“Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final."
— Rainer Maria Rilke —
Hello and my best to you and yours.
I was thrilled that Porchlight (a global leader in moving books in bulk) just featured an excerpt from Shy by Design. It’s a glimpse into my teaching style for how I help my students pursuing their masters to own their story, step into their voice, and realize they’re cool just as they are.
If you're interested in checking it out, here’s a link. And if it strikes a chord, it’d mean the world if you grabbed a copy if you haven’t already.
On that note, here are three things I’ve been thinking about lately that I’m excited to share with you (4-minute read).
***
on the passage of time
My parents just caught a flight back to the US after a two-week visit — their first since before Covid due to health issues and being advised not to travel.
Being that they’re both 84 and the journey here isn’t easy, my dad told me there’s a good chance it will be their last visit to Spain. I’m still trying to process the notion that this could be their final in-person goodbye with my in-laws and the last time they get to see my kids in their element.
But despite the grey clouds, there have been a lot of moments of sun. Particularly the day I took my parents on a trail along the coast for my dad to give my kids an expert lesson on how not to catch any fish — just like he did with me and my brothers when we were young.
My dad showing them how to cast in a way that ensured they got their line stuck in the rocky waters below as my mom sat perched laughing above is an image I hope to never forget.
Life is fleeting.
Fight to be as present as you can with your loved ones.
Tell them how much you care about them as much as possible.
Hold onto the moments when life slows down.
***
on the best way to start your day
During the Holocaust, Viktor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, set the habit of asking himself each morning this one simple question —
Frankl would later note this habit was one of the key drivers that provided him with the mental strength to endure four years of concentration camps — along with having a daily project (for Frankl, it was keeping notes for what would later become a book), and finding meaning in the suffering.
As someone who’s woken up 16,899 times, I’m yet to come across a more effective way to start the day. Before allowing yourself to get wrapped up thinking about all you need to do, steal a line from Frankl and ask yourself “Who needs me?”
Taking just two minutes to do so has a funny way of getting out of your head while filling your heart with purpose.
If you want to change the world, care for five people.
***
on keeping going
I read a Note this week on Substack from a new writer named Tom Selby Edge that stopped me cold and spoke to the challenges of others that we may forget to think about in the busyness of life.
I don’t know how to write this note today… so many contrasting emotions, swirling around my body and mind.
8 years ago I nearly died from a heart complication.
6 years ago it happened again but my defibrillator saved my life in the most painful way that left me with horrendous PTSD.
5 years ago my daughter nearly lost her battle against a mystery virus that has left her permanently brain damaged.
4 years ago it all got too much for my fragile mind and I tried to kill myself but I was too scared to even do that.
Since then, I have been battling my Imposter Syndrome, trying to overcome fear that seems to lurk around every corner.
Today the sun is shining, I am about to collect my daughter from her new specialist school that helps with her brain injury.
Tonight I am taking her to the town fair and she is so giddy with excitement.
Right now, I find comfort in writing for my tribe here on Substack and I feel blessed.
During my darkest days I never even thought I would find my place again in this unforgiving world.
So my message is this: No matter how dark your days get, don’t give up. It’s always darkest just before dawn.
Remember, you are not alone. Your tribe is here as well and they’ve got your back.
I don't know about you, but I think the world could use more real stories like Tom's. Honest ones. Ones where we take off our masks and share the challenges we have faced and are still facing.
Find a glimmer of hope.
Keep going.
Always say yes to a town fair.
***
The first ever podcast I did back in the day was with Chad and Shelly Provost for The Big Self. A few weeks ago I had a chance to catch up with Chad again and recorded another episode on his new project The Humanist — a title I instantly loved. If interested, click the link below:
Shy by Design with Michael Thompson
That’s it for this week.
Be good.
Onwards.
—Michael
PS: The best way to help me keep the lights on and to keep newsletters like this one free is to grab a copy of my book and leave an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads. It makes a great gift for any of your shy or more reserved friends, colleagues, and family members who have something to say but struggle to bet on themselves.
Shy by Design: 12 Timeless Principles to Quietly Stand Out
“In a world that lionizes loudness, it’s actually the quiet and shy among us who are best set up to thrive. Thompson provides an important new way of understanding what it really takes to stand out!”
— Cal Newport
New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work