Are you emotional enough?

Think. Write. Lead. - Issue #80

This summer, I’ve had some false starts that have cost time and money. The emotional toll has been significant. That’s why I want to re-share this issue from a while ago—both as a reminder to myself and an encouragement to you. Thanks for reading!

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It began with a sudden heaviness over my head.

Then a hollow feeling in my chest. My breathing accelerated and my heartbeat raced.

Sadness, confusion, hopelessness.

I sat on the floor and buried my face in my hands.

God, help me.

But the emotional onslaught kept on coming and I felt like drowning.

This was my second panic attack in less than a week and nobody knew about it.

I had not told my wife. There was too much going on in our lives at the moment.

After a few minutes, it passed. But I was still afraid. What if I had another panic attack, but in public?

What if I could not hold it together? And what was I going to do about it?

If you've ever experienced a panic attack, you can relate to my experience above, which happened in mid-2018.

Perhaps, it's not the most alluring way to present myself, I know. But you know what? Although emotions used to be taboo, that's not the case anymore.

In a digital world of influencers with glamorous lives, people are attracted to raw honesty and authenticity.

Being vulnerable may feel risky, but it actually pays off in two ways:

1. You don't have to pretend to be ultra-successful all the time and show a fake person in your writing.

2. Your readers can always tell when you are faking and actually respond better to weaknesses.

Here's an example of one of my LinkedIn posts.

When you share your story and life lessons, people respond.

You know you are writing with emotion when your readers save, share and comment on your writing. If you are generating strong reactions and starting conversations, you know you are on the right path.

These are a couple of comments from my post:

My challenge to you this week is to get personal with your audience and let go of the fear of judgment.

THINK.

You want to write with emotion to create emotion.

It has to be intentional. So start with the goal in mind.

Do you want to convey excitement or anger? Sadness or hope?

Get into that state before you start typing. Feel that emotion wash over you and then search in your mind for the words that best describe those emotions.

WRITE.

Write down an emotional personal story, including details about your feelings and thoughts, what was at stake, and why it was important to you. This is just for practice, so don't hold anything back.

Now, either find an existing piece you want to rewrite or write a new one, with a specific purpose: create a strong emotional reaction. Remember, you must feel it first and then put those feelings into words.

LEAD.

Thought leaders are humans, not Vulcans.

That's why you must learn to lead and write from the heart.

Be true to yourself, and let your authenticity shine.