Thank you

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you.

"For what?" you ask.

?For helping me to be a better person. Let me explain.

I started writing these emails a few years ago with the goal of connecting with readers. When you first signed up, I shared a few details about myself and invited you to write back.

Well,?a lot?of people have written back. Maybe you were one of them. (I lost track at around 4,000 replies.)

Some people ask why I do this. There are a few reasons...one of the biggest ones is:

It's a wonderful exercise in empathy.

You see, in those thousands of replies, I've read all kinds of stories. Some wrote brief messages, others wrote mini novellas.?

I've heard from:

• Millionaires...and people without a home
• C-Suite executives, middle managers, entry-level workers, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, self-employed freelancers
• Doctors, psychologists, and mental health experts—some who were struggling themselves
• Educators who have poured their hearts and souls into their work
• A longtime funeral director, who shared touching insights learned over years
• A lawyer who is sometimes ashamed of his profession, but who strives to practice law the “right” way
• Persons on the autistic spectrum, who've shared their "different" world view
• People who lost loved ones in death, who shared what they miss the most
• People who had loved ones walk out on them...Others who've been tempted to walk out on?their?loved ones.

You shared:

What makes you happy.?

What makes you sad.

Where you've been in life. And where you're going.

Stories about love: Love lost, love found.

Your strengths. Your weaknesses. Your fears. Your challenges.

By reading your emails, I feel like I've gotten to see the world through thousands of different pairs of eyes. To live a thousand different lives, even if just for a moment.

You've shown me the beauty of where you live—cities, towns, and villages all over. Sometimes, they’re places I’ve been.?Other times, I had to Google them. (Like?Mwanza, a city in Tanzania known for its large, beautiful rock formations.)

I've seen the wisdom of age, and the wonder of youth.

One time I got a long email in Turkish. I almost deleted it...But I decided to throw the text into Google translate.?

What came out: A kind and touching message from a strong, compassionate, and amazing 16-year-old. (It was one of the most beautiful emails I’ve ever read.

Countless readers told me they were happy to discover a “real person behind it all."

You’ve shown me how many people appreciate receiving something for free—sometimes, because there’s no way they could afford to pay for it.?

And those same people have helped these ideas to spread to a far greater audience than I would have reached otherwise.?

Thank you for showing me the beauty in different types of people.?And yet, for showing me that we all yearn for the same things:?

Understanding.?

Connection.?

To improve our relationships with others.

Thank you for reminding me the world isn’t always how I see it.?

Thank you for adding meaning to my work.

Thank you for teaching me that I can learn from anyone.

And, finally, thank?you...

For helping me to be more emotionally intelligent.

I’ll keep trying my best to return the favor.

***

Looking for more? When you're ready, here's how I can help:

Free emotional intelligence course: Each day for 7 days you’ll get a new rule designed to help you make emotions work for you, instead of against you—complete with a worksheet and series of steps to help you put each rule into practice.

Sign up for my free 7-day free emotional intelligence course here.

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