Oh, Evelyn--I loved every word of this moving essay that captures so much of what I've been feeling as I work through the last few miles of my novel. And it came--as these things often do--at exactly the right time--as I was contemplating (after having been nudged out of bed by my muse at 1 am this morning) what all this effort has been "for"--what it will mean in the absence of commercial viability--And while loud ambition might discount the effort if there isn't future financial success--soft ambition understands the true value of things. 💜
I hope we get many more of these essays. I love the term 'quiet ambition's too; I feel it in my bones, the desire to do something big while still maintaining all the wondrous tiny moments of a quiet life. ♥️
I particularly enjoyed this part, Evelyn: "Here’s what I wish someone had told me earlier in my career: success isn’t just about reaching the destination. It’s about who you become during the journey, and whether you can still recognize yourself when you arrive."
I also didn't know about Enneagrams. Now I'm exploring them, but it sounds like I'm a 1. Very interesting.
LOVE this!! Especially "success isn’t just about reaching the destination. It’s about who you become during the journey, and whether you can still recognize yourself when you arrive."
Needed to read a post like this right now. Thank you.
What’s wonderful about this is that it is achievable for anyone who wants to prioritize building a good LIFE, even if the big, fancy writing career doesn’t actually happen. I often compare writing to knitting: when I take up knitting, no one asks me if I’ve sold a pair of socks and made money. Knitting the socks is the quiet, enjoyable achievement; it isn’t lessened by the lack of monetization. Love hearing successful people voice thoughts like this. Thank you!
I loved this essay Evelyn. As an unpublished creative, I overthink and worry that success would mean becoming a version of myself I don’t recognise - loud, extroverted, on trend with hot takes and better photography skills - when I value my quiet times to muse and gather my thoughts in solitude, to spend time with loved ones and being in nature without half an eye on mining it for content creation. I’ve been so keen to protect this that I’ve had a low to non-existent social media presence for years. Part of me is so afraid of success and what changes this may bring (being seen, always having to be “on”) that it acts as a very real psychological block.
All of which is to say, the soft ambition of a quiet life deeply speaks to me and to have this legitimised by you Evelyn - a successful author that has found your own balance - is a salve for all the creative introverts out there like me and provides a needed counterpoint to the usual position of go big, go fast, go now or not at all, as if success has only one pre-cut shape, with one road to follow and you best not stop for any flowers or snacks along the way.
A long way of saying I really appreciated this thoughtful and generous essay Evelyn. Thank you!
yes, soft ambition! Nothing wrong with that at all. Nowadays there is too much productivity advice, too much of "always needing to be on" and "achieve more, better, bigger things." It's making us tired and burned out as a species - we should all slow down and have a quieter life :-)
My soul needed these words in a way I didn't even know it needed them. Your words brought me peace as I related to the Soft Ambition of a Quiet Life. Perfect words. Thank you.
Thanks for letting me know there are other authors that feel the same way! I have soft ambitions also. I'm older than you and starting this goal much later in life. Part of my ambition is to show my adult kids that it's never too late to put your dreams into action. I've started a bucket list memory book where I note things I've always wanted to try, large or small. I note when I've achieved one of these dreams and keep it going. My writing is large part of that book, and each year I set a new goal for myself in my writing journey. I have accepted that I'll probably never become a New York Times Best Seller, but I have pride in what I've accomplished so far. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I always appreciate your newsletter, and I am excited to read your new book!
Thank you for this ♥️ I love it all, especially this part "This soft ambition doesn’t always photograph well for social media. You can’t put “chose emotional truth over commercial viability” on a resume. But it creates something more valuable than metrics: it creates work that feels alive and a life that you actually want to be living while you’re building it." ✨✨✨✨
From another enneagram 3, this hit well today. I love the thought to desire a best selling book but also have uninterrupted family dinners. Such truth!
Evelyn, this is my whole vibe and I'm so glad you said it all! 🩷 It's helping me feel validated and I appreciate that, I'll be re-listening to this! Thanks Evelyn! 🎧
Oh, Evelyn--I loved every word of this moving essay that captures so much of what I've been feeling as I work through the last few miles of my novel. And it came--as these things often do--at exactly the right time--as I was contemplating (after having been nudged out of bed by my muse at 1 am this morning) what all this effort has been "for"--what it will mean in the absence of commercial viability--And while loud ambition might discount the effort if there isn't future financial success--soft ambition understands the true value of things. 💜
I hope we get many more of these essays. I love the term 'quiet ambition's too; I feel it in my bones, the desire to do something big while still maintaining all the wondrous tiny moments of a quiet life. ♥️
Thank you for this essay. It’s making me re-think what ambition means to me. I’m so honored to be a part of this community you’ve built.
I particularly enjoyed this part, Evelyn: "Here’s what I wish someone had told me earlier in my career: success isn’t just about reaching the destination. It’s about who you become during the journey, and whether you can still recognize yourself when you arrive."
I also didn't know about Enneagrams. Now I'm exploring them, but it sounds like I'm a 1. Very interesting.
Beautiful 🫶🏻
Beautiful! I love this, and needed to hear this today.
LOVE this!! Especially "success isn’t just about reaching the destination. It’s about who you become during the journey, and whether you can still recognize yourself when you arrive."
Needed to read a post like this right now. Thank you.
What’s wonderful about this is that it is achievable for anyone who wants to prioritize building a good LIFE, even if the big, fancy writing career doesn’t actually happen. I often compare writing to knitting: when I take up knitting, no one asks me if I’ve sold a pair of socks and made money. Knitting the socks is the quiet, enjoyable achievement; it isn’t lessened by the lack of monetization. Love hearing successful people voice thoughts like this. Thank you!
I loved this essay Evelyn. As an unpublished creative, I overthink and worry that success would mean becoming a version of myself I don’t recognise - loud, extroverted, on trend with hot takes and better photography skills - when I value my quiet times to muse and gather my thoughts in solitude, to spend time with loved ones and being in nature without half an eye on mining it for content creation. I’ve been so keen to protect this that I’ve had a low to non-existent social media presence for years. Part of me is so afraid of success and what changes this may bring (being seen, always having to be “on”) that it acts as a very real psychological block.
All of which is to say, the soft ambition of a quiet life deeply speaks to me and to have this legitimised by you Evelyn - a successful author that has found your own balance - is a salve for all the creative introverts out there like me and provides a needed counterpoint to the usual position of go big, go fast, go now or not at all, as if success has only one pre-cut shape, with one road to follow and you best not stop for any flowers or snacks along the way.
A long way of saying I really appreciated this thoughtful and generous essay Evelyn. Thank you!
yes, soft ambition! Nothing wrong with that at all. Nowadays there is too much productivity advice, too much of "always needing to be on" and "achieve more, better, bigger things." It's making us tired and burned out as a species - we should all slow down and have a quieter life :-)
My soul needed these words in a way I didn't even know it needed them. Your words brought me peace as I related to the Soft Ambition of a Quiet Life. Perfect words. Thank you.
I loved reading this so much, and I really needed it today, thank you 🤍
Thanks for letting me know there are other authors that feel the same way! I have soft ambitions also. I'm older than you and starting this goal much later in life. Part of my ambition is to show my adult kids that it's never too late to put your dreams into action. I've started a bucket list memory book where I note things I've always wanted to try, large or small. I note when I've achieved one of these dreams and keep it going. My writing is large part of that book, and each year I set a new goal for myself in my writing journey. I have accepted that I'll probably never become a New York Times Best Seller, but I have pride in what I've accomplished so far. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I always appreciate your newsletter, and I am excited to read your new book!
Thank you for this ♥️ I love it all, especially this part "This soft ambition doesn’t always photograph well for social media. You can’t put “chose emotional truth over commercial viability” on a resume. But it creates something more valuable than metrics: it creates work that feels alive and a life that you actually want to be living while you’re building it." ✨✨✨✨
From another enneagram 3, this hit well today. I love the thought to desire a best selling book but also have uninterrupted family dinners. Such truth!
Evelyn, this is my whole vibe and I'm so glad you said it all! 🩷 It's helping me feel validated and I appreciate that, I'll be re-listening to this! Thanks Evelyn! 🎧