Abraham Lincoln is considered one of the greatest orators in American history, but it wasn't always that way...

Early in his career, he was known across Illinois as a backwoods joke-teller and storyteller.

He had a high-pitched, reedy voice—Described by one journalist as "almost as high-pitched as a boatswain's whistle"—And he was famous for his yarns long before anyone took him seriously as a politician.

But everything changed on November 19, 1863.

Lincoln had been invited to Gettysburg by lawyer David Wills to say "a few appropriate remarks."

That was the actual brief. He was a footnote, not the main event.

Edward Everett, former senator, Secretary of State, Harvard president, considered the greatest orator in America, was the headline.

Everett spoke for over two hours.

Lincoln said 272 words for approximately two minutes.

The next day, Everett wrote Lincoln a letter: "I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes."

Lincoln had once told his law partner William Herndon his simple philosophy of communication: "Don't shoot too high—aim lower and the common people will understand you. They are the ones you want to reach."

That philosophy produced two of the most quoted speeches ever delivered:

🎩 The Gettysburg Address — "that government of the people shall not perish from the earth"

🕊️ The Second Inaugural — "with malice toward none, with charity for all"

Here's the framework I take from Lincoln: Say one thing. Say it completely. Then shut up.

I love it because it exposes the biggest mistake creators make these days, and that is we try to say everything.

The most powerful thing we can do is say one thing and say it like we mean it.

We might not have Lincoln's moment in history.

But we can steal his discipline.

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If you're a Christian founder or creator who needs help writing scary good content online, Very Good Ghost will handle the writing while you focus on building.

Create dangerously,
—Payton

P.S. Figureoutability is my new favorite word.