Five Reasons I Chose to Amplify My Voice by Writing
At Least to Start With
It took me a long time to work up the nerve to post my writing online for anyone to see.
My inner critic, “Larry,” has worked hard to keep me silent. You can read about Larry and how to silence your inner critic here.
I redirected the emotional pain Larry tried to perpetrate on me and channeled it into personal purpose. Writing was the best outlet to raise and amplify my voice now.
If you are interested in why an introvert like me chose writing as the medium for my public voice, please continue reading!
Here are the Five Reasons Why I Chose to Write.
1. Personality Fit
Private or public, the choice is mine.
What I write can remain private or be published publicly as far and wide as I want.
Every author is free to be an undercover writer using a pseudonym, a “pen name,” or to show the true self to the universe by publishing content under the byline of their real name.
I chose to be transparent and write under my real name. I wanted to take responsibility and be accountable for my words. To put myself right out there in public.
What I write may be shared with whomever I wish, stay privately tucked away, or simply erased.
Writing is tailor-made for introverts like me.
I have held various executive positions in financial institutions, including President and CEO of a community bank and President of a non-depository Trust Company. Those positions required personal growth and borrowing skills when interacting with shareholders, directors, regulators, attorneys, senior managers, and staff. Monthly board of director meetings were a challenge. But, over time, I developed friendly relationships with most board members, so those meetings were usually an emotionally safe space.
Being the point person to lead the annual shareholder’s meeting was challenging each year. Those events always left me physically and emotionally drained. But on the upside, my discomfort did result in personal growth.
After a career in the corporate world, I now cherish the flexibility and privacy of writing according to my schedule — just me, our sweet cockapoo Roxy, my laptop, and my thoughts.
There are no meetings, small talk, group brainstorming sessions, employee problems, justifying past results, or promoting strategic plans to shareholders.
Writing works just fine in my life for the time being.
My message is that if an introvert like me can put himself on display in front of the world, so can you!
2. Therapeutic Benefits
Therapists say, "Write it down," for good reason. There's something almost magical about how writing can soothe the soul. Whether it's the preferred pen on paper or the tapping of keys on a laptop, each word helps lighten the heart's load. Writing serves as both an anchor and a compass.
Writing offers a unique avenue for emotional and psychological expression. It allows individuals to process and articulate their innermost feelings and experiences in a deeply personal way.
It’s a tool that can aid in mental health management. Journaling, for instance, is a recognized practice for dealing with stress, understanding emotions, and fostering personal growth.
Writing also provides a boundless creative outlet. Whether crafting fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, writers can explore vast worlds, scenarios, and perspectives, tapping into deep wells of creativity.
My thought process and ability to sense meaning in the world are more straightforward when I write regularly. In other words, I am more calm and happier. My wife also notices the positive difference in my mood when I am creating content.
3. Memorialize a Legacy
I like the idea that my posterity will know what I felt was important and worth fighting for when they read my words. It’s as though I will be able to talk to them. Indeed, I do my best to write as though I am speaking to them!
My Dad served in the South Pacific Theater during World War Two. I contacted the National Archives to get the details of his military service. However, I received a return letter informing me that a fire on July 12, 1973, destroyed the major portion of Army military records for personnel serving from 1912 through 1959.
A couple of years earlier, I had successfully obtained the military records for my mother’s dad. The details of Grandpa Irwin’s military experience provided tremendous insight into his personality and life.
So, I had great expectations!
And was disappointed to learn my father’s military records had been destroyed, along with any hope and expectation of learning more about his military service.
Pop wouldn’t talk about the war except to share a few funny incidents. I desired to learn the daily nitty-gritty details of his service due to the stories his siblings and friends had told me. Lost in the fire were many more details to his story.
Dang!
I wish he would have kept a journal during those days! But I can’t be too critical. It’s tough to write with malarial tremors and while dodging bullets!
The written word remains one of the most enduring ways to make an impact beyond one's lifetime, offering anyone the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy. To share their knowledge, wisdom, and creativity that can inspire and educate future generations.
4. Preserve Cultural
Writing is a core tool for preserving and sharing cultural stories, traditions, and values. It plays a crucial role in documenting the rich tapestry of human experience.
Histories are remembered and appreciated. Knowledge is retained, theories explored, and discoveries documented.
The written word is an educational tool that fosters learning, critical thinking, and intellectual growth across all ages and disciplines.
Writing is how culture is preserved and passed from one generation to the next.
5. Writing as a Business
Get paid to write?
Yep. That’s the ultimate dream of almost anyone who enjoys writing.
Writing can establish and enhance personal branding for professionals and entrepreneurs. Sharing expertise and insights through articles, blogs, and books can build credibility and authority.
It is incredible how fast a substantial archive of work will compile as you write consistently. That collection of work becomes the essence of your knowledge, experiences, expression, beliefs, and values.
All that content has value and offers opportunities to mold it into a product if you choose to.
Writers can parlay their compiled work into various value-added outlets, such as crafting compelling content for others, building a loyal paid subscriber base, affiliate marketing, or bundling their knowledge-based content into courses or books.
The romantic notion of retreating to your rented lakeside cabin to write the next great novel is still appealing. However, the sheer volume of books written every year compared to the 2% or so that are widely published is a consideration.
Just a word of caution, though.
Before you jump into writing as a new career to make all your dreams come true, know that writing for profit is hard work.
Regardless, if your passion for storytelling and sharing wisdom is at the starting place and core of your effort, you will always feel fairly compensated for the time invested in writing.
Gateway to videos.
The prospect of evolving from words on a page to a video is natural. It is also thrilling!
Video is a very dynamic and interpersonal communication medium.
Above, I mentioned evolving from words on a page to a video. That is bassackwards! It is really the other way around.
When you produce a video, you score a hat trick. You win the trifecta!
You create a video. That is one medium.
The audio of that video may be produced as a separate track and published as a podcast, another piece of content.
Finally, the script from the audio can be repurposed as a blog post, the third piece of ready-to-share content.
Do you see how that works?
Producing videos is the next step in this journey of The Fifty-two Seven Alliance for my chief ally Bryan Hyde and myself.
With decades of experience, Bryan is a seasoned pro behind the camera and microphone. He’s been chomping at the bit to get started producing videos for the Alliance.
Honestly, though, I have been procrastinating because the thought of putting my face and my natural voice out there for the whole world to see and hear is way out of my comfort zone and scares me!
But we will take the plunge soon.
Stay tuned to see what happens!
Parting Thoughts
There you have it! Five reasons why writing has become the primary medium through which I chose to share my voice with the world.
If you have ever thought about writing but have yet to start, here are three approaches to choose from and see if you like it.
Start a journal. There are several apps available. Send me a DM, and I’ll share the app I use.
Start a private or public Substack where you have to invite and approve members. Just click on the “Start Writing” link at the bottom of the page; it will not cost you anything other than your time. Setting up your Substack is pretty intuitive. But I am happy to help if you would like a little guidance. Send me a DM, and we will arrange a time for a Google Meet on our dime.
Start a private or public WordPress site. I bet you guessed it! Send me a DM, and we will arrange a time for a Google Meet on our dime if you would like a little help.
The Fifty-two Seven Alliance is here so you can find and lift your voice in whatever medium you want to try. Down the road, we plan to offer courses showing you how.
Stay tuned. We are for each other.
Replace fear with faith and give your inner critic the heave-ho!
Thanks for reading and thinking for yourself!
Russell Anderson
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P.S. I appreciate and respect your investment of precious time in reading my work! I strive to provide thought-worthy content that generates a worthwhile return on your investment.
Have questions about The Fifty-two Seven Alliance? You can find answers in our FAQ post here.
You can review the Fifty-two Seven Community Charter here.