#trust30

[otir]

#BlogElul 5776 #ElulGram – Elul 11: Trust

#BlogElul 5776 #ElulGram – Elul 11: Trust

Photo by Antranias on Pixabay.com Trust is easier said than done. For some reasons, we tend to record one bad experience as a rule for all what will happen in the future, should a slightly similar experience present itself. The habit of expressing gratitude for all kinds of experiences is difficult to accept: being thankful for even a traumatic experience seems counterintuitive The habit of…

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[simonredfern]

Hidden avenues and Valhalla

The Domino Project people are going to be mad with me because, despite pledging to create something new everyday for their #trust30 experiment I have done absolutely nothing so far.    The thing is that, every day, having received my inspirational quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, I've been buoyed up to such an extent that I've actually wanted to get on with the day, just inspired enough... or just too confused and thoughtful to work something out.

You probably don't know what I'm going on about, and if not, have a look here.   It's a great, great idea and one that I so much want to support.  Interesting that I'm finding it so physically difficult to get stuck into this.  Today Jonathan Fields says "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."

So I've been trying to see them, these alternatives and I'm liking the quest thought. I try to see them in the street, at the cashpoint, I looked in Carnaby Street, in Golden Square and as I tethered my trusty steed in the Newburgh Quarter - quests need steeds.  And I do know they are there, these avenues, about a quarter of a degree further round into reality, a bit I can't yet quite get to. It's like Douglas Adams said in Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul.  He had Dirk turn his head just a slight, tiny amount, and then he suddenly sees Valhalla...

So that's my creative offering for today, courtesy of Jonathan and Douglas.  That those avenues paths are there, but turning your head to see them is so incredibly hard.  But you have to keep making the choice to try because otherwise those Norse gods go unnoticed...

[coreykeller]

My Response to the Prompt: Enthusiasm by Mars Dorian

Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. – Ralph Waldo Emerson “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” is a great line from Emerson. If there’s no enthusiasm in what you do, it won’t be remarkable and certainly won’t connect with people on an emotional basis. But, if you put that magic energy into all of your work, you can create something that touches people on a deeper level. How can you bring MORE enthusiasm into your work? What do you have to think or believe about your work to be totally excited about it? Answer it now. --- How can I bring more enthusiasm into my work? What do I have to think or believe about my work to be totally excited about it? I enjoy trying to get the most out of everyday and spend my time working on the things I enjoy. I’ve read about the importance of habits and how it is key to execute something everyday so it becomes a part of your life. I’ve read a number of posts about daily habits and how building habits can help you live a more fulfilled life and help you tackle more important projects. Recently, I read a post by Amber Rae, which describes her daily goals. They are to write, move (& sweat), eat well, meditate, express gratitude, get outside, top 3. I love this list and I believe it almost encompasses my daily beliefs except I would like to add reading to somewhere on the list. Reading is a huge part of my life and I need to figure out a way to read for at least 1 hour a day. My list would look like the following write, read, eat well, meditate/pray, express gratitude, get outside, top 3. I've been trying incorporate these daily goals into my life the last few weeks and it has been great. They allowed me to focus on whats important. My main goal is make this list of daily goals habit that comes as natural as having breakfast in the morning. I believe the way to bring more enthusiasm into my life is to incorporate my daily goals into my work day. --- Thank you to Mars Dorian & Amber Rae for inspiring this post. Enthusiasm by Mars Dorian prompt is from Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance #Trust30 challenge. Please click the below link for more information. http://ralphwaldoemerson.me/prompts #Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on your now, and to create direction for your future. 30 prompts from inspiring thought-leaders will guide you on your writing journey.

[coreykeller]

My Response to the Prompt: You Know by Jen Louden

Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

We live in a society of advice columns, experts and make-over shows. Without even knowing it, you can begin to believe someone knows better than you how to live your life. Someone might know a particular something better – like how to bake a three-layer molten coconut chocolate cake or how to build a website – but nobody else on the planet knows how to live your life better than you. (Although one or two people may think they do.) For today, trying asking yourself often, especially before you make a choice, “What do I know about this?”

—- What do I know about this? What do I know about life? What do I know about work? What do I know about family? What do I know about marriage? What do I know about men? What do I know about women? What do I know about dogs? What do I know about technology? What do I know about finance? The past few years I’ve been feeling like I did not know anything useful or I did not do anything particularly well. I didn’t think I had the proper skills to do the things I thought I wanted to do in life. I had the feeling that I wasn’t good at anything. This led me to try figuring out some goals for the past year. One of my main goals this year has been to write on a daily basis and ship. I haven’t written as much as I wanted to write. I’ve broken last year’s record for posts with almost four months left in the year. Thinking about my writing and today’s #Trust30 post which is making me ask the question, “What do I know about this ______?” Does it make sense to ask, “What do I know about writing?” I first started this blog, because I felt my writing skills had become rusty. After graduating college I did not write anything more significant than work emails. I had a longing to not only express myself but also get myself out of my comfort zone. What do I know about writing or what have I learned about writing? Writing in a notebook or on your computer is fun, it’s relaxing, and it can put your mind at ease. It feels great to do a brain dump to clear your head before bed. It’s a great resource to look back at over the course of a week, month, or year to see how things have changed. Writing in a notebook has been the best way for me to create new ideas, new goals, and think about my future. It is a worthwhile pursuit which I believe will benefit me greatly down the road. Writing for the sake of writing has been a great experience ever since Lisa bought my first notebook for me about four years ago. I thought there was a problem with only writing in my notebook. The problem with keeping everything to yourself is that no one will ever read or hear what you have to say. Because writing and not shipping is easy. Shipping is hard. It’s easy to not put your work out into the world. It’s easy to not make yourself vulnerable, it’s a human instinct. For about the first 6 months of writing a blog I didn’t want to do it under my own name. I was afraid of who would see it, who would read it. So I posted under on another blog as an anonymous author. This was not shipping. I was just writing in my notebook again. Nobody would ever know it was me. After my father passed away, I realized how stupid it was to hide behind an anonymous blog. I needed to ship my work, my writing, out into the world for anyone to see. It would be the only way I’ll ever continue to grow, to move forward. What do I know about writing and shipping? It’s hard, it’s frustrating, it’s humbling, and it’s been one of the best decisions of my life. —- Thanks to Jen Louden for inspiring this post.

You Know by Jen Louden prompt is from the Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance #Trust30 challenge. Please click the below link for more information. http://ralphwaldoemerson.me/prompts #Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on your now, and to create direction for your future. 30 prompts from inspiring thought-leaders will guide you on your writing journey.

[coreykeller]

My Response to the Prompt: Speak Less by Laura Kimball

What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know I.  - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I once received a fortune cookie that read: “Speak less of your plans, you’ll get more done.” What’s one project that you’ve been sitting on and thinking about but haven’t made progress on? What’s stopping you? What would happen if you actually went for it and did it?

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This is definitely one of my problems.  I talk to much about what I want to do instead of doing it.  What's one project I've been sitting on and thinking about but haven't made any progress on?  The main project I've talked about the most is to create a side hustle.  I've been talking about creating an extra source of income but I've only talked about it and told other people that it is important to diversify your revenue sources.  I have yet to take my own advice. 

One of the main things stopping my progress on creating a business is a lack of an idea.  What should I do? What would people pay me to do?  Again this is another excuse because even though I don't have a great idea.  I should be doing something on a daily basis to come up with a great idea.  One possible idea to help me find an idea would be to complete the daily habit that Earl Nightingale describes in his audiobook, Lead the Field.  He recommends concentrating for 1 hour a day to brainstorm with the goal of writing down 30 ideas.  If I complete this task everyday I'm sure one of the ideas will turn out to be something I could create a business around.   At least I'll be working towards my goal on a daily basis because my current system has not been working.  I need to go on the offensive and break the current resistance that is holding me back. 

If I actually went for it and decided to start dedicating one hour every morning to brainstorm with the goal to write down 30 ideas.  Eventually, I'd probably stumble upon one idea that could be turned into some type of business.  Then once I've found an actionable idea, I would need to focus as much time as possible to make it a profitable idea.  Who knows, it could be a success and give me the things I've been searching for in my professional career.  Fulfillment, security, and freedom.  Taking action is really a no brainer.  I have nothing to lose by taking action and I have everything to lose by continue down my current path of not making the effort. Less Speaking. More Doing.

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Thanks to Laura Kimball for inspiring this post.

Speak Less by Laura Kimball prompt is from the Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance #Trust30 challenge.  

Please click on the below link for more information.

http://ralphwaldoemerson.me/prompts

#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on your now, and to create direction for your future. 30 prompts from inspiring thought-leaders will guide you on your writing journey.

[coreykeller]

My Response to the Prompt: Dreams by Michael Rad

Abide in the simple and noble regions of thy life, obey thy heart. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Write down your top three dreams. Now write down what’s holding you back from them.

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1) Find my dream job.

What is holding me back?

- Laziness (watching TV, wasting time or lack of available time)

- Fear. A fear of failing.

- Need to apply for jobs.

- I need to network.

- Make a list of possible employees and why I want to work for them. A cost/benefit analysis.

My fears are ridiculous.  Only positive things can happen from me finding a new job. The only thing I can do by finding my dream job is gaining(increasing) my benefits.  Not only will the right job make me feel more fulfilled with my professional life.  It will could also lead to more money, more experience, more vacation time, more freedom, and maybe even a tuition reimbursement to help pay for my Master of Science degree.  There should be no pressure.  If the opportunity doesn't seem worthwhile then I'm not pressured in to taking the job.  I have the power.  I’m free to choose whichever opportunity looks right.

2) Travel to the Pacific and Europe.

What is holding me back?

- Lack of money

- Vacation time

- This year we are headed to Las Vegas for our big vacation.

- After Vegas the foreseeable future probably booked at least the next year or two.

3) Getting Published.

What's holding me back?

I need to consistently write more.  Spend time brainstorming ideas, blog posts and nonfiction writing but I want to try my hand at fiction and short stories.

Need to:

- Write more (setup a block of time to write)

- Brainstorm ideas for future posts/stories

- Let Lisa read my writing

- Submit

Summary of what I need to do:

1) Find my Dream Job

- Apply for jobs

- Create a list of prospective employers and reasons. Why I want to work for them. (Cost/benefits). Research each company.

- Read material on interviewing, applying, networking, etc.

2) Travel to the Pacific & Europe

- Need money and time

- After Vegas the foreseeable future probably booked at least the next year or two.

3) Get Published

- Setup a block of time in the morning to write.

- Brainstorm ideas and schedule posts out to the future

- write, write, write

- Let Lisa read my writings and ideas

- Submit my work

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Thanks to Michael Rad for inspiring this post.

Dreams by Michael Rad prompt is from the Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance #Trust30 challenge.  

Please click on the below link for more information.

http://ralphwaldoemerson.me/prompts

#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on your now, and to create 

[coreykeller]

My Response to the Prompt: Invent the Future by Cindy Gallop

A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

My favorite quote of all time is Alan Kay: ‘In order to predict the future, you have to invent it.’ I am all about inventing the future. Decide what you want the future to be and make it happen. Because you can. Write about your future now.

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What I want the future to be?  I want my future to be similar to my twitter description, "I want to spend my time doing the things I love with my wife and our sidekick, Beans."  I want the obvious things in life; a family, financial stability, freedom, and my health.  I hope the future brings more financial stability but I do not want to sacrifice my freedom and time with my family for money.  One of my main goals in life is to work less and make more.  This goal does not mean I hope to someday live or realize how to achieve the four hour workweek.  Not because only working four hours a week wouldn't be awesome.  In the future, I want to find my passion and work at it everyday.  Spending the rest of my days doing the things I love that never seem like work.  

This reminds me of a story my grandfather used to tell me. My grandfather owned his own construction company and was one of the hardest working men I've ever known.  When I grew up and started working, he used to ask me if I enjoyed what I was doing for a living.  I'd usually give him a halfhearted "yeah" and then he'd comeback at me with one piece of advice I'll never forget.  He used to tell me, "That he loved his work (construction), he loved working with his hands, and building something. I loved what I did so much that I never worked a day in my whole life."  This came from a man who worked nearly 12 hour days almost everyday of his life until he retired.  This is the future I want.  I'm twenty-nine years old and I still want to be like my hero, my grandfather, and not work another day in my life.

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Thanks to Cindy Gallop for inspiring this post.

Invent the Future by Cindy Gallop prompt is from the Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance #Trust30 challenge.  

Please click on the below link for more information.

http://ralphwaldoemerson.me/prompts

#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on your now, and to create direction for your future. 30 prompts from inspiring thought-leaders will guide you on your writing journey.

[coreykeller]

My Response to the Prompt: Wholly Strange and New by Bridget Pilloud

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.

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For most of my life I’ve felt I’ve been doing what was expected of me.  I was not cutting my own path.  If their was a moment I’ve stopped walking a path of someone else it would have begun with this blog.  When I started writing here, and even today, the experience was wholly strange and new.  Every new post leads me to some type of new discovery and confirmation of why I continue to write here.  Through this blog I’ve been able to write about things in my life I would have never dared to express.  It’s been not only wholly strange and new, but invigorating, freeing, and satisfying my need to express myself.  Whether it’s about my goals, work, life, or death.  The process makes me feel better about what I’m doing and where I’m headed.  I still have a long way to go to say I’ve completely stopped walking someone else’s path, but I’m moving in the right direction.

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Thanks to Bridget Pilloud for inspiring this post.

Wholly Strange and New by Bridget Pilloud prompt is from the Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance #Trust30 challenge.  

Please click on the below link for more information.

http://ralphwaldoemerson.me/prompts

#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on your now, and to create direction for your future. 30 prompts from inspiring thought-leaders will guide you on your writing journey.