When I wrote a book, I never expected to help people.
Obviously I hoped to do that, but it was impossible for me to envision a real world where people emailed me to genuinely say
“Thank you for making this thing with your hands, it genuinely helped me.”
It’s much easier to fantasize that than it is to… actually have it happen.
But that’s where I am now.
Contrary to your self-talk – it isn’t actually this amazing thing where you feel great because people heap praise on you (so heap, in my case, is an exaggeration) – instead it’s forcefully humbling.
Like – if you have a craptastic self-image – it forces you to engage with a lot of facts that are actually awkward and uncomfortable:
- You aren’t actually that bad
- People actually appreciate the work that you do
- People are actually happy to pay you in exchange for aiding them
- You can actually affect people so much that they feel the need to thank you
Also contrary to your self-belief – I’m willing to bet that you (yes, you reading this specifically) have something inside you that can help others to the point where you have to confront these feelings about yourself too.
Maybe it’s not a book, but perhaps it’s getting, and helping, really good clients.
Or maybe it is a book, product, or something else.
Real Examples
This past weekend was PAX – and I got this email right after it started. There are so many lessons in this.
- I never expected my book to be described as rejuvenating. Holy smokes!
- This is the way to write a “thank you” email and get away with plugging your stuff at the same time. I never click links people plug to me – never. I completely shamelessly clicked all of those links.
- This is also simply a great way to write a thank you email.
- If you write an email like this, I don’t give a $#&! if you get my book title wrong (I noticed, I’m sure some of you will too – I do not care – the emotional effect is WAY more important here)
I certainly connected with the sender of this email after getting it – and he’s a super rad person. I’m grateful to have that connection, and that’s funny – considering I’m sure he’d be surprised to hear that.
I know without a doubt that you’ve got something inside you that will cause you to net strong connections like this and help people.
One more for you –
Again – I wrote a book and never expected to actually help people.
In fact, my expectation was to sell zero copies.
When I sold the first one, the pressure was completely off because my goal was 100% attained. Everything else was a benefit.
And yet – here I am. With people calling this thing rejuvenating and proclaiming that it helps them with their mental health.
All from a “book on sound design” (spoilers – it has nothing to do with sound design).
You Can, Too
Inside your mind, and your heart – you have something that’s dying to get out of you.
Maybe it’s sound design, music, a podcast, a book, a talk, whatever. Maybe it’s anxious energy that’s currently completely formless.
You’re not weird for feeling or wanting any of this. It’s completely normal.
What’s also normal is doing absolutely nothing with it.
But in the book I’ve been talking about, I break down a step-by-step process to get big, exciting, important projects done.
It’s actually the exact way I wrote the book.
(For reference – I had to write a 12 page paper in high school and could only write 9 pages. I had to pad with three pages of BS, and it was a topic I liked! In no way did I think I could write a nearly 150 page book….)
I have no doubt that it can, and will, help you start tearing through all of the things you’re excited to put your energy towards to help people.
If you’re interested, and inspired, you can find it at https://adamtcroft.com/quit-aspiring
I promise, you’re a lot closer to affecting people’s lives than you think you are.
Copyright 2016-2021, NIR LLC, all rights reserved.