep moving forward and believe in what I’m writing.

And as I meet other writers along the way, they will continue to inspire me as I hope to inspire them.

After almost two months, I’m picking up momentum and walking at a faster pace. I feel the urge to write more, share more, and think more as I discover more ideas on this path.

I feel my place in the universe, surrounded by universal thoughts merging into mine. Maybe that’s where this path will take me, as it draws me closer to myself.

And if other paths cross mine, they won’t prevent my progress but offer other alternatives I might choose.

But I’m a solo hiker and prefer my own instincts. I’ll just wave, say hello, and continue to walk towards that sunbeam.