Write of Passage Weekly

Hey writers,

Welcome back to Write of Passage Weekly, where we help you uncover your buried insights and share them with the world.

Last week, you learned what it means to write like an Archaeologist. Today, you’ll learn the key to finding your Core Idea.   

Surrender to Your Nature

Just as it’s easier for a fish to swim downstream than against the rushing current, the mind excels when its task is aligned with its nature. When we’re too busy appealing to the most lucrative niche, we forget about finding our own voices. The sweet spot, where passion, skill, and opportunity intersect, is often found not by fighting but by surrendering.

There’s profound wisdom in the concept of letting go — not in defeat, but to the realization of your inherent nature, the effortless talent that is uniquely yours. Surrendering is not a passive forfeit; it’s the active affirmation of the blueprint of your inner maverick. Ask yourself, “What comes naturally to me that is challenging for others?” Effortlessness is the secret to transforming your potential into mastery, and it’s the sign that you’re on the right track.

Claude Monet once said, “I wish to paint like a bird sings.” A bird does not try to sing; it just does. Similarly, you have an organic talent that comes to you when you stop trying and surrender to the rhythm of your own innate gifts. Only in effortlessness can your creativity unfurl its wings and take melodious flight. 

In a world that applauds the grind, there’s a quiet courage in nurturing what is already within. In the clamor of “what’s trending,” we take paths that mismatch with our natures, and we overlook our natural ability to change the world with just one idea. Your Core Idea — the one that shapes your life’s philosophy and the one you use to change the world — is found when you slow down, look within, and let go.

The idea that turns your name into a legacy and your story into history is one that comes from clarity. That doesn’t mean it’s easy to discover this idea, but it should feel aligned with your purpose. Your Core Idea should feel like a dance with destiny:  consider Martin Luther’s 95 theses, Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, Peter Thiel’s Zero to One philosophy, or Jeff Bezos’s “It’s always Day One.” When you find your Core Idea, it’s hard not to shine.

Embrace the ease of your talent, respect its latent strength, and accelerate joyously in your chosen direction. Your path awaits, not with hurdles but with a runway urging you to take flight. Surrendering to your nature replaces all your “should do”s with “meant to do”s, and what you are meant to do is what feels profoundly heavy with meaning yet immeasurably light on the soul. 

Drown out the demands of the noisy market and trust-fall onto your distinctive genius, your original impulse, and your foundational ethos. In other words, surrender to your nature and watch your talents forge the path that no one else could walk but you.

The Shiny Dime Challenge

We’ve created a free start-of-year challenge to help you build influence online in 2024. It’s a ten-week email course designed to teach you a core Write of Passage lesson: the Shiny Dime.

A Shiny Dime is the most compressed version of a specific and surprising idea. And it's a writing concept that will help you capture attention in a crowded world. 

You can learn more and register for the Shiny Dime Challenge here. (Or sign up with one click through the button below.)

P.S. At the end of March, we are awarding one participant a free seat to our upcoming Write of Passage Bootcamp and $1000 cash. Register before February 18 to be eligible for the prize.

Thank you for reading Write of Passage Weekly. Here’s a journaling prompt for you this week: What is your Core Idea?

Happy writing,

The Write of Passage Team