02 Apr The Simplest Way to Start Doing More of What You Love + A Free 7-Day Self-Discovery Challenge in Honor of Scott Dinsmore’s Birthday
Hi legends,
Last week we spoke about becoming a self-expert and why it is important. In short, I believe that when we set aside the time to understand why we do what we do, we begin to live a more aligned life and when we do that we stop seeking validation externally, rather we discover it within. Which, in turn, allows us to show up in the world as an authentic version of ourselves and gives us the courage to share our unique gifts with the world – all of which feels very good!
So I am personally insanely curious about myself. I like to understand the motives behind what drives me, I like to observe the reactions I have to things before I ever act on them. I like to inquire about my own insecurities, and I constantly try to look within when it would be more logical to blame around. Granted, I have not done any of this alone, as I have read and worked with people to help me constantly grow and evolve for over a decade!
But today, I want to talk about one of the best tools I know to become a self-expert that requires zero investment, other than a little courage and diligence. We are all coming from different places and at LYL we want to offer opportunities for each and every one of us to improve upon or learn to appreciate their current situation, no matter what that may look like right now.
And the great news is, the best way I know how to become a self-expert is something that is available to everyone…
Ready for it?
To create a regular writing habit.
Yep, easy as that!
That’s why twice a year, we do a free 7 Day Self-Discovery Writing Challenge (formally called The Start-a-Blog Challenge) because we think everyone can benefit from getting their thoughts and ideas out of their head and into the world.
And not only can you benefit from it, but you simply never know who might learn or grow from what you have to say! The thing we have heard time and time again from our participants (and why we suggest doing this challenge online or in a blog format) is how they realize that they actually have something to offer by sharing their voice. Note: Next week we will announce last rounds winner, so stay tuned!
Check out what a few of our past challengers had to say:
“The most valuable thing that I learned in doing this is that I have a voice that is worth hearing. I had known, previously, that I have a voice and that some people like listening to it. What I didn’t realize is that my voice had value and was worth listening to. This helped me to realize that. It also made me think about what I will be leaving for my children. They will be able to look back at this and get a better understanding of who their mother was and what she was all about.” –Toni
“The most powerful result that I have experienced is that I got my courage back. As I sat down and spoke my truth on paper for the first time, I realized that I have something powerful and magical to share with the world that people need to know. With every article, I kept feeling less and less fear to speak my voice from what I know is true.” – Itatiaia D
A Little Backstory on Why We Think This Matters
Scott, the late founder of Live Your Legend, was a big proponent of writing because that is how he took a hobby and turned it into a business. He began Live Your Legend by reviewing the books he read on a website, and that website eventually became the thriving global community that LYL is today. You can read more of Scott’s why here.
This is why we time this free challenge alongside his birthday, which is today April 3 (Happy Birthday Scott!), because this was one of the things he felt very passionately about, and I can’t think of a better way to continue to celebrate the man he was and the gifts he gave us than by using them… To use this day as a reminder to continually grow as an individual, and give what we discover back to others. And I love sharing this passion of his because it requires no massive leaps, its affordable and available to arguably anyone!
I also personally gained a tremendous amount from adopting this habit when I found myself navigating the most difficult transition of my life: the loss of Scott. Writing allowed me to process my thoughts and draw conclusions from the jumble that was in my head. It was tempting to turn towards overwhelm and inaction during that trying time, but rather I found that writing helped me navigate the journey rather than stay stuck in a challenging place.
I journaled avidly, and almost anyone can pick up a pen and a piece of paper right now and do the same. I firmly believe that if you start a regular writing habit and review, you will walk away with:
- A greater sense of what drives you
- An deeper understanding of the things that trigger a pattern of behavior, whether that is a positive or negative emotion
- Less stress and more calm
- A broader perspective
- More compassion for yourself and others
All reasons enough right?
But the real kicker for me, was when I began to put my thoughts out in the world, I also started to see that I had the ability to help people. As I shared in this video from last week, among the 7 billion people on this planet, there is exactly one version of you! That means you are unique and, therefore, have something only you can offer.
I am not pretending to believe that everyone can (or even wants to!) turn their thoughts into a massive business, but that’s not the point. The point is to realize that you might have something to say that can even help one person. I don’t know about you, but that right there is success to me!
So long story short, Scott was a big proponent of writing, and so am I. We both have unique stories of the power it can have to transform your life. His was around a career change and building a business, mine was around a major life change and overcoming hardship. But I can’t help but recognize that for both of us, it made a huge difference in navigating those transitions, and I believe it can help you too, no matter what you are dealing with at the moment.
So, we choose Scott’s birthday as a time to share something that anyone can be a part of to improve wherever you are today! The challenge includes:
- A free 7 day email series with writing prompts
- Access to a private community on Facebook – you aren’t going at this alone.
- A video on how anyone can set up their own website in under 10 minutes with zero tech experience
- Plus, a chance to have your work featured on Live Your Legend!
We suggest creating a blog or website online, simply because it is the quickest way to prove to yourself that you might in fact have a way to add value to someone else’s life, but you can make this your own. Feel free to write in your journal, but hey… you never know who you might be able to help if you put your thoughts out in the world! And for those that are technologically disadvantaged, (such as myself!) we can help you set up a website with our short and simple video that walks you step-by-step through the process, even if you have zero tech experience!
We have had nearly 10,000 people join us for this challenge over the years and here’s what some of our other past challengers had to say:
“The most valuable thing I’ve learned since starting this blog is the value and importance of sharing my stories. By modeling openness and vulnerability, others also feel permission to share their stories. And when this happens, authentic connection is possible. Finally taking the leap and blogging has given me the courage to keep going and pursue my dreams.” –Vanessa
“To be specific and concise: I learned about myself. The powerful result: I overcame an obstacle that had been preventing me from writing and restarted a writing habit I had gotten away from. Writing for the challenge helped me process the changes going on in my life currently as well as helping me see a path forward for creating a travel/photography blog. More than anything I enjoyed reading the blogs, seeing the different formats and learning along the way. Reading some of the other blogs only made mine better. I couldn’t be more thankful for the LYL community, all the help and encouragement from the LYL team and the other participants was amazing.” –Becky
“The most valuable thing in starting a blog for me is that I will now try not to give up on my life and enjoy something that once seemed impossible for me… Before starting a blog, I never thought that there would be a solution to find a better way for my life. I felt that I was in a maze that didn’t have any exit and I would live in this maze forever. But after having started a blog, I started to think about how I want to live my life. Today I’m still in the maze but the difference between before and after starting blog is that now I’ll try to find an exit—and I believe I can find it!” –Hiroyo
So, who’s joining the party?
Join us today and, in you are in, let us know in the comments below!
Can’t wait to see what you create,
Chelsea Dinsmore
***Note: In order to have the chance to be featured on LYL, you must sign up by midnight PST on April 10th. There’s no need to faff about, as the say over here in London :), so join us now!
P.S. Past challengers and those who already have a blog are welcome to join!
P.P.S. Keep your eye out next week to meet our last writing challenge winner whose work will be featured!
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