Don't Aim For Succeeding, Just Feel (And Then Harness) The Feeling Hey, you! Yes, you! You Weirdo-Nerd-That-Knows-Important-Things-Normies-Don't. How are you doing? I hope you're having the time of your life, but in case you're not... Why do you think that is? It's clearly not because the means aren't available. I mean, hello? Infinite, instant, free knowledge at your fingertips? The distilled essence of humanity's textual productions come alive as AI? And you're just.... doomscrolling? Screaming into the void? Lounging on your couch listening to Joe Rogan interview another feel good non mainstream smart guy? Or perhaps you're Building A Second Brain™, traveling the world as a Digital Nomad™, or even maximizing MRR as Quirky Indie Creator SaaS Guy™. Might I suggest that maybe, just maybe, you don't need a new note-taking tool or productivity system? And do you really think yet another podcast episode or YouTube video will do the trick? Have you tried using that impulse, that need for stimulation for a pause? For something other than living a templated identity? Have you ever taken a moment and considered what common thread unites all of these attempts to diffuse The Feeling? And don't you dare say "lack of discipline" or some other not-even-wrong influencer BS like that. If you have an answer you're satisfied with, an answer that does not feel forced or false, congrats! If you don't... I'd say you're avoiding feeling The Feeling. That feeling you feel when your heart beats faster, when things that matter intrude upon your cozy clumsiness. It probably scares you, and no wonder. You've been pushing it away for so long, avoiding pausing even for a moment. You're not prepared to withstand the onslaught of anguish and regret that will wash over you. And yet, delaying and diffusing The Feeling isn't working out either, is it? Everything feels a little numb, meaningless, and soul-suckingly boring, right? Alright, let's try this: Write down a single sentence that encapsulates your mission in life. Have you? There's no rush, I'll wait. Got it? Good. Now rip it up and throw it away. Do it again, but this time take a minute or two to do nothing but to pay attention to what's going on inside. It may take a while, again, don't rush it. If you allow it, eventually the murky waters of your psyche will clear up just a tiny little bit. Enough to reveal something you actually care about, and deeply. Write that thing down and then put it an active sentence, like "I want my mom to finally be at ease about my career", or whatever it is for you. Now rip that sentence from the page and put it somewhere you return to often. It could be your wallet, your bedroom door, your laptop monitor bezel... You know where it needs to go, don't overthink it. Now, how do you feel? Notice anything? If you did it right, you felt The Feeling. That feeling we all know but don't know how to describe very well. If you can, stay with The Feeling for as long as you can and write down anything and everything that comes to mind, to heart, to soul. You'll know when it comes from that place, and when it's just a programmed, imprinted, manufactured opinion. The Feeling isn't political. It doesn't have opinions and it needs no validation. The Feeling doesn't need you to convince anyone. All it asks of you is just a sliver of your attention. If you grant it that, it'll repay you manifold, and in ways your conscious mind can't calculate. Whatever comes out of you when you feel it, treasure it. Don't tell anyone about it. And don't research it either, or at least not until you have a working relationship with it. Just hold it, and let it animate you into curiosity. Let it drive you into the depths of your inner world so you may find untold riches where you least expected them. If you made the trip... If you got to that inner sanctum, or at least noticed its presence... I'd like to invite you to reach out and tell me what state that left you in. Don't tell what it was, just what state it left you in after it subsided. There are so many paths to take once the starting point is clear... For instance... What if you did it again next time you remembered that writing these things down is an option? What if you kept a record of all the different things you wrote down when The Feeling visits you? What if you burned the current piece of paper as soon as a new one arose out of you and leapt onto the page? What if you wove them together with string and hung them on your wall as a "soulchain"? What if you came up with your own process, your own program, your own practice? That is what I've been studying for the past 15 years and it is also the subject of my upcoming book: Rediscovering, reconnecting with, and ultimately harnessing That Feeling. For the benefit of yourself and whatever The Feeling inspires you to overflow your cup into. If you want to be notified of the release, subscribe to my Substack and I'll let you know when you're ready for it. And again: if you didn't get to The Feeling, you're welcome to DM me and I'll be happy to help you try a different way that works for you.