Do you find it hard to express yourself?

Do you have ideas, opinions, talents, and unique skills, but you keep them all inside?

Do you wish that you had someone you could share this ocean of knowledge with?

If you answered yes to any of the above, this will be the most important message you’ll ever read.

I am a nerd.

A bookworm, a music addict, and a total movie geek.

As an introvert, I naturally didn’t have many friends. Nor I did not go out much. So I spent most of my time reading, exploring music, and watching movie marathons.

By the age of 28, I was done with all the classic literature and philosophy. Tolstoy to Dostoevsky, Dickens to Shakespeare, Kafka to Murakami, Aristotle to Kant.

I had listened to all the bands and classical music. From The Beatles to Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd to the Rolling Stones, Mozart to Wagner. Or any music that had a hint of meaning or philosophy in it.

I had watched all the Oscar-winning movies, AFI’s top hundred movies in all categories, and most of the international art house cinema.

And after exposing myself to so much art, I was full.

I had ideas, philosophies, opinions, and some crazy perspectives living and breathing inside my head. And I felt this intense urge to express myself.

But I didn’t know how. I had no people, no network, and no clarity.

When I heard people discussing books, I was laughing inside.

When I heard someone talk about music or movies, I was laughing inside.

When I heard someone talk about philosophy, psychology, or just about any kind of art, I was laughing inside.

They didn’t know shit. They had absolutely no idea about it. But I envied them. I just wished I had their courage.

I knew I could blow people’s brains out with what I knew, but I just couldn’t do it.

I felt this inner resistance whenever I tried. I struggled for words because I was feeling so much all at the same time. It felt impossible to put it into words.

It was driving me nuts. I felt this pressure building inside me. Like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

And one day, it all poured out. But in a really bad way.

I was with one of my extroverted friends at my place. We had a few drinks. He started talking about a business idea. We poured some more drinks.

I gave him a suggestion, and he laughed. Completely ignored it.

“It’s going to work,” I said.

“You don’t know shit about business?” he snapped.

I dragged him into my study and showed him the huge shelf full of books. And then, I took out a dozen journals and threw them right at him.

I opened one of my notebooks and showed him my notes on the inner psychology of why people buy from a business. The behaviours, the needs, the desires, and all.

He laughed.

And that drove the devil out of me.

I threw the whisky glass right at his head. That was the end of our friendship.

But that incident taught me TWO of the biggest lessons of my life.

 

Lesson 1: Find the right outlet 

You can do anything, but not everything.

Choose that “ONE OUTLET” that best complements your skillset.

You know many things. You’ve explored the deepest, darkest rabbit holes. You’ve figured out some deep stuff. But it’s of no use if you don’t know how to use it in a meaningful way.

Unexpressed potential is the greatest pain. And I struggled with it for years. Only because I couldn’t find the right outlet to express it.

That knowledge is energy. It longs for expression. It will either express itself in a constructive way or in a destructive way.

If you find the right outlet, you will be able to use that energy in a creative way. Building a business. Mastering your skills. Working for a noble cause for the improvement of human lives.

And the same energy, when it doesn’t find the right outlet, can express itself in destructive ways like anxiety, depression, addiction, alcoholism, pornography, etc.

Your ideas, your opinions, your feelings, your philosophies, and all that knowledge that’s bubbling inside you need the right outlet.

If you’re good at writing, create a blog, or write on Twitter.

If you’re good at business, go to LinkedIn and share your ideas.

If you’re good at acting, make short films, create reels on Instagram, or build a YouTube channel.

Find an outlet that is aligned with your skills.

The right outlet gives you motivation and strength. It gives you feedback and lessons to improve yourself. It gives you an inner sense of fulfilment and satisfaction.

And above all, it helps you grow, evolve, and reach your highest potential.

 

Lesson 2: Find your people

Seth Godin wrote in his book, ‘This is Marketing’,

“If you want an idea to work, ask yourself who is it for?”

If you own a 1974 Chevy and try to sell it to a scrap dealer, he may give you a thousand bucks for it. But if you sell it to a collector of vintage cars, he will value it a thousand times more.

You can’t teach Socratic philosophy to a herd of sheep. However hard you try.

When I started writing on Twitter, I was writing for everyone. I believed in my ideas. But I didn’t get the engagement I was hoping for.

But instead of feeling that maybe I’m not good enough, or maybe my writing stinks, I asked myself,

“Who is it for?”

And the day I decided to write exclusively for introverts, I started getting more likes, and retweets, and my engagement went through the roof.

Why?

Because I found a group of people who appreciated my work. Who shared similar beliefs, mindsets, and philosophy. They could understand the insights, layers, and meaning behind the meaning of my words. The people who got it.

I found my tribe.

And this holds true for everything in your life.

Go where you’re valued. Where your skills are appreciated.

Don’t sell yourself short. Don’t settle for less than you deserve.

You’re unable to express your feelings, skills, and talents, because you haven’t found the right people.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop feeling sad that no one understands you. Instead, take control of your life.

Make some efforts.

Sit with a pen and paper. Still your mind. And answer these two questions:

1. What’s the right outlet for my skill set?

2. What kind of people will get it, or who is it for?

Once you answer these questions, you will have enough clarity on how to navigate your life in the right direction.

The direction of fulfilment

The direction of meaning and purpose.

The direction of self-actualization.