I Just Started Writing. Now Everything Is Changing…
- David Oaks
- Jun 1
- 7 min read
I never planned for writing to be part of my finishing well quarter.
I happened upon it in the last few years; not a skilled lifelong writer; a newbie to the scene; don’t speak with an expert voice.
But I am an astute observer.
AI-generated content is now flooding the world. It is everywhere. Fast. Polished. Organized. Useful.
Honestly, a lot of it very useful.
But the more AI content I see, the more I am noticing something insightful:
The content that grabs and holds my attention is not the most polished.
The content that grabs and holds my attention is the most human.
Recently an Tim Denning described what he calls the “Authenticity Era” — a shift away from overly polished, performative content and toward voices that feel more honest, imperfect, and real. His language is helping me name something I have already been sensing.
Another article by Jo Barnes brought the thought home.
In a world where machines can produce clear, helpful content in seconds, the human writer’s gift may not be merely information.
It may be presence.
This challenges my thinking about writing, communication and relationships.
And finishing well.
The thought leaders I am most drawn to are not simply the ones with the most information. They are the ones who let me know them…
Tell me what they are seeing and what they are wrestling with.
Let me hear their convictions, their questions, their stories, and sometimes even their vulnerability.
Do not just give me content.
Use their “I” pronoun judiciously.
They give me a window into the person behind the content.
And that is changing everything for me. Not just as a writer. As a person who wants to finish well.
The Shift I Am Seeing
For a long time, I thought good communication was mostly about being clear, helpful, and informed.
And of course, those things still matter.
But in a world where AI can produce clear, helpful, and informed content in seconds, something else is becoming more valuable.
A real human voice.
A point of view.
A lived story.
A little vulnerability.
A sense that the writer/speaker is not just explaining something, but has actually wrestled with it.
The people who have my attention are moving from performative expertise to relational authority.
🎓Performative expertise says:
“My information is amazing.”
🤗Relational authority says:
“Here is what I have seen, what I have learned, what I have misunderstood, and what I am still trying to become.”
By relational authority, I’m not talking about trying to sound casual or making every piece of communication personal. Not oversharing or using vulnerability as a tactic.
It’s about the kind of credibility that grows when people sense that your words are connected to your life.
That you have seen what you are describing, wrestled with what you are teaching, are not hiding behind polish and are offering something from the inside of your own struggles.
This kind of communication feels different. It’s less like a presentation. More like a conversation. Less like a performance. More like a relationship.
And I think that matters more than ever.
Am I Seeing This Correctly?
The culture is not just asking:
“Do you know what you’re talking about?”
They are also asking:
Can I trust you?
Do you understand my reality?
Are you a real person or just a polished brand?
Have you wrestled with what you are teaching?
Will you tell me the truth, even when it is not convenient?
Those questions are becoming important filters for me.
Not just for writing.
For living.
Because the older I get, the more I believe finishing well is not mainly about accomplishments, platforms, productivity, or even legacy in the way we often talk about it.
The most important part of finishing well is relationships.
Being rightly connected to God.
To the people we love.
To the people we serve.
And even to ourselves.
Finishing well is not just ending with a résumé.
It is ending with a heart that is still open, honest, humble, and relationally alive.
Here’s Who I Am Learning From
1️⃣ Leaders Who Don’t Sound Like Experts on a Stage
Traditional thought leadership often sounds like:
“Here are five trends every leader must know.”
There may still be a place for that.
But I am more drawn to leaders who might say:
“Here is what I am noticing, what I used to misunderstand, and what I believe leaders need to pay attention to now.”
That subtle shift matters.
It carries perspective.
Experience.
Humility.
Conviction.
They are inspiring me to write and speak in a way that reveals not just what I know, but what I see.
What I believe.
What life has taught me.
What I am willing to challenge.
What I am still thinking through.
Because the strongest thought leaders do not merely distribute information.
They interpret reality.
And in this season, I do not want to simply add more content to an already crowded world.
I want to help people make sense of what they are experiencing.
2️⃣ Communicators Who Share Their Lens, Not Just Their Knowledge
People can get information anywhere.
And now, because of AI, they can get well-organized information almost instantly.
But what they cannot get anywhere is a personal lens.
That is both freeing and challenging.
I am talking about thought leaders who do not need to simply write about knowledgable topics.
They write from conviction.
They use language like:
I believe…
I’ve noticed…
One mistake I keep seeing is…
A lesson I had to learn the hard way is…
Here’s what I would tell a younger version of myself…
They are not just writing phrases.
They are opening the door to how they see the world.
They help me feel like the content comes from a real person.
Not a machine.
Not a marketing department.
A person.
And in this AI-saturated moment, that matters.
3️⃣ Guides Who Show the Journey Behind the Insight
After years of life and leadership experience, it is tempting for thought leaders to write only the finished thought.
The clean lesson.
The distilled principle.
The polished sentence.
Insight: I am connecting more deeply with leaders who let me see some of their journey.
They tell me what they used to think.
What changed.
Where they were wrong.
What they are still working through.
That kind of vulnerability builds trust.
Not because it is dramatic.
Because it is human.
And trust is relational wealth.
I am drawn to them because, at this point in life, I am more interested in relational wealth than visibility.
4️⃣ Voices Who Name the Tensions We Are Feeling
People live with tension. Leaders live with tension.
Writers, business owners, ministry leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals all carry tensions they may not always know how to name.
These voices have a message, but don’t sound self-promotional.
Want growth, but they don’t manipulate people
Lead with confidence, but they are still figuring parts of it out
When these voices name the tension accurately, I feel seen.
And when I feel seen, I am more willing to listen.
But more than that, I feel less alone.
And maybe one of the gifts of finishing well is helping people feel less alone.
5️⃣ Mentors Who Replace Hype With Honesty
Mentoring emails feel less like campaigns and more like correspondence from someone worth hearing from; like they came from a person, not a machine.
Instead of saying:
“Our organization is excited to announce…”
They write more like:
“I wanted to share something with you that I think matters.”
Instead of saying:
“Many professionals struggle with…”
They write:
“If you’ve ever felt stuck trying to explain the value of your work, you’re not alone.”
That feels more personal.
More direct.
More human.
More relational.
Their collateral doesn’t simply move me toward a transaction.
Their communication moves me toward trust.
A Danger
I know there is a danger in all of this.
Even authenticity can become a performance.
One can manufacture a casual tone. Vulnerability can become a tactic. A rough, unpolished style can become just another form of polish.
We don’t want authenticity as an aesthetic.
We want integrity.
We are drawn to communication that comes from a life that is becoming more whole, more honest, more humble, and more available to love.
That sounds like finishing well to me.
This Is About More Than Writing
Here is what is becoming clear to me:
This is not just about writing better.
It is about becoming better connected. More honest, knowable, and relationally present.
And maybe that is where real happiness is found.
Not in being impressive, sounding polished or building an image.
But in becoming more integrated, trustworthy and human.
More able to offer what we have without hiding behind polish.
That sounds like finishing well to me.
So Here’s My Challenge for You
If you write, lead, teach, sell, serve, coach, pastor, parent, mentor, or communicate in any way, maybe this is worth asking:
Are people only hearing what you know, or are they also getting to know who you are?
Not in an oversharing, self-centered way.
But in a human way.
Ask yourself:
Where am I hiding behind polish?
Where could I use the word “I” more honestly?
What have I wrestled with that might help someone else?
What tension can I name that would help someone feel less alone?
Where am I relying on information when what is needed is connection?
How could my communication build trust, not just attention?
What would it look like for my writing to help me finish well?
Because in a world flooded with content, the most valuable thing we may have left to offer is not just more information.
It is our honest, human presence.
Here are the two articles that got my goat this morning:
Yes! Yes! Yes! Can you feel me jumping from across the USA? Not in being impressive, sounding polished or building an image.
But in becoming more integrated, trustworthy and human.
More able to offer what we have without hiding behind polish.
That sounds like finishing well to me.