One of the most creative journeys any of us can undertake, is to learn who we really are and live a life, which is true to our authentic self. I see this as a high form of art: The art of being yourself.
I believe the journey begins, when we embrace the mindset that says the need to conform is bogus and that it fails to serve us or those around us. If this mindset sounds familiar, there’s a very good reason. It’s because you will have seen it mentioned again and again, whenever you have studied the life or work of any great artist, visionary or thought leader.
Some people are different whilst others try to be
Truly original thinkers, those who society regard as being uniquely different, live their lives very differently from the general population. A key difference, is that they have learned to value their uniqueness, rather than hide it and conform. They are not trying to be different, they are trying to be their authentic self.
Interestingly, many people love the idea of being an original, but only if they can do it, by copying what others do. They want to stand out, to be seen as different, but they look outside for originality instead of looking within. They copy, when they should be stealing like an artist!
A common example of this can be seen, when we look at some of the dedicated fans of music genres. Millions of people dress in a way they believe to be ‘shocking’ and original, by copying the dress code of their music tribe. Rather than embrace their authentic self, they simply follow their tribe.
No 2 people are the same
We were all born to be different. To live a truly unique life, we need to embrace what makes us different, rather than disguise it.
Our challenge is that conforming is easy! Think about it, fitting in is simple and requires zero courage. Filling your mind with mass media messages, can be done without conscious thought. Following the flock requires little thought or effort. This is why so many people choose to keep their heads down and just fit in.
Those of us committed to a life of discovery and self-growth, know that our path is more challenging. However, it leads to a far more rewarding and exciting life journey, than the majority of people can even dream of!
Photo: Dawn Huczek
Jim Connolly
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