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My Seven

Post image for My Seven

My friend Fabian Kruse recently invited me to participate in a viral blogging campaign, which is normally not my thing. I don’t like anything reminiscent of chain letters, especially the digital kind (neither does Fabian, for that matter) but this one looked fun to do and I think you’ll appreciate it. It’s churning up a lot of almost-lost great content around the web so I want to give it a spin and keep it going.

The idea is pretty simple: a blogger is invited to link 7 posts they’ve written that fit seven particular categories, as specified in the original post. Then they invite five other bloggers to do the same. The idea is to get some good content up to the surface all across the web, give readers an easy way to discover content that’s been hiding, and give bloggers an easy way to connect.

At the end of this post, I’ll nominate some other bloggers whom I’d like to see dig some of their best work out of the basement.

So enjoy.

My 7 Links

All of these choices are made from the writer’s perspective, because it’s the only one I have. You might disagree, and if you’ve been reading for a while I’d love to hear what you would have chosen instead.

1. Most beautiful post

A Day in The Future. It just came out like that and I have no misgivings at all.

2. Most popular post

Believe it or not, my now-famous “88 truths” post was really a just a throwaway I’d been playing with, which I posted one day because I didn’t have a decent post ready. It has been the one I’ve received the most feedback and praise for, and in those terms it is probably the most popular. When it comes down to raw numbers though, 40 Belief-Shaking Remarks From a Ruthless Nonconformist is clearly the most popular: 326 comments, 10,000+ facebook likes and almost one million views. 

3. Most controversial post

There are a few that could fit here. I’ve told people to forget world peace and to give up voting, but I think Should We Have Compassion For Killers? is the one that most directly contradicts the conventional doctrine. The feedback was mostly agreeable, but I know a lot of long-time readers kept their opinions to themselves, and I know I lost a few. I stand by it, more than ever.

4. Most helpful post

Depends who you ask, I guess. The one I receive the most emails about that testify to actual improvements in people’s lives is this one. But I think in terms of raw practical value, the most helpful post is How to Improve Your Handwriting (or Anything Else) At Will. It is so simple and it always works.

5. A post whose success surprised me

Probably 4 Brilliant Remarks From History’s Wisest American. All I did was break down four quotes from Emerson, including the one where he says he hates quotations. I liked the way it turned out, but it seems pretty ordinary to me. It’s been a consistently active post ever since and I don’t really know what it is about it that makes people want to share it.

6. A post I feel didn’t get the attention it deserved

A post called What is the Ego, Anyway? This three-letter word has become one of the most prominent and useful themes in the considerable overlap between self-improvement and spirituality, but it’s difficult to define and explain. So I built a narrative, beginning at birth, explaining what the ego is, how we each come to have one, and how it complicates our lives. It had all the classical hallmarks of a popular post: search-engine friendly title, a question on everyone’s mind, and (I thought) a clear point, but it never really went anywhere special.

7. The post I am most proud of

I’ve already mentioned A Day in the Future, so next would be You Are Another Bull in The China Shop. This one got a typical weeklong flurry of links and tweets, but then it pretty much disappeared. I think it’s one of the most important posts I’ve ever written, and it’s one of the few times I felt like an idea was too important to get wrong, and I just sat down and nailed it.

***

Here are the bloggers I’d love to see this from:

Sui – Cynosure

Jonathan – Illuminated Mind

James – Altucher Confidential

Tyler – Advanced Riskology

Kelly – Cleavage

If any of you have done it already, please link to it in the comments :)

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Photo by writeadam

Christy September 8, 2011 at 3:37 am

Hello I’m new to your blog. I enjoyed reading this with all the explanations why you’ve chosen specific blogs. Just checked number 5 and it’s really good. I think next will be your most beautiful post.

David September 8, 2011 at 6:30 am

Aw, thanks Christy

yliharma September 8, 2011 at 5:14 am

“What is the Ego, Anyway?” is my favourite post and also the most helpful to me because it opened a new “world” that was already at hand but I couldn’t see…sad that it haven’t had the attention it clearly deserved. Maybe it’s a complicated topic, not for everyone to accept…
Now I’m going to read “A Day in The Future” because I (incredibly) missed it completely!
Thank you as always for sharing your thoughts with us, it’s always interesting to read you :)

Srinivas Rao September 8, 2011 at 9:42 am

Hey David

I’ve been reading through RSS so haven’t seen the site for a while. Love the new design. I think if you don’t mind I may join the My Seven campaign wiit you guys and write a post of my own. I do think this has the potential to be a very interesting viral movement.

David September 8, 2011 at 5:26 pm

Hey Srini, good to hear from you. I should have included you in my nominations! I’d love to see what you come up with.

Sandy Cann September 8, 2011 at 11:21 am

Hi David… I have Raptitude on an RSS feed and always read it. Your stuff is enlightening and down-to-earth at the same time. I also follow you on Twitter and would love to see something become of your page on Facebook.
“A Day In The Future” is my favorite post of yours and am looking forward to reading “What is the Ego, Anyway?” which I had missed somehow. Thanks for sharing your Being.

David September 8, 2011 at 5:27 pm

Thanks Sandy. Facebook page will be properly launched very soon.

nrhatch September 8, 2011 at 9:04 pm

I took this challenge in August . . . here’s my post:
http://nrhatch.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/7-links-challenge/

I’ve read most of the posts you selected and agree with your picks. I’m going to take another peek at each to refresh my recollection.

Amy November 7, 2011 at 6:10 pm

Just wanted to say that you’ve got a new subscriber Nancy :P

Oh and David, “What is the Ego, Anyway?” is one of my FAVORITE posts on ANY blog!

barak September 10, 2011 at 3:44 am

I like the categories your friend made. Above all this idea, can really revive posts traffic. And also share traffic with diffrent blogs, great idea.

Maia September 11, 2011 at 5:43 am

I think this is a great idea David and thanks to this I’ve discovered 5 new interesting blogs. Thank you!

James September 11, 2011 at 12:07 pm

Regarding item 3 – if it’s any consolation, “Should We Have Compassion for Killers?” was the post that made me a permanent reader of this blog.

Sally Thompson September 13, 2011 at 1:36 am

I already visited the A Day in The Future blog.. And I agree it is the lost beautiful article that I ever read.. I’m so excited to check out the other links listed.. Thanks for the post!

sui solitaire September 13, 2011 at 3:38 pm

I’m freakin’ honored that you tagged me. That’s all I have to say. Thank you, David :) ♥

sui solitaire September 20, 2011 at 4:13 pm
gold October 10, 2011 at 9:13 am

I like your post! Your caption easily gets my attention. And I agree to some comments that “A Day in the Future” is the best one. Please keep on posting nice article.

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