If you’ve ever heard of Seth Godin, then you know that he tends to lean so far towards “out of the box” thinking that he is actually not even IN the box anymore, and I can’t think of high enough praise for that type of behavior!
In fact, I think so highly of it that I’ve come up with some ideas on this that will help you in your self improvement and self development efforts, and big props go to Mr. Godin for his continual efforts at educating all of us on these much needed concepts.
I was inspired to write this post after reading one of his latest entries which I highly recommend you check out. It’s called 50:1, and it’s well worth the very few minutes it will take you to read it.
The basic concept is that people in general tend to live “in the norm”. We play it safe, we do what is “expected”, and we don’t rock the boat.
Oh, there are people who claim to be boat rockers, but when push comes to shove, those same people will bow to the will of “them”, and society will continue to roll nicely along with “them” in charge of what happens.
Well, not to throw a big ol’ piece of negative thinking out there, but the question does come to mind: “Where has listening to “them” gotten us?”
This concept applies equally to business as it does to our personal lives. We all cruise through life doing what “they” think is best for us, but we fail to realize that each of us has the opportunity every single day to do things differently in order to make our lives a better place to be, which will in turn make the world a better place to be.
Now, does that mean that you need to stop what you are doing and suddenly go on some crusade to save the world? Absolutely not. However, if everyone just took a moment to think about what “they” say is right and wrong – and to challenge it when necessary – then “they” would suddenly lose their control.
“We” would suddenly be in control, and “we” would find ourselves in a position of creating the life that we want, rather than just living the one that was given to us.
In many ways, we are living in a world of duality. On one hand, people claim to be more enlightened and “in charge” than ever before, yet at the same time, we continue to follow the doctrines that have been laid down by the people that came before us.
That’s not evolution. That’s stagnation.
I don’t know about y’all, but I would rather be a freak and evolve!
So, as you go through the next few days of your life after reading this post, just take a few minutes to consider the following:
- When I go to work, am I making a difference by thinking outside of the box, or am I just doing what I am told?
- At home, do I come up with new ways in order to achieve peace, harmony and happiness, or does my life look just like the one that my neighbors have?
- When I spend time with my friends, am I leading the pack, or am I just going with the “greater good”?
- When I interact with the family members and in-laws that don’t live in my house, am I speaking my mind, or am I just “keeping the peace”?
Give those questions some serious thought, and refer back to this post frequently if you need a reminder about being YOU, instead of being one of “them”!