Hi Friends,

Wow, I've begun! This newsletter idea has been in my head for a bit, and now I've created a system so I can stay consistent with it.

This week, I've been reflecting on my habit of writing daily. As part of my morning practice, after the shower, coffee, and vitamins - I step into Notion and just write. No personal agenda or script. I do this basically everyday. Its value comes two-fold:

• First: When I write, the time is solely for me, before I give my time to anything else or any meetings. It's a great way to start the day on the right foot
• Second: My memory is fickle. It's hard to remember how good three days ago was... let alone three months ago. I'm able to measure growth quickly and easily because I can look back on my progress.
• (It's also a great way to keep track of quotes I love, just like this newsletter)

I've heard it said: In order to have clear conversations, we first must have clear writing. The practice of writing daily in a way confronts the various modes of thinking I have on a good, bad, or indifferent day. It's not to become a great author. No, writing is about being a great writer - someone who enjoys crystalizing thoughts and insights and developing their way of life.

A few big takeaways from writing I'd like to share:

1. It's a place to value your own thinking. When I write, different from video or audio, I feel it's my truest form. (I recently watched a video of me from 3 years ago and cringed . The video is fine, but there is something about maturity that makes you look back and quickly see the flaws of an younger version of yourself). For writing, those things like body language, clothing, environment, don't happen to effect the words as much and they don't get in the way.
2. Another takeaway is that writing is one of the best ways I have experienced personal development. Personal development is hard to measure ("Did you become emotionally safer over the last month?" "Did you trust others more this month?" "Did you listen more intently this week?"). With writing, you can track growth, development, struggles, and successes you experience. It's amazing!

Finally, a quote that can help you get going writing from Fred Waitzkin, that I found on Tim Ferriss's blog. It highlights a simple work around if you feel you can't write about what you are thinking or feeling:

I wrote about myself as if I were composing paragraphs about a fictional character. I adopted this strategy: If I wrote about “him” it wouldn’t hurt me.

The reason I write is this: Write to become a better writer, which means a better thinker, contributor, and friend.

My favorite finds this week

1 - Video: On this note of writing, Tim Ferriss is an advocate for writing that has only inspired me to write more. Here is a recent video he published on How to Use Writing to Improve Your Thinking

2 - Video Interview: Ali Abdaal & Derek Sivers - probably two people I am most inspired by right now and can't wait to meet one day did an interview a few months ago that you can access here: Deep Dive

3 - Book Recommendation: Have you ever had a situation where you kept progressing but then, out of no where, you self-sabotage? This book was the first time I experienced the connection between fears of abandonment from my past with self-sabotage in my present. I highly recommend this read by Susan Anderson if you ever have done the exact opposite of what you set out to do: Taming Your Outer Child: Overcoming Self-Sabotage and Healing from Abandonment

4- Quote: From Dr. Jonice Webb I highlighted back in mid-April

Emotion is an undeniable part of your biology. If you ignore your emotions, you will feel ignored on some level, no matter how much care you give yourself in other ways. The way you are treated emotionally by your parents determines how you will treat yourself as an adult.

All in,

David

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By David Iskander

I'm David, a search specialist, and beginner YouTuber from Orange County, CA. My motto is: Whatever you do, do it beautifully. I enjoy making YouTube videos about website design, tech, producitivty, and faith.