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July 9, 2024

— Dawn quoting Tim, on the original U.K. version of The Office.

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Write what you know

For today's edition, I took one of my favorite quotes of all time -- one that isn't very well-known but that I learned and lived a few times before I ever heard it -- and then worked it backward into a story.

Then, I took the story and worked back to find a specific day on which to share it. Let's start with the quote. Well, I wrote it above, but here it is as well:

This comes from the original UK version of The Office. This show has a bit of meaning for me personally, because knowing almost nothing about it 20-plus years ago, before the U.S. version existed, I won a DVD of the UK series in a small contest at a party.

Then, when I was having a rough week (frankly, halfway up a ladder I didn't want to climb in more ways than one), I watched the entire thing -- all 14 episodes -- in a couple of days.

I binge-watched before people binge-watched.

I laughed! A lot! I got emotional! I got inspired! It helped!

The story behind The Office is in fact the story of someone who actually lived that "ladder" theme himself. That would be Ricky Gervais, who created the show and starred as one of the main characters, manager David Brendt.

(If you've watched the U.S. version, this is the character that Steve Carrell's Michael was based on, although it went in a different direction after they exhausted the original UK storylines.)

A while back, Harvard Business Review interviewed Gervias about why his show was such a success. He explained two reasons:

I suppose the economists among us would refer to the halfway-up-the-ladder idea as the concept of "sunk costs." But it's more relatable this way.

Oh, as for why we're sharing this story today: It's because today marks the 23rd anniversary of the day on which the show premiered in the UK.

It's a bit dated now, but aren't we all?

So. Take a look around. Don't limit yourself to work or career aspirations; it works for almost anything. But, ask yourself:

• Are you at the top of a ladder you wanted to climb? Awesome.
• Are you halfway up one, with true aspirations to keep climbing? Fantastic.
• Are you at the bottom, just starting out, but pretty sure this is something you want to do? Good to go.
• But if you're halfway up — and the ground, or even the middle — looks more appealing than the direction you're heading ...

Well, you know what to do.

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I have somehow become one person with two newsletters: Big Optimism and Understandably.

I like writing both of them. Each has its devoted fans. Many fans even overlap!

So, big announcement: I've made the bold decision to keep writing both of them — but I'm going to do it on a combined daily-or-close-to-it schedule.

Some days I'll write Understandably; some days, I'll write Big Optimism; really, whichever makes more sense for me in the moment.

For example: Tomorrow will be an Understandably day. So, if you like starting your mornings with me, please make sure you're signed up for both!

• ​Understandably: This is my O.G. newsletter, covering everything from business to science to wellness to ... well, everything. (Reader-supported, with free and premium tiers. Sign up here if you haven't already​!)
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I really appreciate each and every one of you reading this. Some readers have been with me since all the way back in 2019 — or even before, when I wrote the daily Inc. This Morning email; some of you joined my favorite group of people more recently. Thank you to everyone for your support!

Also worth sharing ...

• As always happens in big political races, I have a hard time deciding what to include and what not to. For today: President Biden called into MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” talk show on Monday in a bid to assuage concerns over his continued presidential bid — and air his frustrations with Democratic Party “elites” questioning his ability to win in November. I'll add that based on my own quick research, that no incumbent presidence since Harry Truman in 1948 has been as far behind in the polls as Biden is right now against Trump, and still managed to win reelection in November. (Semafor)
• France has been plunged into political turmoil three weeks before hosting the Olympics, making it hard to know who will be in key government positions when the Games open on July 26. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal underlined the uncertainty as he offered his resignation on Sunday evening following snap elections that resulted in a hung parliament. (Yahoo News)
• Hurricane Beryl made landfall at 3:50 on Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane about 100 miles southwest of Houston, with maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour. More than 2.1 million customers are without power, and at least two people have died. (Fox 4 News)
• A widespread heat wave is expected to deliver a fresh batch of record temperatures along the U.S. West Coast, as millions of Americans sweat through a heat dome that is also hovering over Arizona and Nevada. About 36 million people — roughly 10% of the country — are under excessive heat warnings. (Reuters)
• Why America’s berries have never tasted so good: Driscoll’s had to figure out how to breed, produce and sell its most flavorful strawberries and raspberries. Now the strategy is starting to bear fruit. (WSJ)
• For the fourth consecutive year, Vietnam is the most affordable country in the world for expats, ranking first out of 53 destinations when it comes to personal finances, according to a 2024 InterNations study of more than 12,000 expats across 174 territories worldwide. (CNBC)
• Andy Macdonald, a 50-year-old father of three, will make his Olympic debut for Great Britain as the oldest skateboarder in Paris, alongside teammates Sky Brown (Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist and world champion), 15, and Lola Tambling, 16. He says he's unfazed by the age gap but amazed to have gotten so far with what started out as a long shot. (NBC Olympics)