#Trust30 Day 27: Use the bad example

Today’s Prompt:

Personal Recipe by Harley Schreiber

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.”

(Author: Harley Schreiber)

Read the post online: http://ralphwaldoemerson.me/harley-schreiber

My biggest fear is to become person who stops learning and stops doing.

I see so many people who “live a life of quiet desperation” as Emerson’s close friend, Thoreau once wrote. I often joke about not wanting to become one of those “Hey you kids! Get off my lawn!” type of people and I actively work against it. One great way to do that is to find reasons to be around younger people. Their fresh thoughts, hopes and dreams can help you to remain young, while also offering a bit of guidance from your own experiences.

I often hear others demeaning the “youth of today” and I wonder who they are using for their examples. The kids I meet these days are intelligent, driven, realistic, but also hopeful. I think they will do just fine. We must remember that our parents often said the same demeaning things about us and most of us have turned out just fine. Instead of complaining, we need to lead, to mentor and to challenge today’s youth to “be all that they can be!”


#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on your now, and to create direction for your future. 30 prompts from inspiring thought-leaders will guide you on your writing.

Back to Top