Saturday, June 18, 2011

Trust #30 - Alternative Paths by Jonathan Fields

When good is near you, when you have life in yourself, it is not by any known or accustomed way; you shall not discern the foot-prints of any other; you shall not see the face of man; you shall not hear any name; the way, the thought, the good, shall be wholly strange and new. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The world buzzes about goals and visions. Focus. Create a vivid picture of exactly where you want to go. Dream big, then don’t let anything or anyone stop you. The problem, as Daniel Gilbert wrote in Stumbling Upon Happiness, is that we’re horrible at forecasting how we’ll really feel 10 or 20 years from now – once we’ve gotten what we dreamed of. Often, we get there only to say, “That’s not what I thought it would be,” and ask, “What now?” Ambition is good. Blind ambition is not. It blocks out not only distraction, but the many opportunities that might take you off course but that may also lead you in a new direction. Consistent daily action is only a virtue when bundled with a willingness to remain open to the unknown. In this exercise, look at your current quest and ask, “What alternative opportunities, interpretations and paths am I not seeing?” They’re always there, but you’ve got to choose to see them.
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A few days behind due to flight back to the US! Busy, busy, but found some time to get caught up. Was able to spend time on my "quest" ( I am quoting as I am struggling to find a good name for what I am doing!). Alternative paths? Quite a few I think. I am laying out not just the obvious services and skills, but a few I might be able to hone with a little effort. I see one of the biggest challenges to success is going to be to be focused on a specific set of activities. Build on those successes and then expand. I also recognise that i need to talk through my ideas on this new business with some potential smart clients! I have been out of touch for a couple of years. Whew. I have to get all of these thoughts down on paper. I have a lot of thinking and analysing to do this summer!

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