It’s the path of least resistance. It robs you of all creativity, independence and forward thinking. It’s hard to have a vision of something bigger, or better when you are continually staring at the head right in front of, or next to your own, moving slowly in the same direction you are, your big picture blocked by the thousands, if not millions of people doing the same thing you are doing. It’s the slow-lane to mediocrity and you are simply along for the ride.
It’s called following the herd.
It’s doing what everyone else is doing and taking the same path they are – hopping on the same highway of life – which is then backed-up, bumper-to-bumper with everyone headed on the same road… a road to nowhere.
This is life. This is choices. This is magic. And the quickest way to avoid thinking about any of it is to live your life the way someone else thinks you should, it’s being too scared to make a choice, or take a path which is different than other people. It’s about being too caught up in the day-to-day of living to notice the world around you is really a beautiful place.
Want to experience it? Then do the easiest exercise you could – get off the highway and take a back road. The next time you hop in the car – give it a shot – get the GPS to re-route you to “avoid the highway” and take the roads less traveled. It might take you longer to reach your destination, but the ride will be worth it. You are moving forward, there’s less traffic and you have time to think and ponder your better future.
Heck, at least it’s a start.
And if you really want to get away from the herd, then while you are driving the back roads – albeit in your car, or even in your mind, then take the time to think about why you are here, what your true hidden talent might be, you’ve got the answer, it’s right there in front of you, but you may have never taken the time to give it serious thought.
Once you have removed yourself from the herd in your thoughts, then it’s time to step away, to stay on the back road and to take action. Go after what really want, what your hearts’ desire is telling you to do, even if it’s not the choice or the desire that others have, or doesn’t fit their concept of what life might be really all about. The day you stop living your life for other people, or simply following the herd, is the day you begin to really live.
Want to build your own business? Want to do something artistic? Want to turn your hobby into your primary vocation? Want to challenge yourself physically and mentally? Want to change the world? Then it’s simple, you must begin and focus and practice and grind it out to get what you want. It won’t be easy, nothing worthwhile ever is – but you will enjoy the journey – leaving the rest of the herd behind to slowly move in unison to mindless mediocrity. You might have some idea you’ve been keeping inside, or afraid to share because you are worried that other people will think it’s silly. You might want to so something that you think other people will say is not important.
Do it and don’t let other people’s perceptions stop you. I’m going to say it again, the day you stop worrying about what other people think, is the day you free yourself to do something truly special.
I’ll leave you with this to think about, a passage from the book I am reading, The Entrepreneur Rollercoaster, Why Now Is The Time to Join the Ride, (https://www.facebook.com/TheEntrepreneurRollerCoaster), by Darren Hardy. Think about what he says here, then start thinking about leaving the herd behind:
I call this process “getting a grip”. It means getting perspective on how important the opinions of other people really are. Most of the time, getting a grip means realizing those opinions aren’t important.
Someone explained “getting a grip” to me another way, calling it the 18-40-65 rule.
When we’re eighteen we worry endlessly about what people think of us. Does he or she think I’m cute? Do they like me? Is so-and-so mad at me? Am I being gossiped about? Then by age forty, we stop worrying about gossip and opinion. We finally stop caring what people think about us. But it isn’t until age sixty-five that we realize the truth: All this time, nobody has really been thinking about us at all.
Let’s face it, most of the time people really don’t care enough to be thinking about you – they’re far too busy thinking about themselves. And if they are thinking about you, they’re only thinking of you in the context of how you are making them look.
You don’t have to wait until age sixty-five to realize this. We spend too much of our lives worrying about being rejected by other people. Don’t fall for that trap. Get a grip. Don’t let people who don’t matter, matter.”
Form your own opinion, forge your own path, get a grip and leave the herd behind.
Until next time, thanks for taking the time
Mark
Mark Brodinsky, Author, Blogger, Podcaster, Speaker, SpeechWriter, Emmy Winner, USHEALTH Advisors
(http://www.prweb.com/releases/markbrodinsky/072015/prweb12862708.htm)
Author: The #1 Amazon Best Seller: It Takes 2. Surviving Breast Cancer: A Spouse’s Story
(http://www.spouses-story.com/)
The Podcast: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sunday-series-courage-inspiration/id1028611459)
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