Day 5 Challenge | Chris Guillebeau | Travel

If we live truly, we shall see truly. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Not everyone wants to travel the world, but most people can identify at least one place in the world they’d like to visit before they die. Where is that place for you, and what will you do to make sure you get there?

Here is the background, in case there are things about me you don’t know

• I do not believe in coincidences
• Children are my passion
• I will do what I can with what I have – even if it doesn’t feel like enough
• “Go big or go home” seems like an understatement to me

The prompting for me to tell the following story seems to be coming up with increasing regularity over the past 2 months. Where that is heading, I don’t know. But, the purpose is strong and good – so allow me to tell it again.

I had the amazing fortune of meeting Jeff Turner some years ago. First online, then at a conference. I would hope that he would agree that the relationship is a good one. I admire Jeff and find his brain quirky  fascinating.

Between my family and Jeff’s, there are 10 children. That gives two people a good bit to talk about. Jeff began to tell me about his wife, Rocky. I was instantly intrigued. This beautifully strong woman has a purpose on this planet and it resonated in my heart.

As if wifing one man and mothering six children weren’t enough, Rocky decided no child should be left to fend for themselves, motherless. After a volunteer trip to Kenya, Rocky envisioned Mother’s Fighting for Others.

The mission statement is direct

Mothers Fighting For Others provides orphaned girls with a loving and nurturing environment and a quality education, so they can learn, thrive and achieve their highest potential.

And this thought from Rocky brings tears to my eyes every time

What I want for them is simple. I want them to feel loved. I want them to feel safe and secure. I want them to go to school and grow up to be great women. What I want for them is what their Mothers would have wanted. That is it. It’s that simple.

It is impossible for me to give Rocky all the support she needs, but I know I can do something – even if it is just a small thing. I can tell you. I don’t know if this mission resonates with you. But I do know, if it does, no thing you do in support of it is too small. A prayer, a donation, telling others, encouragement, support – there are lots of things we can do even when we feel like we can do nothing.

It is my goal to travel to meet Rocky’s girls and introduce them to my girls. As a sister and as a mother of sisters, that bond is amazing. I hope to give that type of support to Rocky, help her Mother her girls, teach my children the beauty of relationship outside the normal ideals, that we are all family.

I am also hopeful that I have reached one person – or 20! – that has been moved to do that one thing, whatever that one thing may be. No one person can do all things – but each can do something.

This is the Day 5 Prompt of the #Trust30 challenge

Day 4 Challenge | Jenny Blake | Post-it Question

That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him. Where is the master who could have taught Shakespeare? Where is the master who could have instructed Franklin, or Washington, or Bacon, or Newton? . . . Shakespeare will never be made by the study of Shakespeare. Do that which is assigned you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Identify one of your biggest challenges at the moment (ie I don’t feel passionate about my work) and turn it into a question (ie How can I do work I’m passionate about?) Write it on a post-it and put it up on your bathroom mirror or the back of your front door. After 48-hours, journal what answers came up for you and be sure to evaluate them.

Forget a question – I have a statement to make (hahaha ~ I heard you say “What else is new?” You guys just think you are soooo funny.)

I stay in my own way. Up in my head, psyching myself out, declaring obvious defeat so I don’t even bother to wage the battle. I swear there are at least 4 of me that live in this one skin…and one of these ladies must be a Yankee cause she is crazy! Oh come on…you know I kid, I kid I love all of my lady warriors ~ regardless of geography!

Seriously though, I have a witch of a voice and for whatever reason, she gets way more air time than she deserves.  And I am not asking her anything – there are no discussions to be had, deals to be made, points to ponder. I am telling her…

GET OUTTA MY WAY!!

This is the Day 4 Prompt of the #Trust30 challenge

This is the Day 1 Prompt of the #Trust30 challenge. While I believe the original idea was to have most of the posts in one location, I can’t promise that. You may find some here, some at Making Life Work for You, Twitter, who knows. I haven’t seen all the challenge prompts so I may not even publish all of them depending on the content. But, so far, it looks like fun and I appreciate Glad Doggett for turning me on to it.

Day 1 Challenge | Gwen Bell | 15 Minutes to Live

We are afraid of truth, afraid of fortune, afraid of death, and afraid of each other. Our age yields no great and perfect persons. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

You just discovered you have fifteen minutes to live.

1. Set a timer for fifteen minutes.
2. Write the story that has to be written.

I am a happier person than I often allow myself to be. I am grateful that it is, in all probably, not my last 15 minutes on earth. Because it is not, I think it is a good idea to repeat that first sentence.

I am a happier person than I often allow myself to be.

I am a blessed woman. Handsome husband, four beautiful children, mom, pops, sisters, family, comfortable home, great pets, awesome job, productive hobbies. Seriously, where is the despair in that?

Honestly, despair is, among other things, chemical and relative. I believe I am cognitive enough to handle the chemical. It’s the relative that I need to be more mindful of.

Because this is not my last 15 minutes, the story here is pregnant with possibility. However, there is no story, no pregnant, no possibility, without full focus in the now.

The thought attempting to take shape in my mind is, so often we focus on getting “to there” where ever “there” is. In that task, we forget how to live here, in the now. The rub of that is, once we get to “there” we won’t know how to live in that either.

So doesn’t it make sense to live in the now, focus here. Enjoy the things we have created while still continuing to build the dream. Then “there” will always be “here” and we have found the way to consistently live in our integrity and purpose.

Hmmmm…story needs some work. I hope you followed at least some of it. It worked for me on this day…and sometimes that just has to be enough.