“My life isn’t interesting.”
Almost everyone thinks that.
Especially when it comes to writing or speaking about their life.
But here’s the thing…
Your life is more interesting than you think.
I call this “the downplay effect.”
The Downplay Effect (Part 1)
If you pay attention, even the most boring days are filled with life lessons and even some funny moments.
Note: This is why when people share their little quirks and weird things they do, people love it and think, “Wow, I’m not the only one!”
And when you pay attention to those little lessons and interesting moments, guess what? You start to find more and more.
I know a very successful business owner who repeatedly said that his life isn’t flashy or super-exciting on a day-to-day basis, but he can talk about his drive to work in the morning in a way that’s insightful, engaging and funny.
(hint: you can do that too)
The Downplay Effect (Part 2)
I’ve never talked about the first book I wrote, back in 2010…
It was called “…And College Loves Me.”
(a play off the song “I Love College” by Asher Roth)
My fresh-out-of-college self thought it was a good idea to write a guide to “hacking college.”
Why? Because I was able to get a double-major, taking just one extra course, while doing minimal work and partying all the time.
So I thought I could package all of that super-deep “wisdom” (lol) into a book.
The book was terrible.
0 people bought it.
But guess what? I learned more writing it than I did in 4 years of college.
It taught me how to write, how to be disciplined, habit formation, focus, structuring ideas, building a website, and more.
I don’t talk a lot about the books I’ve written.
Because I don’t want to come across as bragging. Plus, it’s become a normal part of my life.
So I don’t think much of it, but other people are like, “You wrote a book!? WOW!”
Maybe there’s some cool things you do that you’re downplaying because you don’t want to brag or it’s become so normal to you.
The Downplay Effect (Part 3)
Here’s something else I haven’t really talked about.
I’ve helped a bunch of people write books.
Some I’ve ghostwritten, some I’ve edited, some I’ve coached, and some I’ve just given some quick advice.
But I downplayed this too.
I’ve written a lot of books, and helped people write books, but I haven’t owned it.
And guess what, people consistently ask me to help them write books.
So I can’t downplay it.
I can help people.
And the same goes for you. If you can help people, and you have a knack for it, and people ask you, don’t hold back. To downplay it is a disservice to the world.
We need everyone owning their gifts and sharing it to help others.
I guess that’s another reason why it’s important for me to help people write books.
Much Love,
Stephen Parato
PS – If you want to dive deeper into book writing and similar topics, check out my newsletter, The Sacred Codex here: https://stephenparato.substack.com
PPS – If you want help writing a book, check out my explainer page here: https://bookcoaching.carrd.co/
