No One's Laughing and That's OK
My newsletter is a continual effort to peel away the layers of Elliott. Last week’s essay was very good and hard to follow up but maybe I can talk a bit about that neediness we sometimes experience for some form of perfection.
We do one thing that is good, like the child who makes a funny, and then they expect that everytime they make a funny after that everyone will laugh. But the kid never changed up their joke and no one’s laughing.
So instead of continually seeking approval outside of yourself and trying to put smiles on people’s faces, you can instead just work with or inside yourself.
I write these words for me, a letter to future Elliott, and they just happen to get shared with you today.
I have to do the work, and quite frankly we all have to do the work, at getting used to sharing what and who we are, and not expecting people to like it.
If you want to put this idea to the test, go outside your home unshowered and in your most comfortable pyjamas.
For most of us, it’s not possible to do this since we’re worried that someone will find us and ridicule us.
The second best option for this thought experiment is to share our work as unfiltered as possible and to simply let it go.
Sometimes our work is not a creative artifact but simply an interaction with other people or a party that we plan for our loved ones.
Remove the need to be liked all the time and see where it gets you.
Three Ideas from My Notebooks
The power of words can hurt or bring others up. Choose your words carefully. Claudia reminded me this week that you can write a letter and then destroy it afterwards, and you could get the same benefit as if you sent it.
Move your first ideas through. They are the best ones. Learn to not over-censor yourself with those precious first ideas.
Tell people how you can help them. Humble yourself in their presence. Sales is just a vehicle for helping people get what they are looking for. It is not a tool to make you feel lower than other people just because you have something to offer and would like money in exchange for that.
All of the ideas going back to May 2023 are now located in The Ideas Index:
Introducing The Incredible Arnie Huffman
This week’s music release is a 20-minute performance of improvised acoustic guitar that I recorded in my bedroom on Saturday.
It’s recorded in vertical format which I am realizing I need to figure out a better solution to this need to share video on Instagram but also have it look normal on a desktop as well. Will look great on your phone though.
Bagel Glossary: Walt Disney
A Walt Disney is the name I give for bagels that are stored in the freezer and are ready to be taken out.
Have a great week ahead,
Elliott