Ralph Waldo Emerson Trust 30 Challenge: Speak Less (or at least softer).

This trust 30 prompt from Laura Kimball is about speaking less in order to do more. The Emerson text she utilizes is about trusting an inner voice no matter what the rest of the world says or thinks. As support, Ms. Kimball uses a cookie fortune "Speak less of your plans, you'll get more done". Emerson and Cookie go well together. Thanks, Laura.

This two pronged idea for producing results is expressed over and over.

• A picture is worth a thousand words. 
• Put up or shut up. 
• Don't tell me, show me. 
• More eloquently stated by Theodore Roosevelt, "Speak softly and carry a big stick".
• Most eloquently written by Master Emerson, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds".

Simply put, follow your own voice. Screw common wisdom. Ignore the whispers and forge ahead. If you spend your life doing as others suggest, you'll be living someone else's life. I realize this is easier said than done, but there is one sure fire way to set a successful course for your internal compass.

Don't talk about what you are going to do. DO what you are going to do. As Cookie said so very nicely, "you'll get more done". Doing instead of talking doesn't provide fodder for Master Emerson's little minds. Even if those little minds want to give you a piece of their mind (not like they have mind to spare) you'll be too busy doing to engage in conversation. Yes, Virginia, doing instead of talking is the ultimate flip-off.

Needless to say, the prompt reflects back at me. Family and friends consider my dabbling in blogging and other such social media falderal inconsequential. Plus, I talk about needing to spend more time trolling for readers for this blog. So less talking, more marketing and shove the results in the face of naysayers.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Trust 30 Day Challenge: Day 3, I Am An Island.

Today's prompt is to write about a time you have stood alone contrary to the beliefs of friends and family. What drove or motivated you and how did you deal with the ramifications?

This challenge is extremely unsettling. I don't wear a mask to blog and I include my family when appropriate. I also don't blog with my blinds, windows and doors wide open. I strongly believe that:

• Family disagreements exist.
• Passionate people argue passionately.
• Disagreements and arguments are held behind closed doors.
• Once issues are resolved, parties to the disagreement face the public united.

Still, accepting a challenge means all in or not in at all.

To this point, my working life has always been as a professional employee. I had a union job and was paid above scale. Pension and family medical/dental+ were 100% employer paid. My position ended Sept., 2008. I have not had full time employment since.

Myself, my wife and our families know only the career path of an employee. Bot my brothers in law are talented. One is an artist, the other a financial planning trainer. Neither has chosen the path of business owner. One is a very successful employee and one would like to be an employee again. My wife wants me to follow in the footsteps of her successful employee brother.

I have chosen the path of an entrepreneur. I plan to launch a service business creating life cycle ceremonies for secular/unaffiliated families as soon as I can gather the $$ for domain and business cards. My wife is unhappy with my decision.

I am the sole provider for my family and I understand my wife's desire for stability. I am still networking for full time employment but as a middle ager+, I refuse to pine for and invitation to the prom after making it very clear I'm available as a prom date.

Most of the employees I know have taken pay reduction to stay employed. They put in extra hours and sweat each week's sales as though the business was their own.  I admire their work ethic. I might as well do the very same things for my own business.

It's apparent there is no resolution to this conflict between my wife and I as of yet. I am confident in my success but only time will tell.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Trust 30 Day Challenge: Day 2

Today's prompt is to describe today in 1 sentence and share that sentence with 1 person. Lather, rinse, repeat.

"Today is the only opportunity today to celebrate today and do everything possible to make today a better today."

Tag, you're it.

Please feel free to leave your sentence for today as a comment.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Challenge: Day 1

I have committed to a 30 day challenge via the Domino Project. Today's prompt: Write the story that must be written. I have 15 minutes. The timer is set and running.

My assumption is I only have 15 minutes to speak my piece. I would address my family and friends with these charges:

1. Love someone for who they are. Do not be angry with someone for who they are not.
      I have heard way to often, "So and so is great, if I could just change a few things..."  Newsflash: if you are talking about an adult those things aren't going to be changed. It is a take it or leave it proposition. If you plan on keeping the things you like and changing the things you don't, good luck. This is no way to love. Love it all or not at all.

2. Charge ahead, no regrets and don't look back.
     Hindsight is better than 20/20. When faced with a decision, mull over the options, evaluate the positive and negative. Then make your decision, charge full speed ahead and accept the consequences good, bad or in between. Forget "If I had known..." or "I should have..." In both cases you didn't so make your decision work.

3. When facing an opponent with a different viewpoint, view the situation thru your opponents eyes.
      This problem is all around. Two opposing viewpoints choose to air their differences by restating their own viewpoint in ever increasing volume and bombast. If you want to get somewhere, argue your opponents view and walk a mile in their shoes. That's the beginning of finding common ground.

4. Embrace all you have.
     There are those with more and those with less. Always, Cherish what you have. It may not be all that you'll have forever, but it's what you have today.

Would love feedback from all. What would you charge your loved ones? What did I miss or should have left out? Hey, if I ever only get 15 minutes, I want to get it right.  There's the timer.