🌀 Whatever Scares You — Go Do It
Hey Reader,
Six weeks ago, I sat down with Derek Sivers to record a podcast.
Editing the episode this week made me hear it with new ears.
He said, “Whatever scares you—go do it.”
And I realized I’ve been quietly doing just that:
- Saying yes to a webinar with 48 hours’ notice
- Reimagining my summer around a surprise “You’re in” email
- Inviting guests I once thought unreachable
Sometimes I wonder if I’m lost; sometimes — like this week — I suspect I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
Thank you, younger Lydia, for choosing the interesting road.
💌 This Week’s Gift
“Sometimes being a good friend, sending a thoughtful letter, showing compassion to a stranger, or sharing an authentic moment can spark a chain of events that affects the world.”
— Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestley
🎙 New on Escape 9 to 5: Derek Sivers on fear, focus, and designing a life that fits.
🎙 Never Enough - I also loved this raw, beautifully human conversation — a 23-year-old Dutch guy flew across the Atlantic to interview Andrew Wilkinson (author of Never Enough and cofounder of Tiny). I didn’t need to change to another podcast once during the two-and-a-half-hour chat. 🎧 Listen on Spotify
🧠 A Quick Thought on AI
While many still sidestep AI, the biggest private-equity firms are measuring who adopts it fastest — and rewarding them.
Change isn’t waiting at the door; it’s already inside making coffee.
So I’m tinkering with Make.com to automate my dullest tasks (first experiment: auto-filing receipts). I’ll report back next week.
Try this: What’s one repetitive chore you could hand over to a bot?
✨ Blue Elsewhere
Three sparks that coloured my week:
1. One Magic Moment
That “You’re In” message — from an application I almost didn’t submit.
“We combed through hundreds of applications, and yours stood out…”
It instantly rewired my next six months and made me rethink what kind of person I want to be in the room with.
Say yes before you’re ready.
2. One Shift in Thought
A friend asked, “Why are you doing this?”
He meant the Carbon Removal Breakfast Club — especially with the CarbonX webinar already happening this month.
It’s pro bono. Short notice. Maybe inefficient.
But I can’t let go of it. Because innovators here need to hear about it.
If something matters to you — even when others don’t get it — isn’t that enough?
3. One Extra Spark
At the PTYA meetup, Khalid finally hit publish on his first and second video — after a year of waiting for perfect.
Sometimes all we need is a nudge from our community.
→ BTS - How we encourage him
→ “Did You Know Surgeons Use Spoons?”
✍️ Prompt for the Week Ahead
What have I been putting off because it scares me?
What if doing it is the fastest way to grow?
🎒 This Week’s Escape Note
“So go try. Your learning curve matches with your earning curve.”
This one stayed with me. Starting is scary — but what if that’s the only way the rewards come, too?
