Back in 2013, I wrote about Ralph Waldo Emerson without realizing how much of what I admired in him would one day show up in my own work. Self-publishing, writing in series, blending speaking with writing, journaling, all choices I’ve made as well, were paths he’d walked long before me.
In 1837, Emerson self-published The American Scholar at his own expense, a move I didn’t fully appreciate in 2013 but came to understand deeply in 2017, when I released and self-published my first book into the world. I suspect it was much easier for me than for him, given, again, the times in which we each lived.
He also wrote his own musings in journals. Harvard University Press has now published his journals (16 volumes), and some believe they contain some of his best work. I also consider my journal a companion for life, and those entries have often found their way into my published work.
Another point worth mentioning is that he was also one of the early adopters of the idea of a series, both in writing and in speaking. He understood the value of having sustained conversations with an audience rather than a single, isolated message.
But the main point for me was recognizing how those seeds, planted by what I learned about him and his work, beyond just reading his words, influenced me in ways I could not have imagined.
You’ve heard me say this before and often: There is more value in the rest of our stories than we can imagine. These moments of unexpected and quiet shifts from what we learn from others are part of what makes that true and, in fact, possible.
We must take the information in (LEARN),
then live it out (LIVE),
and ultimately share the results (LEAD).
It definitely speaks to the fact that success leaves clues. Why do we still, after nearly 200 years, quote Emerson’s writings? Because he didn’t just write words. He discussed ideas and presented new thoughts. Even back then, he delivered his message across different media. He was determined to reach people. To make them think and make their own choices. A fellow contrarian.
Here are a few of the challenges he offered that align with my own perspectives, and quite likely, in the early days, shaped them:
Be not the slave of your own past. Plunge into the sublime seas, dive deep and swim far, so you shall come back with self-respect, with new power, with an advanced experience that shall explain and overlook the old.
None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper, which is heard by him alone.
This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
From One Series to the Next
Which brings me to what I found most interesting, reading about him again, in my writing practices.
Even when I didn’t consciously plan it, I’ve always been drawn to the rhythm of exploring an idea over time, one part leading to the next. Years ago, the original writing about Emerson was part of my Behind the Quote series. Then came others – continuing even now in my newsletter and other publications.
As I reflected on Emerson’s approach and my own, I can see that these series are more than formats. They are invitations. A way to stay in conversation, to evolve the questions we ask as we grow. Which is fitting for my next series.
I’m now stepping into a new offering: a Personal FAQ series, helping us identify the essential questions that guide our lives and work.
The series may change, but the approach remains the same: create a framework that helps us explore where we are and find our best path forward to where we’re going, one conversation at a time.
Over the coming posts, we will be diving into those questions we can return to when life and work ask more of us, or at least something different of us, which, let’s face it, is all the time.
We will be looking at them through these five domains:
- Identity & Purpose
- Work & Contribution
- Decision-Making & Direction
- Integration & Rhythm
- Growth & Legacy
I’ll share a question (or two) from my own library of FAQs, as well as some other people of influence in my life. You can think of it as the work before the work.
Because before we can ask What should I do next? which is one of the essentials, we need to ask Who am I?
Going back to Emerson
“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.”
I chose this lesson from Emerson as the first one, and it’s right there in this week’s image because it’s what is at the heart of everything I share and we do here. It’s also a reminder that both the lessons we choose and those that fall under the umbrella of invisible influence only become fully clear over time as we’ve lived them.
As we get ready to embark on this new series, ask yourself this:
Who has been an invisible influence for you that you later came to recognize?
What lessons did they imprint upon you?
