Life prompts are kinda like writing prompts, except instead of inspiring free-flowing prose, they evoke free-wheeling action — luminous spirals of what-iffing and hot-damning. Followed by raw transformation. Inner > social > galactic evolution. Yep. No big deal.
Here are a few prompts I’ve been spooning with, of an evening…
What if…
…you invented your own job title — one that couldn’t include the words “writer,” “coach,” “strategist,” “consultant,” “trainer,” “teacher,” “photographer,” “designer,” “baker,” “candlestick-maker” — or anything starkly vocational?
What if…
…you took a total media fast — for an hour? A day? A week? A freakin’ YEAR?
What if…
…you made eye contact with everyone you met?
What if…
…you told your raunchiest secret, and made it the cornerstone of your brand?
What if…
…you removed all blinky electronics from your bedroom?
What if…
…you gave 5% of your income to a world-rocking organization?
What if…
…you under-promised, over-performed, and acted like it was normal?
What if…
…you got your best friend to write your bio? Your first crush? Your mortal enemy?
What if…
…you designated ONE day a month that was a 100% pro bono day? Digital (or literal) doors are flung open. Anyone & everyone can pick your brain. 24 hours only. Then ZERO unpaid brain-time till the next month rolls around.
What if…
…you felt genuinely ecstatic over a comrade’s success?
What if…
…you could transform jealousy into renewed motivation?
What if…
…you really weren’t secretly, somewhat, kinda-sorta seeking your parents’ approval?
What if…
…you used the “good china,” wore your “nice clothes” and bought the “fancy beverage”…every day?
What if…
…you let someone lavish you with care and attention, without protest?
Thoughts? Reactions? Counter-prompts?
I love making jealousy a renewed emotion– it’s nothing negative in my world! I try to use it to ask myself a) what am I REALLY jealous of, b)can I change that? c) if I can’t, I need to move on, d) if I can, I need to develop a plan of attack!
If I had to invent my title, it’d be Princess Ballerina of the Unicorn Ranch.
(Oh my! Buying the fancy drink every day! You’re going to upset some minimalists and financial gurus with that kind of talk. ;)
I like to take potential jealousy and turn it into admiration. :) I love these! The perfect read on a Monday morning.
I love the eye contact one and the “good china”, etc every day one… ;)
Those are the two that I’m going to do more of! :D
Love this what-iffing…
I’ve been working on the eye contact one, actually. One of the biggest things they always say the world’s most influential, CONNECTED people do is make prolonged eye contact.
It is so EFFING hard for me. But I need this challenge, and I think I’m slowly getting better at it.
Good post, per usual. :)
Letting someone lavish me with care & attention, and not trying to stop it is something I’m working on right now & definitely need to work on a lot more. Feel loved & make someone else feel appreciated. It’s a win-win, right?
The under-promising & over-performing is brilliant, too. That starts now. :)
Just catching up with my GoogleReader and I LOVE this post. Love love love.
Still mentally and physically exhausted from an overly-festive festive season, so have none to add of my own but all of the above made me shout YES! YES! YES! (not in a When Harry Met Sally way, btw). Especially this
What if…
…you really weren’t secretly, somewhat, kinda-sorta seeking your parents’ approval?
So weirdly, inexplicably true!
Right, off to ply myself with a fancy beverage!
Hope you’re having a gold star end of year holiday
x
I can’t express how much I have a crush on this post.
I love these prompts and am going to go write about a couple of them right now!!
Alex, once again you’ve shared some awesome food for thought. The parent approval on is something I’ve been working hard on, especially this year since I lost my job and they have been “worried” because I took the year off from working! I try to use the nice china every day! I don’t have any blinky electronics in my bedroom (okay, except the TV!)…I try to take a 1 day media fast every week (usually Sunday’s)! I love every single what if here…inspired! Thanks and I think I’ll keep working on the parent thing, try out the pro bono idea and I’d really love to invent a new title for myself. Cheers~
The “good china, nice clothes” is definitely a part of my life manifesto…I want to celebrate Tuesday just because it is :)
This is AMAZING. I especially love the one about inventing your own job title, and wearing nice clothes everyday! Life is to be celebrated.
This is amazing. I want to enact each one of these in my life.
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Pulling out the crystal to toast this post! Love it!
What if….
You do your job as though everyone is looking to you to learn how to do it well…
I just found your list and blog, super!