I don’t care who you are, everyone likes feedback when they put their thoughts and ideas out there for all the world to see. I can assure you I do. I was thrilled to get two emails almost immediately after my last newsletter came out today & I wanted to share one with you. I felt honored that someone actually cared enough to take the time to write an honest critique.
“I just read and enjoyed your latest newsletter. The timing was good, as yesterday I took a sick day and
it felt so luxurious! I actually do have a cold, so it wasn’t quite the spontaneous blow-off-work-and-have-fun day you’re advocating, but it was the first sick day I’ve taken in at least two years, and I wasn’t so sick that I couldn’t enjoy puttering around and doing some projects that had been put off for months. It was quite restorative.
I have another reason for writing–to make a comment on your writing. Here goes: Don’t apologize for who you are. The first two sentences of your newsletter do that; alas it’s a very common trait of women, I’ve found. Your readers already know who you are and that you speak your mind and that you “are who you are”–so just be you! When I read that kind of stuff–warnings, apologies, other caveats– I just want to jump past it as quickly as possible. I don’t want to hear other people’s excuses, I just want to get to their point. Perhaps you could start, instead, with something roughly like “The series of events in my life the last few days gave me yet another perspective on sustainability. Here’s what happened: Woke up Friday…”
Your feedback sustains and inspires me. I am truly blessed.