#TRUST30 - 20

“ 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

Laura Kimball - 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?

English
For many years I’ve been wanting to write my book. And everything needed in being able to do so crossed my path. That’s how the Universe operates. I got self employed as a writer with help from the Unemployment Agency, arranged office/writing space, bought an iMac and writing software and then...

...nothing!

Hell I tried. And some more; longer, harder, writing classes, reading about it, started all over and restarted once more. Until I started drinking and smoking out of frustration, trying to escape the reality of my failure. With discovering that there are no faults, only feedback, the Universe brought me ‘The Dip’ by Seth Godin. It made me quit trying to escape, as well as quit writing the book. My writing career turned out to be a Cul-de-sac.

Now I blog and write 1 tweet stories on Twitter (Dutch - @1TweetStory / GB - USA - @1TweetStories). Now that is fun. But it doesn’t generate any income. To pay the bills, I accepted a free-lance DTP short term project that will end this year.

So here I am, self employed and ready to go... but no project (not to sit on, nor to hold me back).
Suggestions anyone?

Nederlands
Al heel lang wilde ik mijn boek schrijven. En ik kreeg toegang tot alle voorzieningen die daar voor nodig waren. Zo werkt het Universum nu eenmaal. Ik ben ZZP’er geworden met hulp van het UWV, heb kantoor/schrijfruimte gecreëerd, een iMac en schrijfsoftware aangeschaft en toen...

...niets!

Ik heb m’n best gedaan. En nog meer; langer, harder, veel gelezen, online schrijflessen, een paar keer helemaal opnieuw en zelfs ook van voor aan af begonnen. Totdat ik uit pure frustratie ging drinken en roken om de realiteit van mijn mislukking te ontvluchten. Na ontdekking dat falen niet bestaat, enkel feedback, bracht het Universum me ‘De Dip’ van Seth Godin. Daarna ben ik zowel met vluchten als met mijn boek gestopt omdat het schrijverschap een doodlopende weg bleek.

Nu blog en schrijf ik verhalen van 1 tweet op Twitter (NL - @1TweetStory /GB - @1TweetStories). Dat is heel erg leuk maar genereert geen inkomen. Om de rekeningen te betalen heb ik een kortlopend dtp project aangenomen dat dit jaar nog afloopt.

Hier zit ik dan, zelfstandig en klaar om te beginnen... maar geen project (niet waar ik nog op zit te broeden of me door laat tegenhouden).
Suggesties iemand?

#TRUST30 - 19

“ Greatness appeals to the future. If I can be firm enough to-day to do right, and scorn eyes, I must have done so much right before as to defend me now. Be it how it will, do right now. Always scorn appearances, and you always may. ” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dan Andrews - Trusting intuition and making decisions based on it is the most important activity of the creative artist and entrepreneur. If you are facing (and fearing) a difficult life decision, ask yourself these three questions:

1) “What are the costs of inaction?” I find it can be helpful to fight fear with fear. Fears of acting are easily and immediately articulated by our “lizard brains” (thanks Seth) e.g. what if I fail? what if I look stupid? If you systematically and clearly list the main costs of inaction, they will generally overshadow your immediate fears.

2) “What kind of person do I want to be?” I’ve found this question to be extremely useful. I admire people who act bravely and decisively. I know the only way to join their ranks is to face decisions that scare me. By seeing my actions as a path to becoming something I admire, I am more likely to act and make the tough calls.

3) “In the event of failure, could I generate an alterative positive outcome?” Imagine yourself failing to an extreme. What could you learn or do in that situation to make it a positive experience? We are generally so committed to the results we seek at the outset of a task or project that we forget about all the incredible value and experience that comes from engaging the world proactively, learning, and improving our circumstances as we go along.

English
1) I agree that it is helpful to fight fear with fear when facing difficult decisions. But inaction is a choice as well; the decision to do nothing. If that is what’s needed, you should go for it.
2) That question is always useful. With or without difficult decisions.
3) There is an up to every down. So yes; there is always an alternative positive outcome.

In situations where fear postpones a decision, feel free to flip a coin. Keep flippin’ until the right side is up. Because deep inside, intuition already told you what to do.

Nederlands
1) Ik ben het er mee eens dat angst met angst bestrijden helpt om moeilijke beslissingen te nemen. Maar niets doen is ook een keuze. En als dát nodig is, dat doe je niets.
2) Die vraag is altijd goed om te stellen. Met of zonder moeilijke beslissingen.
3) “Elk nadeel heb z’n voordeel.” (- Johan Cruijff). Ja dus; er is altijd een positief alternatief.

In situaties waar angst of twijfel het nemen van een beslissing steeds weer uitstelt, kun je ook een muntje opgooien. Net zo lang tot de juiste kant boven ligt. Want diep van binnen wist je al wat je wilde.

#TRUST30 - 18

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

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

English
Dreams and wishes are kind of the same I think. Here comes my top 3:

• Dreaming of - good health until death parts me and my body.
  Holding me back - Nothing. Although some parts are worn out, I feel good.
• Dreaming of - sharing a bed with two ladies (if only for once).
  Holding me back - Mrs. Warvis.
• Dreaming of - financial independence.
  Holding me back - I'm a dreamer...

Nederlands
Dromen en wensen zijn volgens mij bijna hetzelfde. Hier mijn top 3:

• Ik droom van - een goede gezondheid tot de dood mij en m'n lijf scheidt.
  Tegengehouden door - Niets. Ondanks een paar versleten onderdelen voel ik me prima.
• Ik droom van - het bed delen met twee dames (al was het maar één keer).
  Tegengehouden door - Mevr. Warvis.
• Ik droom van - financiële onafhankelijkheid.
  Tegengehouden door - Ik ben een dromer...

#TRUST30 - 17

“ 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

“ 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.

English
Been chewing on this one two days now, trying to push a vision. But I had about enough of the future. It gets me stressed and frustrated for not being able to see jack out there, except the noise and darkness I already wrote about on day 9.

Back from the future into the here and now, I feel a lot better.

Nederlands
Al twee dagen loop ik over deze opdracht te piekeren om toch maar iets te bedenken. Maar eigenlijk ben ik even helemaal klaar met de toekomst. Ze deprimeert me omdat ik er geen ruk zie, behalve de ruis en duisternis waar ik dag 9 al over schreef.

Terug uit de toekomst in het hier en nu voel ik me stukken beter.