The surprising effect of being your authentic self

Why sharing your story matters more than you think

AI image generated with Dall•E, created by me

When the plane began its descent, I started sobbing. Tears were running down my eyes like rivers; snot was coming from my nose—nothing resembling a happy, tanned woman who just enjoyed the perfect Greek holiday.

It hit me all at once. My travel month was over. Now, I have to face reality.

The reality of starting a new life, moving into a new place, getting out of the comfort zone of my parent’s place, and beginning to take work and substack seriously again.

And don’t get me wrong—I want this. I want to find a routine again, get back into substack, and have a place of my own more than ever. But it’s an entirely new reality, and suddenly, it felt so overwhelming and scary.

It also didn’t help that this Adele song came on, which gets me sobbing every damn time.

The lyrics hit me so deeply:

To be loved and love at the highest count

Means to lose all the things I can't live without

Let it be known that I will choose to lose

It's a sacrifice but I can't live a lie

Let it be known, let it be known that I tried

But I am ready now.

To do the hard work.

To find what I’m looking for.

The reason why I write

Something happened this week that gave me back that forceful drive and motivation. I got this sweet message from

Carly Janes

. She wanted to thank me for inspiring her as some things I wrote gave her the push she needed to start writing her own substack and get an idea of which direction she wanted to go. (You can read her story here - it’s worth your time, trust me!)

Now, I’m not gonna take the credit here. She took these incredibly brave steps—that’s all her doing. But it reminded me again why I love writing and sharing my words online. Knowing the powerfull effect these words can have is just mindblowing.

I’ve shared this quote several times, but it cannot be shared enough.

This is for all aspiring writers, creators, or anybody on the fence to start sharing their work. Print these words in your mind. Repeat them endlessly so you’ll never forget:

There are people who will be reached only if they are reached by you. People who have no other source for the kind of guidance you can provide. People who don’t know where to look for solutions to problems they might not even know they have. You can be that person for them. You can pay forward some of the immense care that has been poured into you by a lifetime of parents, teachers, and mentors. With mere words, you can open doors to unimaginable horizons for the people around you. - Tiago Forte

And equally important is this: share your story as is. As genuine and honest as possible. Don’t polish it up or make it more dramatic than needed. You don’t have to provide 5 steps to do this or that. You don’t even need to offer a solution. Just share what you are struggling with, and you will be surprised by how many people resonate with that. Share your wins as well. It’s important to celebrate.

So many people think they need the perfect setup ready, which is far from what you actually need. You need to start and start with sharing your story.

Why?

First of all, it’s freeing for yourself. Writing down (or any other art form for that matter) what you are going through or went through is one of the best forms of therapy and understanding yourself.

Second, we all love to escape our world. Some do that by using social media, working nonstop, or drinking alcohol,… But many of us also do this by reading or listening to stories. We have done this ever since human consciousness. What better way to escape reality than reading a good fiction book or a long-form article about somebody else’s life?

You see, that’s what you can be for others: an escape, a story, an inspiration. Give people the pleasure of living somebody else’s life for a split moment through your words or art.

That’s what I’ve been doing with the Bored Millennial. People are not here to learn about a specific topic. They are here for escapism. And I love providing this for all of you. I love creating these weekly editions. It’s the highlight of my week. It’s a form of escapism for me, too.

So, all this to say, you don’t need a niche, you don’t need to give 10 tips for meditation or good sleep, and you don’t need to know everything in advance.

Give us realness, the raw truth, and share your story.

You won’t regret it.

Earnings week 28

Another slow week for the Bored Millennial, but also for this writer. But from now on, it’s back to full force.

So here are this week’s numbers:

The spreadsheet became too long to fit, so I’m hiding some weeks in order for it to fit

What I loved this week

I can’t say enough how much I loved Crete and the trip with my sister. It was so incredibly relaxing. I slept 10+ hours for four nights in a row. That’s insane. I truly needed it. We enjoyed the pool, a remote beach, the food, the culture, the incredibly bright blue Mediterranean Sea, and the people. It was the best. And I was so sad to leave (hence also the sobbing on the plane).

Here are some pictures.

Crete

I read a lot, which is also so relaxing for the soul. I also did my 10-minute meditations in silence. I still think a lot during those silent moments, but I like it.

As always, thank you so much for reading.

You don’t even realize how much that means to me!

Have an awesome weekend!!

Marie