Every time I send an email to the Idea Lemon tribe, some tribe members make a conscious decision that they they are done, and they unsubscribe from my emails.

I’d like to take this moment to pour a 40 out on the curb, in remembrance of those who are no longer with us.

But for real, it used to really bother me that people would unsubscribe. What was I doing wrong?

Then I saw that unsubscribes don’t just happen in emails, and they don’t just happen to me. Unsubscribes happen to all of us in our day-to-day lives.

Maybe you lose touch with a close friend over the years--they’ve unsubscribed from your friendship. Or you used to really be into photography, but now your camera collects dust in the corner of your room--the hobby unsubscribed from your life. You strike up a conversation with a friend of a friend you just met, you don’t have much to talk about, and they walk away saying, “hey I’ll be right back,” and never come back--they unsubscribe from the interaction.

As we go about our lives, people and interests unsubscribe from us. A few years ago, this really fucked with my head.

Why wasn’t I seeing my college roommates all the time anymore?

Why was baseball not as interesting as it used to be?

Why did I care so much about if one person in the room didn’t get along with me, when there were 8 others who did?

You know what else happens every time I send an email?

Every time I send an email, about 300 - 400 of tribe members decide to read what I have to say, and some of them enjoy it so much that they go back and read it multiple times.

Here’s why I bring this up: I used to obsess over the 7 or 8 people who unsubscribed and wondered, “what am I doing wrong?” Then I realized--why waste time and energy trying to win over the people who don't care? You can’t be everything to everybody.

I write about my encounters and my observations to help those who are multi-passionate (like me) build a life, career, and personal brand based on those passions so they get more out of what they are doing, and get noticed for doing so. Everyone who has unsubscribed in the past made a conscious decision that they don’t want to hear about that.

You know what? That’s okay. I’m not for everybody, and that’s okay.

So, if you’re still reading this, thank you. It likely means I provide something of value to you, and you do care about building your own brand on passion and purpose. Instead of worrying about the 7 unsubscribes, I focus my energy on helping you.

As you look at your own unsubscribes in life, before getting down about it, remember you can't be everything to everybody, and people who don't care will never care.

Take care and be awesome.

What up! My name is Rajiv Nathan and I'm the Cofounder of Idea Lemon. That banana peel you slipped on to land here came from me. That's because I fancy myself a human Curious George, and the yellow hat I chase is life's authentic moments. I share my chase one story at a time through this blog, our email newsletter, and as a rapper.

Oh and I'm a WWE fan 4 lyf!