David Spinks' Newsletter

David Spinks' Newsletter focuses on the intricacies of community building, offering insights on starting, managing, and growing communities. It covers topics from practical advice on community engagement, leadership, and differentiation, to personal reflections on work-life balance and business strategy as a solopreneur.

Community Building Leadership and Management Business Strategy Personal Development Work-Life Balance Networking and Relationships Meeting Management Content Creation

The hottest Substack posts of David Spinks' Newsletter

And their main takeaways

How to Make Big Life Decisions

12 implied HN points • 26 Feb 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Personal Growth Mental health Decision-making Emotional Wellbeing Career Coaching
  1. Emotions are important when making big decisions, so it's good to let them flow and be expressed. This helps clear your mind and find calmness.
  2. Listening to the different parts of yourself can help you understand your fears and concerns. Acknowledging them can lead to a deeper insight into what you really want.
  3. Checking in with your heart and body when making a decision is crucial. If it feels right and brings calm, you’re likely on the right path.

Lessons in Navigating Career Lostness

15 implied HN points • 04 Feb 25
💼 Business Career development Coaching Work-life balance Personal Growth
  1. It's common to feel lost in your career, especially after achieving previous success. Sometimes you need to pause and reflect instead of rushing into the next step.
  2. Ambitious people often share similar fears about success and worth, which can lead to burnout. Recognizing these patterns is the first step toward real change.
  3. Transitioning in your career is a journey without a clear map. It's okay to not have all the answers; listening to yourself and taking small steps is the key.

A Blessing for Darkness

16 implied HN points • 22 Jan 25
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Inner Work Personal Growth Mindfulness Belonging Self-reflection
  1. Experiencing grief helps us understand the depth of love we have. It's easier to appreciate love when we know what it's like to lose it.
  2. Failures teach us valuable lessons and guide us towards mastery in our pursuits. Each setback can show us how to improve and grow.
  3. Facing darkness can help us recognize and appreciate the light in our lives. The challenges we face give us perspective and clarity on what truly matters.

Am I Attached to an Outcome?

19 implied HN points • 14 Jan 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Personal Growth Self-help Emotional Well-being Mindfulness
  1. Feeling anxious often comes from being too attached to certain outcomes. When we focus on what might go wrong, it can make us feel really stressed.
  2. Not being attached to how things turn out can help us feel more relaxed and open to new experiences. It allows us to enjoy the moment without worrying too much about the results.
  3. A useful process to handle this is to notice your feelings, find out what outcome you're attached to, and then try to let go of that attachment. This can help you feel more at ease.

Why Do You Work?

44 implied HN points • 13 Nov 24
💼 Business Work Culture Career growth Entrepreneurship Mental health Personal Development
  1. Success can feel like a mountain made of layers, built from our experiences and beliefs about love and acceptance. Many people work hard because they feel they have to earn their worth.
  2. Realizing that you are already enough can be a powerful shift. It allows you to stop chasing external validation and allows a more authentic relationship with work.
  3. Working should bring you life and joy, not just security or status. It's important to focus on what truly fulfills you and aligns with your values.
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The Discomfort of Being Okay

15 implied HN points • 14 Dec 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Self-Improvement Mindfulness Personal Reflection Emotional Well-being
  1. It's normal to feel uncomfortable when everything is okay. Sometimes our minds look for problems when there aren't any.
  2. Being okay means accepting that there is nothing to fix or change. This can feel strange, but it’s also a sign of personal growth.
  3. Finding peace in being okay can be a challenge, but it's important work to appreciate moments of contentment.

So I Got Overwhelmed At Work

17 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Work-life balance Personal Development Stress management Life Transitions
  1. When feeling overwhelmed, it's important to notice and identify what's happening in your body and mind. Awareness can help you recognize patterns of stress and anxiety.
  2. Regulating your nervous system is key to managing overwhelm. Practices like meditation, deep breathing, and spending time in nature can help you feel more grounded.
  3. Talking about your feelings with others can provide relief. Sharing your experience helps you feel supported and can lighten your emotional load.

What's Ready to Die?

10 implied HN points • 23 Dec 24
📖 Philosophy Existentialism Death Identity Personal Growth Meaning
  1. Everything in life goes through cycles of death and rebirth. We should embrace these changes instead of resisting them.
  2. Letting go of what no longer serves us can lead to new beginnings and opportunities. It's important to recognize what might be holding us back.
  3. Facing the unknown can be scary, but trusting in the process can lead to growth and a better understanding of ourselves.

Less Goals, More Being

10 implied HN points • 12 Dec 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Personal Growth Mindfulness Self-care
  1. Setting goals can sometimes make you feel like you're not enough. It's important to think about why you're setting these goals and how they affect your self-worth.
  2. Shifting from focusing on goals to focusing on being can lead to a more fulfilling life. Instead of chasing achievements, consider how you want to experience life.
  3. Intentions can be a powerful alternative to goals. Rather than setting strict targets, think about how you want to feel or show up in different areas of your life.

Say it Imperfectly

15 implied HN points • 26 Oct 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Self-Improvement Communication Emotional Intelligence Personal Growth
  1. It's okay to not have the perfect words when sharing vulnerable feelings. You can let others know you want to talk about something but may not express it perfectly.
  2. Asking for permission to speak imperfectly helps create a more relaxed conversation. It allows for exploration and understanding without the fear of being judged.
  3. Being honest about not knowing your own thoughts yet can lead to deeper connections. It frees you to think out loud and figure things out with someone else's support.

Reveal Your Contradictions

10 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Communication Identity Community Psychology Self-Expression Humanity
  1. It's normal to feel conflicting emotions about big issues, like elections. You can acknowledge these feelings instead of trying to pick one side.
  2. Naming your contradictions can help you connect with others. It shows you're human, which encourages openness and shared understanding.
  3. Holding in your feelings can distance you from others. Embracing your messy thoughts can lead to more acceptance of different opinions and experiences.

A Letter from the Other Shore

7 implied HN points • 24 Oct 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Therapy Personal Growth Community Building Life Transitions
  1. Hakomi therapy is a unique way that helps people understand their feelings and experiences better. It involves a therapist guiding clients gently to explore their emotions and find their own solutions.
  2. Community retreats can be powerful for personal growth and healing. They offer a supportive space for people to connect and share their journeys in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.
  3. Coaching is evolving with new focus areas like helping people during life transitions, building conscious communities, and supporting those who have faced public cancelation. It's about finding and nurturing a better sense of self and community.

A Letter from the Abyss

15 implied HN points • 29 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Self-discovery Wellness Practices Personal Growth
  1. Being in the 'abyss' involves moments of surrender, introspection, and deep self-discovery, often triggered by significant life changes or challenges.
  2. Navigating the 'neutral zone' can lead to profound psychological realignments and transformations as individuals transition from the old to the new.
  3. Embracing the 'abyss' allows for exploration of personal 'enoughness' and the importance of inner work, leading to a deeper sense of balance and peace in life.

How to Find your Community Wedge

10 implied HN points • 25 Jul 23
💼 Business Community
  1. Starting a unique community in a crowded market is still worth it.
  2. Communities provide benefits of connection, consumption, and creation that can evolve over time.
  3. To differentiate your community, focus on size, benefits, flavor, identity, and format.

Find the Turpentine

8 implied HN points • 11 Jul 23
💼 Business Community Building
  1. Focus on practice over purpose when building a community.
  2. Ensure that your community addresses specific, practical problems of its members.
  3. Identify the 'turpentine' of your community by understanding what engages your members deeply.

How to Activate your Community for Impact

5 implied HN points • 16 May 23
💼 Business Community Building Corporate Social Responsibility Employee engagement
  1. Invest in activating your community for impact to provide unique value to members and deepen commitment.
  2. Consider utilizing the PACT model to determine how your community can impact: Product, Advocacy, Contributions, or Time.
  3. Transform community engagement into action by starting small, evolving based on feedback, setting clear boundaries, and celebrating community through storytelling.