“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? Sent by Ashley Ambirge.

I love those times! Those times when we wonder if we “have it under the hood” and then we try. And then we succeed.

I’m going to take both of these prompts forward this week and begin a project I have been desiring for a long time now.

I am going to write the book I yearn to write but I am going to do so without hiding myself behind the words.

I am going to be true and open and honest and care not who likes or dislikes it. It may be unsettling to some. My crowd will be small.

I think the quote sent along this morning by Lachlan Cotter is hard to grasp without reading it in context. I’m not entirely certain what Ralph is getting at here:

“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

I will get to reading Self Reliance today, find that quote, and fully grasp the significance.

Back to the task at hand.

Lachlan asks a lot of questions! This may be the hardest prompt yet.

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.

Let’s break this down into sizable chunks because I am not connecting with it as a whole.

What is your dream?
What fear holds you back from realizing that dream?

Next, analyze the validity of the fear, so you can push through it.

My Response:

I have nothing to share here. I’m living the dream! When the dream changes, when each challenge has been met, I allow another dream in.

As an example: I was approached to write my first book. What if I couldn’t do it? What if it sucked? What if the world hated it? What if it left me empty? (There’s the fear, it didn’t stop me.)

Then I was asked to do a radio interview. What if I stuttered? What if the world didn’t consider me as an expert? What if I was challenged on my views? (There’s the fear, it didn’t stop me.)

This isn’t all about people and their reaction to me. There have been other challenges, dreams, fears.

Life is worth living – not shaking in fear.

I think this face your fear mentality stems from a rough childhood. I was raised in fear. When I left at 14 I’d had enough of it.

Although fear does not hold me back from living my dream(s), fear is still present inside me. I am fearful of physical pain and personal disability (I have never broken a bone and choose not to experience that by my own recklessness).

I have faced that fear when weighed against the dream. The dream – to support my husband’s need to build a house after a fire – required my body on shaky scaffolding and ladders many times. I did it, sometimes for hours at a time, but did not overcome the fear of heights in less than safe conditions.

“Now do. The thing. You fear.”

Done.

This writing challenge, self-discovery, bent I’ve been on holds many surprises. I almost feel as though I am being guided by the quotes and prompts to not only discover myself but to recognize that my self is a thought leader!

Today is a perfect example. Yesterday Eric Handler asked: “If you could spread your personal message RIGHT NOW to 1 million people, what would you say? My response was “Be You”.

Today Fabian Kruse asks: “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?”

Sending along this Emerson quote for effect: “Imitation is Suicide. Insist on yourself; never imitate.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

How fitting, since I was already on the authentic train…

Areas of my life where I’m imitating? I truly can’t think of any but I’m leaving a space below for this in case one or more points come to me.

What is the divine idea that I represent?

I’d have to say that I’m all about the journey. Learning from others, learning from ourselves. Making mistakes but always striving. Saying “I’m sorry” and actually meaning it.

Allowing only the authentic into your life, your home, your thoughts.

Actually – it goes deeper than that. The authentic and pure of heart. Or nearly pure of heart – because we can all truly see each other’s heart if we just stop long enough to look.

If we only allow love in, the pure in, then we are no help to each other, nor will we grow as individuals. So nearly pure, or on a path to pure, is acceptable.

That’s what I represent. I have these high ideals and I fall short but I am always growing and saying sorry. By doing so I am authentic and set apart – an individual with my own purpose.

I think, it is by living this way, that people are drawn to me and can feel my energy so quickly, not just beside me but where I have invested time.

Be you. Set your ideals high and become them. Say I love you lots (even to yourself) and don’t forget to say “sorry” and “thanks”.

Simple.