Announcing "The Writ"

Welcome to "The Writ"

Creative Ideas Light Up The World

I have always wanted to do a "creative writing performance piece" and now I've added to that description, "in repertoire."

What the hell does that mean?

Actually, it's pretty simple! Anyone who has participated in the Trust30 project has shown initiative at a given level. In many cases, it was a level that they didn't even know existed within themselves. To me, that was the most amazing thing that we created and shared.

An interesting idea (well, at least to me!) started to percolate in my brain today...

What could we create together?

Given the diverse personalities, backgrounds, experiences, ages and geographic locations of the numerous participants, what kind of story could we weave if we worked together under an particular set of rules?

So if you would like to play, here are my rules for "The Writ":

• We are creating a work of fiction. You can base your contribution on experiences, dreams, ideas, notions, whatever, whether they be of a real or fantastical nature;
• The story will be written a mere three paragraphs at a time;
• Depending on the number of willing participants, that's how often your turn to add to and continue the story will come around. So if seven people want to do this, you will see your turn come up sometime within seven days;
• After you write your three paragraphs, you will "toss the ball" to whomever you choose that hasn't contributed yet within that cycle. For example, using seven participants, if four people have already written and it's tossed to you, you write your three paragraphs and toss it to one of the remaining two people who have yet to add to the story in that cycle. A list of names will be at the bottom of the story, checked off each time you contribute, making it easy to keep track. Once everyone is checked off in that cycle, it starts over and the story can be tossed to anyone to begin a new cycle;
• NOTE: This is actually harder to clearly explain than it is to do!
• So that others can read the story as it continues to evolve, we will publish the story to date on each of our blogs. This way, not only can you enjoy it but non-participating readers of your blog could find this interesting and follow along;
• You are free to end a chapter, start a new one or add a creative piece of art or photography anytime you see fit in the flow of the story.
• You will also want to post to the Facebook page "The Writ" much like we posted to the Emerson page for the Self Reliance / Trust30 project.

That's it! I'm aiming to begin this on on Sunday, July 10th to allow as many as would like to participate time to work this into their schedules. I will kick it off that day with the title of the story and the first three paragraphs.

I promise not to start the story with "It was a dark and stormy night."

If you want to come along for the ride, respond back to this blog or on Facebook on "The Writ" page. That link is:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Writ/204409886272536?v=wall

This project is created and offered in the spirit of the picture above. Creative ideas truly do light up the world.

Let's create one together.

Trust30; day 31: Image

Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mess up your hair. If you are wearing makeup – smudge it. If you have a pair of pants that don't really fit you – put them on. Put on a top that doesn’t go with those pants. Go to your sock drawer. Pull out two socks that don’t match. Different lengths, materials, colors, elasticity.

Now two shoes. You know the drill.

Need to add more? Ties? Hair clips? Stick your gut out? I trust you to go further.

Take a picture.

Get ready to post it online.

Are you feeling dread? Excitement? Is this not the image you have of yourself? Write about the fear or the thrill that this raises in you? Who do you need to look good for and what story does it tell about you? Or why don’t you care?

By now, you may be getting the idea that this Trust30 writing project, ostensibly on Emerson's "Self Reliance," is marching to its own beat. It isn't necessarily like any other program that you may have signed up for.

It doesn't care. I don't mean that in a callous way but in a "This is what I am with no apologies offered; you make up your own mind" -kind of way.

Thus, welcome to day 31 of a 30 day project. Come in and play if you want to, or not. Completely up to you, my dear.

I half-smile and confess that I was sort of expecting something like this. OK, here's my ante, deal me in...

The picture at the top is my "non-conformist" period, circa 1977. College senior, too cool for the world, long hair, ripped jeans, medallion around the neck. The adults who knew me thought I had lost my mind. "What happened to the nice young man we knew all of this time?" was frequently tossed my way.

This is also the time that my parents started the whole divorce drama, my mom moved towards a mental breakdown, the family unit illusion started to splinter and crack and my father and I almost came to blows, starting the twenty year separation.

Drama, drama, drama etc. My look matched the feeling. And guess what?

I looked just like virtually everyone else my age. Hair, clothes, attitude, etc. The only thing that I utterly rejected were all of the drugs available to me (other than alcohol, which was legal from the time I turned 18. Even that, I shied away from after one near-fatal night.)

I remind myself of that frequently when I look at the pierced, tatted, spiked, outlandish fashion, mood and attitude of many of today's twenty-somethings. They look like their friends, their peers... just like everyone else.

We make a statement to predominantly stand in lockstep with "our generation." Those who don't both gain and lose, as do all who color outside the lines. It molds and shapes our story and by and large, it tends to be a mostly unconscious period. Highly reactive; minimally creative.

And it is all OK. No harm, no foul; it is a platform we build to decide where we go from here.

The last part of this "bonus" prompt (and don't be shocked if another pops up tomorrow; I won't) asks lots of questions, all dealing around the main event - How does this make you feel?

Feelings that I truly understanding to be the language of the soul...

Feelings that will guide you towards your wisdom...

Feelings that will frame your life in the light...

If we choose to honor them.

How do you feel when you think about that?

Trust30; day 30: 10 Year Text

Speak what you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said today. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Imagine your future self, ie, you 10 years from now. If he/she were to send you a tweet or text message, 1) what would it say and 2) how would that transform your life or change something you’re doing, thinking, believing or saying today?

Hey! You, Rich 2011... it's Rich 2021! Don't get frightened. The clarity of the message you're receiving is due to the fact I... you... well, you know what I mean! Anyway, there are no more keyboards! In fact, there are no more phones at all.

Remember that old, classic movie "The Terminator"? It works like that! The implant on the side of my ear allows for true 'hands free' communication and the lenses on my eyes allow for visual information to be sent or received.

By the way, if you think you're rocking TV now at 1080p, wait till you try 4320 "eye," literally in front of your eyes! Think you can't have new thrills at 65 years young? Think again!

Enough of the "sneak preview." I have something to share with you. Man, I hope your "smart phone" of ten years ago can receive this; it's important.

If I've timed this right, you should be on the verge of wrapping up that little project you dived into. You know, Trust30. That's the one that got you committed to blogging everyday and gained you new friends and compadres all over the world.

Well, it may be over, but...

Don't stop.

You'll have to take "our" word on this. The energy that you started flowing by doing that project continues to grow at a fantastic rate, stretching out in amazing directions. This is all because you decided to keep the momentum alive by doing something everyday and learning to act on your intuition.

I'm not allowed to give you any details (I may even be saying too much here!) but as a "future self," you are really going to like this if you just keep reaching out, taking small steps, feeling forward in joy.

That's it, I'll get us in a jam if I say anymore. What I can say is that I love "you" and look back in incredible admiration and appreciation for the supposed chances you took. You grew and continued to stay aware on your joyous journey.

Signing off... hope I didn't fry your phone with the frequency!

Wait... what the hell was that? Am I dreaming this?

Well, it feels too good, like I just got "hugged from the inside." So whether it was a dream or not, I'll honor it as some kind of message from Self.

Keep stretching? Yes, I will.

Try more new things for the joy of the experience? You bet.

Find constant delight in meeting more "like-feeling" souls on their own unique journey, thus enriching mine? The best!

And always reminding myself to stay as conscious as I can in the moment and remembering to reach towards what feels good?

That is a given; a gift that I can, do, and will give myself.

Always.

All ways.

Trust30, day 29; Overcoming Uncertainty

Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Write down a major life goal you have yet to achieve or even begin to take action on. For each goal, write down three uncertainties (read: fears) you have relating to each goal. Break it down further, and write down three reasons for each uncertainty.When you have three reasons for your fear, you’ll be able to start processing the change because you know where the fear stems from. Now you’ll be able to make a smaller changes that push you towards your larger goal. So begins the process of “trusting yourself.”

Imagine being happy, really happy, just being yourself.

Imagine being pleased, satisfied, dare I say, joyous, at the life story you're writing, the rich tapestry you're weaving moment by moment, now... now... now.

Can't do it? Whatever reason you come up with, it hits bedrock at the level of the ultimate lie; I am not good enough.

I reiterate, it IS a lie. I am not suggesting that you can move from the darkness of that lie into the light all at once. You may have to take it in increments. It's OK, you have the rest of your life to do so. It would obviously feel much better to do quicker rather than slowly. It would definitely feel better.

And that is your choice, the same choice that we all have. Do I make the best of now, or the worst? Even if it's an awful situation, you can find someway of looking at it that moves it slightly into the light, making it "less awful."

After all, the inverse of the lie, "I am not good enough" is "I am good."

Once you start to believe that, uncertainty fades away as rapidly as fog dissipating in the sunlight.

Trust yourself.

Trust your Self.

Trust30, day 28; Alive-est

Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. If we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

When did you feel most alive recently? Where were you? What did you smell? What sights and sounds did you experience? Capture that moment on paper and recall that feeling. Then, when it’s time to create something, read your own words to reclaim a sense of being to motivate you to complete a task at hand.

Ni... ag...a...ra... Faaalllls... Slowly I turned, step by step, step by step...

That is an ancient comedy routine by Abbott and Costello. Very funny! You can see it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr6VBg1SiYI

But that was it for me! In an earlier blog, I spoke of how I decided, even though dead tired and not too happy with the current state of things, to take a ride to the falls at night while visiting Buffalo, NY on business.

I have only been to these magnificent falls once before while driving with friends to Toronto in the late 80's. It was also the middle of winter with snow piled in the tens of feet by the Falls so needless to say, it was a short visit.

This time was deliberate. This time I needed to connect with something bigger than my current state of energy.

The big thing was that I found a spark to push myself and go in the late evening. That was a very good decision as it turned out.

If you've never been there, the first thing I can tell you is that you hear the power of the rushing water long before you get to the actual Falls. It is a roar that is hard to describe in any better terms than "all encompassing." It was fun to watch people on their phones near the river, screaming into them, trying to be heard. (Yes, I was eventually one of them, in case you were wondering.)

Then I noticed, even after 10 Pm, that there were still a decent gathering of people milling about the walkways, the Falls themselves, taking pictures, silently taking in the feeling of standing near such natural power. It's like a United Nations of visitors and that was pretty amazing to behold.

The Falls at night (and I did not have the best vantage point, which comes on the Canadian side overlooking the Horseshoe Falls) is still spectacular. They are illuminated by many colored, powerful spotlights. It is dazzling as the rising mists, water vapor you can see and smell, glows red, white, blue and shades in between. If you love nature, love water, enjoy connection with something greater, this is a place that you want to put on your short list to visit.

After speaking with my love, yelling into the phone, I drove back after taking it all in for an hour. How "ironic" that with my spirit renewed, a little project known as Trust30 came to my attention, starting the very next day.

Now I could jump in with no attention cast on my circumstances. I could and did choose to "let loose" and be more of mySelf, not holding back the joyous power of attention and expression that I am.

Thanks to Niagara Falls, I turned, step by step... and now I am pleased with the direction I am heading and it is getting better and more fun all of the time.

That's about as good as it gets (and it's still getting better!)

Trust30; day 27: Personal Recipe

I do not wish to expiate, but to live. My life is for itself and not for a spectacle. I much prefer that it should be of a lower strain, so it be genuine and equal, than that it should be glittering and unsteady. I wish it to be sound and sweet, and not to need diet and bleeding. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Think about the type of person you’d NEVER want to be 5 years from now. Write out your own personal recipe to prevent this from happening and commit to following it. “Thought is the seed of action.”

I am going to do my best to avoid criticism in this post. I simply wonder if people don't understand the true power of focus. I know that I'm still learning, gaining perspective on how incredibly powerful it is. This prompt seems to be pulling in opposing directions, noting that thought is the seed of action but ignoring that focusing on anything is the actual planting of those seeds. It is incredibly simply but not easy.

There is no "No."

Every time I watch a parent with a young child that is not behaving according to their desires point at them at say an emphatic, "No!", I wonder if they understand the results of that action.

All choices exist all of the time. Black and white, odd and even, yes and no. All there, waiting for our choosing to "light them up," animate them, call them to action.

It's like wearing a mining helmet on your head. What you're looking at exists in the beam of light. As you turn away, something else becomes the subject of your attention and gains a place in your story.

The child wants attention. "Look at me!" his actions cry. The parent yells and thus gives him what he wants, even if it's perceived as negative. It is still attention. Mission accomplished.

So can anyone give me any reason at all why I would want to light up the kind of person that I would NEVER want to be in 5 years? And why I would want to put up a barrier to NOT become that?

I am a work in progress. I look in the direction that I now choose to progress towards. I understand that I'll have to adjust along the way and reserve the option to utterly change my course if that is what feels right.

However, I won't just say "No." To point my attention at something and utter the word is still pointing.

As an experiment, try pointing at something and walking in the opposite direction. See where it gets you and how comfortable it feels.

Thank you for this prompt. I believe that I'll choose "walking towards the light."

The light of "Yes, that feels right."

Trust30; day 26: Call to Arms

The secret of fortune is joy in our hands. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

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.

You’re just written your own job description. You know what you have to do. Go!

(bonus: send it to the CEO with the title “The things we absolutely have to get right – nothing else matters.”)

I'm going to do something today that should have been done a long time ago.

I call upon the best of you, each and every one that our business touches.

I believe that sometimes in the pursuit of profit, we dehumanize the experience with our people, our partners and our customers. We stress, we grind, we compromise at every turn in attempting to wring every last penny out of any business and financial situation.

I'm not talking about avoiding touch decisions here. Rather, I'm speaking of not utilizing our greatest resource, the spark that cannot be automated, duplicated or economized.

Who knows how to make things "click" like you? Who sees the clear path, the better way that isn't so obvious to those who aren't walking your path, doing your job?

It takes nothing but brilliant small steps to climb great heights. I encourage you to take those steps willingly and with great joy and anticipation.

Here are two items within my power that I can take to show you my sincerity in setting out in this noble direction.

First, any decisions that need be taken in regards to reshaping positions, titles, roles and responsibilities that will have a dramatic impact on your life and livelihood will be discussed with you in advance so that we can enter into these new roles under the best of circumstances. "Hitting the ground running" works far better if one has entered the race willingly. Otherwise, it's more like being dropped out of an airplane at 20,000 feet minus a chute!

Second, I pledge to those souls willing to invest in themselves that I will "double down" on your willingness. Courses will be offered that will aid and assist you in opening your mind and heart to not only do your job better but live a better overall life, be a better person. The seminars and offerings will surprise and delight you and we are also looking for your input as to how they can be improved, made more relevant to you.

There are no edicts being proclaimed here. No one knows better than I that one cannot be forced to do something and then expected to do it well. I will let the "rising tide" of energy and optimism shake out those who do not feel the same. It always does so unfailingly.

Great ideas are wonderful. Great ideas, worked on with deliberate intent, by a team of individuals who enjoy discovering that limits are illusions, become magnificent achievements, brilliant creations that inspire growth in ways heretofore unimaginable.

That's my idea.

Together, we can make it real.