I gave up on the blogging challenge, officially now. I just cannot think about my plans for 10 years from now, my dreams that I am afraid to vocalize or the challenges I will face and how I will overcome them any longer. I am working on living in the moment. At the moment I am nice and sore from yoga and I am still in disbelief that this is my child’s hair, still. I hope the poor girl’s hair lays flat by 3rd grade.
When good is near you, when you have life in yourself, it is not by any known or accustomed way; you shall not discern the foot-prints of any other; you shall not see the face of man; you shall not hear any name;—— the way, the thought, the good, shall be wholly strange and new. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Can you remember a moment in your life when you had life in yourself and it was wholly strange and new? Can you remember the moment when you stopped walking a path of someone else, and started cutting your own?
Write about that moment. And if you haven’t experienced it yet, let the miracle play out in your mind’s eye and write about that moment in your future.
(Author: Bridget Pilloud)
I know the question isn’t meant literally “a moment in your life when you had life in yourself and it was wholly strange and new” but I am still going to answer with my time birthing another human being. I can’t thing of anything more strange and new and real in my life than that.
Well, my 30-day writing challenge isn’t going very well now is it. The questions are pretty hard, and getting progressively harder. I was sick last week. And an old high school friend and young mother passed away unexpectedly, which hit me pretty hard especially now that I am a mom. So I just wasn’t in the mood for any more deep thinking or pondering. I’m going to post the last few prompts here, in case you’re actually reading and it’s making you think. I’ll either choose to answer or skip them. Not sure if I am going to keep going or not, we’ll see how these next few below go.
Friday 6/10 Prompt:
Imitation is Suicide. Insist on yourself; never imitate. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Write down in which areas of your life you have to overcome these suicidal tendencies of imitation, and how you can transform them into a newborn you – one that doesn’t hide its uniqueness, but thrives on it. There is a “divine idea which each of us represents” – which is yours?
(Author: Fabian Kruse)
MY RESPONSE:
Area where I need to overcome: My language. Clean it up. Just because those around you curse, badly, doesn’t mean you need to do it to fit in or be cool.
What is my Divine Idea? Not feakin’ clue. Oh geesh, stop cursing!
Saturday, 6/11 Prompt:
These are the voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world. Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Is fear holding you back from living your fullest life and being truly self expressed? Put yourself in the shoes of the you who’s already lived your dream and write out the answers to the following:
Is the insecurity you’re defending worth the dream you’ll never realize? or the love you’ll never venture? or the joy you’ll never feel?
Will the blunder matter in 10 years? Or 10 weeks? Or 10 days? Or 10 minutes?
Can you be happy being anything less than who you really are?
Now Do. The Thing. You Fear.
(Author: Lachlan Cotter)
MY RESPONSE: Goodness, you need to have actual dreams to be able to answers these questions.
Sunday 6/12 Prompt
I will not hide my tastes or aversions. I will so trust that what is deep is holy, if we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Think of a time when you didn’t think you were capable of doing something, but then surprised yourself. How will you surprise yourself this week?
(Author: Ashley Ambirge)
At my last job, I applied for a recieved a promotion that I wasn’t sure I could handle. While it was scary and I was insecure about it, I faked it until I made it. I have some opportunities for challenges at my job now, and I need to dig into them and really own them. I can do it!
Monday, 6/13 Prompt
When good is near you, when you have life in yourself, it is not by any known or accustomed way; you shall not discern the foot-prints of any other; you shall not see the face of man; you shall not hear any name; the way, the thought, the good, shall be wholly strange and new. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
The world buzzes about goals and visions. Focus. Create a vivid picture of exactly where you want to go. Dream big, then don’t let anything or anyone stop you. The problem, as Daniel Gilbert wrote in Stumbling Upon Happiness, is that we’re horrible at forecasting how we’ll really feel 10 or 20 years from now – once we’ve gotten what we dreamed of. Often, we get there only to say, “That’s not what I thought it would be,” and ask, “What now?” Ambition is good. Blind ambition is not. It blocks out not only distraction, but the many opportunities that might take you off course but that may also lead you in a new direction. Consistent daily action is only a virtue when bundled with a willingness to remain open to the unknown. In this exercise, look at your current quest and ask, “What alternative opportunities, interpretations and paths am I not seeing?” They’re always there, but you’ve got to choose to see them.
(Author: Jonathan Fields)
I am politely declining this one. I am really sick of where do you see yourself in 10 years type of questions, which is too bad, because I have a review coming up at work . . .
Tuesday, 6/14 Prompt
Do your work, and I shall know you. Do your work, and you shall reinforce yourself. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Take a moment, step back from your concerns, and focus on one thing: You have one life to achieve everything you’ve ever wanted. Sounds simple, but when you really focus on it, let it seep into your consciousness, you realize you only have about 100 years to get every single thing you’ve ever wanted to do. No second chances. This is your only shot. Suddenly, this means you should have started yesterday. No more waiting for permission or resources to start. Today is the day you make the rest of your life happen. Write down one thing you’ve always wanted to do and how you will achieve that goal. Don’t be afraid to be very specific in how you’ll achieve it: once you start achieving, your goals will get bigger and your capability to meet them will grow.
(Author: Colin Wright)
Ok, I’m quiting this until I see a question that really strikes me. These are all too similar, everyone wants to know my goals, and how I will achieve them. Give me a break already!
(This is part of a 30-day writing challenge)
To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
What is burning deep inside of you? If you could spread your personal message RIGHT NOW to 1 million people, what would you say?
(Author: Eric Handler)
My personal message: Find those you love, and tell them. Don’t EVER let it go unsaid.
What’s yours?
(This is part of a 30-day writing challenge)
The other terror that scares us from self-trust is our consistency; a reverence for our past act or word, because the eyes of others have no other data for computing our orbit than our past acts, and we are loath to disappoint them. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Emerson says: “Always do what you are afraid to do.” What is ‘too scary’ to write about? Try doing it now.
(Author: Mary Jaksch)
It’s too scary to think or write about the possibilty of R and I not always being together, of losing it, of falling out of love. Having a child has made it even more clear to me how much work it is to be married. I don’t mean that in a bad way, as in, I hate this marriage, it’s so much work. I just mean, you have to make time for each other and you have to make time to really be there for each other. A lot of times our interactions are so baby related, so it’s really important for us to step back and do things just for us. This is hard without family nearby, but it’s important for us to go on dates and to just goof around together. I hope we never ever lose it, because he’s a pretty cool guy and a really great dad!
There will be an agreement in whatever variety of actions, so they be each honest and natural in their hour. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
What would you say to the person you were five years ago? What will you say to the person you’ll be in five years?
(Author: Corbett Barr)
To my 26 year old self in 2006: Don’t worry so much when you’ll get engaged, get married, have kid(s), etc. It will all work out. Oh, and having a kid is NOT easy, not even a little bit, but you should do it anyway – it’s the most rewarding (and scary and crazy)thing I’ve ever done.
To my 36 year old self in 2016: I don’t know if it’s against the rules, but if I met my 5 years from now self, I would ask a question. Do you regret not having a second child? (That’s assuming I didn’t, which has yet to be determined!)
Our arts, our occupations, our marriages, our religion, we have not chosen, but society has chosen for us. We are parlour soldiers. We shun the rugged battle of fate, where strength is born. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Next to Resistance, rational thought is the artist or entrepreneurs worst enemy. Bad things happen when we employ rational thought, because rational thought comes from the ego. Instead, we want to work from the Self, that is, from instinct and intuition, from the unconscious.
A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. Its only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.” – Steven Pressfield, Do the Work
The idea of “being realistic” holds all of us back. From starting a business or quitting a job to dating someone who may not be our type or moving to a new place – getting “real” often means putting your dreams on hold.
Today, let’s take a step away from rational thought and dare to be bold. What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to accomplish but have been afraid to pursue? Write it down. Also write down the obstacles in your way of reaching your goal. Finally, write down a tangible plan to overcome each obstacle.
The only thing left is to, you know, actually go make it happen. What are you waiting for?
(Author: Matt Cheuvront)
Yikes. Isn’t this supposed to inspire me, not stress me out and depress me because I realize I have no goals or lofty, unrealistic dreams?! Maybe I am just too realistic. I don’t dream of going back to school, because I don’t want to spend the money unless I am guaranteed to get that money back in salary increase when finished with school. Plus, I don’t have time for that! I have dreams of things I’d like to know, but not put forth the effort to learn, like Spanish. Ok, here’s one, which doesn’t really fit the question and isn’t something really unrealistic, but here goes. I’d like to be more professional and I’d like to be confident enough in my professionalism to not feel like I am faking it or just playing dress up. I’d like to tone down the cursing and start dressing more nicely for work. Dress for the position you want, right? I know this is such a cop out to a question above that should have an amazing answer like hike the Appalician Trail or explore the Grand Canyon, but it’s something I would like to pursue that I’ve been avoiding.
Obstacles in my way: Only myself. And the dress code at my office, which is unwritten and uber casual.
Tangible plan: Try to only wear jeans once a week, on Fridays. Take yourself more seriously and others will too. Cut out the cursing, completely.
Ugh, these questions are really hard!
Life wastes itself while we are preparing to live. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you had one week left to live, would you still be doing what you’re doing now? In what areas of your life are you preparing to live? Take them off your To Do list and add them to a To Stop list. Resolve to only do what makes you come alive.
Bonus: How can your goals improve the present and not keep you in a perpetual “always something better” spiral?
(Author: Jonathan Mead)
Ha, my first thought as a control freak is, yeah right – take something off my to-list and put it in my to-stop list! We’d all be living in filth! If I had one week left to live, I wouldn’t care how much dog hair was on the ground and inevitably then stuck to the drool on my daughter’s face. I would only care about spending time with the ones I love. My husband and I would tackle all the absolutely mandatory chores together, like making food and washing bottles, but we’d spend the rest of the hours snuggling our baby girl. Maybe we’d explore a little, taking a short road trip to do something fun, but most likely we’d hunker down at home and just all have each other’s company to relish in. We certainly wouldn’t care if our house was presentable or if the laundry was done. My goal to improve the present is to enjoy these summer evenings more, to stop looking at each evening as a list of tasks I need to complete to prepare for the next day and start looking at each evening as another chance to spend time with my favorite people in the world!
Well, I meditated a bit on my post-it note and here’s what I came up with.
Question: How can I be more patient, kind and understanding?
Answering: I can BREATH. Before I do anything, before I react to anything, take a breath, take a moment. Decide if it’s worth it, decide if it is an act or words of patience, kindness or understanding, and if not, let it go. Didn’t really need to take any breaths this weekend, as I am home with family. We’ll see how I do with this during the work week.
If we live truly, we shall see truly. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Not everyone wants to travel the world, but most people can identify at least one place in the world they’d like to visit before they die. Where is that place for you, and what will you do to make sure you get there?
(Author: Chris Guillebeau)
I’ve been lucky enough to do a lot of traveling in my life so far, so the place I really want to get to before I die is not really that far away. I want to go to St. Anne, Illinois. This is the small town were my mom and uncles grew up with my Grandpa Bill and Grandma Jean. I have fond memories of their house, the soft “up north” grass, and the fireflies, which I am not sure I’d ever seen before. None of my family lives there anymore, but I think it’d be fun to travel there, with my mom if possible, when my daughter is a little older and let her Grandma show her around the town where she grew up.
The True Story of What Was 