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Hey friends,
I recently shared that The Inner Compass surpassed 2,000 copies sold in just over a month, which is an awesome start for a self-published book:
I didn’t set any sales goals for this book, as I wrote it for myself when I was in an intense period of self-doubt. But as I say in one of the chapters, when you do things that are in alignment with your inner compass, there is a natural magnetism to that endeavor. Perhaps this dynamic also applies to the book itself as well.
Next week, I plan on announcing some more news about The Inner Compass, all of which was unexpected when I first released the book. In the meantime, you can order the book using the button below and send me your receipt to get a bonus booklet of 30 daily reflections.
And lastly, the Kindle version of the book will be going up to $9.99 soon, so if you want to get it at the current discounted price ($5.99), I suggest you order it today.
For the rest of today’s newsletter, I wanted to re-share a post on the problem of what others think.
For the longest time, I put a lot of weight on what people thought of me. Part of it was because I wanted to be acknowledged, but most of it was because I didn’t understand myself.
Things started to shift when I realized something important about the nature of others’ judgments. That when you’re worried what someone thinks about you, it’s rarely about that person’s opinions. Rather, it’s all about the opinions you have of yourself.
That statement will require some unpacking, so when you’re ready, let’s dive right in:
The Problem of What Others Think
Interview of the Week
Instead of linking to a bunch of different interviews I’ve done about The Inner Compass, I’ll just highlight one in each newsletter because that’s all you likely have time for anyway =).
I had a great time chatting with Nick Milo, who is the popular creator behind Linking Your Thinking. In this chat, we talk about social conditioning, envy, the stories we tell ourselves, and so much more:
A Thought I’ve Been Pondering
Here’s another excerpt from the book I shared that resonated with many people:
One thing I’ve been pondering is if mastery and status are diametrically opposed to one another. Does it have to be one or the other? Or can you pursue both at the same time without friction?
My take is that if you pursue mastery, the status will naturally find its way to you. But if you pursue status, then mastery may be elusive.
Take the example of a writer who spends an inordinate amount of time thinking through ideas and finding creative ways to put them together. Not because it’ll lead to more views, but because she wants to see what she’s capable of. There is an intentionality to her pursuit that helps her birth of a style of her own, which makes you pay attention.
On the other hand, if there’s a writer that only wants to be known for their work, then their writing merely becomes a tool to achieve recognition. When a craft is solely viewed for its social utility, then the writer will adapt their style to current trends to stay relevant. And given that mastery is about transcending what is already known, this writer cannot attain it because he is constrained by the rules of today.
Pursue mastery, not status. Because if you do the former, you’ll attract the latter without actively pursuing it.
A Brief Parting Question
What’s an activity you do for its own sake? And what do you feel as a result of doing it?
For me, I journal everyday, and there are no external rewards this practice gives me. But I feel a small dose of clarity with each entry, primarily because it helps me understand why I behave or think a certain way. (I go into this in a lot more detail in Chapter 9 of The Inner Compass).
Curious to know what you do that’s an end in itself as well.
As a reminder, if you haven’t picked up a Kindle version of The Inner Compass yet, I suggest you do it today before I increase the price of the book. And if you’ve already read it, please hit reply and let me know what you thought of it.
As always, hit reply to share any thoughts, to respond to the parting question, or to simply say hello. I love hearing from you.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to share this email with anyone who might enjoy it. Have a great rest of your week!
-Lawrence Yeo
P.S. Thanks to all the wonderful people that support the blog on Patreon! It means so much. If you’d like to support More To That and get access to book recommendations, exclusive AMAs, offline posts, and other reflections, join as a patron today.
P.P.S. If you want to learn how to write essays like the one I shared today, check out my writing course, The Examined Writer. It's 3 hours' of self-paced material, all designed to elevate your writing practice.
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