Day 130: Commitment Bankruptcy

Over the last several weeks, I’ve gotten a lot of inbound requests.

Some people want advice.

Some people want me on their podcast. Their YouTube channel.

Some people simply want to connect.

I’ve let these emails sit in my inbox, unanswered.

A part of me wants to say yes to everyone. They took the time to write me a nice message. I like meeting people.

But that part is met by resistance, a voice that warns against taking on commitments that will spread me thin.

Because every yes means saying no to something else. To creating the space for a maker’s schedule. To fostering my existing friendships. To doing the work that caused these people to reach out in the first place.

So I should decline. But empathy stops me. I know that reaching out requires courage, and I don’t want to crush that. There’s also fear. What if I’m saying no to something wonderful? Does no now mean no forever?

But leaving people in limbo is even worse than no. So today, I declared commitment bankruptcy. I said, to use the phrasing of writer David Brooks, “a multitude of noes for the sake of a few overwhelming yeses”.