Hey friends,

Today I have a personal long-form story to share. I wrote it a while back but was waiting for the right time to publish it, and I think the time is now.

But first, a quick update on my new book, The Inner Compass.

I recently shared that the book surpassed 1,000 copies sold in just over a week, which is an incredible start for a self-published book:

Lawrence Yeo @moretothat 1,000+ copies sold in just over a week. From my understanding, this is a fantastic start for a self-published book. And I think it’s just the beginning. I'm playing the long game with The Inner Compass, but thanks for the great start. 12:39 PM • Jul 19, 2025 1 Retweets 61 Likes Read 12 replies

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It held the Top New Release spot in Motivational Self-Help since the day it came out, and the book is continuing to reach people around the world. Many readers have told me how helpful it’s been in reframing the way they view themselves, and how they feel more confident about navigating life’s uncertainties. One surprising form of compliment I’ve received is the number of people that are gifting it to their family members (including their children!), which is the ultimate vote of trust that any author can receive.

If you haven’t picked up your copy yet, you can do so using the big button below. The paperback version of the book will give you the best reading experience, but it’s available in all formats (paperback, ebook, and audio):

And if you pick it up now, I’ll give you access to a bonus booklet titled “A Month of Reflections”. This booklet is a collection of 30 daily reflections that will help you recalibrate your intuition and navigate the fog of uncertainty. This is the first time I’ve collected excerpts of my work like this, and I’ve carefully selected each one to act as a grounding reflection to start your day.

If you want the booklet, just hit reply to this email and send me a screenshot of your order receipt. I’m only offering it for a limited time, so I suggest you order The Inner Compass in any format and let me know soon.

Also, if you’ve read The Inner Compass, I’d love to know your thoughts about it. Was there any specific part of the book that resonated? Any particular idea you found helpful? Anything that was especially relatable?

At the end of the book, I invite readers to share how they’ve been using their own inner compass and to describe the journey with it. One of my greatest joys is hearing directly from you, so feel free to hit reply to this email and let me know your thoughts. I value your ideas and experiences a lot, so don’t hesitate to reach out.

And now, it’s time to get into today’s new post.

Rather than give a lengthy introduction, I’d rather just go straight into it. It’s a deeply personal one, but the only reason I’m sharing it is because I don’t know who else it can help. And if it helps even one person, it’d be worth it for me to have disclosed my struggles.

So when you’re ready, let’s dive right in.

​Tales From the Island of Illness​

*Note: For the best reading experience, read the entire post on the site here.

When you’re sick, it feels like this is the case:

There’s a feeling of isolation that accompanies an illness of any kind, which only broadens the scope of your suffering. Since all physiological changes are localized to your body or mind, it often feels like no one is experiencing these mishaps but you. You start thinking that everyone else must be getting along just fine, and that you’re the lone exception in a world full of healthy and vibrant people.

But in reality, the landscape looks more like this:

The truth is that there are many, many people on that island of illness with you. You just don’t realize it because sick people tend to navigate their conditions quietly, speaking of it only with their caretakers and loved ones. People that you meet at the store or gym might be struggling with a chronic health issue, but the odds of you hearing about it are low. This doesn’t change the fact that they are on that island with you, but the absence of that knowledge leads to the assumption that they are in pristine health while you are not.

And it is this very assumption that makes you feel alone.

It is for this reason that I am creating this piece. I was initially hesitant to write about my personal health issues because they have always remained a private matter, but since having the above realization, I felt compelled to discuss them more openly. Readers of my work likely haven’t given any thought to my health, and that’s not due to some cold species of indifference. It’s because I’ve never publicly discussed it before, and when one’s health isn’t mentioned, the assumption is that everything is fine.

The truth, however, is that I dwell on the very island that you may also inhabit. And if knowing this helps you feel a little less alone, then it will have been worth it for me to disclose my struggles. While I have nothing to offer in the form of medical advice, I have learned a thing or two about what it takes to navigate this island with a sound mind. After all, managing the biological symptoms of illness is a big part of the picture, but the other part is about strengthening the psychological frame that is used to endure it. The latter is where I hope this essay finds its use.