Two great quotes and a few great questions today from the Ralph Waldo Emerson Self-Awareness writing challenge. Today’s prompt was put together by Matt Cheuvront.

“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?

---

I love this challenge but it is leaving me a little stumped. Usually when you think you’ve got nothing to add (or that you’ve already arrived) you find that you are woefully off course.

But I think not.

I have already mastered this one.

I agree on all of the points above not because I have been stuck there, but because I have watched others long enough. They fall into the religion they learned from their parents, they choose the career that some school aptitude test told them was perfect at the ripe age of 13, they dated a fellow (or gal) because friends/parents/mentors thought the pairing would be powerful.

This was not my path.

Unconnected to my parents, disconnected from authority figures, I skated along through my early years simply following my heart and destiny. I worked hard but I also watched for the signs. There were inner promptings. Opportunities for advancement laid upon my work desk. Gut feelings.

• 16 to move to California. Check.
• 19 to live in Texas. Check.
• Taking my 12 year old traveling to many countries alone. Check.
• Travel alone to a major US city. Check.
• Be a city girl and buy a farm to run alone. Check.
• Write a book and have it published with only a grade 10 education. Check.
• Write a second book and have it published. Check.
• Work from home and raise a child without any help from anyone. Check.
• There is more…but why would I write it? I have nothing to prove here.

The list is long of things I’ve done that others said they wouldn’t have the guts or power to do. I don’t see it as being bold. I see it as following your heart and your destiny. I see it as doing what needs to be done.

Another list is long on ‘good advice’ that others provided. That I contemplated but discarded. Not because it was bad advice, it just wasn’t the right advice for me.

Dare to be bold, sure.

No guts, no glory.

You might wonder how well that ‘follow your heart’ journey worked out for me. You might think that if a person is that tuned into their destiny that life would be full of rewards. I’ll be honest and tell you that it hasn’t been fantastic – but it has been ‘true’.

I was doing well, living happy, top of my game at work and then, at 27 years of age, I met a scoundrel. I’m not sure what attracted me to him but he was like a drug – everything about him was so wrong for me.

He was abusive and controlling. By staying with him I was altering my fate and the path was dark. Through association I was headed into his world of crime and drugs, fights and abhorrent behaviour.

As my light grew dim oppressed by his dark and vile force, a child was born. This child made sense of the years I allowed him to infect my world. This child healed all.

I held onto her and ran. Threw everything I’d worked for out the window and ran. Hide her away from evil. Hide me safely so I may protect and raise this precious bundle.

If you know her today (at 17), you’d know that this worked out precisely, wonderfully, as it was meant to be. We have an uncommon bond. She was never subjected to all the things he might have brought into her world at a tender age. She is a fierce, creative, know-thyself, young woman – unfettered by societal dribble and the “you should do” intents of others.

She dates whom she wants to. She says what she thinks (within reason). She jumps with boldness even when it may be scary to do so – but counts it all as life to be explored.

She is, in essense, the best part of me.

---

Getting to the heart of today’s challenge is eating up words and time and getting me nowhere.

I thought that since I was stumped by this one – because I feel I have already mastered it – that if I would just write, the truth would flow and I would find that I have a long journey ahead to Dare To Be Bold. Perhaps I need to look at it from a different angle. I’m learning nothing here…

Main Question: What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to accomplish but have been afraid to pursue?

Answer: I can’t think of a damn thing! Everything my heart has called out to me to follow or obtain has been attempted or completed.

However…maybe I’m looking too closely at the word ‘afraid’…

I did set out, last year, on a new challenge and have not completed my goal yet. I desired to get back into shape, to firm up and tone, to re-sculpt my body. For four months I worked out, ate better, and was seeing results. I felt great. And then I let life get in the way. First, a book deadline. Then, other people’s needs. I ended up with another mouth to feed, another damaged-by-parents soul to nurture, and my dream of being ‘fit at fifty’ was put on hold.

So, not afraid, but forgotten. And it doesn’t require boldness, but a re-dedication.

So tonight I head to the gym – reminded of my goal and restored to the path I’d laid down in January.