Writing for identity, the war of art, a business parable

Hello friend,

Welcome to the 100th edition of this newsletter!

I started this as a part of the assignment during the 7th cohort of Write of Passage (WOP) – a 5-week, cohort-based online writing course.

As I look back, the main intention was to have a consistent writing and publishing habit.

But, on a deeper level, it has not just been about writing.

The course gave me a way to channel my ambient curiosity and hunger for learning into an active medium of expression and collective learning via connections with people all over the world. Nothing could beat that feeling of being a part of a niche crowd who geeked about their nerdy interests in the corners of the Circle.

More importantly, it gave me directions to explore and reconstruct my identity via writing and exchanging ideas with different people across the world.

“Writing is a way to shed through your identity. We begin writing to explore our identity. We keep writing as we shed identity. When we look back, we discover new identity” — Michael Dean

So, as of now, there is still no strategy for this newsletter.

I do not know what I will write about. I still have tremendous self-doubt about why would someone want to read my writing. I do not know how to promote it because I cannot pinpoint the exact benefit people get from it.

The only strategy I can continue to follow is consistency and authentic exploration of the identity.

I re-read the book, The War of Art last weekend and resonated with this quote deeply which I realized can also guide me every week on what to write about.

What do I feel growing inside me? Let me bring that forth, if I can, for its own sake and not for what it can do for me or how it can advance my standing. — Steven Pressfield

Of course, I am aware I can do a much better job in terms of improving the depth and quality of ideas, especially when I curate multiple ideas from different people.

But, as long as I can stay consistent and true to expressing what I feel growing inside me, I see it as a win.

On that note, here is what I want to share today about giving.

Book of the Week: The Go-Giver

I read this short book recently which is a business parable. It carries a heartwarming message about the power of giving in the real world of business and entrepreneurship.

It talks about the 5 laws of stratospheric success. I highly recommend reading the book to completely grasp these laws but here is a quick summary:

The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success

• THE LAW OF VALUE: Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
• THE LAW OF COMPENSATION: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
• THE LAW OF INFLUENCE: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.
• THE LAW OF AUTHENTICITY: The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
• THE LAW OF RECEPTIVITY: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

While these might sound simple, even ridiculous when you think of them in context to the cut-throat world of business, I resonated a lot with these laws. For me, these laws sounded like pillars of the bridge that connects the two seemingly opposing worlds of business and spirituality.

That’s all from me this week, folks!

Until next time,
Love,
Vishal

P.S.: The 11th cohort of Write of Passage is starting next month and you can start enrolling from September 12th. If you wish to enroll but cannot do so due to financial constraints, I will be happy to nominate you for a scholarship. Just hit reply to this email and we will take it forward from there. 🙂

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