How To Find Work You Can't Pull Yourself From
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The JD Letter May 24, 2025 We spend years trying to improve ourselves. Trying to be someone more focused, more disciplined. Or less sensitive, less messy. But what if all that effort to improve has only taken you further from the truth? What if the thing you’ve been trying to hide is the very thing that makes your life meaningful? Not in spite of your flaws, but because of them. Here's a story I can’t stop thinking about. It's about imperfection, shame, and the kind of beauty only brokenness can water. The Story of the Cracked Pot“A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years, this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master’s house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. ‘I am ashamed of myself and want to apologize to you.’ The bearer asked, ‘Why? What are you ashamed of?’ The pot replied, ‘For these past two years I am able to deliver only half of my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you don’t get full value for your efforts.’ The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion, he said, ‘As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.’ As they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it somewhat. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, ‘Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house." It turns out the pot didn’t need to be fixed. It just needed to understand its role. Some ways in which your flaws, weaknesses, and failures, are your superpower. And can lead to alignment and finding work you can't pull yourself from—that's the theme of today's JD Letter. Design a Life Your Nervous System Loves"The real flex in 2025 is building a 3-hour-a-day business that funds your life and nourishes your nervous system. I don’t want a team of ten, a Slack channel, or an overloaded content calendar. I want space. I want sovereignty. I want to make real money doing sacred work—and still have time to watch the damn sunset. That’s the new rich." - Nik Huno 9 out of 10 people would take a pay cut for more meaningful work, according to Harvard Business School. Nik Huno is a modern cracked pot. For years, he tried to fit into what looked good on paper. But his body kept saying no. A few years ago, Nik like many of us kept trying to pick the "right" niche. "But something inside me fought back every time I pushed toward what looked good on paper." Then everything changed. It started with a train in India running twelve hours late. While Western travelers fumed, locals settled in calmly. This moment cracked Nik's view of the world. "Time bends here," he wrote. Life doesn't always follow a schedule. The best moments happen when you stop rushing." This was his first look at a different way to live and work. As Nik traveled through India, then Mexico, something deep shifted. In Mumbai's busy streets that moved 20 million people daily, he saw that what looks like chaos often has its own order. In Mexican plazas where people celebrated without planning, he saw how joy doesn't need to be scheduled. "Americans plan joy," he said. "Here, it finds you." The real turning point came on a street in Mexico City. Nik watched a vendor selling crafts, working just three focused hours each day. The man's eyes held something Nik hadn't seen in his old workplace: peace. Purpose. That night, in his rented room, Nik felt what he would later call "the electricity in his nervous system."
Nik started to notice patterns. His body came alive when he created. Not just photos or films, but spaces for change. When he shared insights that bridged the practical and the spiritual. When he helped others find their own electricity. The sadness that had followed him for years wasn't weakness. It was wisdom. A reading confirmed what his body already knew: "Instead of wondering what is wrong with you, go more deeply into it." So he did. Nik stopped trying to fit standard business models. Instead of competing with artificial urgency, he built slowly, with purpose. He created from his natural connection to depth. He wrote newsletters not as marketing but as real expressions of his journey—from both dark and light places. "Sometimes I go to dark places," he admitted on Huno Letter #17. "But I've learned to embrace them. We become whole when we embrace the shadows." This became the base of his business. He saw that in our tech-heavy world, people hunger for real presence, wisdom, and spaces where they can reconnect with themselves. His guidance business grew from lived truth, not market research. "The biggest value of guidance is holding space for true change." This alignment between his inner knowing and outer work fueled growth. Within months, Nik made over $20,000 from his program and workshops. But more important than money was the connection his clients found in his work. It was something they needed but couldn't name. "We're not all that different. We feel the same emotions. We all live the hero's journey." Nik's story is a testament that alignment isn't found in business plans or market gaps. It lives in how our bodies respond to the truth. In the moments when we feel most alive. In following our natural way of being rather than forcing ourselves into standard paths. Nik found his medicine by listening to the electricity in his body. And in doing so, he built something more valuable than a business. He built a life that feels like home. You’re Addicted to the Wrong Kind of Work"It takes about 1-2 months of confusion, feeling lost, and being on the verge of giving up for the right amount of vision to form where you have absolute clarity and launch into a new way of life." - Dan Koe Your calling often begins where you feel most lost. Not when you have all the answers. But when you finally stop looking outside yourself for permission. 65% of Americans are actively searching for new jobs with better alignment to their values, according to a McKinsey report. When he was sixteen, Dan Koe began questioning the path most people take. He saw school, jobs, and retirement leading to lives that felt empty. He wanted more. So he got up and made a plan. Dan made a deal with himself. He would test online business ideas while working part-time jobs. He would build skills instead of climbing someone else's ladder. Once he found what worked, he would teach others how to do the same. He started with web design projects. During the day, he built websites. At night, he studied psychology, philosophy, and business. While others chose stable jobs, Dan chose uncertainty with potential. "It was an all-powerful instinct," Dan writes in Purpose & Profit. "I paid attention to the beliefs that hold people back and create destruction in their lives." He had no guide. He found his own way. For nearly five years, Dan faced trial and error. He stuck with it. He developed what he calls his "life's work" - a way to live with purpose and profit. "My goal is not to give steps. My goal is to put better ideas in your mind that change how you think about your actions. Belief comes before action." Step by step, Dan found four levels of purpose:
Most people stay stuck in survival or status. Few reach creativity and contribution where true fulfillment lives. For Dan it wasn't all fun and games. He faced many business failures. Back in 2019, when he began sharing his ideas online, his concept "you are the niche" challenged normal business advice. Some loved it. Others hated it. "The most profitable niche in the creator economy is you," he wrote. He urges people to build businesses around themselves, not market categories. At this point, Dan has evolved from web designer to thought leader to entrepreneur. He created a writing software (which I use every day to write my newsletters to you). He built a massive community, and published books that changed how people see work and meaning. His journey shows his core belief: "A calling is work you can’t pull yourself away from and others can’t help but pay you for. A calling can’t be assigned to you. A calling cannot be pursued under the orders of another. A calling cannot be defined by a set amount of working hours because your mind is always working on it. A calling is found at the point where improvement turns into obsession. A calling is something others won’t understand. Something that must be cared for, protected, and maintained by the one pursuing it, like a gift that others could accidentally steal.
A job is not a career or calling, but a career and calling are both jobs. A career is not a calling, but a calling is a career. Jobs are great for young people who don’t know what they want or simply need to survive. Careers are great for those who want a bit more satisfaction in life, because they understand the need for challenging work as a forcing function for self-development. A calling is for those who know they are meant for more." - Dan Koe
Dan didn’t wait to become an expert before he started. He followed what made him come alive. His obsession with ideas, his hunger for clarity, his discomfort with the ordinary. And that discomfort became the path. Because a calling doesn’t feel clear at first. It feels like obsession. Restlessness. Resistance to doing life the “normal” way. I used to think my inconsistency meant I wasn’t built for greatness. That the days I couldn’t focus, couldn’t write, couldn’t show up were proof I didn’t have what it takes. But what I’ve learned through moments of burnout, breakups, and feeling behind is this: It wasn’t that I lacked discipline. It’s that I was forcing myself into work that didn’t fit the core of my soul. If you’ve ever felt that, maybe you’re not broken. Maybe you’re being called. How to Become Irreplaceable in 6 Months“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” — Howard Thurman Finding work that captivates you completely starts with understanding a powerful concept: The talent stack. Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, discovered a truth many miss when chasing success. He identifies two distinct paths to extraordinary work:
The first strategy is "difficult to the point of near impossibility." Few people will ever play in the NBA or make a platinum album. The second strategy is far more accessible. As Adams explains, "Everyone has at least a few areas in which they could be in the top 25% with some effort." This insight changes everything about how we approach finding meaningful work. Adams didn't become a world-famous cartoonist through artistic brilliance. By his own admission, he isn't an exceptional artist or writer. What made him unique was his combination of skills: "I can draw better than most people, but I'm hardly an artist. And I'm not any funnier than the average standup comedian who never makes it big, but I'm funnier than most people. The magic is that few people can draw well and write jokes." When he added his business background to this mix, he created something truly rare. This is the essence of a talent stack - a unique combination that makes you valuable in ways no one else can match. Your talent stack consists of two essential components:
Adams' cornerstone skills included being reasonably good at drawing and writing with a sense of humor. His commercialization skills were business acumen, work ethic, and risk tolerance. "Capitalism rewards things that are both rare and valuable," Adams notes. "You make yourself rare by combining two or more 'pretty goods' until no one else has your mix." This explains why focusing on a single skill often leads to frustration. The market is already saturated with specialists competing to be the absolute best. But when you combine multiple skills at which you're very good, you create a unique package the market values highly. James Altucher expands on this concept with what he calls "idea sex" - combining two or more existing elements to create something new. "Take two things. Take three. Combine them. Now you are the best in the world at the intersection," Altucher explains. This mix of skills creates unique value without needing to be a master in any one area. Stanley Weston, creator of action figures and G.I. Joe toys, embodies this principle: "Truly groundbreaking ideas are rare, but you don't necessarily need one to make a career out of creativity. My definition of creativity is the logical combination of two or more existing elements that result in a new concept." When building your talent stack, Adams emphasizes one vital element: "At least one of the skills in your mixture should involve communication, either written or verbal." This aligns with Naval Ravikant's advice to "learn to sell, learn to build." Ravikant's recommended foundational skills include:
Notice that three of these five skills directly involve communication. The ability to express and share your unique combinations creates the bridge between your talents and their market value. The beauty of the talent stack approach is that it removes the pressure of finding one perfect passion. Instead, it encourages you to become very good (not perfect) at multiple complementary skills. As Adams sums it up: "Anyone can develop a more valuable talent stack. Just figure out which talents go well together." When your talent stack solves problems you truly care about, work shifts from obligation to calling. Something you can't pull yourself from. That is because it uses your unique talents to tackle issues you’re deeply driven to solve. You don’t need to be a genius. You just need to be yourself. Your flaws might actually be your rarest assets. The Life You Want Needs the Real You“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” — Leonard Cohen You may be feeling like the cracked pot. Ashamed for your flaws and shortcomings. But just like the story, you're missing the point. Your flaws are what make you, you. When you misspell a word because of your accent, your partner laughs, because they think it’s cute. When you can't focus on multiple things at once, you hyperfocus on one and deliver exceptional work on it. The truth is, alignment happens when we stop fighting who we are and start using our natural shape to help others. Stop asking "How do I become perfect?" Start asking "What gardens can only I water?" When you make this shift, you'll be able to see that what makes you different creates your unique value. In that perfect match between who you are and what you do, you'll learn what the cracked pot finally understood: What makes you different is your greatest gift to the world. You are not too much. You are not too sensitive. You are not too slow. You are finely tuned for something others can’t see yet. So instead of changing to fit the world, find the space where your essence is allowed and needed. That’s where your real work begins. That's it for today. If you read this one until the end you're a real one. Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Chat next week, Jess Inspire. Empower. Transform. P.S. If you enjoyed reading this letter, please consider sharing it with someone you love. A question to ponder: What part of yourself have you spent years trying to fix that might actually be the starting point of your real work? How would your life look if you used it instead of hiding it? |
