3 Life Advice From a Writer Who's Publishing 3 Articles Every Day for Years

No, I am not talking about Seth Godin.

Hello y’all, I hope you are enjoying your weekend.

As always, I’m writing this issue when I’m feeling a little inspired to do so. I want to be a little more consistent, for god’s sake.

That’s what it is for now. But I discovered this cool writer who has been running a blog for years this week.

She started out with a weekly newsletter in 2006. To just six of her friends. From there she has reached millions of monthly views on her blog, The Marginalian.

Can you believe she is posting three well-researched articles every day? For years. Every day.

I’m a tad bit jealous of her, to be honest, lol.

I read a couple of her articles on the website and damn… they are researched through and through and flow is just what I aspire to have in my writings one day.

One day!

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Maria Popova via Wikipedia

The writer behind the scenes is Maria Popova. She is a writer, poet, and essayist.

I find her articles the epitome of complexity and simplicity—complexity of ideas and simplicity (clarity) of presentation.

But in this White Space issue, we will look at 3 life lessons that have got me thinking this week. It is from one of her talks I was watching the other day.

So sit back and relax as we go and take a peek inside the thoughts and perspectives of this super-talented writer.

1. Uncomfortable luxury of…

“Allow yourself the uncomfortable luxury of changing your mind.”

So much essence conferred with so few words!

We are so not used to changing our decisions, our ideals, our perspective, and our mindset. If there’s a need to change it in the first place, we put all the resistance of the world to not do it.

But if we have to do it and there is no other option, we feel uneasy about it. We feel uncomfortable. That’s okay.

But that’s the right thing to do. To change. To evolve.

As is said, water is fresh only until it keeps flowing. The same is true for our minds and ideas. Until it’s evolving, everything is fine. The moment it becomes static, inelastic, and intolerant to novelty, it starts to degrade.

So, change. Evolve. And be the best version of yourself.

2. Do nothing…

“Do nothing out of guilt. Do nothing for prestige, or money, or status, or approval ALONE.”

It’s hard to resist the obvious. It’s hard to resist the normal—the traditional.

Most of the time, there’s no need to. You don’t and needn’t be a rebel every time.

But when it comes to making a choice between what catches your fancy and what society expects from you, you have to stand for yourself.

You can’t hide behind the facade of guilt or compulsion. You should not.

The general notion will always remain inclined towards money, status, and prestige. But those are not the only things you should chase.

As Maria further says: “do what makes your heart sing.”

3. Be still…

“Build pockets of stillness in your life. Meditate, run, go for a walk…”

Cliche, eh?

Think of every time you felt worked out, exhausted, or burnt out. A simple getaway from work or study could have solved the problem.

But we disregard those in the name of toxic hustle culture, the new normal portrayed by media, living on caffeine and whatnot…

All you need is some time for yourself. On a regular basis.

Give that time to your hobby… or just sit or talk to yourself or meditate. But take some time out of your busy lives.

This will not only help you overcome burnout but also fuel your creativity. We get the most creative ideas when we least expect them. Trust serendipity and embrace stillness.

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The playlist I was listening to while writing this letter: