Ralph Waldo Emerson #2: Call to action!

The prompts in my emails from the Trust30 challenge were all very inspiring. 
First there were several emails that contained ideas to motivate you to take action towards your dreams.

Can you sit down and write your top three dreams on a sheet of paper just like that? I tell you, I had quite a hard time. Not choosing what my top three dreams would be, actually - but coming up to three! I know that sounds pretty crazy, since dreaming up dreams is my declared hobby. But well, they're bubble dreams, plans, things that would be great... but really, really, hardcore life dreams - it's hard to see those when your life is changing all the time.
I got three in the end though.

1. Live from illustrating and writing. - That one was easy because it really is my number one dream at the moment.
2. See the world. - I'm always really excited to explore a new place and I would really like to slowly travel the world by making a new home in a new place every few years.
3. Have a big family. - I always knew that if I ever have kids, I want many. :o)

Here's something encouraging: There's nothing (or not much) holding me back from these dreams, I'm doing my best to make all of them come true. Phew, what a cool feeling ^^

Do you feel a bit overwhelmed by all this talking about big dreams? Maybe you need something a bit more hands-on:

I'm in contact with most of the people that I admire and who inspire me at the moment. It's quite a cool feeling. Actually, I might try something a bit more bold for a new project.
But I'm like a bubble-machine, bubbling over with so many new ideas, that I actually have to hold them back because it will be too much if I start and launch them all at the same time. You guys would have to stay here and read and look all day to keep up to date, hehe ;o)
But no worries, they are all written down and I think all of them have big potential and will spring to life eventually.

There's a few more that I'd like to give to you to read just like that:

"“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?"

"What if today, right now, no jokes at all, you were actually in charge, the boss, the Head Honcho. Write the “call to arms” note you’re sending to everyone (staff, customers, suppliers, Board) charting the path ahead for the next 12 months and the next 5 years. Now take this manifesto, print it out somewhere you can see, preferably in big letters you can read from your chair. "


I really tried that one because I think it's a fabulous idea, but I don't really know how to write a manifesto... and 12 months in my life is a really long time ahead, not to mention 5 years! I'm not really enthusiastic about what I came up with. But I might work on it. Could you write a 5- year-plan for your life on a sheet of A4 paper?

If all this thinking and dreaming and planning seems to dry for you, there are a few things for the likes of you, too.

 

One prompt challenged you to be aware that you are the number one expert who knows how to live your life. Even if advice columns, self help books and talkshows seem to tell you that there is always someone who knows better than you: That is not true if it comes to decisions in your life.

For today, try asking yourself often, especially before you make a choice, “What do I know about this?”

I tried this today and it was quite interesting. I thought I was pretty much doing what I want all day, but I discovered that a lot of my decisions have to do with my sensing of what other people expect me to do. And it's pretty hard to act against this inner compass that seems to have grown very strong. But really, what do other people know about what I need?

I kept my favourite prompt until now. It's a little imagination experiment, and I love these.


If you could picture your intuition as a person, what would he or she look like? If you sat down together for dinner, what is the first thing he or she would tell you?

Here's what I jotted down in my notebook. I think that's pretty much her!

A little girl with wild hair, running without shoes and with a stick in her hand, marveling at a pebble that she just found... jap, intuition, no doubt.
And what she would say to me? One of the first things definitely would be: "I like it here!"

That was your fill of philosophical self reliance for this Sunday! I hope it will give you some food for thought for the next week and maybe you can try one or two of the prompts that seem interesting to you. I'd be really curious to hear what your thoughts on them are. Thanks for leaving so many inspiring and thoughtful comments last week, they really made me very happy. I was afraid the post would be much too long and complicated and I was so thrilled to see that people actually read it to the end - and then even took the time to tell me about their thoughts!

See you all tomorrow for a Monday Friend who is so very special to me I have bubbles in my tummy every time I think of the fact that she agreed to be on my blog! :o)



More about the Ralph Waldo Emerson Pledge.