Volume 3, Issue 19: On Doing What Works

This is a paid subscriber-only issue of Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice. Please do not forward this email. I appreciate your support and respect for my work!

Hi friends! Before I dig into today’s issue, I want to give a little bonus advice up front. Some backstory: I’ve mentioned before that I have started making various bean dishes every Sunday and that I post the process to my Instagram stories. Folks who watch my stories are very aware of “Sunday Bean Day.” It is not sponsored. It is not fancy. I just like to post content of what I’m cooking as a nice, little, low-stakes interruption to the onslaught of ads and memes. About 3 or 4 weeks ago, I skipped Sunday Bean Day and someone messaged me that they didn’t know if I was going to make beans that day but I inspired them to take the time and make their own pot of beans. I cannot adequately express how happy this made me. For someone to reach out and say that I have inspired them to do something that forced them to be present and to slow down has just had me on cloud nine for weeks now.

It was also a good reminder to myself that I’m going to share here: tell people you appreciate them. Tell them that they inspire you. Tell them you like their outfit. Tell them you like their art or their music or their book. Thank them. I once heard it said that not complimenting someone when you want to or not thanking someone when you are thankful is like having a beautifully-wrapped gift for them and never giving it to them.