#002 - Move from selfish to selfless content



I've left this newsletter inactive for over a month due to various unexpected surprises and my prior commitments to both work and family. Not a great start to my newsletter!

It, however, led me to contextualize a couple of ideas. One of them is the topic of this newsletter edition.
It's not the usual knowledge-based content I would be sharing on daily basis.

Many of us struggle sharing content online.

It's the anxiety of the content:

  • not being 'good enough'
  • worries of being judged
  • not wanting to be seen in a specific light
  • concerned the audience doesn't want to hear about it
  • and much more...

And, well, whether those things are true or not - you'll never find out, if you don't post it.

That's the part I want to address right now.
You don't need to change what your inner being wants to talk about, but you might want to reframe it.

All of the arguments mentioned above why we don't post are inherently selfish. It's all about us.
It's about what I want.
It's about what I feel.
It's about what I could gain or lose from it.

However, there's a whole layer to uncover to understand why this isn't necessarily the optimal perspective to carry on with.

Let's look at the other side of the coin of you as the 'creator' of the content.
There is a 'consumer', or, in other words, the one that interacts with your content.
Technically, they also become a creator, when they decide to respond to you!

Don't you think they interact with it for their own selfish reasons as well?
They might like it because it confirms their world view.
They might react negatively because they want to protect their ego.
They might do the opposite and provide advice or encouragement to feel good about themselves or boost their self-esteem.

It's all the same, but we have a personal attachment to the piece of content we put out - because it's ours!

You see it as part of you because it came directly from what you believe defines you.

Perhaps, we put a lot of strong emotions that we are attached to into this as well.
The anxiety, the doubt, the neurotic proof-reading before pressing 'Post'.

Yes, we might have gone through it too. It all adds significance to how we react to what comes next, if we end up posting it.
Or, perhaps, it makes sure we never press the button.

But there is a better way to look at it.

Move from the 'selfish content' to 'selfless content'.

Shift to 'selfless content' by recognizing that once published, your content is no longer about you.

This mindset shift doesn't necessarily change the content itself, but how you relate to it.

Imagine you have a house in the middle of the nowhere. You place a very tall lightning rod on top of it.
If the lightning strikes, it will be conducted to the ground through a wire, not damage the structure of the building itself.

That’s what you want your post to be - a lightning rod, while you can be the building that lets all the energy pass right past you.

You are now channeling some uncontrollable energy from all around the place into your post, while keeping yourself at a relative safety.

Why the very tall rod, then? Do we really want to be struck by the lightning?
No, but if you want your thoughts to shape the discussion in the community, you need to bring the danger of the storm to yourself at least once in a while.

People might be attracted by the content, or repelled by it - but they will engage, if you struck a chord.

However, from the point you posted it - it’s all about the audience - the individual’s feelings and ego who’s consuming it, the collective conscience, the environment and time they currently live in.

It has nothing to do with you, personally.

The validation or anxiety you get from it - it’s selfish to take it to heart. Now, yes, some will take it to validate themselves when they feel down, but the same person might get incredibly anxious or depressed when the pendulum swings the other way.

You don’t want to live on the edge every day. So remove the ‘self’ from the conversation, and let the energy flow through your content, not you.

There’s a reason you wanted to post it.

There’s probably a discussion you want to have, there’s a change you want to see in the world, but the world is not you, and it's not for you to decide what it should look like, or how others should live their lives.
I am leaving out the whole cliché discussion of 'providing value' - that is subjective, and not up to you.

You can only do as much as start the fire.

You left your mark, now it’s time to move on to the next piece of content.


If this seems compelling, and you can identify with the struggle, it might be worth giving it a try. I’d love to hear, if something happened as a result.

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